Katrina Hurricane or The Ordeal in Hell
Posted: Friday, February 03, 2006
by Raphael Obermann
Obermann Incorportation
The Nuclear Strike or Katrina Hurricane, the Disconcerted Devil, August 29, 2005
No one by far expected this type of hurricane of biblical proportions all the more so that many previous hurricane warnings were not at all what it was expected. On Saturday morning august 27 I turned on the TV left at a French Station as usual on the weekend. It happened that there was morning news and the subject was about Katrina Hurricane, saying that the hurricane was heading for New Orleans. My first reaction was that how the French Meteorology could be better informed than the US Meteorology. From past experience even though on the radio we could hear an impending hurricane category 5 and to begin to evacuate the city, I did not take it yet too seriously. As the evening approached I did not believe at all the impending tragedy about to happen even though all my friends had already evacuated the city. I went to bed as usual until 5 in the morning when I began hearing deafening noise and the roof shingles flying. I got up went downstairs on my first floor to check if everything was in order and realizing that the wind was trying to open up my French doors in the first floor by blowing inside the door. Immediately, when the wind was calming down I opened the French door and tried to secure the doors downstairs by closing the clutch from the top and bottom of one side of the door. Then, I ran to the garage to get a stud to hold better the French door. At that time the rain was beginning to splash the house. The water from the rain was pouring into the house all the while cursing my neighbor for having waited indefinitely the redo of the roof since both townhouses share the same roof. As the water began to rise from the floor, I still was convinced that it would be only a temporary light flood. The first thing that came to my mind was to remove my French collection of books estimated at several thousand dollars to put them from the bottom shelf to the coffee table. Having done this, to escape the reality of the drama I went back to bed to rest for an hour. All the while, the water was rising on the first floor as I rested. Kevin, a professor from China living in my house for a number years, had purchased the day before a bunch of bananas on sale from Save- A- Center along with a lot of water. A few days earlier I had filled up ten gallons of water from my alkaline machine and made sandwiches for at least two weeks. However, when I went downstairs to contemplate the damage from Katrina, my first floor was flooded not with water: but from sewerage, I was unable to recuperate any thing at this point. All my art collection from the 1 st floor had not been removed and of course I could not walk in the sewerage since there was no water available to wash ourselves. I have to thank Kevin, a professor from China, for having had water, bananas and cookies. Still we did not expect the water to continue to rise but on the contrary, we thought that the sewerage would gradually recede. From my bedroom ' s window Kevin and I would observe the level of water from the walkway on the motor joints of the brick wall which marks the division of both townhouses. The first day we did not see much receding of the water. The following day the water had receded about one brick or about two and a half inches excluding the cement grout separating the bricks. Our eyes were constantly looking at the windows to see how mush the sewerage had receded. By Wednesday we were contemplating leaving the house. We heard a lot of helicopters hovering around the neighborhood but had no success in drawing their attention. Even though at times some helicopters seemed to see us as they were leaving. This gave us the illusion that they would return to pick us up, alas, but no success. Our tension was beginning to rise in the midst of this sea of hopelessness rising the crest of a wave of despair that surrounded us in my home. On Thursday we were running out of our water and food. That ' s when the imagination begins to be fertile in a moment of crisis. I was sleeping with a water pillow I asked Kevin to help me to empty the pillow of water by then into the empty plastic gallon of water that I always keep in my bathroom, a gallon that I keep always, should I need to take medication at night. We were running out of water in the last two days. Intuitively, since we had some rain not too much in my liking since I was afraid that the water level was to rise again, I took a bucket along with a clean trash can took them with my hands outside of the window collecting the rain. Within an hour and a half I was able to collect about one and a half-gallon of water dripping from the gutter. The water with a rusty color wasn ' t too bad at least we had some water for an extra day. By Thursday after spending our energy unnecessarily and knowing the time was running out to survive, we were calling people rowing a boat for help. That ' s when we realized how cruel mankind cam be. Some people responded to our cry by asking us if we had some money during the first few days. My friend Kevin replied how much money they wanted so desperate he was. At that point, I told Kevin not too propose any money to those hooligans who were only interested in exploiting the situation. I said to Kevin if you give them some money they will dump us in the water with no recourse at all. Only people from the military can rescue us not hooligans interested to commit crimes and exploit a tragedy to their ends. He took my advice. While I was trying to get some rest in a 90 to 100 degree temperature, Kevin was very watchful of any helicopters hovering above the house. After sleeping for about 20 minutes I decided to go back to the window with a flash light in the hope that this time I will be more successful in calling the pilot ' s attention. At midnight the helicopter was hovering again in the hope to save people. My flashlight was not working at all. I remove the batteries from the radio and put them in the flashlight the light was even worse so dim that the flashlight was totally ineffective. I remove the batteries from the radio and put them back in the flashlight. God must have harkened our despair because this time the flashlight was lighting better than ever. I went to the 3 rd floor where Kevin was living. I opened the window and with my flashlight I tried to get the helicopter ' s attention and within a minute I was noticed. The helicopter came close