< 57 >

"Dad!" Radio sounded scared and weak "Help me!" I summoned all my strength and tried to pull him close enough to John's body so that he could grab on but my arms failed me. There was nothing left. I had let my child down. Just like Rivi. Just like my first baby. Now another of my children would die right in front of me and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. I prayed to God and then cursed him for a lying bastard. I screamed my frustration at the raging torrent.


Suddenly something hard grabbed me under the armpit. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Big John's eyes were open. The massive bicep on his remaining good arm was knotted and his face was hard and determined. "Tell the boy to climb over me Unc." I could have kissed him. His big legs reached out for Radio and Radio started climbing up him while I pulled at his clothes.

"Took you long enough you overweight son of a bitch. That was one hell of a time to take a nap." Our eyes met for a moment and I almost started crying. The man was in incredible pain. I couldn't imagine what it was costing him to put out this kind of effort. "Watch his arm Radio." Radio made it to John's shoulders and pulling on the rope and using me as a brace he was able to scramble up to the bike path. After five minutes of impossible effort, I made it up the side but neither Radio nor I had the strength to haul the big man out of the water. I told Radio to go for help.


I tied John securely to the signpost to keep him from being dragged off by the current, then collapsed onto the muddy path. As I sprawled on the soggy ground, exhausted and barely conscious, I looked up at the sign to which I had tied my wounded friend. It said "All Pets Must Be On Leash-Order of City of Houston Parks and Wildlife Department." The last thing I remember was looking down at John Sr. bobbing in the rushing water and thinking "Well, maybe this will teach him to heel."