It is a fall day and I am at work. The phone rings and it is for me. It is Steven. I have never gotten a phone call at work. There is no reason to call me at work unless it is an emergency or very important. All he said to me was “come home.” At that very moment I knew it was about Swede. I dropped what I was doing and told a co-worker “It’s about Swede and I’m gone.” I grabbed my purse and ran to my truck. I remember thinking I have not driven this fast since I was a teenager. All the way home my mind is thinking of what horrible thing could have happened to Swede. I kept saying prayers for God to help me to be able to fix him. If I cannot fix him please give me the chance to say good-bye, but most of all do not let him suffer. As I get closer to the driveway, I see Steven’s truck parked at the end of the driveway. He is across the road in the neighbor’s swamp grass. I do not understand what is going on. On my way home I imagined he would be holding Swede and we would see how to work this out. I run to Steven and ask him what had happened. All he says is “hawk” and “look in this area and be careful where you step.” In my race home, a hawk never really crossed my mind. I guess I was thinking more of a cat, dog or Swede flying into a window. I do not know what I was thinking-- it all happened very fast. Steven and I do not say much to each other. We just keep searching through this long swamp grass. I do not know how Swede got here or what happened. At this point nothing matters except finding him. I call Swede’s name out frantically. I make Swede’s and my call repeatedly. I have never been much for swearing but at this point, I find myself using every curse word I know and aiming them at the hawk. I realize I must get my composure and try to be a strong person. I try to settle down and be calm. I put all my energy into praying and calling Swede in a calm manner as not to scare him. While I seem to be wearing my emotions on my sleeve, Steven on the other hand does not make a sound. I cannot be certain how long we searched in that swampy area, but it seemed like hours. There was no sign of Swede.
I do not know what was going through Steven’s mind, but in my mind I am thinking of going to the house, get some warmer clothes and flashlights. This may take all night but I will not give up. I believe his thinking is probably the same as mine. Steven is about fifty yards ahead of me. He starts heading for the opening in the grass where we first came in. I am following behind still calling for Swede. When Steven reaches the point of where we entered he stops. He looks down at the ground and in a very calm voice says “Swede.” Now while I was getting all my emotions out Steven was unbelievably calm. I am certain he does not see Swede. I fear my Steven has gone insane. This is why a person should not hold all their emotions inside. I have lost Swede and now what about Steven. I continue to walk closer to Steven, still calling Swedes name. When I reach the opening to where we entered, Steven is standing there. I looked down to where he is looking and there stands Little Swede. I cannot believe my eyes. Steven says, “Pick him up very slowly.” I reach down very slowly and pick up my baby. He has blood on his belly and is very scared. We leave our vehicles at the end of the driveway and carry him to the yard. Steven knowing what happened to Swede expected him to be in very bad shape. I put him in his swimming tank and helped him to wash the blood off his body. He had small puncture wounds in his belly and a small hole through one of his webbed feet. Swede appears to be doing fine though scared and in shock. We take turns holding him and thanking God for giving him back to us. The three of us try to collect ourselves and get a handle on what just happened. Steven tells the story of what had happened while I was at work.
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