Round One: Meeting the Monster

This is my Daddy and myself in September 2003. As far as I know this is the last photo taken of us. I was 16. Well... whats the best way to introduce a monster? Is there a good way? Doubtful... so here it is. June 2004, Daddy starts to notice his thumb isn't responding normally. He would fumble when picking things up with his left hand. We just thought it was a damaged or pinched nerve. No biggie, right? Worst case he would have to have surgery on his hand. At this point I was consumed with my up coming senior year and driving my car to meet my friends at "the beach," its actually a lake... but that's pretty insignificant at this point. 

Time ticks on and as for me  I am loving being a senior in high school. Next thing I know, the Monster slips up and delivers a shocking gut shot. It is mid October and a normal afternoon. I had been home for a while and Momma had just settled in from work. Daddy comes in as normal, through the garage. He opens the door from the garage to the living room and I look at him to greet him as I normally did. Except, on this day his facial expression was off. It wasnt my Daddy's grin, it wasn't his "bad day" grimmice... it was an expression I was unfamilar with from this face. It was a frightened and embarassed look. "What's wrong, Bub?" I asked as I jump up to take the twelve packs from his hands. 

My memory fails me a bit at this point. Now I can't remember if h he told us then... or if Momma told me later. Either way... the monster delivered his first punch in this fashion:  Daddy had stopped at QT, like he usually did to pick up some twelve packs. He had also got some gas in the truck. He got back in the truck, started it and went to pull up to the trash can to toss something in. When he opened the door and leaned out he lost grip on the steering wheel and fell to the pavement. The truck was still in drive. Luckily, there was an off duty police officer who saw what happened and jumped in the truck and put it in park, just in time to keep it from running Daddy over. I thank God for that police officer! 

The monster had made his presence known,  but he had only just begun.