by James Ross
“I don’t want to wet the bed!” Curt said even louder.
“You won’t. There’s a catheter in you,” the nurse explained. Other voices could be heard throughout the room as the anesthesia wore off the various surgery patients.
“Where, go where?” Curt nearly shouted. He had no idea what she was talking about. If I go here, I’ll pee all over myself, he thought as he laid flat on his back.
“It’s okay. Just go,” the nurse said.
“Ohhhh!” he groaned. Does that feel good or what? I hope she knows what she’s talking about or it’s going to get awfully wet around here.
“Just relax,” the nurse said as she attempted to calm him down. “You’ll be down here for another hour or so and then we’ll take you back to your room, Honey.”
“Is it over?” Curt stammered. “How did it go?” No one was paying any attention to what he was saying. He dozed and drifted in and out of consciousness aware of how great the drugs felt and how near he was to a state of ecstasy. It must have gone okay because I don’t feel a thing or is this just a dream?
J Dub and Lug Nut were waiting in the room when Curt was wheeled back from the recovery room. Even though Lug Nut didn’t play golf or come around the golf course, he and Curt had been friends for a number of years. Curt gave them a reassuring thumbs-up. The hospital had provided him with a private room. At least he didn’t have to listen to the old guy hack all night.
“Hey, congratulations! You made it,” J Dub greeted his brother as the attendant turned to leave.
“I guess so,” Curt replied still groggy.
“How do you feel?” Lug Nut asked.
“How do you think I feel?”
Lug Nut snorted out a chuckle. “Well, it’s good to see that you’re back to your old self.”
“I feel great,” Curt mumbled, “but I really can’t feel a thing.”
“I had a nice visit with Dr. Mason after surgery,” J Dub said. “He told me that he got it all out of there.”
“Good, let’s get this page in the book put behind us and move on to the next one,” Curt said. His mouth was dried out. He reached up to rub the creases of his lips.
“Can I get you anything?” Lug Nut offered.
“My mouth is dry,” Curt complained. “But I’m afraid to drink anything. I don’t want to start peeing through this thing again.” He pointed to the catheter. “I really want an ice cube or something wet like that to suck on.”
Lug Nut got up to leave the room. “Let me check with the nurse and see if they have anything like that down there.”
“So what else did he say?” Curt asked his little brother. He wanted to find out if Dr. Mason reported any damaging news.
“They’re going to send the tumor to pathology to get a lab report. He said that it was pretty good sized but he thought that all of it stayed inside the walls of the colon.”
“I guess if there is something to be thankful about, then that’s it,” Curt muttered allowing himself to slip in and out of the conversation.
“He said that he thought that it was cancer for sure, but they didn’t know if it was malignant or benign,” J Dub continued. “They’ll know more in a day or two.”
“What will be, will be,” Curt philosophized. “Right now, I don’t have a care in the world.”
Lug Nut busted through the door. “Look what I scored for you!” He handed over a cherry-flavored popsicle.
“How did you get that?” Curt questioned.
“They had a whole box of them down there, but there were only two flavors . . . cherry and orange. Now that we know you can have popsicles, I’ll pick up a whole box of them for you tomorrow,” Lug Nut suggested.
“Thank you guys for thinking of me,” Curt said as he stuck the popsicle in his mouth. “Mmmm. This really hits the spot.” His eyes closed as he savored the icy treat. “I’ve about had enough for one day.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Curt woke up the next morning as perky and as energetic as one could ever hope for. The morphine had relieved his body from all pain. He didn’t feel a thing from the operation. The most difficult task was moving from a prone position to sitting up on the side of the bed. That move put a slight strain on his right side and caused a twinge of discomfort. Other than that, walking gingerly while rolling the IV pole alongside was the next-hardest activity.
His cell phone had been ringing non-stop all morning and it sounded like several friends would be stopping in throughout the course of the day. He was glad to be on the To-Do list of a lot of his buddies. He just wished that it was under different circumstances. It’s weird how a stay in the hospital gets people together to reminisce about old times.
