Only I day to go

Three days before saying our vows, I had stupidly had my left hand up upon a door steadying it while pushing a chisel upward trying to clean a mortised relief for a lockset’s bolt flange, the chisel slipped and cleanly cut my left thumb off, it landing in the saw dust and wood chips covering the floor. Oh shucks. I done it good this time. I picked up my thumb, wrapped my hanky about my hand my thumb held tight by my fingers, grabbed a broom and simply shoved twice every thing against a wall, walked out of the house locking the door behind me. I already knew I wasn’t going to be back.
I got into my truck and drove it down town to doc’s office. That’s where he’d be by that time of day. I parked almost in front his office entrance leading up-stairs to his second floor practice. It was one of them long high rising stair cases do to the store building’s first floor ten foot ceilings. Getting there, my trying to see either Doctor, my telling the receptionist I had just cut off my thumb, she insisted I had to take a seat and wait my turn just like everyone else. Myself in no mood to get excited I took the only empty chair left in the waiting room.
My hanky white when I had wrapped my hand in Stub Reader’s basement it was spotting red as I sat down. While I wasn’t hurting I used my right hand trying so slow my own bleeding pressing on my left wrist’s pressure point. I’d have to say my grip couldn’t hold the bloody flow from running. By and by the hanky had turned completely red. The hanky no longer capable to hold back the crimson essence flowing out of me I started involuntarily dripping on the floor. A puddle was born, one drip, a second drop, and more. About the time the puddle had reached a silver dollars size my blood made a splash. At that moment before a second drip could make a second splash a woman screamed. “Oh my God!” I thought “Some one’s hurt worse than me!” And there was a whole chorus of screams, one woman shouting above the rest of the noise. “Will someone please help this man bleeding to death!”
Coming through the doors what lead into the medicine men’s inner-sanctum Both Doctors came with a mission in their eyes, surrounding me, one on either side they had me up and near dragged me towards the door on the left. So swift they were they nearly got me there without my efforts trying to walk for myself. Oozing three grown men wide I was funneled through that left door, Doc Itzen’s left arm immediately cleared his desk to the floor. His Nurse Freda with a wide push broom, unceremoniously pushed further Doc’s personals even closer to the wall. I was whirled around my backside going down to meet a chair that hadn‘t been there moment earlier. A towel from nowhere appeared upon the big old walnut desk, my left arm laid upon it, finger’s pried open my thumb was set aside to continue existing as a possible souvenir.
No sooner set down I was nearly whip-lashed to my feet my left hand meeting with some skin staining green soap and had it thoroughly scrubbed in an old office sink. Had it been me, I wouldn’t have been near as rough with it. Then whether I was ready or not I was shoved backward into my reserved chair, my arm back on the desk, Freda was laying a white toweled tray upon the roomy empty topped desk. She brought more towels, syringe and needles. Even a couple brown bottles I knew weren’t containing booze my knowing their shapes. Everything readied in seconds Doc was seated cross corner from me, Freda returning setting a screen upon the desk between Doc and I. I removed it, setting it out of my vision’s way to the back of the desk. “I don’t want you getting sick and vomiting on me.” Doc spoke, saying little more going straight to his work poking my hand with syringes filling them individually out-a one of the brown bottles. “I wont.” I promised. And, commenced to watch Doc push and pull the butchered flesh around looking for one thing and another to clamp a forceps’ on, and as long as I was going to watch he hung the bunch of them on all my right hand’s fingers and thumb. While he was attaching all that hardware inside my thumb, Freda had come back with a sewing kit. Not a whole lot unlike my mother’s only cleaner all in white, the threads and container. A moment our two my hand in Doc’s nimble fingers, my torso was physically engaged, finding myself helpless, Freda had managed to roll up my right sleeve to poke me...to only give me a tetanus shot.
When Doctor was nearing his reassembly with me, “How did you get here? Who brought you? Why didn’t you go to the hospital? Who’ll we call to come and get you?
The thumb back where it belonged it looked like a Frankenstein work of art just before it was sandwiched between two tongue suppressors and all wound together with a couple yards of adhesive tape.
“I drove myself here! I came alone! I knew you’d be here and I’d have to wait for you there! And, I’ll drive myself home because my truck is parked downstairs and has to be taken home!”
“Can’t do that. You could go into shock.”
“I can drive my truck home. I’ll even promise I wont go into shock until I’m safely inside my home.”
Determined in my way. Doc relented, “Straight home it is then. I‘ll be checking on you. No stopping in the first tavern you come to either.”
And he did too. He had called my home to learn if I had made it or not. While he was at it he issued some order’s upon my behalf.
As for me, I made the drive home without incident, entered the house, and hit mom’s couch. There I laid and slept the clock near around. When I a-woke, I a-woke perspiration’s stinking of a shock’s fever’s flushed from my pores. Oh Lord, was I ever hungry. And most importantly, my Frieda was the prettiest angel to come into focus.
Super eatened, the masses denying me my vote had unanimously voted as a unit in one voice had decided I either take for myself or was about to be given a committees bath. Okay, out numbered, while severely handicapped with one left hand’s throbbing ache, I relented. Besides I might feel better refreshed afterwards. Disrobing was no bother, running the water easy enough, settling my butt into the shallow end of the tub, the warm water felt good the steam rising refreshing my senses my eyes even felt better. Settled in, a helpless reality come over me my unable to comfortably soap my washcloth. Oh bummer. “Mon!” I shouted out so’s she could hear me from behind closed bathroom door. A moment or two later I heard voices outside my door. My dilemma’s answer was just the other side the door about to enter and render me aid.
The door opening I could hear my mom saying, “You might just as well start taking care of him tonight. He’ll be your responsibility in a couple more days anyway.” And Frieda was pushed through the opened door my seeing only my Mom’s hand retreating after its evil mission had unceremoniously pushed the girl into that room to hover over me. How does one express embarrassment, save for dumbfounded looks and blood’s changing complexions’ vivid red. I know my whole being was turning red as was her’s under the embarrassed eyes of one potential bride. I knew she soon see my all at some point. Only, I wanted it to be my chosen moment to reveal my all. I was looking forward to maybe an even exchange of realities revealing differences. This was so one sided…… My some twenty houred sleep having totally worn me out I retired early climbing the stairs to my room. Either tired or exhausted I simply wanted to lay down and let another sleep envelop me.
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Ho Boy! Was a big day to day. I took Frieda to church. Read a poem I had written for her some thirteen years ago tro the congregation. I’m afraid it might have been interpreted a wee bit to racy for half the folks listening and looking on. It might have been better had I preempted the telling with an explanation the piece held few metaphors, It was truly truthfully written in the words what best described the scenes.
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Getting back to the spreader this morning I had finally seen an answer to realigning the chains and scrapers. That was before noon. After lunch I got into loosening the chain guides. I pushed and pulled the chains until I had them running together. After I had replaced broken missing link, tightened the chains I took it for a satisfactory spin to check out the workings. It runs fine.
Second best part of Shorthorn country goin’s-ons came on me in the manner of a most beautiful sunny day we hadn’t had for quite-a few days. BGKC.
Fernan