Daily Prompt; Close Call

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Tell us about a bullet you’re glad you dodged — when something awful almost happened, but didn’t.

Photographers, artists, poets: show us CLOSE.

I know this is personal, but it has been a few years back, so I can speak about it more easily today.

It all started when our Father passed a way. Hurt feelings, money turning from a useful tool to Satan‘s spawn, sadness, jealousy and anything else I have forgotten to add in here was the toy called destruction.

Words I had never heard prior to Dad’s death I was hearing. Actions among family and friends shocked me. Being together held by only a school glue came apart at the seams and family and friends scattered.

Even today as I will recognize my father’s passing in a few days the hurt is buried so deeply that some of it still remains unhealed. There are still names and phrases that can send me from thinking about Al and myself being a caregiver to a frightened child. Standing and shivering as if I am on the outside looking in through snowflakes.

And so it continued, off and on throughout the years. And then there was a day when I answered the doorbell that a delivery man stood standing asking if I was who I said I was. Once he was confident he handed me an envelope.

Of course I was frightened in the beginning. It is just normal to worry what this was all about and what did I have to do with any of it. It was a letter from the courts. A family member was taking me to court to try to take Al a way from my care.

Oh talk about being sick. I vomited, I stressed, I worried. I prayed but I didn’t wait for his answer. I continued to become more frightened as the day neared.

Then it happened, the day, the hour, the minute arrived. I found myself on the stand swearing to tell the truth. I had prayed as I walked to the stand. Dear God in heaven, don’t let my fear show to this stranger holding my life in his hands. Let me speak with confidence.

The drilling started. Questions flew from the smiling face. Answers came from my own mouth. Everything was happening while I stayed in a daze. Other comments were made and heard and then the end came.

The judge looked at me and said, ” This is utter nonsense. My time has been wasted. You, Terry are a wonderful sister and a good care giver. Any fool would not even try to remove him from your home. Case dismissed.”

I think I invisibly sunk to the floor in relief and tears. I went to where Al sat crying so afraid he was going to have to be removed and I hugged him. As I hugged him I said, ” It’s alright bud. Everything is going to be fine. God was taking care of this whole thing. Let’s go home.”