Week 8

Ever since my dad's 49th birthday, he's been wrestling with the fact that he's getting too old to do certain things, being my dad though, he's too stubborn to give into that. He's not only trying to prove to himself that he can still do 'a man's job' but also to us, even though none of us three kids, or, mom have ever questioned that to begin with. There seems to be a new adveture for him atleast once a month, sometimes twice. Since his 49th birthday, some of his 'man tasks' has included unloaded six ton of pellets by himself, doing so deliberately. He had the pellet mill deliver the pellets at a time he knew noone would be home, as well as knowing noone would be there for the rest of the day, when mom found out he did this, she went up one side of him and down the other. Other things he's done since his birthday is building a shed all by himself, not allowing anyone to even hand him a nail, reading directions on how to fix the furnace, with bad eyes, knowing he has bad eyes, still refusing to see an eye doctor. All of us are burdened with worry, not knowing what dad will be proving to us this month, or week, we worry about his health, and how he could seriously hurt himself completeing these 'man jobs'.

It was a Sunday, and it fairly windy, but the sun was still shining with not a cloud in sight, had it not been for the wind, it would have been pretty warm for a fall day. All of us kids were at the house with our significant others, waiting for Sunday dinner to finish cooking. Us two girls in the kitchen helping mom set the table and get things ready, while the three boys were out skeet shooting at a Pit about twenty minutes away.  Dad was out sitting on the steps on the deck, appearing to be day dreaming, when all of a sudden, he stands up and rushes into the house.

"I gotta do something about that branch hanging over the garage, Mary. It's not good." Dad said to mom.

Us three girls, including mom, went outside to examine this threatening branch dad was so worried about. It was so unnoticable that we had to have him point it out, with I could tell got under his skin a little bit.

"It's right there!" He says, pointing to a strong branch, about ten feet above the garage, still attached to the tree, showing now signs of giving out any time soon.

We all walk back into the house, to finish what we were doing, all hoping that dad was just going to move on. But instead he goes out into the entry way, puts on his work boots, and grabs a pair of work gloves before heading out the door and yelling to mom, "Dont worry about it. I'll take care of it." We all stop what we are doing, and all look at mom, then eachother, sharing the same thought of, "oh God."

Mom quickly looks at me and asks when the boys will be back, "I dont know. They didnt say, and they dont have reception in the pit."

The three of us rush outside, trying to persuade dad to at least wait until the boys get home so they can help him. Dad immediately cuts me off, refusing the idea, but really refusing the help.  There's no talking him out of doing 'a man's job', and certainly no talking him into waiting for help. The word help at 49 years and 10 months old just makes his skin crawl.

Off dad goes, grabbing two ladders; leaning one against the garage to get him to the top of the garage addition roof, which was atleast flat, up he goes, carrying the second one on top of the roof, and placing it against the tree.

"Daren, just stop, please, wait for David and Andrew to get here, they have experience with this stuff. All they use is tree climbing shoes, this is too dangerous!" Mom, trying to plead with dad. He just ignores her, climbs back down the ladder onto the ground, and into the garage. Us girls just stand there looking at eachother, Ashley constantly dialing Andrews number trying to reach the boys, but it just goes to voice mail every time. We hear banging, and crashing in the garage, and out comes dad with a chainsaw. This really gets mom going.

"DAREN! YOU ARE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF. ENOUGH!" She yells.
"Dad just wait, they should be here in no more than a half hour, just wait!" I tell him.

"Girls," He says, as if to calm his little fan club, "I'm alright. I'm just gonna cut the branch off. If I wait until winter to do it, it'll pile up with snow, get weak, and fall on the addition roof. I aint waitin' for that to happen." He says, proudly, as if he was rescuing us.

He climbs up the first ladder, chainsaw in tow, he's up on the addition roof, starts the chainsaw to have it ready when he gets up to the branch, and starts to make his way up the second ladder.

"I'm not fuckin' watching this, I'm not gonna watch your father kill himself." Mom spouts off as she stomps off on her way back inside. Ashley still trying to dial to get a hold of the boys.

Dads up there now, revving up the chain saw, getting ready to cut-when Andrew finally picks up the phone.
"Get home now, Dad needs help!" She quickly gets out so he doesnt lose service before she can get her urgent message out. Before he could reply, the ladder slipped out from underneath dad, and away he fell, chainsaw and all.

We both screamed, forcing mom to run out from the house. "DAREN!" My mother screams, "Ashley call an ambulance!!"
Dad's conscious, grabbing his leg, covered in blood. His bone was sticking through his skin, not a lot, but enough to make me puke. Just above it was where the chainsaw had hit his knee cap, leaving a straight-cut wound just above his knee cap. Dad wasnt crying or howling in pain, but biting his lip, to show no pain. The only thing he said was, "Where the hell were the boys?!" His way of asking, where was the help!
****

Since X-Rays had shown that he had also hurt his back, he ended up having to stay in the hospital for about two weeks. All the times we visited, he seemed to be overly proud of his adventure and battle wounds.  I'll never forget the day we had gone up to pick him up to take him home. He was wheeled out in a wheel chair, and as he was standing up from the wheel chair to get onto his crutches to finish the journey to the car, he said, "I gotta see what I can do about that branch now, that cant be there when winter comes."