TRUE: True Stories From A Small Town #2

By Dell Sweet

Twelve years ago, after years of drug and Alcohol abuse I fell down completely. Destroyed the life I had and went to prison. I am not the sort of man who believes people should get a pat on the wrist and then move on. I didn't always believe that. But I went and I did my time because I was guilty, and I worked at understanding myself and then, a few years ago I came home.

This is not a book about me, or my time in prison though, it is a book about the man who made a difference in my life. I don't mean the minimal difference that some people make. Like a token so they can say they helped or maybe feel better about themselves or maybe sooth their conscious and hopefully bribe Jesus so he will not forget them on the judgment day. I mean a man who was actually good. Inside where it counts.

He was not a perfect man. I wouldn't want you to think that, because as long as I knew him he never thought of himself that way. I am almost 56, I have known him all of my life. That is a very long time for a man to be consistently good.

During that time he worked his job. Paid his bills. Lost a wife. Became a father to dozens of the children in my family who did not have a father figure or needed help in that area. And, even more. Outside of the blood family. It didn't matter to him at all. What mattered was the need.

While he did all those good things I became a drug addict. Wound up on the streets. Refused his love or anyone else who tried to give me love. During that time on the streets I nearly died. I was nearly killed a time or two as well. One day he came and got me. I broke down, called him, and he came.

I would love to say that that straightened me out and I was okay, but it didn't. I was still an addict and a drunk. I had years to go before I crashed hard enough to wake me up.

In prison, a few years back, he wrote and told me he had cancer. He was afraid he might not be there when I came home. I was in a prison full of tough men. Men considered me a tough man. But I broke down and cried. I prayed about it once I could think straight. I just wanted to come home have some time with him before he passed. Please, God.

My uncle beat that cancer. Prostate Cancer. And God sent me home. I came home last year. He had beaten the Cancer. He just needed help. Company. Love. Perfect for me. I needed someone to love. I needed to help.

August and September where good months for us. In October things took a different turn. In early October he fell and although he seemed fine at first he began having a great deal of pain. The Cancer had come back. It had spread through his entire body. Into his bones. It was terminal. That is the story I wanted to tell you. It is a deeply personal story. But if you read it and then tell someone how you really feel about them? Or it changes the way you look at the world? It was worth sharing.

Everything that follows happened and was written in real time. Misspellings and everything else. I set up a website for family so we could all share and be there with him everyday. So he could wake up, read the page and know that people loved him...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Writerz
• Release date: Jan 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301131327

Dell Sweet

I was raised in Texas and New York. I write short stories, novels, lyrics, poetry. I also enjoy building 3D models in my down time. I have written several series and collections.

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TRUE: True stories from a small town #2

By Dell Sweet

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SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Original Material Copyright © 2009 - 2014 by Dell Sweet

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PUBLISHED BY:

Dell Sweet & independAntwriters On Smashwords

All rights reserved, domestic and foreign

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover and Interior Artwork Copyright 2013 Dell Sweet

TRUE: True stories from a small town #2 is Copyright © 2013 Dell Sweet

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic, print, scanner or any other means and, or distributed without the authors permission. Permission is granted to use short sections of text in reviews or critiques in standard or electronic print

This e book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This short story is Copyright © 2013 Dell Sweet. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic, print, scanner or any other means and, or distributed without the authors permission. Permission is granted to use short sections of text in reviews or critiques in standard or electronic print

DEDICATION

For Carlton Lehr Watson

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This is for my Uncle, Carlton Lehr Watson. He was born August 9th 1934 in Lowville New York. He graduated from Watertown High School in 1952 and served in the U.S. Army in Africa as an M.P.

He was married to Rita Flanagan who passed away before him. He lived in Fairport New York at 41 Summit street for more than thirty years. He worked at Schlagels in Rochester for more than 25 years in textiles. He once owned a Cat named Casper that weighed about thirty pounds, truly the biggest cat I have ever seen. And he was a father to so many of us who did not have a father, or just needed to be loved.

FOREWORD

Twelve years ago, after years of drug and Alcohol abuse I fell down completely. Destroyed the life I had and went to prison. I am not the sort of man who believes people should get a pat on the wrist and then move on. I didn't always believe that. But I went and I did my time because I was guilty, and I worked at understanding myself and then, last year I came home.

This is not a book about me, or my time in prison though, it is a book about the man who made a difference in my life. I don't mean the minimal difference that some people make. Like a token so they can say they helped or maybe feel better about themselves or maybe sooth their conscious and hopefully bribe Jesus so he will not forget them on the judgment day. I mean a man who was actually good. Inside where it counts.

He was not a perfect man. I wouldn't want you to think that, because as long as I knew him he never thought of himself that way. I am almost 56, I have known him all of my life. That is a very long time for a man to be consistently good.

During that time he worked his job. Paid his bills. Lost a wife. Became a father to dozens of the children in my family who did not have a father figure or needed help in that area. And, even more. Outside of the blood family. It didn't matter to him at all. What mattered was the need.

While he did all those good things I became a drug addict. Wound up on the streets. Refused his love or anyone else who tried to give me love. During that time on the streets I nearly died. I was nearly killed a time or two as well. One day he came and got me. I broke down, called him, and he came.

I would love to say that that straightened me out and I was okay but it didn't. I has still an addict and a drunk. I had years to go before I crashed hard enough to wake me up.

In prison, a few years back, he wrote and told me he had cancer. He was afraid he might not be there when I came home. I was in a prison full of tough men. Men considered me a tough man. But I broke down and cried. I prayed about it once I could think straight. I just wanted to come home have some time with him before he passed. Please, God.

My uncle beat that cancer. Prostrate Cancer. And God sent me home. I came home last year. He had beaten the Cancer. He just