My FRANTIC Drive Home
I went to work, 3rd shift @ SWEETHEART CUP, I was in Paper Plate dept. Sammy Abidd, a friend of Dad was the 3rd shift Supervisor... I saw come around a wall area and told me, "Your Dad's at the hospital. Mom said meet her there."I FLEW OUT OF THERE, DON'T recall punching out I got in car and DROVE FAST...I figured if a CHICAGO COP WERE to pull me over I'd tell them what and I'd have a POLICE ESCORT, MAYBE... NOTHING. I rush into EMERGENCY ROOM and a "DOCTOR, maybe a NURSE WITHOUT ASKING WHO WHAT... said "YOUR MON SAID TO GO HOME." Again fast as a BAT OUT OF HELL I DROVE it was ABOUT 7 miles on side streets and a couple major ones.A few times I SWEAR I saw my DADS CAR behind me... it's almost as if he was making sure I stayed "safe". I opened the door... HEARD THE WORDS, they REMAIN IN MY HEART FOREVER.... STILL CRYSTAL CLEAR AS I try to type this.."SON, WE LOST HIM"...IN HER CRYING VOICE, I WILL NOT EVER FORGET. I, IN SHOCK DROVE to where I lived.... walked in my WIFE ASKED WHAT HAPPENED, A FRIEND of mine was dating her sister and they were spending night.. when I broke down in tears telling my Wife.. my friend, said, I'M SORRY, Tim... I GUESS I'LL GO. That night in the dark bedroom, I laid there looking up towards ceiling... I SAW MY DAD, SMILE ON HIS FACE LOOKING DOWN AT ME... I NEVER FORGOT THAT, EVERY YEAR on the 21ST of OCTOBER, I REMEMBER AS IF IT WAS YESTERDAY.I went to work 11-7, THE EARLY MORNING OF OCTOBER 22, 21981 TWO WEEKS BEFORE MY 21ST BIRTHDAY... I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT NIGHT, Till I join my DAD I will forever relive it each year.It's 3:08pm now, I was unaware in 1981 I would NOT EVER SEE, HEAR OR HUG MY DAD... AGAIN on this Earth. I SO MISS HIM, I've soaked my pillow enough to fill the oceans over the years, I held my MOMS HAND AND KISSED HER AS HER LAST BREATH LEFT HER 31 YEARS LATER, 4 DAYS PAST HER 80TH birthday December 24, 2012. Knowing they are TOGETHER HAS helped but I STILL CRY, TODAY THE DAY My DAD LEFT ME 42 YEARS AGO THIS NIGHT, even though it was after midnight... My mind stays clouded on the EXACT time....SUCKS having a memory so CLEAR, clear enough to HAUNT ME FOREVER on this EARTH !
Tim Czernik 
