Explosion

 

Explosion

              We open this story up in the Sumer time, just south of Nowata, Oklahoma.  We find my 

Grandmother Eccles & myself in a grey Oldsmobile arguing over whether we are going to listen to

my music or not.  My Dad (Earl) tells me to put my headphones on so my grandparents can enjoy the 

trip to Martinsville, Indiana, for a Two Week Bible Study. 

              They move through Kansas City, where a police officer steps out into the middle of the road

stopping my father for speeding.  Dad explained that he was out of town and was just doing the speed

that he saw posted.  The officer was understanding letting him off with a warning telling him to, 

"watch  the speed limit when you are out of state."

               

                 Dad pulled off saying that he was watching the speed limit but there was too many signs to 

determine which one was the speed limit sign.  He then drove down the road to Springfield, Illinois.  In 

Springfield, Illinois, he stopped at a Stukey's Truck Stop to check the car out.   He had the hood of the 

car up as his father and I stood with him at the front of the car,  as he pulled the radiator cap off.   At 

that time the radiator water blew and instead of going ninety degrees either direction I went straight

with the water soaking my Special Olympics t-shirt.

                    Then I tasted the sweetness of radiator water, as I heard an ambulance coming for me.  The

next stop for me would be in the Springfield Hospital for the night.  Here they put Silvadene on my 

dad's finger and gave me some meds doing what they could to make me comfortable.  They put me on 

a liquid diet not wanting to upset my stomach.  I was let go the next morning, and my parents were told 

not to let me eat too much or it might upset my stomach.  We did, however go out to eat at a pancake 

house, in which my sister felt the service was so bad they did not deserve a tip.  I was able to keep this 

meal down though.

                   That evening we were in Martinsville, Indiana, for the Two Week Summer Study.  We had 

supper with the church at the Martinsville High School cafeteria.    I ate some of the food and threw up 

due to the burns.  The only doctor I recalled was Dr. Jones, who was not the type of doctor I needed to

see.  Of course, I was only thirteen at the time what did I know?  Most thirteen year old's know very 

little.  They got me a burn specialist who took care of my burns with a whirlpool bath, lotions, and 

medicine.  

                   As the Two Weeks Sumer Study was going on I had visitors who wrote their names on a

 stuffed banana I had been given.  I only wore loose fitting bottoms due to my burns.  This was 

embarrassing due to the fact that my private parts were not covered up very much.  So visitors were 

basically limited to family and doctors.  One visitor I do recall receiving was Becky Baugh.  She was a 

little younger than I, but had some how or another made her way up to see me to visit the sick.  While I

appreciated the visit I was afraid she might see the private parts of my body.

                  Not long after that I was released to go home.   I had spent the entire two weeks in the

hospital.    If I knew I was going to do that I would have stayed home and spent, it at the Jane Phillips 

Hospital in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.   For that is where our home was twelve hours away from 

Martinsville, Indiana.

Paul D Eccles