I wish other's had known my dad, because he eyes held such joy and laughter,
he could turn anyone's frown, upside down. I remember times when he would
wrestle with his grand children play hide-N-seek, carve them wooden guns to
shoot the monster's in the woods. He was kind, patient and wisdom had to truly
be his middle name. He was a gardener, a builder, a jack of trades, but an
expert at none, yet his short comings never seemed to matter much to him, or
anyone else. He and grand ma shared our lake front home in those final years
of their life.
 
Since the age of 6, Megan has told me of talks and walks and play time with
Grandpa Bill. She has always had a wild imagination and I simply would list
to her talking 90 miles an hour, and laugh and humor her. But over those next
few years, Megan now and then would tell me about things I felt she couldn't
possibly have known. She couldn't have. She had been too young! Or had I told
her and she remembered?
 
Many a time she would sit on the dock, and do her homework as the sun warmed
her, and to me...at least, more time was spent talking to her "imaginary
friend" then keeping her pen to the paper. But her grades were good, not
perfect, but good and I was pleased. She was smart for her age, sometimes a
bit too smart, I think, and a swat on the butt was called for. Often times
Megan would ask if she could go for a swim.... and I always asked if her
chores were done and her room clean? This was "Always" followed with a
resounding "YES!".
 
Megan never wore a life jacket, and I didn't like that, but she was like a
fish in the water.  I had hopes one day as she grew up, that perhaps in high
school she might join the swim team! So it seemed natural that summer
afternoon, when she asked if she could go swimming, I said yes. As she
hurried out the door, I called out, "don't let the screen door slam"; but
it was too late, as I shook my head and waved at her! I continued washing
plates and glasses from lunch, until I suddenly heard Megan's panicked scream
for help!

 

Megan's leg muscle had cramped, and she was drowning!!! I dropped the plate
I was holding and raced for the door as it shattered on the floor. I could
see her frantically flailing her arms, trying to stay afloat, as I
approached the waters edge. Then suddenly, she held still, and smiled in my
direction and called out, "I'm okay momma, Grand Pa Bill saved me"! I
stopped dead in my tracks as if running into a brick wall, as I watched my
daughter coming closer to shore, as if held from behind by unseen hands.
 
When her feet could touch the bottom, she limped to the shore, turned and
waved to her "imaginary friend" and said, "thank you for saving me Grand Pa"!
I met her half way from shore and we splashed our way into each other's arms.
When we reached the shore, I knelt down and hugged her tightly as we both
cried. Suddenly, I felt that all too familiar touch, of my father's hand pat
my shoulder. The way he always used to do if I felt scared or lost. I turned
around and saw nothing. But when I looked back at Megan she was looking up
over my shoulder, then into my eyes.
 
She wiped her tears away and told me, "Grand Pa told me to tell you, "It's
alright pumpkin"! My jaw dropped open, because "pumpkin" was what my dad
always used to call me when I was upset!  From that moment on, I believed in
Megan's "imaginary friend", but reminded her from momma to daughter: "He is
no ordinary friend Megan. He's your grand pa"!
 
© 2002 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)

© 2006 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)