She stepped off the curb without raising her head or glancing in either direction. Someone screamed and time shifted into slow motion. Then, out of nowhere, a shadow of a man detached itself from the asphalt less than ten feet from the woman.
At the last possible second the blurred, airborne, shadow-man rewrote what appeared to be a foregone conclusion. He struck the woman in the chest, knocking her clear of the truck.
Anna moaned softly, looked up into the soft brown eyes of her rescuer and passed out. The shadow stood and became a tall, stooped man of indeterminable age. He found his old felt hat, bowed his head, and shuffled away.
Two seconds later time shifted back to normal and the witnesses came to life and began moving toward the girl quickly forming a circle around the still form. The woman who had screamed took charge as she knelt beside Anna, shouting, “Call 911!”
In less than a minute sirens began to wail as police cruisers pulled away from the police department, three blocks away. As the first cruiser came to a skidding halt less than ten feet from the circle of spectators, the sound of the first of what would ultimately be three ambulances that had been dispatched to the 911 event could be heard leaving the regional hospital six blocks away.
The overweight, crew-cut, young policeman removed himself deliberately from the cruiser as though he were a TV cop. He walked carefully to the circle of people and it parted in front of him. He looked down at the woman who was in charge.
“What happened?” he asked in his best TV cop voice.
The screamer, who had known the policeman since the day he was born, twenty-four years earlier, looked up and said, “Shit, Calvin, what does it look like happened? She about got run over by a crazy kid in a black pickup truck and Cowboy saved her life.”
Calvin looked up and down the street – there wasn’t a vehicle in sight, not even a parked one. He looked again in both directions, as far as he could see and there was no sign of Cowboy.
He looked down again and said, “Agnes, how in hell do you think I could know that?”
Someone in the crowd laughed softly and Agnes said, “Calvin, you watch your mouth when you talk to me. I can still spank your butt, gun or no gun and don’t you forget it.” There was more laughter.
Officers James Peterson and Gunnard Sims, stood by silently, more than willing to let Calvin deal with Agnes. At that moment the first ambulance came to a halt dangerously near the group, scattering a few of them.
Amanda Sims, driving for the first time in her career as an EMT, charged through the crowd, almost as out of control as her vehicle had been, and came to a halt two inches from Calvin’s formidable stomach. Looking directly into his eyes, still red from a long night of brew busting at The County Line Inn, she said, “What happened here Calvin?”
Calvin, a quick study, didn’t hesitate, “Hell, Amanda, can’t you tell. She almost got hit by a crazy kid in a pickup and if hadn’t been for Cowboy she’d be dead by now.”
Amanda looked up and down the empty street, leaned even closer to Calvin and whispered in his right ear, “What time did you leave the County Line, Calvin? I think you’re still drunk.”
Overhearing the remark, a number of the bystanders forgot the gravity of the situation and laughed loudly as Amanda said, “Don’t answer that, Calvin. I have to get to work.”
Anna, was beginning to show signs for regaining consciousness. Amanda listened to her heart, smiled and put her hand on the girl’s cheek, “You’re going to be fine, Honey, but we’re going to take you to the hospital so a doctor can check you.” Anna, still not totally present, nodded slightly as a gentle smile spread over her face.
Four minutes after Cowboy had slammed Anna out of the path of the youngest McCurdy boy’s hemi powered, Dodge pickup truck, Amanda Sims slipped the gearshift lever of Jones County’s newest ambulance from park into drive. In the same motion she hit the switch on the screamer though there still wasn’t a vehicle in sight. As she pulled smartly away from the curb she floored the accelerator, wondering if her daddy, at his feed store on the other side of town, could hear the screamer and if he could would he wonder if it was her.
To be on the safe side, the young intern who examined Anna, decided to keep her at the hospital overnight. No one came to visit. She didn’t expect anyone. She had been alone as long as she could remember.
She lay in the dimly lit room, staring at the ceiling, as she recalled the amazing event that had ended with her admission to the hospital. As she thought of Cowboy laying on top of her the smile returned.
She didn’t hear the shadow as it slipped softly into the room. However, when Cowboy gently took her hand she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t jump or make a sound. She turned her head and once again looked into his amazing eyes. He quickly bowed his head but didn’t release her hand.
They stayed that way for a long time, neither of them making a sound, their fingers linked, locking them into oneness. Finally, so softly that only Cowboy could possibly hear, she said “No man has every touched me before.”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally he raised his head, looked directly into her eyes, an action that took a lot of his energy, and replied, “I’ve never touched a woman. I’m sure glad you’re the first.” Their hands tightened and they stayed that way, smiling, for a long, long time.
