Two small feet that made a big print:

Kathryn DeLadurantey

     Two small feet plotted along a dirt road from a small boy no bigger than three feet tall. Dust flicked in the air as he kicked rocks lying in his way.

     His tender and young right hand waved over the soft strands of brown and black fur of a tall German Shepherd.

     The air was warm and the sky blue, it was like any other Texas morning, just a boy and his dog on a dusty Lockhart road.

     Soon enough, distant rumbles of gravel being turned and flying from under large rubber tires. A truck was fast approaching behind this small caravan.

     The sound slowed as the small boy turned his face, his look; not surprised, worried, or even bothered. But a smile took its place.

     The truck pulled up with the window down, and a man yelled out over the purring engine of the truck. “Jerry Doyle, what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Where ya, walking to? Your Ma is gonna be worried sick if she doesn’t know you are way out here…..”

     “Hop in, kid, and I’ll give you a lift,” the man said.

     And so little Jerry and his German shepherd “King” did as the man said.

     The drive home couldn’t have been more than a mile, but a tad far for this young lad to be wandering about.

     They reached Jerry’s home, an old ranch house. As the truck door bounced open, the front door of the Doyle ranch swung open in unison.

     And Mrs. Doyle came running out….

     Her face beaming with a smile, and from her mouth words of thanks to the neighbor for bringing her little man and King, home.

     Mrs. Doyle was shaken by this episode, and later that day found herself contemplating over these past years she had had with little Jerry….her mind falling into that state between conscience and the fog caused by a lapse in living in the past. Her mind drove her to a room, far away from their home, on a day now feeling so long ago. There she and her husband stood, their hearts beating, their hands possibly cold and sweating. As they stood there, wide-eyed and expecting one of the greatest gifts they had waited so many years for.

    A tall man in a white coat arrived in the room carrying a small bundle in his hands, and leaning towards Mrs. Doyle, he gently slid his arms away, placing the blanketed bundle to rest in her arms alone.

     The tall man stated, “Well, here he is, eight days old and all, congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Doyle, you are parents now!”

    She could still remember that moment as she stared into his deep blue eyes, his soft, plump, round face, and she wondered what the next years might hold. Was she ready for all this little bundle was full of? And who would this little one become? What things would he do in his life?

     Her memory now faded. And she stood knowing the future for Jerry was filled with adventure.

     Jerry had been adopted into the Doyle family. The Doyles were not just any family; they had a long legacy of ranching, owning several hundred acres for generations. And now Jerry was to inherit this incredible legacy in life, this legacy of being a Lockhardian, a man of reputation, and a hard work ethic.

     As years passed, Jerry fully embraced this Doyle legacy as their only child home, he often worked right along with his father at the ranch, in wind, rain, snow, and drought to maintain the land and learn the skills and endurance he would need for his future destiny.

     Life moved on. Jerry went to college, married the love of his life, moved back to the family land, raised two beautiful children, and became a fireman.

     And well, life was pretty wonderful as Jerry sat around the fireplace in his home one Christmas Eve. All was quiet and calm, a world full of peace, or so it seemed.

   But little did Jerry know that this calm moment was about to be altered forever…..

   At the very same moment, four teenagers moseyed their way into the Lockhart HEB, slipped over to the razor aisle, and lit a match

     In a flash, a call came through to Jerry’s, fire department pager with the words ……”The Lockhart HEB is on fire”

     Jerry knew the fire chief was all the way in Austin, and no one was prepared for this disaster on Christmas Eve.

     He rushed to the scene, people mobbed the parking lot, cars jammed, and loud voices rang out everywhere. It was a complete picture of pandemonium.

     The old HEB had no fire safety system because of its vintage building.

     And soon, even firemen from as far as Travis County cruised to the massive Christmas Eve tragedy.

     It took them all night and most of the next day to assess and clear the damage.

     Jerry was among them, dealing with each situation as it arose, and bravely battling the fire where he could.

     But this Christmas was just about to be branded in his memory one more time if it hadn’t already.

     As the task was finishing who arrived but the man himself Charles E. Butt the owner of HEB, and he brought with him an entire semi load of frozen turkeys for all the first responders and their families for their Christmas dinner.

     Tired and worn, Jerry stood back as he watched this man of great stature care for those like himself, who constantly laid down their lives for their community.

     But this moment in Jerry’s career marked one of many heroic moments where he proved his utter bravery, determination, and tenacity for protecting those in his charge.

     He was given the role of Fire Chief in Lockhart for over 2 decades and served his community and the men under his charge well.

     Showing them what a true fire chief should be and how much he should value showing up and serving others. From being at every fire call, to making sure there was funding in areas where it was severely lacking.

    Jerry still serves to this day at the Mid County Fire Department, he also still works the family land, and continues the Doyle Legacy of ranching.

     You see, who our children will become is unknown to us, but the tools we give them now will forever live on in them.