Kelley (Texas)
New member
Phil, our next door neighbor is dying of cancer, will probably pass away tonight or sometime tomorrow. He will be leaving behind a wife, daughter and son.
The son, Tyler, is really a neat boy that is ten years old. During these past several months that we have lived here, Tyler has discussed the desire to build a go cart or find a used one that he can purchase with money earned by cutting yards in the area.
Last week, I went to several pawn shops looking for an old edger to use when I cut the yard. While looking in one of the pawn shops, I spotted a gas motor powered scooter at an extremely low price. Well, I never found an edger that I thought would do the job and finally gave up the hunt and went home.
All afternoon, I kept thinking about that gas motor powered scooter that I had seen in one of the pawn shops.
That evening, I walked outside to do a few chores and spotted Tyler sitting on a lawn chair visiting with his Dad. I walked over and while engaged in some small talk with them, tyler brought up the subject of still wanting a go cart. Phil made a comment that he knew that he would not be around to see the day that Tyler finally got a Go Cart. For some reason, that comment stayed with me the rest of the evening.
Early Thursday morning, I waited outside of that pawn shop until it opened. They still had the gas motor powered scooter and I bought it. I loaded it in the back of my pickup truck and brought it home and put it in my garage. Sure enough, I waited all day until I saw Tyler coming out of the house pushing his father, Phil, who was in a wheel chair.
I walked over and again engaged in some small talk with both of them. After a few minutes, I asked Tyler to go over to my garage and bring me that funny looking scooter. Tyler looked puzzled but said he would do it. Phil was also wondering what in the world was in my garage. You should have seen the look on both of their faces when Tyler came pushing that scooter across the yard!
I told them that the gas powered motor scooter was a gift to Tyler, but that Phil would have to do me a favor and tell him how to clean and maintain it, as well as how to safely ride it. Both had a shocked look on their faces...just could not believe what was happening. I only stayed a few more minutes and when Tyler went into his garage to get some rags to use in cleaning the scooter, in a low voice, Phil said "Thank you, you do not know what this will mean to the two of us."
Early Friday morning, Tyler came buzzing by the house riding that gas powered motor scooter, and Phil was sitting in the wheel chair watching and directing Tyler. I just waved and did not go over there, this was to be their time together. Friday evening, Phil was again sitting in the wheel chair watching Tyler ride that scooter. Phil asked me to come over, which I did with the understanding that it would only be for a few minutes.
Phil looked very pale and weak as we talked for a few minutes. As I was leaving to come back to the house he told me that he really appreciated what I had done for him and Tyler. He said that he knew he only had a few days left on this earth. During the night, Phil took a turn for the worst and became unable to get out of bed. Last night he went into a comma and the end is near.
Tyler was out riding that scooter several times today...that scooter seems to be the tool that he is using to cope with knowing that he is losing his Father. I took this picture of Tyler this evening. I suspect that Tyler will be putting a lot of miles on that scooter in the next few days, trying to cope with the loss of his Father. Kelley (Texas) :sad:
The son, Tyler, is really a neat boy that is ten years old. During these past several months that we have lived here, Tyler has discussed the desire to build a go cart or find a used one that he can purchase with money earned by cutting yards in the area.
Last week, I went to several pawn shops looking for an old edger to use when I cut the yard. While looking in one of the pawn shops, I spotted a gas motor powered scooter at an extremely low price. Well, I never found an edger that I thought would do the job and finally gave up the hunt and went home.
All afternoon, I kept thinking about that gas motor powered scooter that I had seen in one of the pawn shops.
That evening, I walked outside to do a few chores and spotted Tyler sitting on a lawn chair visiting with his Dad. I walked over and while engaged in some small talk with them, tyler brought up the subject of still wanting a go cart. Phil made a comment that he knew that he would not be around to see the day that Tyler finally got a Go Cart. For some reason, that comment stayed with me the rest of the evening.
Early Thursday morning, I waited outside of that pawn shop until it opened. They still had the gas motor powered scooter and I bought it. I loaded it in the back of my pickup truck and brought it home and put it in my garage. Sure enough, I waited all day until I saw Tyler coming out of the house pushing his father, Phil, who was in a wheel chair.
I walked over and again engaged in some small talk with both of them. After a few minutes, I asked Tyler to go over to my garage and bring me that funny looking scooter. Tyler looked puzzled but said he would do it. Phil was also wondering what in the world was in my garage. You should have seen the look on both of their faces when Tyler came pushing that scooter across the yard!
I told them that the gas powered motor scooter was a gift to Tyler, but that Phil would have to do me a favor and tell him how to clean and maintain it, as well as how to safely ride it. Both had a shocked look on their faces...just could not believe what was happening. I only stayed a few more minutes and when Tyler went into his garage to get some rags to use in cleaning the scooter, in a low voice, Phil said "Thank you, you do not know what this will mean to the two of us."
Early Friday morning, Tyler came buzzing by the house riding that gas powered motor scooter, and Phil was sitting in the wheel chair watching and directing Tyler. I just waved and did not go over there, this was to be their time together. Friday evening, Phil was again sitting in the wheel chair watching Tyler ride that scooter. Phil asked me to come over, which I did with the understanding that it would only be for a few minutes.
Phil looked very pale and weak as we talked for a few minutes. As I was leaving to come back to the house he told me that he really appreciated what I had done for him and Tyler. He said that he knew he only had a few days left on this earth. During the night, Phil took a turn for the worst and became unable to get out of bed. Last night he went into a comma and the end is near.
Tyler was out riding that scooter several times today...that scooter seems to be the tool that he is using to cope with knowing that he is losing his Father. I took this picture of Tyler this evening. I suspect that Tyler will be putting a lot of miles on that scooter in the next few days, trying to cope with the loss of his Father. Kelley (Texas) :sad:
