Critical Cut
By Linda Schwartz

We just got back together, now just the thought of losing you makes me sick inside. I remember how you came to the Agrippa, I asked you how would I find you. "Chinatown", was your response. I came looking for you in that burned out brownstone, the one that was fire-bombed. Where I first saw you, I still can't believe how I found you again!

I looked around at how you were rebuilding it, I said "Looks like you've decided to stay, you could use some help with the decor, I have some posters, an oldy of Heather Thomas." I smiled at the joke, knowing you wouldn't "get it". My smile was very short-lived. I saw you on the floor looking like you were meditating, but you were holding a briefcase?! "What's the matter, can't you open it?". "Do not touch it, it is a bomb." I still can't get those words out of my head. A BOMB! my heart dropped on the floor and for an instant fear took over, but that vanished when I knew I had to save you, Pop. I ran over to the work table and I hoped you had wire cutter, I found them. I came back over and looked at the bomb. I tried to keep calm, I was trying to keep myself from panicing. "I'm going to have to disarm it." "You have experience in such things?" You ask me. "OH yea, I took a class, the problem is that I slept through most of it." I tell you honestly. "That could be a problem." you tell me, I still can't believe how calm you were. maybe that is what helped to keep me calm. I had no idea what I was doing. But this hot shot cop had gotten out of some very tight fixes. And this was going to be the most serious feat I was going to do. I looked over the wires, they didn't have this kind of set-up in that class! I was going to have to make a guess. "Do you have an opinion?" I asked, this was your life on the line, both of our lives, actually (I would never leave you here to die) "If you trust yourself any decision you make will be correct, if you do not trust yourself any decision you make will be wrong." Thank you, Pop. you usually know how to give me the confidence I need, just when I need it most. I hold my breath as I search each of the wires, this was going to be the critical cut. Please let me cut the right one! I closed my eyes, time just seemed to stand still. A flood of emotions are coming through me. All kinds of thoughts are rushing through my mind in these few moments. I want to live and I want you to live, too. We just found each other, It can't end now! I cut the wire, it was the right one! I tell you to close the lid. You look at me. I can see the relief and the gratitude that was there. We would see all the tomorrows yet to come, together!