My dad laughter through the tears.
Stan Krawczyk • 24 December 2019
My dad laughter through the tears. Dogs to Police search and rescue!
In spite of hospital visits and regular pain my father endured, there was plenty of laughter usually at my expense, not least my double denim and BIG Hair!
As time passed dad suffered more with his war time injuries. He was less mobile than he used to be, however Bury market and the promise of woodworking hand tools, screws and nails was too much to resist.
With just his walking stick he still managed to walk into town by himself.
Daily he walked to the newspaper shop for his copy of Dziennik Polski (Polish Daily newspaper in England).
One Sunday morning I noticed my dad's thumb resembled a throbbing comedy thumb from a Tom and Jerry cartoon after being hit with a hammer, red and inflamed.
'What happened?' I asked 'Oh I was bitten by a dog yesterday' he calmly replied ever the old soldier.
'What??? You could get infected we need to go to A&E now!' I shouted.
Reluctantly he put his paper down, took his coat and off we rushed to my waiting steed, the trusty 1971 VW Beetle.
I sped off to the A&E hospital in Bury and we parked outside the main entrance.
It was early Sunday morning and rained over night so the roads were wet.
I exited the car, ran to the passenger side to open the door for him and splat! I slipped on the wet road, landed bang with the side of my head hitting the tarmac like a bouncing ball! This shocked me a little but I got up, helped dad out of the car, took a hanky out of my pocket, wiped the blood I felt on the side of my head and walked into A&E reception.
Picture the scene.
I stood there with now a very blood soaked hanky pressed to the side of my head, whilst my dad with his hand up and a very red swollen thumb doing a 'Magic our Morris sign!'
The receptionist said 'Yes can I help you?' I blurted out 'Can you help my dad he was bitten by a dog yesterday' as he gave her the thumbs up?
'Never mind the thumb what happened to you' she asked? ' Oh I just fell outside on the road' I replied.
'Right go and sit over there until I call you.' She commanded.
So there we sat, with a handful of other unlucky souls waiting to be seen.
After what seemed like eternity but was probably only 30 mins, (me progressively dripping blood down the side of my arm holding the hanky to my head) we are called into a room.
The nurse cleaned us both up. I had stitches in my head and we both had Tetanus injections, I had more than my dad and in my bottom!
We drove home. You should have seen the look on my mums face when she saw my bandaged head!
Dad in the meantime was still doing a 'Magic Our Morris' thumbs up with a plaster on it! He was fine.
A few years later dad was starting to get a little forgetful. I had left home by then so mum and a friend helped to look after him.
One day I received a frantic call from her saying 'Dad's gone for a walk and not returned? It's been a few hours now and he mentioned something about going to the river in the morning? '
I quickly phoned the Police, explained the situation and they dispatched the Greater Manchester Police Search and Rescue helicopter plus most of Bury Police force!
Quickly I left work and drove home to mum.
She was in a state whilst the lady Police officer was trying to keep us calm and settled.
Someone had seen an elderly gentlemen walking close to the river Irwell, (near Remploy where he worked) and they were focusing the search there just in case he had fallen in the water?
You can imagine the worry myself and mum were going through?
I wanted to desperately go and search too so I rushed out of the house when something caught my eye, at the top of the road was a familiar figure? It was my dad!!!
I ran up the road, the fastest I have ever run and he said' Oh hello Staś, nice to see you' and smiled as he always did.
I shouted back to the Police outside mums house 'It's ok call off the search he is here everything ok'.
'Where have you been mum was worried?' I asked. 'I just thought I would go for a walk along the river as it was a nice day?' he replied!
We laughed about it later but me and mum aged about 10 years that day. I was just so glad to see him.
Shame about the double exposure on this photo, was a good one. I might have to work some photo shop magic with it?
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