The following day I was having lunch with Brett Winstead, another close friend of mine over in the SouthPark part of Charlotte, NC. My cellphone rings and it was my brother-in-law John Flanagan telling me as calmly as he could that my father was very sick and had to be rushed to Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Ct. for emergency surgery due to an enlargement of his aorta valve in his heart.
I needed to 'drop everything' and head straight to the airport. It was very strange. I remember being very calm for about 30 minutes, like it was no big deal. Then all of a sudden, it was like Niagara Falls crashed into my world. My father has always been the solid rock I depended on my whole life. Now my 'solid rock' was very, very sick. It frightened the hell out of me and I am not embarrassed to say that I fell apart.
I had just recently ended a very important relationship in my life to a beautiiful woman named Kathy. She had moved to another city but we were still close enough that she was the first person I called. I then was attempting to get my composure back and make plans to get myself on the next flight out of town.
Then I suddenlly remembered 'Kristen!'
What was I going to do. Certainly, my father came first in my life. I needed to be with him. I was going home for sure but I needed to tell Bob and Debbie.
At this stage, for all I knew, some maniac may have had Kristen locked up in some room somewhere. So I was of the mindset that every second was literally critical.
Through my tears, I drove the ten miles or so over to the Modafferi's. I remember when I got there Debbie was home and invited me right in.
She was on the phone with someone very important and instrumental in the early stages of the investigation. I forget his name but I do remember he was someone well conected with the ability to get things done. I believe he ran the scholarship program at NC State where Kristen was awarded a Park Scholar
Debbie invited me into the Kitchen and went back to the phone. At this point, my composure was holding but I knew inside that I would not be able to hold my emmotions back much longer.
I did something I never do in my life. I told Debbie I had something very important I needed to share with her and that I needed for her to tell the gentleman that she would have to call him back in a few minutes.
Debbie sensed the moment and did in fact end the phone call she was on.
I began to tell Debbie that my father was very, very sick and that I was still going to go to California but I needed to go be with my father for the foreseeable future.
As I was telling her this, my composure gave way and I remember breaking down pretty badly.
What a scene that was!
I am sitting at the Modafferi's kitchen table crying my eyes out and I am two feet away from a woman who doesn't know where her daughter is!
What I remember about that moment was how caring Debbie was towards me. I can still remember wondering how she was able to do that what with all she had to deal with. About this time, Bob had showed up in the kitchen and immediately the Mod's let me know that I needed to go be with my father. Going to look for their daughter will have to wait until I know my Dad's Ok.
I learned that my father was rushed to Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Ct. When I mentioned this to the Mod's, their eyes got huge and they looked at each other increduously. "Dennis," they told me, eighteen years ago, Kristen was born in Danbury Hospital.
How's that for a sign!
I am happy to report that my father came through surgery with flying colors and today, five years later he is doing just fine. I have a wonderful, wonderful father. I wish the whole world could meet him. Well, maybe not Ruben and Susan..and that crowd. Everyone else though...they should meet my father. (Note: My beautiful mother passed away when I was eleven years old. She died from cancer when her children were just 13, 11, 8, 5 and 3 yrs old.) My dad, a NYC Police homicide detective put us all on his back and carried us lovingly through an uncertain future.
Back in Charlotte after about five days up north, my best friend, Greg Sobieski, treated me to dinner at the Steak and Ale restaurant on Woodlawn Rd and around 9:00pm, dinner was over and I said goodnight to Greg. I got in my van and was heading for I-85 south towards Atlanta and from there I-20 all the way out west.
I called the Mod's to let them know I was on my way. Debbie answered the phone and I can remember her telling me to be very careful. "I have already lost Kristen, if anything happened to you, Dennis, I wouldn't be able to handle it. Please be very careful!"
I was on my way.
