My Friend John - Part 4

As I told your earlier, John had an agenda, things he wanted to accomplish while he could.  Some of these tasks were logically important, things all of us should be taking care of while we can.  Finances, kids future, getting right with those you had differences with, important things.

John had a mental list, and to him, each one of them was equal in urgency,  to him.  So, that particular weekend when I went over for my usual visit, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when I was informed we were going to go wash the SUV and the camper.  K asked me if I could drive and tow the camper and I said “better than John”.  So off we went.

John knew of a drive-thru self wash that was close by, no more than 10 minutes from the house.  As we arrived, John told me to pull all the way up to the vacuum cleaners so we could clean the inside of the SUV first.  Since no one else was there, I pulled midway between two vacuums so that we could both have our own, John on the passenger side, me on the driver’s side.

We were well into the vacuuming when I looked over to ask John a question, but John wasn’t there.  I walked around back of the SUV over to his side, but no John.  Panic started to set in.  I called out, but nothing.  I start walking around the car wash, nothing.  I go back to the SUV, still nothing.

Now I was in charge of taking John to wash the vehicles, how in the world was I going to explain to K and the rest of the family, that I lost John?  What should I do, call K, the police; maybe leave town and change my name?

In the middle of my panic, I hear this faint groan, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.  As I moved to the front of the SUV, I discovered this little hill that went down a few feet to what was now a dried up holding pond.  And laying there at the bottom of this hill was my friend John.  I started laughing for joy, and partly because the whole situation was funny.  I wouldn’t have to leave town after all, my wife would be pleased, she likes it here.

Initially John did not see the humor, he had dinged his elbow; but worst of all, he bruised his ego.  As we were packing up to leave, John told me what happened.  John was moving to the front of the vehicle and as he did, he tripped over a small curb, fell forward and rolled down the hill into the holding pond.  He was too embarrassed to call out at first; so he just lay there pouting.

On our way back to John’s house, I got him to see the humor in what had happened.  After telling K the story she and the whole family teased ME about not taking John anywhere because I might lose him.  Very funny…not.

Next episode, John asks me again.

Mumbles says

God’s peace!