“Hey! How are you doing?” Curt called to Justin as he headed through the door with Tina.
“I’m fine. How are you doing?” Justin came over to the side of the bed and gave Curt’s arm a squeeze.
“It’s so great to see you,” Curt said. “There’s always that little bit in the back of your head that tells you that you might not make it. But I’m here!”
“We said a lot of prayers for you,” Justin admitted. “Plus we lit a candle in church so that somebody would be looking over you.”
“Aw, that’s so neat,” Curt said getting misty. “I think that I needed a little divine intervention to get past this.” He pulled Justin over to the bed, reaching around his shoulders to draw him in for a big hug.
Tina was moved by the way they interacted. She edged her way over to the foot of the bed. “You gave us quite a scare,” she confessed.
“Don’t think that I wasn’t concerned as well,” Curt said. “I don’t know if I’m out of the woods yet.”
“What did the doctor say?” Tina asked.
“Everything that they took out went to the lab. I guess that they’ll let me know what the results are when they are finished with their tests.”
“When will you be back at the golf course?” Justin asked.
“The way I feel right now, I think that I could go back in a few days,” Curt responded.
Tina couldn’t believe her ears. “You don’t hurt anywhere?”
Curt shook his head. “Nope.”
“That can’t be. You just had major surgery.”
“Well, you asked me. I feel great. The only pain that I have is when I try to go from a laying down position to a sitting up position. Then I really feel like my abdominal muscles are not there,” Curt explained.
Still, Tina was worried that he was rushing things. “What did the doctor say?” Before Curt could answer she fired another question. “How long does he want you to stay in here?” Curt opened his mouth to reply. “What sort of limitations is he going to put on you?”
Curt glared at her. He licked his lips. He ground his teeth. “Are you done?”
Tina got the point. “I’m sorry. It’s just that we care about you.”
“I appreciate that,” Curt said with gratitude. “Now, I’ll attempt to address your concerns. First off, the doctor said that he got all of it out. That was really good news. Secondly, he thought that I would need four to five days in the hospital to recover. They have to make sure everything down there is working right. Finally, he told me to take it easy when I got out, but that I could get up and do as much as I could. They want me to start walking around.”
“Then you might really be back to the golf course in a week?” Justin asked.
“I’d sure like to be, but then I’ll have to take it easy and only do what my body will let me do,” Curt replied, “and I don’t know what my energy level will be like.” Then he frowned. “Dr. Mason told me before surgery to not swing a golf club for at least six weeks after surgery.”
Justin continued, “Why not?”
“He doesn’t want me to rip the stitches open. If that happens, then I’ll have some bigger problems.”
“You make sure you do what the doctor says,” Tina lectured. “I know how stubborn and headstrong you can be.”
“Me!�
� Curt exclaimed. “If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black!”
Tina smiled and rolled her eyes. She knew that her domineering personality could be abrasive. “You know what I mean. Take it easy and get yourself better.”
“I intend to, Dear.” Curt felt entitled to this verbal liberty; they’d been through a lot together while raising Justin. In his eyes she wasn’t married to Dave Galati. Curt viewed Dave as merely a distraction to the main goal which was giving Justin the proper upbringing. Tina looked at him from her periphery and read his thoughts.
“So, are you going to be alright?” Justin fired a final question.
“Let’s put it this way,” Curt began. “Maybe I’m just not quite ready to get to the end of the road . . . you know . . . either that, or I cheated death.”
Justin wrinkled his nose. He tried to fathom what Curt was talking about. “You mean you didn’t want to get to the finish line yet.”
Curt considered the thought. He glanced at Tina then back at Justin. “I guess you could say that.” He paused. “I guess that I just wasn’t ready to run through the finish line of my life. But do you want to know something?”
“What’s that?” Justin asked.