to the house. At that point I was so excited that all I could think was to get my bag in which I had my c-pup machine for breathing at night along with a pair of paints inside and my green tea in the form of extract that was giving me some extra energy. I attempted to get Minette, my cat in a purse. Kevin and I had all prepared. Nonetheless, because of the horrific noise from the helicopter Minette got so frightened that I could not catch her, she went under the bed hiding herself. I lifted up the bed since it was two twin beds. While lifting up one bed I was in vain trying to catch her and realized that my life was taking precedence. I left her behind. I jumped out of the window to the garage ' s roof and the helicopter had thrown the basket to rescue us. The basket was by my feet all I had to do is jump in it with my bags but without Minette. While being rescued by the army, the fellowman who rescued me first gave me a big hug for having rescued me. Then I asked him if I could return to the house to get Minette and he said that we could not because his mission was to rescue first people. In the meantime, Kevin had done the same and was rescued by some heroes. But Kevin was not too happy of the way I conducted my rescue since we both of us had a plan at the moment of the rescue. But I was so excited of leaving the en fierno that I was loosing my bearings. But after this I began to regret my impulsive exit of Hell without doing much thinking.
Once rescued to the Lakefront Airport only a few blocks away from my house, we stayed there for the whole night until the search for people was completed in the neighborhood.. At the dawn of the day, we began to get into a big helicopter to be moved by large groups of people to go to the main airport, Amstrong International Airport. I was in my drawers like many other people without anything from Amstrong Airport we were, after at least 10 hours, escorted to some military planes to transport us to San Antonio since Houston was no longer accepting rescues any more. We arrived a few hours later in San Antonio where we were supposed to be triaged and identified for FEMA. While at the airport in San Antonio there was a lot of water available since the Lakefront Airport by my house in New Orleans. In San Antonio there was plenty of food to eat even at the Amstrong Airport in New Orleans. We have to remember that we had not eaten much for nearly a week. While being triaged at the Airforce Station in San Antonio, Kevin was always with me. At one point while waiting in line to be triaged I said to him to keep my bag wherein were my C-Pup machine, my passport, my income tax return of 2004 to show at least who I am and all the more so that initially we thought we would be going to Houston where they were accepting teachers and children rescued from the New Orleans area. My wallet was left at home in the first floor. I just could not recuperate it simply because there was 5 feet of sewerage in the first floor and no water to clean up myself. I was not about to walk in the first floor. I said to myself with passport, my income tax return for 2004 would be sufficient to start a new life wherever I was about to land.
While waiting to be triaged at San Antonio and waiting in line for longtime I asked Kevin to keep an eye on my bag while I go to the restroom and eat something. It took me longtime to use the restroom since I had to do some cleaning at the toilet before I could use them. Then I went by a snack bar and ate something. By the time I came back to search for Kevin, he had disappeared and I could not find him at all. I asked the security if any or anyone at the airport if they could put a search for Kevin, a Chinese man from the University of New Orleans, of no success. At this point I was not feeling well at all I had not taking my medication for nearly a week and I knew that my blood pressure must have been very high. Knowing that I could not wait in line for my turn to be triaged, I slipped my way to the guard by the door and told him in a very pitiful manner that I believe my blood pressure must be very high. The security called for medical assistance to take my blood pressure and sure enough it was 200 over 120. At this point, they took me to the closest hospital with an ambulance along with another young man who was suffering from heart problems. They took us to the hospital they gave me some medication to bring down my blood pressure. I rested for a few hours, then they let me take a shower, which I had not taken for a week. I took the most divine shower, washed my hair, used some deodorant, thereafter, we were told that we had to return to the Base where we were triaged at first to complete the process. Back at the Base, in the midst of an immense crowd I realized that there was no way for me to find a rescue in the midst of this large crowd. I began to cry and a young lady by the name of Jennifer who asked me what was the problem and briefly I explained to her my situation at that point she explains to me that she works for the Red Cross as a counselor and that she would call for her co-workers to come to my attention and to help me in any way they could to take me out of San Antonio. The first question they asked me if I had any relatives where I could go. I mentioned that I have a step-daughter, Lori, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. My phone was still not working and the battery was rather low but enough to turn it on and to retrieve my directory and use Scott ' s cell phone. They called for me Lori who had been told by Chanel, a dear friend from New Orleans, that I was alive and on my way to San Antonio and not to worry too much for me. When Scott, the social worker for the Red Cross, called Lori, Lori told Scott that Kevin, the Professor from China, had contacted her and gave her the phone number where he could be reached. Upon finding out that Kevin was located a big relief immersed me knowing that my bag with my C-PAP machine along with my passport and my income tax return were in good hands. In the meantime Lori had made a reservation for Kevin and myself to fly to Nashville. When Scott , Kristine, and Jennifer and myself went to see Kevin at a motel where he had found refuge to pick him up to fly to Nashville, Kevin told us that he was returning to China the following week even though his new passport was in his office at the university but had kept his old passport at home. The security at the airport let him travel with an expired passport to return to China because of the Hurricane situation..
