That Terrible Night (Tex tells of Jack's death "Everett's Dad")
I remember the night that Tex told me how my father died. He leaned back in his leather chair and got very quite as he reflected on that tragic night. I could hear the wrinkle of the chair as his jeans rubbed against it and he sunk softly back into it. His words came out slowly and then he choked back some tears. Speaking softly and with a quiver in voice, a tear rushed down his rugged face. He was so strong and fierce when he is out on the range. His hands were like leather from the hard work with the cattle. I never would have thought that just a memory would bring a mountain of a man down to the meekness of a mouse. He looked intently into my eyes and began:
“It was a cool breezy night with a light mist floating in the air. The stars shown bright making a light glow on the horizon. I was standing by the upstairs window overlooking the fields that I had been working so hard on that day. The cattle were out to pasture and the wheat was ready to be harvested. My wife Maggie snuck up behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist then to my chest and pulled me close. It was the first chance all day for us to be alone. Our daughter Miracle was only two months old and Maggie had finally been able to put her to bed. The baby had been restless all day and it was the first time she had the chance to relax and she chose to take that time to spend with me. Her hand ran down the side of my shoulder to my hand as she guided me back to the bedroom to rest for the new day. We were both exhausted. I kissed her lightly on the forehead, as was my custom every night. It was my way of saying that ‘I love you’ and everything will be all right for the new day.”He stopped and took a deep breath, trying to catch his composure once more. He almost lost it again in a borage of tears. Then he continued:
“A large crash woke me. Flames were starting to fill the house. I began to choke from the smoke in the room. My lungs felt like they were on fire. Maggie was coughing and on the floor. The only thing she could say is “Get my baby!” and she could barely say that. The smoke had filled her lungs so much that she couldn’t get up. I had to get my daughter and my wife out of the house. That is when I saw flashing red lights outside. The fire trucks had already arrived. The firefighters were unaware of the people inside at first. That is when I heard another crash and your father appeared before me. Almost like an angel he was just there all the sudden. He saw Maggie on the floor and the crib next to the bed and grabbed the baby with those clunky yellow gloves. Jack new that I didn’t have the strength to get the baby out of the house and helped me to the window. He had already gotten Maggie to the window and the other firefighters pulled her to safety. His focus was on me and the baby and he knew I was too dazed to know what was going on. He guided me to the window with my arm and most of my weight resting in his shoulders. My life and that of my daughter were now in his hands. I felt the heat of the flames and my body blistering from the intense heat. Next thing in know I was being pulled though the window by two other men. There voices were muffled with the clear plastic covering their faces. All I saw were yellow blurs of people all around me as ‘My little Miracle’ was shoved into my arms. I was in the clear of the night now and was gradually coming to my senses again. The smoke wasn’t irritating my eyes anymore and I was regaining my strength. I could see now and I was at the top of a ladder with another fireman trying to get me to go down it to safety. That is when I looked around and saw your father in my window. Then with a great crash, he disappeared from my sight. I got to the bottom of the ladder and handed my baby to someone then blacked out.”
He stopped for a moment and explained to me how my dad was a hero. Not the kind that I fantasized about in comic books. He was the real kind or a hero, the kind of man that greatness inspired to be. His love for my mom was next to none and their love for one another was like a fairy tale. He was a man that only a few great men could even come close to. He said, “It doesn’t take a power, or great wealth to become a hero. What it takes is courage, love, faith, strength, and endurance. These qualities are the qualities of great people throughout history. These are the people that you should aspire to be like.” I answered him, “You mean like mom?” and he replied, “Exactly like your mom!”
He continued with the story:
“When I awoke from the hospital the first thing I asked was how Maggie and Miracle were doing. They said, ‘Miracle had gotten some light burns and some smoke in her lungs, but she will recover just fine. Your baby truly is a miracle.’ Then they stopped and paused for a moment and that is when they told me Maggie had passed away. She didn’t have the lung capacity to take that much smoke into them. I was lucky that I didn’t get as much smoke in my lungs. It was her panicking and her fear for our child that caused her to breathe in more heavily. I was in too much of a daze to panic and that is what saved me. After the news, I wanted to crawl away and die. My heart felt like it was going to explode. My lungs couldn’t hold in my breath and I broke down and cried.”
He stopped at this point and gave me some advice. He said, “When I am in danger, sometimes the best thing I can do is keep a level head and not panic. When we are filled with fear and panic our battle is lost.” Every story he told me seamed to have some sort of stem line to courage, and now I understood why. He lost something very dear to him because of fear and he didn’t want me to have to go through the same thing.
As for my father, Tex found out later that the floor had collapsed below him taking his life. Tex knew my parents before the tragic events because my parents went to his church. They were best friends. Each couple had a young child and they would tease each other that we would grow up and get married someday. But it was these tragic events that brought my mom and Tex close together. They had both lost the one they loved and understood how each other felt. Eventually Tex grew to love my mom but didn’t pursue it because of the guilt of her losing Jack to save his family. He felt that it would be a dishonor to his friend; secretly they have loved one another for many years with no word about it to each another. The man that taught me courage was the same man that had to deal with fears of his own. Some day I hope he realizes his fear and conquers his battle. To honor is one thing but to love and not do anything about it is still yet another another.
