“When we finally reached the berry patch, picking berries was the last thing on my mind. Kathryn had a sly smile as we pulled each other into a long kiss. We did manage to pick a few berries before my four sisters showed up. Of course they started teasing us a little bit and we try to pick berries rather quickly to make up for the time we spent in each other’s arms.”
We must’ve pick berries for nearly half an hour or so before, our sisters teasing us had her so mad that I pulled her into another kiss before she started kicking their asses.”
The coach chuckles, “That sounds true, the way Kathryn tells it you would never know her big sisters would teaser so much.”
After the room finished chuckling, I continue, “About what would be halfway through our kiss the girl start screaming. That is when we saw the bear higher on the hill; before I could tell them not to run. They all start running down the hill. The bear then seen them as prey and charged after, even running downhill a human being is not faster than a bear. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Michelle trip and fall. I told Kathryn to stand behind me; fear had her not willing to leave me.
I did the only thing I could, I raised my hands up and shouted as loudly as I possibly could and step between Michelle and the bear. I must have blocked the bear’s view of Michelle, and confused it. The bear come to a sliding halt, and I hoped that it would turn and leave. When it stood up on its hind legs, the only thing I could think was that is, one big, bear.
When it started growling, I knew I could not back down Kathryn was still a few feet behind me, Michelle still on the ground most likely. I could not see, but from the sound of it, she was struggling to get her feet under her again. So there I stood shouting at the bear, hoping it would back down. It seemed like it was going to be forever that I was going to be standing there shouting at that bear. My lungs were burning and I was afraid if I took a breath the bear would take that as a sign an attack.
So I step forward still shouting in the bear begin to lumber forward. I knew if I did not do something, Michelle, Kathryn and I most likely would be dead. I could not wait to see if the bear would, back down any longer it was nearly in range to hit me with a claw.
I put everything I had in that kick, aimed it at the weakest spot I could think of. I was hoping just hit hard enough to keep it from breathing for a moment or two, but man was I scared. If I did not make the bear back down, I hope I would give Kathryn and Michelle enough time to get away.
When the kick landed, I did not realize just how hard I kicked the bear until it went flying backwards, and I heard that sickening pop I knew I broke its neck. I stood there over the bear’s corpse, the air went out of its lungs and it did not make a single sound after that.
That first instance that I knew the bear was dead I wanted to shout for joy. Then the realization that I just killed a majestic creature hit me. I had not even killed a fly before that. The bear was just being a bear, but there is no way I was going to let it hurt my family.
The coach stands up pulls me into a bear hug and slaps me on the back as he says loudly, “That’s why I let him marry my baby.”
Kathryn laughs from the stairwell, Sam and Crystal set there with big eyes. Kara is beside her sister with Cindy on her lap; Cindy has the same large eyed expression as my daughters. This was the very first time that I told the story since it happened. Kathryn says, “JJ you got everything right except that I was frozen with fear.”
With a chuckle after I work my way out of the bear hug my father-in-law had me in I say, “That was before I could tell what you were thinking or feeling. I had to guess, sorry Love.”
My in-laws begin chuckling and my father in law says, “He’s a wise man for sure, he’s brave enough to stand up to a seven and half foot tall black bear, but knows it is best to back down to his wife.”
Looking at my father-in-law I tell him, “You better believe it. She is tougher than that bear now. When it comes to martial arts she is probably as good as I am. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of any punch Kathryn throws.” For the first time in months, I have actually surprised Kathryn with something I said. Everyone in the room is laughing mostly at Kathryn’s expression as I walked to her. I put her in a bear hug of my own.
Looking up into my face Kathryn asks, “Do you really mean it, am I as good as you?”
Smiling I just kiss her, open myself fully to her and she knows that I truly mean it. She knows I do not fear her, or for her. That I would willingly stand beside her no matter the circumstance, no matter the enemy that stood before us, and that I have the same confidence in her that I have in myself.
When she pulls back, she smiles and says, “Just so you know the next time you tell the story the only reason I stood there, was because I trusted you.”
Smiling I say, “Okay, I stand corrected and will always tell the story that way from now on.”
We spent the next couple of hours talking about several things that happen during the year. The Coach did not believe that Sam actually through me fifteen feet during one of my classes until Kathryn showed him the video she made on her cell phone of it.
Ron chuckles, “I nearly fell over when I saw her do that.”
Sam finally told us, she is going with us to Texas saying, “Mommy doesn’t need a body guard, she’s just as tough as you are Daddy, but I got to keep you out of trouble. If I don’t go to Texas with you you’re going to get in trouble again.”
Chuckling Ron says, “I was going to take him out to a restaurant and were going to meet some of the guys from my old unit. Trust me, stateside; with half of my old company around us you couldn’t be safer.”
Sam says, “Is the restaurant more like a bar? Because if it is, somebody tries to rob it and Daddy stops them, but somebody accidentally shoots Daddy.”
I ask Sam, “Is this what your dream was about last night?” Sam merely shakes her head yes as she looks into my eyes, I can see her eyes had turned blue.
I explained to Ron about Sam’s nightmares when it came to Lance, how they were so very accurate. I tell him, “I don’t understand how it works, but Sam seems to have an idea of what’s going to happen before it does. Maybe it would be best if we schedule the get together with your friends for another time.”
Ron pointing out, “When do you think we will ever get back to Texas, especially when they are there? Besides that, it is the going away party for Sergeant Major Sampson. There’s really no way of getting out of it.”
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