***
Upon turning to a page in the scrapbook that had a snapshot of me sitting atop Scott's shoulders, vivid memories of my relationship with him instantly flooded my mind. At the clinic I could see him talking to my uncle in the waiting room as the nurse brought me over. He had asked my uncle for permission to take me back to my mother. My uncle, out of gratitude for what he had done, agreed to let him. As Scott drove we talked. I asked him many questions.
"How come you were the only one who came after me?"
"Because I was keeping an eye on you and I saw everything as it occurred."
"You were keeping an eye on me? I didn't know that."
"I was keeping an eye on everyone out there," he replied while smiling and winking at me.
"How come you took off your clothes when you were running?"
"It allowed me the freedom to swim better."
"How did you know when to tell me to jump?"
"I had been in that area before. I knew the location of that calm spot and knew it was the best place for you to jump in; the best place to attempt a rescue."
"Why did you make us do all those exercises when we got out of the water?"
"So we would stay warm and not freeze."
"How do you know all these things?"
"Someday, Lance, if the opportunity ever presents itself, I'll tell you," he replied while smiling again.
I asked him all the questions that my curious six-year-old mind could think of and he answered as many as he could. In due course we arrived at my uncle's cabin. We walked in to find my mother asleep on the couch with an empty liquor bottle on the floor beside her. Scott took a look at her, and then went into the kitchen to make coffee.
"I'll wait here with you until your uncle arrives," he said reassuringly.
Eventually, my uncle appeared and he woke my mother up. She was distressed when she heard what happened but she was also quite grateful to Scott for having rescued me. She invited him to stay with us until it was time for me to go to bed. Before I was tucked in, I gave Scott a big hug and thanked him not only for having saved my life, but also for the kindness he had shown toward me. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if I would ever see him again.
To my delight he showed up at our door one week later after having called my mother to get permission to take me to the movies. Apparently, his house was only a short driving distance from our own. Before being allowed to go with him however, my mother and he sat talking at our kitchen table for over a half-hour. Scott showed her some papers as they spent time getting acquainted. I later found out this was background information and identification my mother had requested he bring in order to prove who he said he was and to alleviate concerns she had about letting me accompany him. Over the next several months he made numerous visits to our home to check on my welfare and to always take me out somewhere fun.
One Sunday afternoon we went to a football game. The half-time show featured a karate demonstration. I was captivated by it and Scott took notice. When we returned home he mentioned to my mother that he thought it would be a good idea for me to get involved in martial arts training. He listed benefits such as discipline, self-respect, and knowing how to defend myself. He even offered to pay for them. My mother took him up on his offer which allowed me to attend my first classes in karate.
September came and I was in first grade. One day at recess I got into a fight and bruised the face of an older boy who was picking on one of my classmates. Bullying angered me and I was determined to stop it. Four weeks later I was involved in a second fight that resulted in my injuring another bully. This prompted a parent-school administrative meeting. My mother was told that I was now permanently suspended from school and I would have to enroll in a juvenile corrections program. Now alarmed, she telephoned Scott for advice. He devised a plan of action that would completely alter my life. Scott recommended that my mother homeschool me but that he would do the teaching. She wouldn't have to worry about doing any of it. He also suggested the idea of my living with him to bring male leadership and authority into my life. My mother however, could stay with us whenever she wanted. Additionally, he tried to encourage her. He advised her to enroll in an alcohol rehabilitation program and he also recommended job training courses which would allow her to find better employment. She asked me what I thought about all this. When she saw my enthusiastic response, she accepted his offer. As a result, I moved in with him—initiating a program that would encompass the next twelve years of my life.
Dawn of the Knight: The Lance Rock Chronicles Volume 1. Page 3