Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2015 05:05:35 +0000 (UTC)
From: Tom Sims <tomsims563@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fighting Demons Chapter 5 final chapter

The characters and events in this story are fictional and any resemblance
to real people is purely co-incidental. The following story may contain
sexual or reference to sexual situations. If this is illegal in your area,
you are underage or you find it objectionable or offensive, do not read any
farther! Exit now!

tomsims563@yahoo.com

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Fighting Demons

Chapter 5

Summer vacation would come to an end in two weeks. The boys had another
week before football practice would start. Both Joel and Gavin were going
out for football. One night we had just completed the evening meal and were
just sitting around talking football. Both boys were very excited.

The phone rang and I went into the kitchen to use the extension in
there. Lucky it was on speaker phone. The boys and Gary could hear
everything .

"Hello, I am Mike Jenson with the San Jose, California City Police
department. I need to talk with David Long, please."

"I am David Long. Go ahead."

"Mr. Long, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I must inform you that
Mr. John Hardin has suffered a severe heart attack and is on life support
at the Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose. The hospital is going to keep
him on life support until you and his son arrive. Do you have an fax
number?. I can give you all the detail and won't have to do it over the
phone. I have it all ready to send."  I gave him my fax
number. "Mr. Jenson, I really appreciate all that you are doing. Joel and I
will be on the next flight. Would you give this information to the
hospital. Thank You!"

"Mr. Hardin is out of a coma at the present time but he can slip back in at
any time. I must warn you what the hospital has told me, they hope to keep
him alive until you arrive. They won't guarantee that this possible. I just
hit the send button. I will let you go and again I am very sorry, for the
bad news. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!"  I just hung up and Joel had me in a death hold and crying
uncontrollably.

"Joel, I would like to just hold you but I can't. Would you let Gary and
Gavin do that for me. I have a lot to do and I think time is of the essence
right now and I don't want to delay and be too late."

"That is ok for me."

"Good, I will turn the fax machine on and see what Mr. Jenson sent me and
then I will make plane reservations. So why don't all of you come into the
den!"

"Love you, Joel!"

"God, I know you are with us. Please give Joel and his dad some comfort and
take them in your arms. Tell John to hang on and that we will be on our way
shortly. Thank you.! Amen!"*****The fax machine beeped and started turning
out pages of material., I just stood there and watched it spit out volumes
of papers.

John had a cover letter that was to be sent last because he wanted it on
top. I slowly read it through my tears and handed it to Joel. Joel could
not finish reading it and handed to Gary, who read it out loud.

"Dave and Joel, I want you both to know that I love you very much. I know
that you have forgiven me for the terrible mistakes that I made. Your
letters served as a wake up call for me.

I was able to turn my life around. I joined a church and became very active
in it and at the same time enrolled myself in a intensive counseling
program. I was able to get rid of that hateful person and demons, I had
inside me. I had a new beginning and started loving life again. I now can
face each new day with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.Everything is
very good for me now. Three months ago, I had a heart attack. I put my life
in God's hands and survived. I knew this was only temporary and I would
have another attack and this time it would probably be fatal. I spent those
months getting all my personal affair in order. You now have everything in
your hands. Everything has been witnessed and notarized and is nice and
legal. My lawyer has copies on file in his office.

You will find my last will and testament. Everything is to go to both of
you . You are to divide everything 50-50. Joel will receive his share now
and won't have to wait to enjoy his share. What you don't know but is that
I also received a large part of the estate from Joel's grandparents. I
invested all of this in a high yield interest account. I have never touched
any of the money. You will be surprise when you see the total amount. I
also received a substantial inheritance from my parents and grandparents
plus a big insurance payment from my wife's policy. I have placed both of
your names as co-owners with me on all of my financial holdings. You
probably won't have to pay inheritance/estate taxes.

Dave, I have given you power of attorney so you can take care of all my
personal affairs and I have given special privileges so you can make any
medical decisions for me, including taking me off life support if by chance
I am placed on it. I have a living will on file and you have a copy. I have
it set up that I want life support until you take me off.

I hope that I have covered all the bases. However, if I have missed
something, Dave, you have the power to corrected it.I screwed up big time
but that is all changed now. Just remember that I love you both!

Hugs and Kisses!John HardinP.S. I want to be cremated and my ashes
scattered with my wife's. You know the place.

The three of us didn't say a work. We just stood there hold each other and
crying.

After about 15 minutes, I said that I had to make plane reservations.*****I
got tickets for a flight that was scheduled to leave at 9:00 the next
morning nothing was available sooner. I was lucky because I took the last
two seats and they were in first class.

Now all we had to do was wait. It was very doubtful that any of us would
get any sleep. Gary was going to stay and run the farm until we returned. I
invited him to go along with Joel and me but he said that we needed some
private time and he would see us when we returned.

I called Mike Jenson and had him book a motel room close to the hospital
and rent a car with a good GPS for us and have it delivered to the
airport. Now we could come and go as we pleased.

We arrived at the airport and went directly to the hospital and none too
soon. Joel's dad had taken a turn for the worse. He was still alive but
that is all. The doctor gave him 2 hours at the most.

The doctor wanted to leave John on life supports and let him die
naturally. He was heavily sedated and could feel no pain. The doctor assure
us that it would all be over in less that two hours. Joel and I agreed to
wait two hours and if John was still alive , we would remove life support
then.

Joel wanted some time alone with his dad and I agreed to let him go into
the room first. I was surprised when Joel reached into his bag and took out
a Dr. Seuss's book "The Cat in the Hat" and went into his Dad's room.

He stayed about 20 minutes and came rushing out. "The doctor said to come
and get you. Dad has only a few minutes left."

I rushed in and the Minister was right behind me. I went to his bed, took
his hand and said. "John all is forgiven, Go in Peace." John squeezed my
hand and was gone.

"David, Dad squeezed my hand just before he died."

"He did mine as well. I think that this was his way of telling us good-by
and all was forgiven."

The Minister administered the final rights and led us in prayer. Joel and I
just stood there holding each other and crying.

We left the room and went to the chapel. After a few minutes of silence, We
left.

"Joel, I have a question and you don't have to answer if you don't want
to. Why did you take the "Cat in the Hat" into your Dad's room when you
went in?"

"Mom and Dad always read it to me when I was sick and didn't feel good. It
always made me feel better. Dad smiled when I started reading it."

"Joel, that was probably the best thing that you could have done for you
dad. You were telling him that you loved him and it was ok to go and meet
your mother. I know they are both looking down and smiling! Let's make
arrangements for your Dad's cremation. After that we can head home."

"Dave, I have a real good feeling inside me. I really feel it my heart that
Dad did apologize and was very sincere."

"I am sure that he did also. Joel, I want you to promise me that you will
carry both you father and mother in your heart. Don't ever forget that your
dad was a good man and loved both of us to the end. Sure he had some bad
moments, and he wasn't his loving self. He must had some awful demons that
he had to fight and in the long run, he was triumphant and turned his life
around. Joel, I think that both of us need to go to counseling and get help
with a new beginning."

Thanks for staying with me!