help me

help me

fiction
edward w pritchard

Two farmers are talking:

" I put his car in my barn," said cousin Haskins, always the hero of his own stories.

Cousin Melvin, knowing Hatkins for 57 years wanted to hear more of the story about putting the car in the barn, but knows better than to encourage Hat to start one of his tales.

Melvin nods to Hatkins, smiling the smile that lit up female hearts here in Louisville up to five years ago.

Hatkins seeing his cousin nod continues " He didn't know where he was, he kept saying everything had moved and changed" "Well, not exactly moved".
"Everything seemed different to him because he didn't have his access codes"

Hatkins looked at Melvin to see if he was listening, then continued.

" He had no access codes to his cell phone, so he couldn't call anyone, and he had inactive bank ID pins, and then Hatkins continued nervously, " He didn't have the daily access codes to his medicines so besides being unable to call or get money his health was in jeopardy".

Picking up the expensive wool over coat and fur trimmed gloves on the seat of the car here in Hatkins barn, Melvin says " How can a Bank President not know his Bank ID's and daily pin numbers?

Hat, exasperated with Cousin Melvin, the newspaper reporter's slowness to grasp"

"He didn't know he was a Bank President, he didn't know his last name, He said he was Jerry and I guess he had amnesia, or at least was confused about who and where he was."

Nodding up and down at Melvin, Hatkins continues
" He was hurt in the car accident out on 30 East near the State Park and started walking back to town after he woke up. He went to a few businesses and I found him sitting on the curb at Rosie's Fresh Market. I drove him back to his car, left the tractor on 30 and drove him back here".

"Where's he now" asked Melvin.

"He's inside with his lawyers, his daughter and Mariah made him some of her vegetable soup. He's good as new I guess".

Suburban Crier
Help Me
by Melvin Stewart

What would you do if you found yourself in a strange location and everything was foreign and you didn't know who you were? What would you do if you had no money, no friends and you found yourself wandering about a strange town? What would you do if you were injured from a recent car crash and you had amnesia. What would happen if the town in question was Louisville, Ohio, the car accident was on 30 East. How would the locals treat an injured confused uninvited traveler?

Such was the experience of Cleveland Bank President Kemper DuBois. On February 4th, Mr. Dubois was involved in a single car accident on 30 near Rosie's Fresh Market. DuBois was traveling South through Canton on Bank business and decided to take the back way to Wellsville on the Ohio River by driving East on 30. Dubois' vehicle slid off the road near Kendall State Park and his car rested in a small grove of trees 60 feet South of the roadway. DuBois lay unconscious for up to twelve hours and then walked back into Louisville, finally attracting attention at Rosie's Fresh Market. Mr.DuBois appeared to be injured and confused as to time, place and who he was.

Hatkins Stewart who happened to be at the market assisted the unfortunate stranger. Stewart drove the injured man back to his car on 30, switched vehicles and took him to the Stewart Farm. While Mr. Dubois ate some of Mariah's Stewart's vegetable soup, Stewart's son in law Doc Phillips was able to determine the cause of the amnesia. After talking to DuBois daughter, Jennifer Dubois, of Cleveland, also a physician a zinc deficiency was identified as the likely cause of the temporary amnesia.

DuBois had missed two days of his zinc supplements following his accident and that and the stress of the car wreck and unfamiliar surroundings must have triggered the amnesia said Doc Phillips.

How did our town of Louisville treat it's uninvited guest?

Mr. DuBois, an important man in Cleveland said he never experienced such a feeling of isolation, confusion and loneliness as when he walked along 30 toward Louisville. He didn't know who he was and familiar things seemed hostile and menacing.

As an aside, this reporter had to wait to interview Mr. DuBois as he recuperated after taking the zinc supplements provided by Doc Phillips and ate Mariah's soup. The Stewart's long dinner table was surrounded by lawyers. They had got the word that Cleveland Bank President Kemper Dubois was injured and Kent and Canton law firms sent emissaries to look in on and fawn over their important client. An important man indeed.

Original word of the whereabouts of DuBois had came from his cell phone provider. Apparently unable to get the phone to work because of the issue with the daily codes at the accident scene had driven Dubois to type-Help Me- into his phone. As next of kin DuBois' daughter was then notified by the cell phone company and that's how word got out that Bank President DuBois was in peril. Doc Phillips was patched through to Doctor Jennifer DuBois when he called missing persons in Canton through Ohio's 911 network.

How would Louisville Ohio greet an injured confused traveler? How would our town treat an uninvited guest in need?

Nice job Hat. You made us proud.
end