Hi everyone.
B. A. Binns here, spending Tax-time with the genre-ista's.
I still have to do my taxes. Next week, I swear!
Taxes have been around forever. I am certain that back in prehistory, when mankind first forged a civilization, someone--obviously the guys who took in charge--said, "lets tax everyone else."
Death, on the other hand...
Sometimes that can be, if not stopped, at least delayed. As long as there are heroes.
True story here. Ten-year-old Zachiah found his mother in bed, having trouble breathing. She wasn't his birth mother, but she had taken care of him for years. His foster father was nowhere around. The man, who suffers from PTSD, was later found hiding under a table, fighting off a flashback. This little boy used the 911 training we give kids to call for help. Then he stayed by her side, talking to her, encouraging her to live. He even got her a robe when he heard the approaching sirens, because he knew she wouldn't want to be seen undressed by strangers.
It would be easy to say that all he did was call 911. But the doctor said the woman would have been dead in less than six hours without help. She went to the operating room where they intended to do a quadruple bypass. It ended up being a quint.
I guess she will have to do her taxes this year, thanks to the little hero she took in when no one else, not even his parents, wanted him. I love hearing stories about ordinary kids who go that extra step, do just the right thing at the right moment. And this one is the kind of real boy I also love to write about in my books.
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4 comments:
While calling 911 was critically important, I believe his staying by her side and talking and encouraging her was as important or maybe even more so.
Stories of young people in particular stepping up and making a difference certainly makes my day brighter. Thanks for sharing, BA.
Judith, I agree. He kept calm and gave her a reason to keep struggling for breath. I was especially touched by his concern for her modesty. He kept his head and let love guide him, even though he had to be worried about his own future if she died. It the idea of a boy caring so much that made me want to tell this story. And, as a Chicagoan, I need this right now. We're dealing with the loss of a beautiful 6-month-old baby girl now because of a gun. So the story of the hero kid came when I needed it most.
I am in the process of making plans to visit him and his school and personally express my feelings.
I've been disconnected from the news for a week now so did not hear about the baby. How tragic! and juxtaposed with this young boys story - I've tears in my eyes and pain in my heart.
If it is appropriate, please share any follow-up on this story.
Sorry I missed this post when it first came out! What an inspiring story.
I love that your books tell stories that are so often overlooked in our society - the stories of boys who choose to become good men when the odds are stacked against them. Your stories remind me that "not all who wander are lost."
Thank you!
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