While at the airport in San Antonio on my way to Nashville the flight attendant was fascinated by my story and escorted me to my seat in the plane. No sooner was I seated than she came to me and asked me if I would rather seat in first class where there were only a very few people. She treated me like a special gentleman. She asked me if I would like to eat dinner. My first question was what was on the menu. Her answer was pizza, which did not appeal me too much but then she said that there was also salmon on the menu. My eyes turned around and said that sounded like a quite nice feast for me. She brought me a nice hot piece of salmon with some vegetables. Not having eaten for more than a week like this I devoured the whole dish within 20 minutes. Then the Flight Attendant asked me again if I was still hungry I said just a bit, and asked me again if I would like another piece of salmon. And sure enough I said why not. She brought me another meal and devoured the same way as though I had not eaten for a month.
I must admit that our country in a moment of crisis like Katrina Hurricane unifies into one spirit of brotherhood. I have never seen so much heroism amongst the military stuff. These people deserve to know that their skills along with their unprecedented heroism deserve some recognition of their unparalleled true heroism shown during the rescue of Katrina Hurricane rescue.
My step daughter: Lori who had been notified of my coming by plane at the Nashville airport was awaiting for me. Finally I was in secured ground. Lori had purchased a lot of things for me since I was coming without anything. I even had left my glasses at home. Even though she was working she found time to take me to the DMV to get a new driver ' s license, which I obtained with no difficulties. People were wonderful in assisting me in any way they could rather than waiting in line just like any one else I was given priority. I must admit I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I could barely stand on my feet and my blood pressure was still very high even though I was taking my medication renewed in San Antonio. I had to double the dose to maintain low blood pressure since I have had two brain aneurysms in my life. The last one was due to high blood pressure and having lost my father from an aneurysm, I just could not afford to have anew another aneurysm which could have been fatal.. The following day in Nashville I began to make phone calls to my insurance to find out how to handle he big loss. All my insurance, home, flood, art work etc. was with the same insurance: American National. I called FEMA after some waiting due to the volume of phone calls. Once registered with FEMA, two days later there was in my checking account a deposit of $2,000.00 and also another one from my car insurance for 1,500.00 I assume it was for assisting me with the immediate needs to get on my feet.
On Saturday September 10, my wife who had passed away from Ovarian Cancer one and a half years earlier came from Jewish background and Lori and her daughter Emily, my wife ' s grand-daughter who are likewise Jewish took me to the Jewish Community Center, to do some physical exercise, where I met first Jeff Fladen and his colleague: Steven Edelstein, who had just returned from Mississippi on a rescue mission, were interviewing me about my odyssey. At the end of the conversation after exchanging our e-mail address and phone numbers Jeff handed to me $100.00 in cash. Even though I was feeling guilty to take this money, they both reassured me that the money was designated for victims of Katrina. They came to visit me at Lori ' s home on Monday September 13 around 4:00 p.m. where Jeff took some notes to assist me further with medical needs, clothing since I was kicked out of my house with no clothing. At the end of the conversation, Steven handed to me an additional $600.00 in cash in an envelop.
Again, I told them that I did not deserve this money. But as true Jews and believe in what God promised to do for those in need, they explained to me that it was their duty to assist those in imperative needs and one day it will be my turn to respond to others reciprocally, something I found very Godly and in accordance with the Torah.
