I left off last time talking about how “Fred” was hinting that he would not allow himself to die slowly of ALS. Specifically, he said that if it turned out he really did have the disease, “I don’t really see a reason to continue ...”
I knew what he meant. We discussed it briefly on messenger. I told him I had no right to judge any action of his which he felt to be correct. And that I would support him in any decision he made. I asked only that he do nothing until he knew for certain one way or another. He promised that he would.
I was glad of that. In the end, it proved unnecessary. But, at least, I had his promise.
Still...still...I wonder. If I were in the same position, what would I do? Frankly, I’m not sure that I know.
Anyway...
Getting back to Kansas. We were drawing near the end of our visit. We’d been glad to find that Judy was recovering nicely. We did a bit more touring with her. We went out to the town of Newkirk, OK, which is just over the border and only a few minutes drive.
Newkirk is a pleasant place of a little over 2000 people.(1) Its economy is agricultural and, given the realities of small communities in the modern world, it seems to be doing well enough. Newkirk does, however, have a somewhat complicated history--it is on land that was part of what was known as the Cherokee Strip or the Cherokee Outlet, and how the Strip (not to mention all of Oklahoma) was obtained from the Cherokee people remains, shall we say? Subject to question.(2)
Whatever, Newkirk is nice. We had lunch there, at the Stagecoach Catering & BBQ. The food was excellent. If you’re anywhere in the area, do be sure to drop by. Well worth it.(3)
We also visited a farm stand just across from the restaurant. It was called “The Bald Farmer.” Whether the farmers in question are actually hairless or not, I couldn’t say. But the stand had a nice selection of vegetables, fruit, and flowers.(4) Both Judy and Martha found things they wanted.
About the photos: Four photos from Newkirk, OK. First, Martha and Judy deciding on flowers at the Bald Farmer farm stand (you can see the Stagecoach restaurant in the background). Second, the two of them making their way into the Bald Farmer. Third, an interior shot. Fourth, and finally, a picture of vegetables and the backdoor of the stand.
Then it was back to Judy’s for dinner. And, yes, we ate some of the goodies from The Bald Farmer.
The next day, we said our goodbyes to Judy, and to Winfield. We were both relieved to find she was doing so much better. Though, of course, you always worry.
After that, we headed to Wichita, turned in the rental car, and boarded our plane.
That was when things got interesting. It was supposed to be a quick flight. It wasn’t. We were in the air for a bit, and the crew came on the loudspeaker to tell us that there were storms in the way. We were going to be a little later than we’d thought we’d be.
There were some dramatic bounces here and there. Then, after quite a while, the crew said we would be landing in Albuquerque for fuel and such. Soon we were on the ground. Martha and I toyed with the idea of deplaning and having an extra day or two of vacation in New Mexico. Why not? We love the state.
But, then we got serious. We had commitments back in Georgetown. So, we just stuck it out and waited.
To pass the time, I purchased access to the plane’s Wifi and checked my email. I also sent a DM to Fred, asking him how he was getting along. The answer wasn’t reassuring. He wasn’t feeling well, he said. Stomach problems. But, he was sure he would be fine soon.
I wished him well and we ended our conversation. Shortly after that, our plane was back in the air.
Soon we were home. A few days later, I realized I hadn’t heard from Fred. I sent him another DM. He answered. He was in the hospital, he said. It turned out that he didn’t just have stomach problems. He had a blockage and a “twisted intestine.” They would be doing more tests in the morning. The good news, though, was that they’d given him morphine, so he wasn’t in pain.
I wrote back, “Oh, my God,” or something like that, and I wished him well. He didn’t answer me right away.
He did get back to me around nine that night. He thanked me for my good wishes and then added that his stomach seemed to be performing a “symphony.” He meant it as a joke, I think. Something to lighten the mood.
It would be the last time I would ever hear from him.
More to come.
Footnotes:
1. Newkirk has its own Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newkirk,_Oklahoma
2. Oklahoma was, of course, originally, Indian Territory, the place where the infamous “Trail of Tears” came to its bitter end. After that, however, much of the state was then claimed by White Settlers in a series of notorious “land rushes.” See the state’s history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma
3. The Stagecoach doesn’t seem to have a dedicated webpage, but it does have a Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Original-Stagecoach-BBQ-Restaurant-100063553751593/
4. The Bald Farmer is supposed to have a webpage at thebaldfarmer(dot)com, but that site doesn’t seem to open when I look for it. However, the Stand does have an attractive and active Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/bald.farmer/
Copyright©2025 Michael Jay Tucker
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