FUR

          My wife and I had wanted a little piece of farm land for years, and we ended up buying a 14 acre piece which was crowned with the biggest mistake of our marriage: a small, used double-wide mobile home.

          Now, don't take offense, ye salespersons of "manufactured homes", but the mean wife, six kids and the three-legged dog launched a frontal assault on that place that could have taken Europe in a month.  I admit that the contest was unfair, but it allowed us to have that wonderful place in the country… but that's another story.

          Anyway, one of the many things I loved about this place was the absolute absence of privacy.  I mean, you could take two steps at one end of the trailer, and someone would feel both steps at the other end.  And, the living room was so small that if anything was left there, it would be stepped on in the night. 

          So on this particular night, my deep sleep was interrupted by something I thought was a restless kid… you know, if you're a Mom or a Dad, that little whine before the shriek… and about the time I knew I was awake… THUMP!  I knew the sound well.  My youngest daughter, age 3, had jumped out of bed and would be coming…

          I dozed for a moment, then… thump… plop… plop… plop… she made her way through the trailer to my room.  Our bathroom light was on, so she could find our room easily… no need to get up… zzzzzzzz

          SPLASH!  The familiar rolling of the waves in our giant economy-size waterbed roused me again for a brief moment as she dove in, and she snuggled against my back as she does when she's either cold or scared.  She's a little restless tonight, I remember thinking… zzzzzzzz

          A tiny arm reached up and over my chest, tickling me.  I squeezed her hand, thinking that she just need a little reassurance… zzzzzzzz

          Now little fingers began playing with my pajama top.  Little searching fingers, wandering around my neck, playing with my chest hairs.  I cleared my throat, aggravated by the interruption, prepared to fix the problem… then the little fingers patted me… OK, they seemed to say… its OK… time to sleep… zzzzzzzz 

          PAIN!  A sharp pain jolted me awake.  Agony!  Oh, how it hurt!  My upper torso seemed to be on fire!  I clutched my chest and rolled into a little ball, yelling as loudly as I possibly could, trying to muster all the assets I could bring to bear on this pain. 

          I sat up in a daze, trying to figure out how bad it was… 2 AM… didn't seem to hurt so much now… in fact, rubbing it seemed to help… as a matter of fact, it seemed to hurt right THERE…

          I looked around me to find Nancy sitting up in bed next to me, wide-eyed terror on her face… "MAMA!  MAMA!" she cried.  I reached to comfort her, thinking I had scared her, and she drew away.  I leaned further to reach her and ease her fear… when, in the glow of the bathroom light, I saw the answer… a dozen tiny chest hairs clutched in her fist…

          She had settled down by now.  I mean the beast had stopped roaring, and she had no reason to fear for her life.  Mom had raised herself to one elbow by now, and was wondering what was going on.  Nancy looked at me, then at the treasured possessions which she held tight in her fist, then at Mom, and whispered in awe…

          "MAMA!  Daddy has… FUR!"