{"id":514,"date":"2024-03-12T01:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T01:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=514"},"modified":"2024-02-08T13:07:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T13:07:26","slug":"the-new-rescue-mission-fifth-daily-dose-of-florida-rescue-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/?p=514","title":{"rendered":"The New Rescue Mission [fifth daily dose of Florida Rescue Mission]"},"content":{"rendered":"

So that\u2019s what I told Bob and he\u2019s really excited and into T<\/b>he N<\/span><\/b>ew<\/span> R<\/b>escue M<\/b>ission.  That night we played shuffleboard because the motel didn\u2019t have a pool table,  marveling at how things have developed and how lucky it was we thought to come back to see Fred a second time \u2013 \u201cDon\u2019t you think we should go back and see Bette a second time too?\u201d<\/p>\n

When we show up at the Ramada the next day Fred tells us she\u2019s made up her mind to leave Michael and come with us and has already told the Ramada staff this is her last shift.  \u201cI finish at 2,\u201d she says to us, \u201cthen let\u2019s just go.\u201d<\/p>\n

But I said, \u201cWhat about your things?  – especially the Christmas presents?\u201d  She says we can\u2019t go back to the house because Michael will be there.  \u201cWell,\u201d I said, \u201cjust call him up and tell him you ran out of gas.\u201d  (She drove a little motorcycle to work).<\/p>\n

That won\u2019t work she says, \u201cWe don\u2019t have a telephone [this was back in the days before cell phones and computers],  I\u2019ll just send him a postcard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bob says he has a plan:  “We\u2019ll hide Fred out at the next beach up the Coast; find a big box somewhere, Fred you make a list of the things you want \u2013 and we\u2019ll go get them.”<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that won\u2019t work,\u201d she says, \u201cMichael\u2019s a big time drug dealer and keeps a loaded gun in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/a>

What do you say to a guy with a gun? “Let’s talk!”<\/p><\/div>\n

 \u201cIn the drawer by the living room couch,\u201d Fred says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d I said, \u201cIt\u2019s good Bob\u2019s such a big guy, I\u2019ll keep an eye on Michael while Bob gathers things up, and jump him if he makes a move for the drawer\u201d \u2013 I was sure with Bob\u2019s help we could handle Michael if things got rough \u2013 \u201cand besides, he isn\u2019t going to call for help without a telephone and knowing it all might lead to a big drug bust for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

When we knock on the door, I say to Michael \u201cLook Michael, Fred\u2019s decided to leave you; we\u2019re here to get her things, but she\u2019s going to come see you once we\u2019ve got everything loaded and explain what\u2019s up\u201d (a white lie).   Though surprised to see us, he seems to buy the bit about Fred still coming to see him, and sizing up Bob, lets us in.  I keep talking to him about what Fred\u2019s going to be telling him — paying attention that he doesn\u2019t get too close to that drawer.  He tells me he can\u2019t believe that Fred will leave the dog. I tell him that\u2019s one of the things she\u2019s going to talk to him about.  Pretty quickly Bob gives me the thumbs-up sign, and I tell Michael we\u2019re off to get Fred.<\/p>\n

After picking up Fred, our next stop was miles away in St. Mark\u2019s, Florida.  St. Mark\u2019s is on Florida\u2019s panhandle where Bob has a friend from his Peace Corps days named Donnie.  Donnie lives by himself in the middle of the marshy everglades in a house built on stilts.  He\u2019s a Park Ranger in charge of making sure nobody destroys the natural habitat for the few remaining Black Panthers in existence.  By the time we leave Donnie\u2019s I can tell Bob has formed a sort of uncle\u2019ish bond with Fred, who seems in good spirits about her decision \u2013 although she does say more than once how she misses the dog.  Yea!  Rescue Mission Accomplished!<\/p>\n

Or so we thought.  On the way out the long roadway to Donnie\u2019s house, I\u2019m driving and I see a Black Panther cross the road behind us in the rear view mirror \u2013 but the panther\u2019s too fast for Fred and Bob to turn around and see for themselves.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow:  This Story has Happy Endings!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

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So that\u2019s what I told Bob and he\u2019s really excited and into The New Rescue Mission.  That night we played shuffleboard because the motel didn\u2019t have a pool table,  marveling at how things have developed and how lucky it was … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=514"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1724,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514\/revisions\/1724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/andydawkins.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}