I had this neighbor growing up, his name was Butch. He and his wife lived down the dirt street I grew up on even before I was born. They were wordly, but they were also my neighbors so I was allowed to have limited association with them. I remember one time I went over to his house and he was having a garage sale. He had a very small pocket knife on display for like a buck of something. I had a buck, so I told him I wanted to purchase it, which was something I knew my parents would not approve of. Unfortunately as the dumb little kid I was I had the brain dead idea of keeping the knife open within my pocket. For "quick" access, I told myself, just in case I needed to take down some wild animal. No wild animals were present and I got bored of my game, forgetting about the small open pocket knife in my pocket. The next game I chose to play was basketball which, as I reached for the ball that had went under a horse trailer, the knife pierced my right abdomen, but my recoiling action pulled the blade right back out. It hurt, I remember a peculiar sensation that induced more fear than the pain itself. My dad heard me scream and came rushing to me in what seemed an instant. I was ok it was a really small pocket knife, maybe one that goes on a keychain. I never told Butch what had happened and I believe I made something up about the knife to my parents. I didn't want him incriminated for my buffoonery. I don't remember how old I was, must have been pretty young maybe 7ish.
His wife eventually died from cancer and I remember seeing a big change in him from then on. Then a bad fire came through and burned both our houses down. Both him and my family rebuilt on the same parcels after being displaced for a bit. In my senior year of high school I used to go over there a lot after school. He he had a pool table and he taught me how to play, he was the type that was mad at himself if he didn't run the table. Sickeningly talented pool player, I never had a chance but I gleaned a lot especially how to play defense.
I was writting a science fiction story at the time that he was reading. He was enthralled with the story and it helped give me drive to continue it. He helped me get the characters emotion down and gave really good feedback. I don't even really remember the story now it was so long ago. I left the house and finished high school on my own because I couldn't reconcile my differences with my parents. I still chose to be a Witness, though, and had a Witness girlfriend at the time. It was important for me to be working towards a "spiritual family." And a spiritual family had no room for a old worldy neighbor named Butch.
I never told him where I went. I just dropped off the face of the planet for all he was concerned. I wonder what he thinks our time meant to me? I would like to look him up, I hope he is still alive, because he provided an oasis in a desert and at the very least I'd like him to know that.
-Sab