Orville Solomon Gregory... That was the name of my Grandpa. He was kind and patient. And I know those traits ran deep because had they been superficial I would have found the edges very quickly. I was what you might call a difficult child.
Now that I'm grown I have a deeper respect for him. Because as difficult as I was he never failed to have me at his side. He took me with him every where he went.
"Lets go, Boy." He would say and off we'd go.
No matter how far I pushed my limits the strongest thing he ever said to me was "Upon my honor, Boy".
I loved my Grandpa.
Last night We were in Jellico, Tn..... Sitting at Burger King with my Nephew Dakota. It was a great dream. I just sat back in my seat and watched and listened. Grandpa's bright blue eyes sparkled with life. His skin was a dark leathery brown and his smile infectious..... he was jovial. The scene reminded me of all the time I'd spent at his side and much I missed him.
It was a perfect day. The weather was warm but not too hot. Maybe a hint of spring shower in the air. Laughter..lunch and then we heard the announcement over the radio... A hush fell over the restaurant.
A tiger was on the loose.... A tiger was on the loose in Jellico. They were putting the entire town on lock down.
Dakota's eyes were wide as he peered out the window... scanning for a glimpse of the beast.
"Lets go, Boys." Grandpa was already out of his seat. He was hard of hearing and rarely wore his hearing aid so I assumed he hadn't heard the announcement.... so I told him what it had said.
"Ah, tiger my hind end."
We walked outside and Grandpa stopped and scanned the trees. His old baby blue ford pickup was in the parking lot but we walked away from it rather than toward it. The three of us walked down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace.
"Where are we going?" Dakota asked with his hands jammed in his pockets and looking up into the trees like Grandpa.
"There he is." Grandpa said as he pointed to the top of an old oak. He pulled a pistol out of his pocket and fired a couple of rounds... the tiger began to crawl down the tree. He fired a couple more shots and handed the gun to me.
"Hit em Boy, My hands aint steady."
I took aim at the tiger... he was nearly down the tree...almost close enough to leap to the ground. I fired once and heard the soft thud of the impact.... he faltered and fell... I'd hit his leg. He was on the ground in front of me.. I fired again and shot him through the eye.
The second the animal fell..... Grandpa pulled his keys from his pocket....handed them to Dakota and told him to go get the truck. It made me smile because I was his age when Grandpa had me do his driving... I laughed a little... I was eight when he first told me to get behind the wheel.
Dakota brought the truck and we loaded the tiger into the back.... and we drove home.
The dream was over but I got to see Grandpa... and watch him with Dakota and remember what it was like for me when I was a kid. And I got to go tiger hunting.
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