911

I had to call 911 for the first time this afternoon.  Marv and I went to the store.  Before we were done, he said he was really really tired and I told him to go to the front of the store and find a chair and rest.  I finished up and found him, we unloaded our bags into the car and were off to In 'n' Out for burgers, as we usually do on Tuesdays when I have my poetry meeting.  In the line waiting for our burgers he mentioned again how tired he was.  I said, "You would get stronger and not feel so weak if you'd walk a little every day."  He leaped out of the car, angry.  "I;m not going to listen to this all the way home!" he yelled as I tried to grasp his pants or his shirt to pull him back in.  "Get back in here," I tried to sound like I had some kind of authority.  "Right now!"  "No," he said, "I am going to walk home!"

And he went lumbering off, heading north.  I couldn't go forward or backward, and lost sight of him before I got out of the line.  I tried to think what I should do.  I looked for him until I knew he wouldn't have made it this far, and traffic was heavy, and it was 92* hot.  I knew I couldn't look for him and drive at the same time, so I hurried home and called 911.  Three big police cars arrived and took all the information I could give them--height, weight, hair color, clothing etc...and they went looking for him.  An hour later they returned with him in tow.  He had come quite a ways.

"I sure was glad to get a ride home," he told me.  "I don't think I could have taken one more step!"

He had no idea why he was out there walking on the side of the road, alone.  And a little later, he remembered none of it.  As if it never happened.  "Boy, am I hungry," he said.  "What have we got to eat?"  When I showed him his In 'n' Out burger, fries, and Pepsi he was delighted.

 Our son Marc said he went out like a lion and in like a lamb!  Yep!


Thanks to the folks at 911, and to those great police guys for finding him and bringing him home safe!