Yes, it was a terrible feeling. Sid remembered the day he and his dad drove to the beach for Bid's surfing practice. It was a foggy day with patches of sun. About 80 degrees out. Sam had had some chest pains earlier that day and wanted to go to the doctor but, decided to wait until after he took Sid to surfing practice. Sam pulled into a parking spot at the beach and immediately grabbed his chest and collapsed onto the steering wheel.
Sid panicked and ran to the nearest pay phone to call an ambulance. Luckily he had a dime for the phone. He called 911 and shortly after the Computer city EMT's arrived. They strapped him to a gurney and put him in the back of the ambulance. Sid decided to stay for surfing practice. Figuring that Sam would be ok. Bud, before he went to surfing practice he called his mother and told her what had happened. She said she would go met the ambulance at the hospital. She was concerned but, tired not to let her voice betray her.
The moment Sid finished practice he rushed to the car and drove to the hospital. He was glad to discover his father laying in a hospital bed. He was told that Sam had a minor heart attack and would stay at the hospital overnight for observation. During the night Sam had another heart attack, this time a major heart attack and died suddenly. Helga was by his side when he died and she was so distraught she had the hospital call her house and tell Sid to come to the hospital because Sam had died.
Sid took the news hard. He blamed himself if he had not had to go to surfing practice Sam would be alive or so he thought. Later when he went to the hospital that Sam had know he was on borrowed time. Earlier that year 1973 Sam had had chest pain and went to the doctor and was told that he had cancer and not only that but, an aggressive type. He only had months to live. He and Helga decided to tell know one of the diagnosis. Sam had spent his last few months drawing up a will and making funeral arrangements. He wanted to be buried in the family crypt in computer city's graveyard. He picked out a cheap casket because he thought why waste the money on something no one will see. He wanted a modest funeral with music and food. He would have the funeral at he mortuary instead of the church since Sam was not a religious man.
His fathers death was the first death that Sid had had of someone close to him. He did not show it on the outside but, on the inside he was torn up. For months he was in a deep depression. The death of his father had shaken all his certainty in his world. But, eventually he recovered and even started surfing again.
So that's what Sid was thinking about as he pulled is car into the parking spot. He felt a momentary twinge of sadness about that event so many years ago but, he remembered that no matter where he was he always had happy memories of his father and that would never be taken away from him.
The longIntegers exited the car and Sid got all the towels and beach umbrella out of the Planet and headed with his family into out onto the warm sand. He loved the sound of the ocean, no matter what was going on in his life he love the sound of the waves on the artificial lake. A day on the beach was better then a day inside any day a far as side was concerned. In fact the who family enjoyed going to the beach which is why they went to the beach. Sid set up the umbrella and beach towels and now the fun of watching the watching the water would begin. Sid had a surprise for his family he had decided to take up surfing again after giving it up 10 years ago after he had no time to pursue his hobby. Family and job pressures took up all his time. So he reluctantly gave up one of his most beloved hobbies
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