“You can bet that when I do, I’m going to bust right through it.” Curt put his right hand in the air. Justin gave him a high-five.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Eleven Years Earlier . . . December, 1996
The Christmas spirit was alive and well in the St. Louis area even though there was nary a snowflake to be seen. A cold front had moved through but there was no moisture associated with it. The wind was blowing at a brisk twenty miles an hour and the temperature had dropped into the teens. With the wind-chill factor, the real temperature hovered around zero.
While most people stayed inside and enjoyed their fireplaces, Tina chose to brave the conditions and do some last-minute Christmas shopping. Curt had already picked up Justin from day care and was babysitting Eric when he got home from the first grade. She made arrangements with Curt to meet her at the Seven Tunnels of Cash shopping mall. Each tunnel signified a day of the week.
If there was anything that Tina had a passion for besides her two sons, it was shopping. She would go to each and every store, buy things, take them back, buy some more, and spend a half tank of gas to drive across town if she could save a dollar or two. One thing was certain: no one that she knew would go without a present on a holiday or a birthday. She had a knack for finding the unique and perfect gift for all occasions.
As Curt drove into the parking lot he noticed how beautiful the decorations around the grounds of the mall were. White lights twinkled in the dormant Bradford pear trees and assorted firs. Pine bough garland hung in swags from the railing, anchored by traditional red bows. Holiday music was piped through the speaker system. A horse-drawn carriage carried Christmas revelers through the parking lot, and policemen on horseback patrolled the area.
Curt lifted Justin out of the car seat that had become a permanent fixture in his back seat. Eric jumped out of the car and ran toward the mall. “Eric, wait! Don’t run off!” Curt yelled. He grabbed the toddler’s arm with one hand and held Justin in his other arm. The cold struck them, framing their faces in breath clearly visible in the nighttime chill.
As the three of them entered the mall, Curt immediately looked for the Santa Claus stand. The plan was for Tina to join them there. Curt found it and quickly jumped in line while scouring the area for Tina. Little kids scurried all around the stage. The excitement of sitting on Santa’s lap, daring to look closely at him and feel his beard was a memorable moment in an impressionable child’s life. Amid the candy canes near the twenty-foot Christmas tree, Curt spotted Tina and waved in her direction. Eric ran to her side.
“Have you gotten all your presents bought?” Curt asked as the children’s choir belted another Christmas carol.
“I’m almost done,” Tina replied. “There’s still a few more to get.”
“Is it insane in here or what?” The mall was packed. Shoppers were loaded down with bags, hurrying and bumping into each other; some of them becoming impatient with the Santa Claus line that blocked their way.
“It’s been like this ever since I got here,” Tina answered.
“There isn’t any recession this year,” Curt commented.
The boys were jumping with joy to sit on Santa’s lap. “Eric, hold on!” Tina shouted. “We’ve only got a couple more people ahead of us.” Justin reached for his mother’s arms. She grabbed him and said, “Hold these,” as she handed the shopping bags to Curt.
In another minute Santa reached out for Eric and Justin. “Ho, ho, ho. What have we here?” The boys clamored to sit on his lap. In an instant their picture was taken. As Justin sat in awe of Santa’s beard and puffy red suit, the boys were quickly whisked off of his lap by a mall attendant.
“I see that mass production has even hit Santa’s line,” Curt quipped. “They weren’t up there more than ten seconds.”
“That’s okay,” Tina reasoned. “I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.” The stress from shopping was evident in her voice.
The foursome headed for the food court. This wasn’t quite the foursome that Curt was accustomed to. As they stood in line, Eric unexpectedly bolted toward the video area. Curt ran after him as Tina held their place in line with Justin in her arms.
“Eric!” Curt shouted. “Come back here!”
The tot continued on. He had one thing on his mind. “Give me some money,” he ordered.
“Whoa, big guy. We’ll have time for that. Let’s go back and get some food with your mom. We’ll come over here when we’re finished,” Curt said.