The following letter is an e-mail sent to Jeff Fladen and Steven Edelstein from the Jewish Community Center in Nashville, TN, expressing my profound gratitude with Re: Your Noble Cause.
Dear Jeff and Steven,
Shalom! I am rather short of appropriate words to express my deepest gratitude for your humanitarian cause in assisting victims of the worst disaster that this country has ever faced in its modern time. I am sure God has sent both of you on a mission in this world.
It was in my plan to write to both earlier but busy, tired and confused with what happened recently to my life, I just could not find the time to do so. Last night, Thursday, I slept perhaps the best since I am in Nashville and my mind although I woke up early 4:30 A.M. is fall with energy dedicated to write to you both even before I even take breakfast to express my deepest gratitude for the true noble cause you have dedicated to God.
I went to see Dr. Asher, yesterday, and gave me a fall examination along with a refill of my blood pressure medication not to forget a CAT-SCAN to see if there was any ongoing aneurysm. I will probably know the result perhaps today Friday. Jordan Asher even looked at a new apartment building facing his office, refurnished and dedicated now for the new victims of Katrina Hurricane from New Orleans to be open soon. He even talked to the head in charge of the building to put my name on the list as a prospective tenant for the victims of Katrina.
Also, my article on Katrina Hurricane is nearly finished and I should finish it today. I can send it to you for publication but above all I want this article to appear in some major newspapers and magazines because it addresses a number of human issues to worldwide and mankind.
Thank you again with my deepest gratitude for all you did for the victims, I am,
Cordially yours,
Raphael
One thing that I found very disturbing when I was rescued from my house to the Lakefront Airport before being transferred to Louis Amstrong Airport is what a lady related to me when I was interviewing people in groups and I was telling them that I am a writer and plan to write an article of this tragedy and just to tell me what was the most tragic in this tragedy. After interviewing many people some of whom had lost a son in the water while evacuating their homes, other lost one spouse. I came across of a very interesting young woman by the name of Mrs. Edwards by herself or rather with a small group of people, telling me that this whole tragedy could have been avoided. No sooner did she mention this to me than I asked her to elaborate further her thoughts. And without any qualms, she stated very clearly: "My husband works for the Sewerage Water Board Levee and I know everything that is going on over there." She pursued: "The people controlling the levees had some financial interests in sparing the most affluent parts of New Orleans like Saint Charles for example or uptown where the most affluent of New Orleans lives, which did not get much water but the rest of the city was not spared, on the contrary, wherever the poor was living they let levee continue to over spill the city and in particular the poor parts of New Orleans like the 9 th Ward." I replied to her how can this be possible in the light of this tragedy of Biblical proportions. She gave me her phone number as well as the one of her husband ' s work in order to shade more light in this gruesome human behavior, where New Orleans is always on the top of the country when it deals with crime rate or on the bottom when it comes to education. Such a disparity can only embroils the harmony of enhancing the life of mankind. That ' s what the French Philosophe: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 18 th Century in his "Discourse of Inequality" around 1745 cries out in his demand of equality and the consequence if equality is not shared with the poor. I believe what we witnessed in New Orleans is exactly what Rousseau had advocated 250 years earlier as though mankind has not learned yet from their predecessors, claimed in his book of the inequality of our society can only bring the downfall of mankind. Man was born as Rousseau describes as the "Noble Savage," that is: man was born pure and equal but somewhere along the line society has corrupted man, creating classes of inequality, hence triggering murders etc. as the Nuclear Strike by Katrina Hurricane has shown so well to us as another reminder how nature can be unforgivable.
The following were e-mails I received from friends:
From Bill Dodge a renter of a house that I own in Ashland, Oregon: Raphael: So good to hear that you are now in a safe place and recovering.
You may come here to Ashland (Oregon) if you wish. I sent the September check as usual on the 25th of August to the usual address, so as you say it is either coming as soon as FEMA gets the mail distributed, or it is in a flooded Post Office in New Orleans. I will stop payment on it if you wish and issue a new check to you and send it to the step-daughter ' s address. Please, advise as to what you would like me to do.
Phyllis and I believe that the house in Mexico will be finished by mid October and we should be moving in by the end of October. We have decided that we should give up your house in Ashland and put the balance of our stuff in storage here and then find a smaller place here for the summer months. I'm sorry that this news reaches you at such a bad time. It was just putting to much strain on our finances to keep both places during the winter months and our lease was up in October so it just made more sense to put the stuff in storage.
