The Vet

What you think you see is not always the true story.

The fast food restaurant Rich and his family chose on their drive across Wisconsin was famous for its burgers.

Rich wheeled his father-in-law into the restaurant as he had done many times before since Mr. Taney had his leg amputated due to Diabetes. Mr. Taney wore a prosthesis but never walked on it. He was 6’9” and 350 with the amputation, and other organs were slowly deteriorating so he was weak overall. The wheel chair at this stage just made sense.

A true patriot, Mr. Taney wore USAF hats and shirts to show his support for his son-in-law, an Air Force veteran. Taney himself was in for less than six months but didn’t tell that story often. He had wanted to be a lifer going into the service, but he had epilepsy that prevented him from continuing, so the government gave him an Honorable Discharge with thanks for a grateful nation or some such language.

A gentleman from the small town off the interstate opened the door for Mr. Taney and smiled as Rich wheeled him in. Throughout the visit, the man kept helping Taney, first with his tray, and then with his beverage.

At the beverage dispenser, he asked Rich, “Your father?”

“No, father-in-law.”

“He serve in the Air Force?”

“Briefly.”

“That’s what I thought.”

The man approached Mr. Taney and said, “Thank you for your service, sir.”

Taney turned to see who was speaking. “You’re welcome,” Taney said.

“And thank you for the sacrifice you gave so that we could remain free.”

Again, Taney smiled and nodded.

Awkwardly, the man waved and walked to his booth on the other side of the restaurant.

“Mr. T,” Rich said. “I think he thought you’re in a wheel chair because you were wounded or something in the Air Force.”

“Naaa. Can’t be. That’s ridiculous.” He thought about it for a second. “Let me go find out.”

Taney wheeled himself over to the young man and spoke with him for a few minutes, and they were all laughing as he backed up and returned.

“Well?”

“You were right, Rich.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“I told him the truth…” Mr. Taney said.

“Which is…”

Taney laughed. “I told him I lost it trying to fight off three crocodiles while on safari in Kenya. If he thought I was bad off, he should’ve seen what the crocodiles looked like when I was through with them.”

Mrs. Taney shook her head and looked away. “If that’s what he said, it wouldn’t have been the first time he had said something so outlandish.”

Rich said, “Tell me you didn’t say that, Mr. T.”

“No, I didn’t. But he does know I didn’t lose it in any war or anything.”

*******