“I want to play now!” Eric yelled back alerting Curt that a temper tantrum was imminent.
“That stuff won’t work on me,” Curt countered. “We’ll have time for this after we eat.” He grabbed Eric’s hand as the child started to cry. “That’s enough.” The firm resonance in Curt’s voice spoke volumes to Eric. He fought back the tears, but realized that his method of operation wasn’t going to work on Curt. “Let’s spend ten minutes eating with your mom and I’ll bring you back down here and we’ll play miniature golf.”
“Putt-putt?” Eric questioned. Curt nodded. The whole episode that happened a few seconds before was forgotten. “Yea!”
After eating, Curt grabbed Justin and the four of them headed for the miniature golf area. Eric tugged on Tina’s arm in an effort to get her to keep up. He then bolted from her side and easily beat Curt and Justin to the sign-in sheet. Eric grabbed a small putter and a blue ball. Curt picked a red ball and reserved a yellow ball for Justin. The minute they got onto the first tee Eric blasted his putt down the fairway. It was way too hard to be accurate. Justin waddled over and immediately stood on the side of the ball that a left-handed player would assume.
“Justin, get on the other side of the ball,” Tina urged.
“No, let him stay there,” Curt disagreed. “If that’s how he wants to hit the ball, then that’s okay.” Justin swung and hit the top part of the ball. It dribbled a few yards. “He’s not even three yet.”
The kids and Curt managed to make it through the windmills and the clown’s face. They survived the holes with water and tunnels. Even a haunted house and a talking parrot came into play. Of course, the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves and Curt had some time to instruct them how to hit the ball and swing the club. It was exciting to see the kids actually get better hitting the ball by the time the eighteenth hole was finished.
Curt had fun playing with Tina’s boys and she could see the bond that was forming between them. As they were heading toward the door to exit the mall, Tina turned to Curt. “You know, it’s Christmas and everything, but if you’re going to get close to my kids, then I don’t want you to just up and walk away some day,” Tina said.
“I’m not going to do that,” Curt replied. “We don’t need to talk about all of this right this instant.”
“At this time in my life I’ve got enough stuff going on,” Tina claimed, “and marriage is out of the question. I’ve got no desire for that.”
“Where did that come from?” The very suggestion sounded like it had come out of left field. “Neither do I,” Curt said. “That’s the last thing on my mind.”
“If you stick around and play with my boys and look after them, then I want you to at least remain friends with them and not desert them someday,” Tina continued.
“All little boys need to have a man around,” Curt agreed.
“Eric has a dad. I’m not so much concerned about him,” Tina continued. “But Justin doesn’t have a dad. He loves you Curt. You can see how he looks up to you and reaches out to you. Don’t leave him stranded.”
“I won’t. I’ve got no intention on doing that.”
“I mean it. If you leave, it will break his heart. He loves you, do you hear me?” Tina stressed. “Is that a deal?”
Curt nodded his head up and down. “That’s a deal.” Gently he leaned over and sealed it with a peck on her lips.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Aaargh! “Nurse, help me!” Curt cried out in the middle of the night. Aaaargh! Aaaaargh! He looked over to the clock radio and saw that it was a few minutes after three o’clock. In indescribable pain, he reached for the panic button. “Nurse! Nurse!”
In an instant a registered nurse working the midnight shift rushed into Curt’s hospital room. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“The pain is killing me!” Curt cried out. He pounded the bed with his right hand over and over. “Help me! I feel like my stomach is going to blow up!” It had been about forty hours since Curt had gone through the operation and the morphine was wearing off. “Give me something! Please! Quick!”
“Hold on for a minute,” the nurse instructed. “Let me run down to the desk and see what the doctor has prescribed.” She bolted out of the room as swiftly as she had entered it.
“It’s my stomach,” Curt stressed as she returned to the room seconds later. “It feels like it’s going to explode. It feels like I’m full of gas or something!”