32 years ago today I (age 20) was at work when I received a call from my next door neighbor, Mrs. Hill, telling me our house was on fire. Mrs. Hill had a tendency to tip the bottle occasionally, so I poo-pooed the idea. I got another call from my friend who was with the Wethersfield Fire Department confirming Mrs. Hill's phone call.
There was a very bad ice storm in CT that year. No power. In an effort to keep warm, we built fires in our fireplace. After a week, our power returned. My grandfather, who had been living with us, went about his daily chores, cleaning out the fireplace. He emptied the ashes in the trash can and put the lid on. The combustion from the warm embers (that he didn't realize were in there) and the polyeurathane trash bad caused an explosion in the house. We became homeless in a nanosecond. Our 2 Airedales happened suffered from smoke inhalation, but survived.
Bumpy received 3rd degree burns over 80% of his body. He died from his injuries 3 days later. I was my Bumpy's favorite. I learned how to make gravy from scratch from him. He used to sing "Goodnight Sweetheart" to me as a child.
RIP Bumpy. You were the best!!
12/02
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