Daddy Is Getting Old

My dad is getting old. I take that back. My dad is old. He turned 83 in March. He had a car accident on Saturday. He says he doesn't think he ran the red light. I don't know what to believe. Like I said, he's old.

We have to pay more than usual attention to him because Rey is helping him with his car insurance etc.. (My dad likes the attention.) I was going to take him to get his car rental today but I ended up taking him to body shop to sign off on his car so his insurance can pick it up. It was totaled.

I walked across the street to the lot so he could get some papers out of the car. I hadn't seen the car and I was shocked when I saw it. The accident was a lot worse than I thought. His entire hood is bent into a rooftop shape. I am so surprised he didn't get hurt. If the crash had been in a little more he could have broken one or both legs.

I took him back home and I called him later to remind him that he needed to go pick up his rental. Enterprise said it would be ready after 2 p.m. He didn't answer on his home phone but then he answered his cell. I asked him what he was doing and he said he'd gone walking in the neighborhood to see if anyone was selling a small pick-up truck. (He says he doesn't want another car.)

He was all out of breath because he was tired and it was hot outside. And he's 83. He said he hadn't even made it home because he was so tired and he was sitting on the empty lot next to his house. He told me that on his way home a dog tried to bite him. (My dad and dogs do not get along.) He said he'd gotten scared and he had to ask a young guy riding by on a bike to ride alongside him so the dog wouldn't come after him.

I laughed, but I was worried at the same time. "Okay, go get your car so you don't have to go walking around the neighborhood anymore and so you don't have to worry about dogs," I said. He laughed.

I hung up but I couldn't help but worry. I was scared when I saw his car. Scared for him because I know that he will not give up driving very easily. I know he is going to fight us the whole way if we ask him to give it up. Scared at what's still ahead of us all.