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The Death of the Man Who Was an Extraordinary Island
He dropped in on earth and stayed a while
The man was an island of sorts, dependent on no one. This man, true in fatherhood and friendship, was a subtle invader—unique and quietly rebellious in a world of brainless conformity. Others artlessly drifted toward him. He was never a follower.
It was 4 a.m. in a frozen, windy winter when I saw my father for the last time.
My father’s presence was a mirror of perennials. The kings of the garden that reach blooms of enrichment — guardians of protection and nutrition for others. Season after season, year after year.
A war veteran and a lifetime firefighter, he led an honorable and somewhat alluring life. A tower of patience, he held a knack for removing himself from the negative or repairing the broken and then flowing forward without complaints. Those were super talents. Friends were many and in his life forever. He was an amiable, confident, magical dude with a slightly mischievous smile that dazzled even strangers who fell under his spell.
Dads are a magical light in a daughter’s world too. We shine when they enter a room, and that room glows. And it dims a little when they leave. It’s special.
Calmness was his constant. In my life, I only saw him pushed beyond his patience twice. A drunk driver rear-ended us. The driver tried to run off, and Dad tackled him effortlessly. We three stayed in the car, glued to the entertainment, until the offender’s arrest. The second time is too wild for this narrative.
Scolding was a rarity, and I could tell he loathed it. But when a hero gave an order, you retreated and followed. Subject closed.
From nightmare to nightmare
It was 3:30 a.m. when Mom called me to come.
No, this wasn’t happening. Tall glass doors and darkness were all that greeted me in the cold. Locked. What? They’re automatic. You locked me out? I pounded on the uninviting doors of the hospital.
They’re glass so someone will see me. What are you, freakin’ closed? My father and the shining star in my life needs me. Flashes of images entered my headspace as this offhanded nightmare preceded the nightmare to come.
