Ramon's World

Over the last four months Ramon's balance had become a problem. When he bent to pick up something, he had to grab a pole or chair to straighten back up. In the garden there was nothing to grab and when he leaned over he had to be careful not to fall. Once he was down her discovered his strength was gone. He had fallen a few times and he learned he could pull himself to his elbows and then his knees. After resting a few minutes he could stand up. The technique worked every time until the day he forgot to turn off the water. The ground has dry and the temperature was hotter. The plants drooped and touched the ground. He pulled a hose to the garden so the thirsty plants could recover. "I'll let the water run about two hours," he thought. "That's all I need to get enough water to the plants." Then he went home and rested. Four hours later Ramon woke up with an uneasy feeling that something was wrong and the thought would not go away. It nagged at him until he washed his hands. The running water reminded him of his unfinished task. "Oh, no!" He muttered as he rushed to the garden. When he arrived water was two inches deep in some spots and deeper in others and water was still shooting out of the hose. The water had not spread as far as he feared but it was not being absorbed as well as he hoped. "Needed more mulch," he thought. Ramon thought about going barefoot to avoid getting his shoes stuck in the mud but decided against it. There were too many stickers and his feet were tender. As he waded through the water he tripped over vines that had sprawled across the path. He recovered his balance each time. Then one shoe got stuck in the mud and he fell forward into a pool of water. At first he could not move but he rallied until he was on his knees. Although he was making progress the vines were still tangled around his ankles. He tugged and pulled but to no avail. The vines held fast. Ramon unlaced one shoe and slipped it off. Then he took off the other shoe. Pulling himself free was still impossible. He stood but lost his balance and fell again. This time his face was in the water. He struggled but the mud clung to him and weighed him down. He crawled forward and was blocked by vines that seemed to be made of steel. He reversed his route and inched forward slowly. He thought he had found a way out until his head touched the electric fence. Zap! It was a small jolt but it got his attention. Twice more he bumped the fence and was jolted. Each time he recoiled in pain. The water was providing an easy path for the electricity. The ground was snapping and popping around him as electricity pulsed through the electric fence. He tried to adjust his path accordingly to get away but by now the electricity had drained his strength. It would be ridiculous to die in a few inches of water but he couldn't think of anything to do. No one could see him. Even though his face was in water there was nothing he could do but wait for the inevitable. He thought he had died because the earth became alive. Then he dreamed he was flying high in the sky over trees and rivers. It was a strange feeling and he thought he saw the wings of angels flapping around him. The sensation was pleasant but short-lived. He was still exhausted from his efforts to escape the tomato patch. His muscles did not work. He couldn't move but the plants around him seemed to be in motion, swaying in waves as a large group of small animals passed through, then the plants were still.