My parents are in town visiting the Zipopery for a few days. Last night after dinner, my Dad told me a truely unbelieveable story.
In 1957 when my Dad was 12 years old, he was sitting at the kitchen table with his Father. His Mother had to make a quick drive over to her sister’s house and help her with a few things.
About 15 minutes after his mother left, my Dad for some reason began drawing a gun on a piece of paper. When he finished the drawing, he told his Dad, “Mommy is going to be shot tonight.” And showed him his drawing.
His Dad quickly dismissed his comments and told his son not to worry. “Mommy will be back soon.”
A few moments later they began to hear sirens. My Dad said, “see I told you, Mommy’s been shot.” Again his Dad told him to stop worrying and nothing was going to happen.
Then the phone rang. My Grandfather answered the phone. “Sir, your wife has been shot in the face.”
My grandmother left the house that late afternoon to help her sister. She was having problems in her marriage and her husband had been down at the local tavern all day. She asked my Grandmother to drive her down to the tarvern in hopes of bringing her drunk husband home.
The two sisters soon found themselves running out of the bar back to their car being pursued by a shotgun whelding husband.
He shot twice straight into the windshield of the Studebaker. The first hitting the winddshield frame peppering my grandmother’s face with glass and buckshot. The other hitting her sister in the chest.
Somehow my Grandmother managed to back out, head down the street, turning right onto main street only to be met face-to-face with a shotgun blasts once again.
The doctor told my Grandfather he did not expect his wife to live longer than two weeks. And unbeknownst to anyone, the doctors, the family nor even my Grandmother knew she was carrying her 4th child.
My Grandmother’s sister made a full recovery to spend many, many years in the company of her alcoholic husband. He served only seven years in prison.
Grandma recovered well enough to raise 6 children – although legally blind and having many surgeries and eye transplants along the way.
Her children, grandchildren and even a couple great grandchildren admired her dearly for her loving effection, strength and forgiveness.
My Grandmother, to her dying day 10 years ago, never spoke an unkind word nor harbored any bitterness toward her sister or the man that nearly killed her.
