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I SAW A MAN DIE
LAST WEEK I SAW A MAN DIE. HE HAD SUFFERED UNIMAGINABLE TORTURE. SECOND-DEGREE AND THIRD-DEGREE BURNS COVERED 40 PERCENT OF HIS BODY. FOR FIVE DAYS AND SIX NIGHTS HE HAD FOUGHT OFF THE INEVITABLE BEFORE HE DREW HIS LAST RASPING BREATH.
OLD FRIENDS HAD SPENT THE WEEK-END AT HIS HOUSE. AND ON SUNDAY NIGHT THEY WERE TO HAVE A GIANT STEAK, CHARCOAL-BROILED ON HIS OUTDOOR GRILL. WHEN THE COALS DID NOT FLARE QUICKLY ENOUGH. HE GAVE THEM ANOTHER SQUIRT FROM A LARGE CAN OF FLUID. THERE WAS A VAPOR-PUFF EXPLOSION. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ONE LIKE IT. THERE IS A FLASH OF LIGHT, BUT VERY LITTLE SOUND -ONLY A QUICK PHFFFT, AND IT IS ALL OVER.
THIS TIME IT WAS NOT OVER. AS HE RELEASED THE THUMB PRESSURE ON THE CAN A TINY BIT OF FLAMING VAPOR WAS SUCKED BACK INTO THE CAN. IT EXPLODED. THE BOTTOM BLEW OUT AND DRENCHED HIM WITH FLAMING FLUID.
HE ROLLED ON THE GROUND, GOT UP QUICKLY, RAN TOWARD THE RIVER. STUMBLED AND FELL, GOT UP AND HURLED HIMSELF INTO THE WATER. THERE WAS NO SCREAM. THERE WAS LITTLE SOUND OF ANY KIND EVEN THE EXPLODING CAN MADE LITTLE NOISE. HE SAID, "OH, MY GOD." TWICE IN AN AGONIZED UNDERTONE, AND ONE OF HIS DOGS HOWLED. IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS IT WAS OVER, AND 30 MINUTES LATER HE LAY IN A HOSPITAL BED, BANDAGED LIKE A MUMMY.
I WENT OVER THE GROUND LATER AND SAW THE BURNED GRASS AND THE BURNED BRANCHES OF THE CEDAR TREE ABOVE. I PICKED UP THE REMAINS OF THE CAN. IT BORE A NAME FAMILIAR TO ALL OF US, AND IT CONTAINED A FLUID I HAVE OFTEN USED. ONE OF THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH IT IS SOLD IS THE STARTING OF CHARCOAL FIRES. THE STILL READABLE DIRECTIONS WERE CLEAR. IF USED ON CHARCOAL, WAIT BEFORE YOU LIGHT IT. NEVER ADD MORE AFTER THE FIRE HAS STARTED. BUT HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU FOLLOWED THESE DIRECTIONS, IF YOU HAVE READ THEM AT ALL?
IF YOU LIGHT CHARCOAL THIS WAY, PLEASE DON'T EVER INVITE ME TO A COOKOUT AT YOUR HOUSE.
I NEVER WANT TO SEE ANOTHER MAN DIE.
(Editor's Note: This moving article, which first appeared as a letter to the editor of the Ridgefield, Conn. PRESS, has been reprinted in countless publications, including the COMMENTATOR of Gulf Oil Canada. In this season of charcoal fires in the outdoor grill, we thought it well worth the while to use one of our pages to present it again.)
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