The Unique Love Story!

The Unique Love Story!
By Tommy Franks

My given name is “Lucky Mike”. At the young age of 16, I had the world by the tail. I was going places. I was on my way up! I was “the man”. In July 1955, I met someone very special…very fine…in a little café called “Bad Habits Café”…in a little Southern rural town.

We fell in love and became intimate right away and later…after the “honeymoon”, we became the best of friends for several decades. My new friend made me feel ever so “special”.

In the presence of this slender creature, I felt ten feet taller, more handsome than ever, fulfilled as a man, energetic, confident, and perhaps, even a little arrogant. After all, with this wonderful, special, “hot burning” comrade, I could do anything!

Furthermore, many of my friends warned me about this relationship. They said it wouldn’t last…that you were no good for me. However, I paid no attention to them. I became hooked on this trusted companionship. Over the years, we became so close. I indeed became dependent on my loyal friend.

Over the years, we went through a lot together. This traveling associate was with me when I passed my first driver’s test…when I went to Europe…when I became a “father” for the first time…when I had the flu…and later pneumonia. You see, after all, we were in this thing together for the long haul…for life!

Suddenly, one day, I realized that this relationship was killing me. Could I deny my feelings? Could I break off this love affair? Did I have the strength, the courage,
the boldness to end it? As I was pondering these questions in my mind, I decided to go back to where it all began…“Bad Habits Café”…

I knew the manager, the cook, the servers, and many of the customers. We talked, laughed, and reminisced of old times gone by. I wasn’t feeling very well. I coughed a lot. My lungs ached. My body was weak. In fact, I was now dying.

This unique love affair had cost me my health…and now my life! If only I had listened to my friends, my priest, and my body! Consequently, the doctors have said, “Mike, you may depart Planet Earth anytime now!”

Today, I broke it off. The love relationship is over. My “hot burning” comrade is longer any fun to be around. The affair has cost me thousands of dollars. My health is ruined. My life is almost over!

What a tragedy and sad commentary! Today, I had my last cigarette! However, the damage is done! The doctor has given me only a few months to live. Take it from “Lucky Mike”…Whatever you do…think…before you get hooked on this type of “smoking love affair”!

Cigarettes will kill you. Take it from me. My love affair has now gone up in smoke…and I have been given a death sentence.

Years ago, someone sang a song that went something like this: “Baby, Baby…Don’t get hooked on me…because I'll just use you and then set you free…Baby, baby don't get hooked on me. I can tell you now that you're seeing way too much in me…Baby, Baby don't get hooked on me…”

Lucky Mike died from lung cancer six months later. RIP my dear friend Lucky Mike.