At the last possible second the blurred, airborne, shadow-man rewrote what appeared to be a foregone conclusion. He struck the woman in the chest, knocking her clear of the truck.
Anna moaned softly, looked up into the soft brown eyes of her rescuer and passed out. The shadow stood and became a tall, stooped man of indeterminable age. He found his old felt hat, bowed his head, and shuffled away.
Two seconds later time shifted back to normal and the witnesses came to life and began moving toward the girl quickly forming a circle around the still form. The woman who had screamed took charge as she knelt beside Anna, shouting, “Call 911!”
In less than a minute sirens began to wail as police cruisers pulled away from the police department, three blocks away. As the first cruiser came to a skidding halt less than ten feet from the circle of spectators, the sound of the first of what would ultimately be three ambulances that had been dispatched to the 911 event could be heard leaving the regional hospital six blocks away.
The overweight, crew-cut, young policeman removed himself deliberately from the cruiser as though he were a TV cop. He walked carefully to the circle of people and it parted in front of him. He looked down at the woman who was in charge.
“What happened?” he asked in his best TV cop voice.
The screamer, who had known the policeman since the day he was born, twenty-four years earlier, looked up and said, “Shit, Calvin, what does it look like happened? She about got run over by a crazy kid in a black pickup truck and Cowboy saved her life.”
Calvin looked up and down the street – there wasn’t a vehicle in sight, not even a parked one. He looked again in both directions, as far as he could see and there was no sign of Cowboy.
He looked down again and said, “Agnes, how in hell do you think I could know that?”
Someone in the crowd laughed softly and Agnes said, “Calvin, you watch your mouth when you talk to me. I can still spank your butt, gun or no gun and don’t you forget it.” There was more laughter.
Officers James Peterson and Gunnard Sims, stood by silently, more than willing to let Calvin deal with Agnes. At that moment the first ambulance came to a halt dangerously near the group, scattering a few of them.
Amanda Sims, driving for the first time in her career as an EMT, charged through the crowd, almost as out of control as her vehicle had been, and came to a halt two inches from Calvin’s formidable stomach. Looking directly into his eyes, still red from a long night of brew busting at The County Line Inn, she said, “What happened here Calvin?”
Calvin, a quick study, didn’t hesitate, “Hell, Amanda, can’t you tell. She almost got hit by a crazy kid in a pickup and if hadn’t been for Cowboy she’d be dead by now.”
Amanda looked up and down the empty street, leaned even closer to Calvin and whispered in his right ear, “What time did you leave the County Line, Calvin? I think you’re still drunk.”
Overhearing the remark, a number of the bystanders forgot the gravity of the situation and laughed loudly as Amanda said, “Don’t answer that, Calvin. I have to get to work.”
Anna, was beginning to show signs for regaining consciousness. Amanda listened to her heart, smiled and put her hand on the girl’s cheek, “You’re going to be fine, Honey, but we’re going to take you to the hospital so a doctor can check you.” Anna, still not totally present, nodded slightly as a gentle smile spread over her face.
Four minutes after Cowboy had slammed Anna out of the path of the youngest McCurdy boy’s hemi powered, Dodge pickup truck, Amanda Sims slipped the gearshift lever of Jones County’s newest ambulance from park into drive. In the same motion she hit the switch on the screamer though there still wasn’t a vehicle in sight. As she pulled smartly away from the curb she floored the accelerator, wondering if her daddy, at his feed store on the other side of town, could hear the screamer and if he could would he wonder if it was her.
To be on the safe side, the young intern who examined Anna, decided to keep her at the hospital overnight. No one came to visit. She didn’t expect anyone. She had been alone as long as she could remember.
She lay in the dimly lit room, staring at the ceiling, as she recalled the amazing event that had ended with her admission to the hospital. As she thought of Cowboy laying on top of her the smile returned.
She didn’t hear the shadow as it slipped softly into the room. However, when Cowboy gently took her hand she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t jump or make a sound. She turned her head and once again looked into his amazing eyes. He quickly bowed his head but didn’t release her hand.
They stayed that way for a long time, neither of them making a sound, their fingers linked, locking them into oneness. Finally, so softly that only Cowboy could possibly hear, she said “No man has every touched me before.”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally he raised his head, looked directly into her eyes, an action that took a lot of his energy, and replied, “I’ve never touched a woman. I’m sure glad you’re the first.” Their hands tightened and they stayed that way, smiling, for a long, long time.
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