Kim’s screams alerted a neighbor, who called 911. Kim continued to shield the smaller dog. It was covered with blood. Then Kim realized that it was her blood. She looked at her mangled hand and gasped, then raised it above her head, trying to reduce the bleeding. After several minutes, the police and emergency team finally arrived, but the menacing Rottweiler held them at bay outside the gate. Kim jumped to her feet with the Lhasa Apso in her arms, ran to the fence, and dropped it on the other side. The Rottweiler immediately quieted, then trotted over and laid down beside his sister in a far corner of the yard. As the emergency team assisted Kim to the ambulance, she looked back and begged the police to not hurt her dogs. The authorities respected her pleas. Sometime later, after the dogs had been thoroughly evaluated, they were returned to Kim. The Lhasa Apso had suffered only minor injuries in the attack, and Kim gave him to an aunt. The Rottweilers now reside at Kim’s home in the country. The physical and emotional damage that Kim suffered was extensive, and the recovery was slow and painful. In addition to the mangled hand, she’d received bites and abrasions all over her body. And despite all possible precautions, a serious infection entered the shattered bone of her little finger. Twice a week for three months, Mike drove Kim to Baylor College of Medicine for treatment. “I was on the side lines all that time,” says Kim, “enviously watching others play; I was desperate to prove to myself that I could be better than ever, even with my deformity.” Kim won that tournament. It wasn’t easy. Not only was the splint a handicap, but several muscles in her left hand had atrophied from having been immobilized for such a long period. After the last 9-ball fell, she stayed around long enough to accept the congratulations of the other finalists. Then as she left the poolroom, she thought, “That’s step one.” Step two was winning the Texas State Open Championship held in Austin. A second surgery was performed on the finger during the year, and a third will be required. Nevertheless, Kim managed to play in all eight WPBA Classic tournaments during 2005, and she earned two Top-Ten finishes. What kept her going?
Carlos Ledson Miller is the author of Stroke—A Pool Novel, which captures the world of contemporary pool. www.carlosledsonmiller.com “The Cueist” originally appeared in Change Magazine. www.changemagazine.net |