Johnny

    “Someone get my boy!” John shouted, amongst the smoke, “don’t worry about me I’ll be fine. Get him! Hes downstairs and he’s paraplelegic. Get him out if you have to drag him!” 

     John noticed it wasn’t fire fighters helping him, it was community members, and was confused but all he could focus on was Johnny. 

     Downstairs the flames were quickly moving toward Johnny, who had just been put in his bed for the night by his nurse, Brenda. She started screaming and ran in the porch and yelled for help! There were a ton of fire fighters there but none could come in. 

     What no one knew was they were all volunteer which means they are trianed in putting fires out but not search and rescue. 

     But everyone knew it was John and Johnny's house. And as the crowd grew, so did the flames.

     Johnny, could barely breathe and let out a desperate “Help”, as Brenda started getting ready to drag him. 

    Outside, two crowd members said “The hell with this and ran inside”. One quickly got Brenda out and came back in and the other had got Johnny in his arms. The flames were mere feet from head bed at this point and the smoke was blinding.

    Johnny kept trying to tell them about the oxygen tank, but they were too busy trying to get him out to hear. 

    They got through the burnt down front door and got Johnny to safety. He continued to try to communicate ‘oxygen’ but eveveryone was so busy checking him out to hear him. 

     It was his sister who kept hugging him, in the ambulance they had put him in, when she heard him say ‘oxygen’.

    “Oh shit! Your tank!” She said and she scrambled out of the ambulance. Just as she got out, there was a huge explosion, but it turned out the everyone was far enough away. 

     John had made it out just in time. He came running over to the ambulance, crying, to see see if Johnny was ok. 

     Physically, Johnny was ok. They were giving him oxygen from breathing so much smoke and taking him to the hospital for a few days  just because of his special needs, but in general, was ok.

    John was ok too. He had a few bumps and bruises but nothing serious. He was just grateful to Brenda, for seeing the smoke, because if she hadn’t…

     The fire had consumed the house so fast, but luckily they had gotten his wheelchair out too, which is his lifeline.  

      Johnny was an avid music fan and had gotten to meet lots of famous people. Their pictures had covered his walls. Over 30 years worth of concerts, and signatures and shows. 

     He also was one of the best professional djs around, with minimal help from a friend. He’d do a lot of events around the area and I don’t know how exactly he did it, but he did it. He always had his friends with him to help, but it was him being the dj. 

    Not to mention all his equipment. 

    All that was gone..

    But Johnny, and his father, and Johnnys nurse Brenda, (who thank God was  working and noticed the smoke first), were all ok.

    As soon and everyone heard all the sirens, they knew it was serious. They had called them in from a bunch of towns because the were looking for someone who had a trained firefighter working, supposedly. It was siren after siren after siren.  I had driven by the site and the whole street was blocked off. I could tell it was a house fire near my friend Johnnys house but couldn’t be sure. 

    I found out recently that my mom had heard on the scanner that it was the house next to certain bar. And she knew, that I knew ( because everyone knew-small town), that Johnny lived there. And she how I’d react. I would freak out. We had a deal that if we were both single at 50, we’d get married… and we were halfway through our 40’s. We had laughed about that the last time we’d spoken. So Mom had played it smart by keeping it from me. 

     I know both Johnny and his father. And, anyone who knows them will tell you, they are 2 of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Just nice with and about everything. Super nice guys in general.

     I met Johnny in grade school. Super nice then too. His aunt was a hairdresser so he always had the coolest hair. Being the 80’s, that was important. 

     I remember him before his accident too. I don’t much about if except I think it was a car accident in his early 20’s when he lived in Hawaii. But I’ve never asked him. He’s been disabled so long it’s just who he is now. 

     I met his father when we were all at a sort of live music jam at a bar. I realized how cool his dad was when I helped Johnny smoke it cigarette (or 4), It was a rare occasion for him, so he let him go a ahead. 

     He also didn’t seem to mind or care one way or the other about the two of us flirting all night (he’s very protective, of course). 

      That night Johnny and made an

and talked to him and hung out while the music played. It was a great night. The music was perfect. That was the night we made our ‘deal’ .

     What was so unbelievable was the community. As soon as e everyone heard ‘the house by the bar’, everyone stepped into action. It was incredible to see how quickly, due to social media, word of an emergency can get out. 

    It was amazing to witness. The community mantra was, (whether you knew John Sr or Johnny or both), ‘To know them is to love them. They were nice to everyone; they loved everyone and everyone loved them. That’s just how it was. 

     The apartment building was demolished, and turned into a parking lot. All within 24 hours.