Was your home in New Orleans a complete loss or is it repairable? Will your insurance cover the loss? If it is a complete loss you could move into this Ashland house while you decide what you want to do.
Thank you for the E-mail, we have been worrying about you and your welfare. If we can help in any way please let us know.
Sincerely,
Bill Dodge
September 13, 2005
Dear Bill and Phyllis,
First I want to express to you both my deepest gratitude to show so much compassion to your fellow men at a time of the worst crisis that this country has ever faced in history other than 9/11. Yes!! It was a true HELL. I don't have too much time to describe all details because I want to keep it for a big chapter that I am going to start to write today of this unprecedented tragedy in our land, and how this country in a very difficult time was able to unify itself and to bring urgent help in a heroic way to the needy. I was rescued by a helicopter from the roof of my garage after 4 days in true hell with practically no food and no water 90 to 100 degrees inside along with a strong stench smell from the sewage emerging from under the house, no means of communication, no phone, no cells, no TV. The dynamic of survival was something worth to write in my log of survival. My whole first floor was flooded with 6 feet of sewage and some of my art collection hanging on the walls were affected.
It has been HELL from day one. I lost my cat and I will be regretting for long time to come. I am alive and I don't want to spend too much time in writing to you because I have to answer many letters, and I am going to start today to write a big chapter of what I called the "Nuclear Strike or Katrina Strike on New Orleans" I did lost al lot of things I am an art collector with painting dating back to early 17th cent. With a few Chagall, Picasso, Miro, Dali etc. I am now in Nashville staying with Lori, my step-daughter who has been wonderful in rescuing me from this HELL.
Thank you again, and wishing the best,
Cordially yours,
Raphael
The following letter is a response of an old friend from Oregon with whom we kept in touch in the course of years.
Dear Christine,
Thank you so much for all your concern. It has been HELL from day one. I lost my cat and I will be regretting for long time to come. I am alive and I don't want to spend too much time in writing to you because I have to answer many letters, and I am going to start today to write a big chapter of what I called the "Nuclear Strike or Katrina Strike in New Orleans" I did lose al lot of things I am an art collector with painting dating back early 17th cent. With a few Chagall, Picasso, Miro, Dali etc. I am now in Nashville staying with Lori, my step-daughter who has been wonderful in rescuing me from this HELL.
Thank you again, and wishing the best,
Cordially yours,
Raphael
The following letter is from Leo Levanthal, a colleague from New Orleans who sent a generic letter to his friends to announce about his experience engaged by Katrina Hurricane.
This is a general announcement to all folks in my address book: friends, fellow Louisiana teachers, union brothers and sisters, and family. My wife Michele and I are taking to the road today from Chicago, where our daughter lives, to Shreveport. We hope that we can find employment there and reconnect to Louisiana. It will also make it easier to return to our house, if only temporarily, to recuperate papers and important belongs whenever that is possible. We have two cell phones 504-231-8991 and 773-931-1796 for emergencies, but probably will not have access to e-mail for a couple of days. If nothing else works messages can be left with Naomi Laventhal
9-6-05
Dear Leo,
How lucky you are to have left New Orleans on time. Here, it was HELL, after 4 days of untenable temperature inside the house, running out of water, food and not being able to use the restroom since no water was available, we roughed it up. No one expected this magnitude of tragedy with no hope in the future. Finally, after many setbacks, to get the helicopters' attention we fiddled with some flash lights since they were running out of electricity, but by a sort of miracle one flash light began to shine and I was able to draw one helicopter's attention from that point began the end of one tragedy to put up with the evacuation from Lakefront airport to Amstrong Airport, then to San Antonio where people were triaged. I had to spend a night in the hospital with a blood pressure 190/120. I was able to take a shower for the first time in a week. Some volunteers from the Red Cross were heroic in helping others to find a destination. Then, I was sent to my step daughter ' s house in Nashville, TN where I am now and hopefully I will be able to get a teaching job here. I already applied on line for a position in French or in Spanish in the hope that I may be able to stay here until New Orleans is cleaned up and ready to return. My first floor flooded up to 6 feet, I have a large collection of La Pléiade books along with a Larousse Encyclopedia, along with paintings from the 17th century and prints by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Dali etc. No one is out of the woods in that situation.
