THE GREAT ESCAPE

BACK IN THE SUMMER OF '88, I WAS STAYING WITH MY LITTLE SISTER IN BROOKLYN.
ONE SUNDAY NIGHT WE HAD "WORDS" AND I LEFT IN ANGER. SO I GOT MYSELF A
COLD ONE AND WANDERED AROUND TILL I FOUND THIS LITTLE PARK ON ATLANTIC
AVE AND ? I SAT ON A BENCH, ROLLED A JOINT AND SMOKED IT. ALL OF MY CARES
WERE GONE FOR THE MOMENT. IN THE CENTER OF THE PARK THERE WAS THIS TOWER
FOR KIDS; SORT OF A FORT. THERE WERE STEPS THAT LED UP TO PLATFORM AND THE
PLATFORM WAS ENCLOSED BY 4 SOLID WALLS. I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO SLEEP, SO I DID. IN THE MORNING I AWOKE ABOUT 5:00, WALKED 10 BLOCKS TO MY JOB, PUT IN MY 8 HRS. I GOT CHINESE FOR DINNER AND A PINT OF MY FAVORITE
WINE. OF COURSE I HAD MY WEED. IT ALL GOES WELL UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT.
FRIDAY WAS PAYDAY. I WAS GOING TO GET PAID AND RENT A ROOM.
THAT NIGHT I GOT HIGH AND FELL ASLEEP ON THE PARK BENCH OUT IN THE OPEN.
I FELT A STING ON MY HEAD, LOOKED UP, DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, SO I WENT BACK TO SLEEP. A LITTLE WHILE LATER, I FELT ANOTHER STING ON MY HEAD. THIS TIME I SAT UP, DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. THEN I HEARD GIGGLING. I LOOKED BEHIND ME AND THERE
WERE 3 BLACK TEENS STANDING THERE. ONE HAD AN ALUMINUM BAT IN HIS HAND,
ANOTHER WAS HOLDING A MOUNTAIN BIKE AND THE 3RD WAS JUST THERE.
SO I JUMPED UP INTO A KARATE STANCE. THEY SURROUNDED ME. WHEN I FACED ONE,
ANOTHER WOULD HIT ME FROM BEHIND. WHEN I TURNED TO FACE HIM, THE OTHER ONE THREW THE MOUNTAIN BIKE AT ME. I WAS NO BRUCE LEE, I WASN'T GOING TO WIN THIS FIGHT......
THE KID WITH THE BAT RAISED IT TO SWING, I RAISED MY LEFT ARM TO BLOCK.
I FELT A SEARING PAIN FLOOD THROUGH MY ARM. IT DROPPED LIKE A ROCK. MY
MIND WAS CLEAR, CALM. THE THOUGHT CAME; GET OUT, RUN! I TURNED 3% TO MY
RIGHT AND RAN BETWEEN TWO, RAN TO A BENCH THAT WAS IN FRONT OF A 3FT WALL THAT SURROUNDED THE PARK. I LEAPED TO THE BENCH BUT ONE OF THEM
GRABBED THE BACK OF MY WINDBREAKER...... MY FORWARD MOMENTUM WAS SUCH
THAT I RAN RIGHT OUT OF THE JACKET, JUMPED ON THE BENCH, THEN THE WALL,
THEN TO THE SIDE WALK AND RAN STRAIGHT INTO TRAFFIC ON ATLANTIC AVE,
YELLING FOR HELP. GUESS WHAT? AN AMBULANCE WAS COMING DOWN THE STREET
AT THAT MOMENT.....
THOSE PUNKS WERE GOING TO KILL ME FOR KICKS; BUT THE LORD SAID NO!!
THE AMBULANCE TOOK ME TO KINGS CTY HOSPITAL WHERE THEY CASTED MY
BROKEN WRIST.
OOH THANK YOU LORD!!!

                                                                                                            RONALD J LAMB