Heaven Hill

When I was born, I had no clue what

life had in store for me. Marty was particularly happy. He was singing and dancing. My Daddy loved me. He. Loved. Me.

He kept calling me buddy and telling me I was the answer to his prayers, and that I was going to change everything! Such high expectations for a newborn, I know. But parents can be the most righteous

of dreams. Marty was an epic dreamer.

Let me tell you a little bit about

Daddy. Marty was born and raised in

Jessup, Ga. He was not as lucky in the parental department. Pappy, my grandfather, was a hands on kinda dad, if you know

what I mean. Heaven Hill carried Pappy

from day to day. The blur and pain of

waking from a night on Heaven Hill was the genesis of every day for Pappy. Upon waking, Pappy was usually just verbally toxic.

After school one day, Marty's teacher

from Eli Whitney Elementary School, Ms. Goodspeed, came a calling. She told Pappy that she was concerned about bruises on Marty.

Pappy would have normally jumped up and threatened someone that would bring up bruises on Marty. However, Miracle of Miracles, Wonder of Wonders, Pappy started crying. I mean to say tears

squirted from his eyes and sobs racked

his body. Here you have this tiny little school teacher confronting this large, angry drunk. David and Goliath.

Light seemed to shine from her very

being to the point that Ms. Goodspeed seemed radiant. The brighter she became, the smaller Pappy seemed.

Marty was spellbound. Fear. Wonder. Awe. He had never seen Pappy cry. Ever. It was painful to see. Even though Pappy

had been abusive and mean, he was

still Marty's Daddy. With tears starting to come to his five year old eyes, Marty ran to Pappy and threw his arms around him and said, "Hush now Pappy. It'll be okay. I love you!"

When Marty hugged Pappy it was as

if Pappy was hit. HARD. He tensed so hard that it almost knocked Marty off of him. And when that little boy, his boy, had

told him that he loved him, Pappy's

soul cracked. That hardened shell broke. Pappy felt the light caress his heart and

he was changed, transformed. He passed out and slept for three days.

During those three days Ms. Goodspeed stayed with Marty and Pappy. Ms. Goodspeed explained to Marty that his father had just met

himself for the first time: That Pappy now

saw his actions and his meanness for what they were. They were wrong. They were bad. And when Pappy saw how terrible he was it broke him. But that was a

good thing. It allowed him to heal. It allowed him to Mourn his old self and old ways.

Three days later when Pappy woke, Marty knew that Pappy was different. For one thing, he was smiling; for another, his eyes were bright and clear. He came to Marty, picked him up, and hugged him. Joy rippled through the room.

After setting Marty down, Pappy

turned to Ms. Goodspeed and with a trembling voice, he asked, "How?"

You already know. You will be faithful and true to this gift?"

Knowing, yet wide-eyed, Pappy nodded.

From that day on, Pappy was faithful and true.

No more drinking. No more hitting. No more cussing.

Marty felt the change more than just witnessing it.

The dark presence that seemed to dwell in their

home had disappeared. Home had a different feel

now. It was welcoming. Was it possible to feel a presence of love, a loving embrace when coming home? Pappy walked down to the fire station and

signed up for the academy. Mrs. Goodspeed, Mary, had agreed to take Marty in during Pappy's training

and subsequent rotations at the firehouse.

And it was only a short walk for Marty and Mary

to go see Pappy.

The seasons passed in a comfortable

rythym for the next six years. Mary

and Pappy started to spend more time together.

in the evenings after Marty had gone off to

bed. After the first Thanksgiving after Pappy's transformation, Pappy remarked that Thanksgiving should be everyday.

"I've been given a second chance. And I don't want to waste it."

"You don't have to, James.(Pappy's name

Was James). You can be who you want to be. You can choose everyday what kind of life you're going to live."

Mary reminded Pappy of a character in a movie he had watched a long time ago. The movie was about a man who died in a plane crash and he had a guardian angel named Hap. Mary looked a bit like a younger version of Hap, especially when she wore white.

On Marty's 11th birthday, after cake and presents and the party guests had gone home, Pappy asked Marty if it would be okay if he asked Mary to marry him. Marty smiled and nodded and whispered," Yes, Pappy. I love her, Too!"

Mary was cleaning up the den and kitchen when Pappy took Mary's left hand in his.

As Mary turned toward him, he got down on

one knee. The size difference was still obvious. Pappy was almost Mary's height on his knee. Mary's face was a picture of happy surprise not unlike a child finding a puppy wearing a bow on Christmas morning.

"Mary Goodspeed, Will you marry me?"

"Yes James Rose. I will marry you."

It was a quiet, almost a whisper of an answer, but Mary's eyes were bright with tears and her face radiated Joy.

As you probably have guessed, Marty was

the best man, The wedding was a small affair,

a few friends from the fire station and a few

friends from Whitney Elementary. Jammer, the firehouse mascot was in attendance as well.

Marty loved Jammer. Most people think of dalmatians as the sole canine blessed with

firehouse creds, but, turns out, it’s an

equal opportunity position. Jammer benefited from this. He was a Mutt but favored a golden Retriever He had been rescued as a newborn from a

church fire at St Joseph's, He had been pinned under a bookcase that had been knocked over in the haste to evacuate the church. Luckily the bookcase had fallen on top of a hymnal and saved Jammer's

life. Otherwise, Jammer would've gone to doggie heaven that day.

When the firemen brought Jammer home, Marty

was ten . They immediately became best buds. Pappy being a changed man went a long way in restoring Marty's spirit. Jammer made up the difference and then some. They'd go fishing together. Jammer would watch Marty play a game of

baseball after school, and he'd run and get the homerun balls and foul balls. He'd bark and

howl with enthusiasm everytime Marty hit the

ball. He'd growl when the Marty was called

Out.

