The Man That Can Never Be Replaced

Essay, Research Paper

The Man That Can Never Be Replaced

One cold December morning with ice on the grass and everybody’s

Breaths lingering in the air. It was just another regular December day in Tymber Creek, which is where I grew up my whole life. There is a group of about 13-15 kids that have all grown up together. Some were a couple years older, but that didn’t make much difference except for their size. About five of my closest friends and I decide to get a football game together. We decided to play the older kids in the Creek (our nickname for Tymber Creek). Because every day at the bus stop they told us how they would kill us so we took it as a challenge. As we walk all we saw were monsters, they were huge and ugly with white foam coming out of there mouths like a rabid dog and just scared us to death. Well I decided there is no way I am going to play these guys, but my best friend Stephen told me that we could take them. So there I again believe the impossible.

It’s 10:30 a.m. and still just as cold as it was when I got up at 7:00 a.m. and there was no sun. You couldn’t walk straight because of the icy grass and it sure wasn’t the softest thing in the world. So here we go its kick off time. The pigskin is thrown so high in the air that we don’t see it, all we see and feel is the ground trembling and seven of the biggest beasts in the world. It was kind of like seven Shaqs running at seven Mini Me’s. We were dead and all I had on my mind was not to get hit because I would never get up.

It was around noon now and all of us decide to take a break and go have lunch. So Stephen and I went to his house which was the biggest house on that street and just stood out because of its peach color. His parents acted

like my second family. They treated me like one of there sons. They took me to Sea World, which was a big deal for a kid that’s twelve. Mrs. Vernon who is Stephen’s mom would make us snacks to eat after school and then would take us to the mall just to have fun. Mr. Vernon who is Stephen’s dad would be there to play any sports with us and to teach us how to do any guy related things we needed to know at the age of twelve. So off we went back to the game.

I didn’t feel as scared, just because I was refreshed and awake now.

We started off strong and started to see those Shaqs as regular kids that were

just a little bigger than us. My team was just full of energy now and we didn’t think that anyone could bring us down now. We were running like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. We just would not slow down and it finally paid off. We finally scored and got to throw them the ball

as a kick off. Trip who was the biggest kid in the neighborhood got the ball. I was the biggest kid from our team so they all voted me as the lead man. I was up to it and thought I could do it. So I stood right in front of him and tried as hard as I could to tackle him. I forgot to mention earlier that I was also in front of a sewer grate.

He just ran me over, and as I was flying in the air all I remember is thinking this is going to hurt. I landed right on top of the sewer grate hands first. My left wrist got stuck in the grate and I couldn’t get it out. Mr. Vernon came running after he heard my cries. He told me it was going to hurt and he just pulled it out. I had slit my wrist and it was bleeding everywhere. He kept reassuring me that I would be just fine. I was more worried about having to get stitches than anything else. Good thing Mrs. Vernon was a registered nurse. She started to put this yellow stuff on it and as I looked at it I started to get weak and felt as if I was going to pass out. So she got me some water and it helped my faintness. From now until I die I will have that scare and that story to tell and to remember how great the Vernons really were for being there when I needed someone just to tell me and promise me that I will be ok and not die. That is when I finally realized that the Vernons were a part of me and will help me out in any situation that I might need help in.

One year later the Vernons had moved to Maine and it just tore me

apart that I had lost my best friend just like that. I visited quite often, but it

just wasn’t the same. I felt like I was missing a whole part of my life. The

years went by and about a month before I went to visit again my mom got a

call from Mrs. Vernon. My mom’s jaw dropped literally and right then I

didn’t know what to expect to hear from her. She hung up the phone and

told me that Mr. Vernon had died. He had a bad injury to his ankle and was to stay off of it, but he didn’t and hit his ankle on a chair and that started the blood clot in his leg and that ended up killing him. He is Christian Science and when he told his wife to call 911 she knew something was wrong. A few hours later he had died.

I was crushed and it still makes me weak to talk about it. He was like

my second father. It just seemed that I had lost everything he had taught or

told me. All that knowledge was gone and I had nothing to say about it. I

went straight to my room and cried about it for hours. I know about the

whole men don’t show emotions, but they do if it is something that really

touches their heart. I was just shocked that someone that close to me could

just be here one day and gone the next. He always told me to live every day

to the fullest because you never know when it could be your last and for him

it came way too early. I have used this quote from him to really go out and enjoy the time I have. I have learned that life is too short to worry about the small stuff. I feel I have lost a huge piece of my heart to him that can never be replaced.