Wishing you the best and your family, I am,
Cordially yours,
Raphael
From Begonia, Madrid, Spain
Hi Raphael:
I am watching on TV and what TV is showing about New Orleans is not very pleasant and I am
very worry about you, and about all the people I know there. How are you? And how is your home? I suppose it is going to be impossible to star school on time I
cannot imagine how is Bienville School right now.
Please, if you see any of the teachers give them my
e-mail.
Please, try to answer me as soon a possible.
My best wishes
Bego
Dear Begonia,
After nearly a week prisoner in the house with 90 to 100 degrees, It has been HELL from day one. I lost my cat and I will be regretting it for a long time to come. I am alive and I don't want to spend too much time in writing to you because I have to answer many letters, and I am going to start today to write a big chapter of what I called the "Nuclear Strike or Katrina Hurricane in New Orleans" I did lose a lot of things. I am an art collector with painting dating back early 17th cent. With a few Chagall, Picasso, Miro, Dali lithographies etc. I am now in Nashville staying with Lori, my step-daughter who has been wonderful in rescuing me from HELL.
Thank you again, and wishing the best,
Cordially yours,
Raphael
N.B. My deepest gratitude goes to all the people mentioned in this article but most above all I must recognize that the most heroic crew stems from the military who rescued Kevin and myself from the almost eternal infierno.
Raphael Obermann
Addendum
After making calls everywhere to find out where was my cat, I decided on September 26 to return to New Orleans in search for Minette, my cat, I flew from Nashville to Dallas and from Dallas to Baton Rouge where I rented a van to go to New Orleans and retrieve as many things as I could but above all to find my Minette. I went from the airport in Baton Rouge to LSU where many pets had been transferred of no luck, then I went to Gonzalez, a citiy on the way to New Orleans of no luck either at all but the people were telling me not to lose hopes in finding her, to keep searching some surprises are always in the hoizon. I left the place after a tedious day of searching for Minette. My hopes were dwindling as the time went by. On Thursday, my friend Ed Mathew and I went to the house to witness the destructive behavior of the Nuclear Strike. There, on the garage door there was a transcription on the garage door in red indicating that the Human Society had just come to the house the day before indicating that the cat had been found in the house. At that point my joy to be back with Minette was taken as a blessing from God. While loading Ed's truck from the house, we thought that at the end of the day we would go to the Humane Society to recuperate Minette we did not want to leave immediately the house until we had accomplished the moving since the whole city was on a tight surveillance by security and we thought that once leaving the house we may not be able to return since no one was allowed to return to the city by law. In the afternoon, while loading Ed's truck the Hunan Society came to the house to tell us that they saw a cat, pretty healthy, inside and they were coming back to retrieve the pet. We were asked if I was the owner after an affirmative answer they left and let us do thre recuperating of the cat. Ed and I tried in vain. I had heard her mewing, so I knew that she was cought between the floor of the bathtub and the ceiling of the pantry. We left the house after loading the truck and decided to return the following day with some ideas of what to do to recuperate Minette. We decided to cut the kitchen ceiling in order to grasp Minette of no avail then Ed came up with an ingenious thought by running the blower he had in his truck. No sooner did he turned on the blower than Minette jumped out of the hole where she was and run to the bedroom while I was yelling at Ed to stop his blower that Minette is somewhere in the bedroom but I could not find her any where there. The door in the bedroom was opened and Minette had run to the guest bedroom under the bed. It was Ed who had found her, took her by the neck and put her immediately in the cage that we had left, thus, opened for Minette. Ed called his wife, Kris to call the vet across the lake where Ed was living. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the Vet's office they were closing since it was very late. Once there, Ed went inside to see if the Vet would make a special exception but of no avail, he was told to return the following day for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. I said well I may escape the appointment since I wanted to leave as early as I could. Since I got up at 7 a.m. and it was quite close to 8 a.m. by the time I was ready to leave we decided to see the Vet since Ed's house was a block away from the Vet. I was staying accross the lake, in Convington. The Vet gave Minette a check-up and gave an excellent prognosis despite the ordeal Minette went through she looked rather healthy in spite of four weeks in hell. Thus, I am deeply indebted to Ed Mathew for having gone to the house and left food in the room for Minette along with plenty of water. Were it not for his fraternal action, I don't think Minette would have survived the whole ordeal.
This article was written within four to five days in Nashville, Tennessee
By Raphael Obemann, author of "Tribulations of a French Professor" with InkWater Press
e-mail: raphaobermann@aol.com
This Article has been viewed 616 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Very well written, and I'm glad that so much forethought went into it.
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