A STORMY STORY
Thirty-seven years ago I met a Hungarian couple, ages 17-18 who had escaped--after several unsuccessful starts--Communism. They made their way to South America as stowaways on the tramp steamer.
After two months touring a jungle by canoeing alone down a thousand mile river involving with many, many dangers, adventures and exploits--they found themselves in Miami, Florida.
On a whim, they rode stolen bicycles the 120 miles across the peninsula to Naples, Florida. And this is where I met Jack and Jill (not their real names). We became friends. Those were still my drunk days, the final two horrible years.
Jill, age 18, a SO really beautiful young woman, so sweet, so intelligent, became pregnant. Shortly after giving birth, she was riding her bicycle on the side of the Tamiami Trail Highway. Along came a pickup truck. The right-side rear vision mirror hit her in back of the head, killing her instantly. This left Jack with his baby not yet two months of age.
Last week, 37 years after, I met Jack at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. What a sight we were now, both sober, both happy, enthusiastic, both friends again well-met.
Jack's Toyota with over 300,000 miles, blew its engine yesterday, now junk. So today I moved his belongings from his addicted son's (age 36) house, to a place more than an hour away from home. We had a grand reunion on this day, drank triple espressos at McDonald's (GoooooD!) and shared wonderful memories. It rained heavily all the morning, and was not a good day to move, but we got the job done. I feel so good, having a new friend, sober six years. And this is probably the first male friend I have had for a long time.
Jack reminded me that I am godfather of his 36-year-old alcoholic son. What memories were stirred today, about the untimely death of his young wife at the hands of a drunk driver, and the many happenings since then in each of our lives. We shared with each other our very soul-thoughts of today...yes we did! He is a very spiritual guy.
I talked him into beginning a written story of their escapes from Hungary, the imprisonments they both suffered, being caught several times, their final getaway. He cannot write well--so I'll get to edit these histories, stories, and it will be SO much fun, because I am already aware of some of the uniqueness of what he has to tell.
So that is my post for today, I decided to blog it. Jack's story is one of hardship, deathly fear which lingers even today, a pure true love, and experiences so wild--which will raise doubt as to their validity. But I know, and Jack knows.
Blogger Peeps, we are sober today.
We are at peace today.
We LOVE deeply...today!
"HARBOUR BRIDGE" by artist
Australian artist Robert Bosle
artbytv.com