It was as if these two wounded souls

had been destined to help one another heal . I left out the part about Jammer's mom and

his brothers and sisters being killed by a rabid raccoon. Jammer's Mom put up a great

fight, but she died defending her baby's. She was too weak from having just given birth to her litter.

The raccoon was making its way through

the pups when Father Lopez had been alerted to

the rabid racoon by a parishioner. Father Lopez

had a wooden baseball bat in his office. He

ran to get it and ran out to the backyard

of the small church, He saw the carnage and

the poor pups and whacked the racoon on

the head and killed it instantly. There were

five pups in the litter. Three girls and two boys, Only two were still alive, both the boys. But only one was unbitten, Jammer. The other boy pups died.

Father Lopez took

Jammer in as an act of mercy. He had a feeling this pup was more than lucky, just a feeling and a faint whisper in his mind he couldn't pin down.

So back to the wedding. It was a great

day, filled with laughing and happy tears .

And life moved on with warmth and family

and a home.

Marty continued to play baseball

after school. When he entered Siler Highschool, he made it on to the Jr team as a right

fielder. It a ball made it over the fence Jammer would fetch it and bring it back.

Meanwhile, Pappy and Mary were happy with

a simple life. Macy taught, Pappy fought fires. Nights were spent walking, playing games, or going to the movies. They had developed a dinner club with three other couples. It would be once a

month and each couple took a turn at hosting

every fourth month. It was a happy time

to the Rose's. And so it went.

When Marty's senior year arrived, Jammer began exploring at night. The kitchen had a doggy door and he was free to roam. he was always well behaved

and never caused any problems. Marty figured he was just sniffing around and running through the woods. Or maybe he was watching the night say.

He wished he knew his friends' thoughts. But

thats' the great mystery between man and Man's best friend-Through all the affection and understanding, they were still a mystery to one another.

One night, right at the beginning of spring,

Marty woke to the Sound of howling. Jammer was

outside and wasn't coming through his doggy door.

Marty ran to open the door. The sight that

greeted him hurt. Jammers left front leg was

broken and bone was coming through the skin.

"Oh! My Jammer! Oh, no?"

The wail of pain woke Pappy and

Mary. Pappy was first to the scene. Marty

had height eyes and a tremble in his voice,

"Pappy, help us!"

Jammer moaned,

Mary was now in the kitchen a resting

her hand on Jammer's head.

Pappy called Jammer's vet.

"Tom said he'd be right over, son. He's gonna Get

Jammed all fixed up"

He nodded back at his dad.

Mary wondered," What happened?"

"I don't know, He was howling and I found him

at the door."

"See if he'll take some water." Mary place

a small water bowl in front of Jammer."

He sniffed at it but was evidently in too much

pain.

Dr. Tom found the Rose's had led around Jammer,

Petting him, speaking softly to him," Good boy!'" You'll be up and running in no time." "Youse Okay, Jammer."

After having Marty and Mary leave the kitchen,

Tom had Pappy hold Jammer while he injected him

with Pain medicine. Jammer didn't seem to care, but

when the medicine took effect, you could see the

Seti et in his expression.

"That's good Jammer, but I have to put the bone

back in and set your leg. I'm sorry."

Even with the medication, poor Jammer hollered

and Moaned.

Tom stitched Jammer up, gave some pain pills to Pappy, and told him to being Jammer first thing in the Morning. The Men shook hands and Tom left.

Jammer was asleep, but James wanted to have

him sleep in the bed with him and Mary.

"We're taking him to the Vet first thing."

"Great, I'll hold him while we ace on the

way, Pappy!

"No Son. You have School. Jammer is

fine. De-Tom Just wants to follow up

With Jammer tomorrow morning Just to be safe.

You are going to School..." seeing to look on

Marty's face," no arguing. You'll see him when

you get home." Pappy had his eyebrows raised to encourage his son's assent.

ÉIw enthusiastic.

Marty was off to school and Macy and

James got Jammer settled in the back seat and

head out to Do Tom's. Jammer was fairly quiet

with the pain medication. He mainly just surveyed

the view out the windows of the car.

"James, I think I may be pregnant."

James slowly turned his head to look at

Mary.

Suddenly Jammer was up and bathing loudly, desperately!

James eyes snapped to the road, There

was a white-ish dog crossing the road

fight in front of their car. Mary let out

a scream," James, look out!" Jame cut the wheel.

to the right. The car sped off the road and into

a Culvert.

Marty still cried. His family was gone. His dad.

his adoptive mom. His best friend. Thoughts of college had been put on hold. There were some schools offering scholarships. He didn't care. He didn't care much

about anything. To keep his sanity for the past four Months,long walks had become an obsession

almost. The exercise, the quiet, they helped him. Especially the Sunshine. The sun washed over

hip everyday on those walks. The bright

sunshine reminded him of a miracle long ago

When Macy had first come to their home.

As Marty drew close to home on daily walk,

his thoughts were intercepted by some sharp

barbs. He quickened his pace to find the source. He saw a large Box wrapped in brown paper

with a white bow on top. The box sneak a little and he could see the Paper had been torn in places. A light golden fury Paw then leg poked threw - More high pitched yipping from the box,

Marty rushed to the box, ripped the paper away, and saw a litter puppy that favored a golden retriever, Just a little bit lighter. You might even say white-ish.

You may have deduced, that I, your storyteller, am that puppy. Just remember, everyone has a guardian angel. Every angel, is unique to their particular charge. Me? In' Gabriel. No. Not that Gabriel. Marty calls me Jammer Jr. Or JJ for short.