—The Passenger—
It was late at night.
I couldn’t sleep.
Since I couldn’t sleep, I drove to the Gas Station at the bottom of the hill to get two Gatorades. My body had been craving Gatorades since April, and I’ve been giving it what it craves.
At the Station, I walk in.
The place is empty. I’m the only Customer. —It feels eerie.
At the counter, the Attendant and I talk. I asked if it had been busy.
“It was busy earlier. Some concert at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater had let out, and a lot of people had stopped by to gas up.”
We then talk about Tom Petty and when he played at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater. It turned out that the both of us were at the same concert.
I pay my bill, say my Good-Byes, and exit the building.
Outside, a little white truck pulled up on the opposite side I had parked.
I stepped off the Curb. I don’t know if that’s called a Curb or not, but I was now standing on the actual Parking Lot.
I get a feeling in my Heart that something is going on with the driver of that truck.
I felt like something important was about to happen.
I didn’t feel like it was something bad, but it didn’t feel like something good either.
I stopped and looked at the truck and the driver.
I mumble, “Something is about to happen.”
At that time, my legs began running. I hadn’t run since I was twenty years old, but apparently, my Legs felt like running. I had no control over it.
It was as if my Upper Body was along for the ride. —A Passenger. Like my upper body was riding on the back of a horse.
The guy gets out of his vehicle and comes towards me.
“Get outta the way! I have no control of my legs!” I Screamed.
I hear him say, “Oh boy.”
My legs kept running. Still, I had no control over it.
“Oh no. Oh no. Get ready,” he says.
And I hit the ground.
My two Gatorades are thrown clear.
My Samsung Smart Watch goes flying in the air.
I hear my Skull hit the Pavement. It sounded like a Baseball hitting the Cement at Ninety Miles an hour.
My eyes close.
I immediately open my eyes back up to try and keep myself from Passing Out.
I turn over and see the Young Man leaning over me.
“Oh man, don’t freak out, but you got a lot of Blood. Let me get some napkins.” He runs over to the “Window Washing Station” that Gas Stations place between Gas Pumps.
I’m still lying down, looking up at the Stars.
“What the,” I say out loud. “My legs just started running…On their own.”
If you’ve kept up with me, you know I have minimal Feeling in my Legs and Feet.
It’s like I’m walking on Stilts when I walk. I even look down at the ground with my eyes as I walk because it helps me keep my balance.
When you lose one Sense, the others become stronger.
“My legs just took off running,” I say out loud again.
It felt like my top half was riding on top of two Legs that had gotten “Spooked” and took off running. And my top half was just along for the ride.
At this point, my legs have gone from having Twenty Percent Feeling in them to Zero Feeling.
“S***, how’m I gonna get up?” I ask myself. “I have no Feeling.”
The Young Man returns with a Hundred Napkins from the “Window Washing Station.”
“Man, just look at me. I’m gonna get some of this Blood cleaned up.”
“I have Spina Bifida, and my legs just took off without me,” I say to him as he wipes Blood from my face.
“It’s okay, man. You’re gonna need to get this looked at tonight.”
“Thank you,” I say to him. “I’m sorry you’re having to help me like this, but Thank You, and God Bless You,” I say.
“It’s okay, man. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he says as he continues cleaning Blood from my face.
“Can you stand up?” He asks.
“No. I can’t,” I say, and I embarrassingly ask the Young Man to help me up.
With a smile, he says, “Yeah, man. Yeah.”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to be much help. You’ll have to do a “Dead Lift.”
“Dead Lift” is what I think it’s called when you have to pick up a Person without help from the Person. I could be wrong.
“Just hold my hands with yours, man. Just hold my hands.”
“Okay, I got you,” I say.
“You ready?” He asks.
I checked to see if the Feeling I do have in my Legs and Feet had returned. It had.
“Yes,” I say to him.
“Okay, 1, 2, 3.” And with one pull, he picks me up.”
I’m now standing straight up.
I wipe the pebbles and junk off my pants.
“Do you want me to carry you to the Hospital?” He asks.
I check my body out.
I looked around to make sure I was Mentally Alert. —I was.
He brings me my two Gatorades. He hands me my Smart Watch.
I tell him I’m going to drive down to the Gardendale Free-Standing ER.
—And I truly did feel fine at that point. I did have pain in my face, but I was alert and feeling “Normal.”
I shake the Young Mans Hand and say, “Thank you.”
I teared up looking at the Person God had sent to be there with me and with tears Streaming down my Cheeks, I said, “God Bless You, Man. God Bless You,” and I hugged him—a big hug.
While hugging, I say, “Thank you. Thank you.”
“Here, take these napkins with you,” he says, handing me fifty napkins to carry with me.
I opened my truck and threw the Gatorades and Smart Watch into the Passenger Seat.
I look at him again. —The Guy God had sent to be there to help me.
And Choked Up, I say, “Thank You, and God Bless You.”
I then hopped in the truck, put on my seat belt, Cranked the Engine, and drove to the ER.
That’s another story. The ER, that is.
