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I REMEMBER “CACTUS” TOM BROOKS

Deanne Lykins

West Palm Beach, Fl

When I was little, I watched a local children’s birthday TV show on WHAS-TV in Louisville, Ky called T-BAR-V.  Randy Atcher was the singing star of the show, and “Cactus” was his bumbling, scraggly, hayseed looking sidekick.  Cactus was my favorite.  He would come down some stairs with the birthday cake all the while pretending to stumble as all the children were screaming in the background afraid that he would fall down with the cake.  Somehow, he would manage to save the cake and the day.

I remember the song, written by Randy, “Brush your teeth each morning, get lots of sleep at night…”.  This song was to encourage children to do everything right and mind our parents.  I guess everyone in Louisville, Kentucky knew that whole song.

Some years later, I got a job at the Courier-Journal newspaper.  I was 18.  WHAS-TV was in the same building as the Courier Journal, and one would often come across people that worked for WHAS.  One day, I got on the elevator and noticed a very striking, handsome and distinguished looking man.  He stood out from the rest and I was very impressed.  Later, I found out that he was “Cactus” Tom Brooks, my idol from the T-BAR-V show -- a far cry from the man I saw on the elevator. 

Now for the purpose of this story.

Several years later after one marriage, one child and one divorce, I met the love of my life, Don, and we got married.  I was 43.  Two years after our marriage, my partner, my lover, my best friend had a serious heart attack and had to have open heart surgery.  Needless to say, I was devastated.  It took me 43 years to find him, and I felt that I was going to lose him.

I was at the hospital day and night.  Spending the night in the ICU waiting room is not like staying in your normal hotel/motel.  There was another family there the same time I was.  This consisted of an elderly couple (in their 80’s),  whose daughter had a very serious stroke and was in a coma. This also included brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.  During my time there, I struck up a friendship and bond with the whole family.  I was always in the waiting room by myself, so the family adopted me and treated me as one of their own, especially the elderly father who was a very striking, handsome and distinguished looking man.  We talked a lot. 

The elderly man’s wife knew that I was very worried about my husband and told me the story about her husband going through open heart surgery and look how healthy he is.  One of the things the doctors do for the waiting loved ones after open heart surgery is let you look and see for yourself that the patient is okay.  They also warn you about how bad they will look but not to worry, they will look better.  She had this experience with her husband.  When she looked at him after the surgery, the doctor asked her if she was too shocked in terms of how bad he looked.  Having a very good sense of humor and with a twinkle in her eye, she said, no worse than I have seen him in his younger days when he and his brothers would have an all night spree.    

I could only visit my husband at specific times unless he called for me.  During one of my waiting periods, I was talking with this elderly father’s daughter.  Somewhere in the conversation, I found out that she lived in New York and was in Louisville because of her sister’s stroke.  She told me that she used to work for WHAS-TV.  I told her that I used to work for the Courier-Journal and asked what she did for WHAS.  She said she used to sing.  She also said, “My father used to work for WHAS, you probably knew him.”   I looked at the elderly father with whom I had become very close and the light bulb came on in my head at the same time she said he is “Cactus” Tom Brooks.  I said with delight, You mean,,,,”Brush your teeth each morning, get lots of sleep at night…..”?  Cactus, my T-BAR-V hero, the elderly father finished the song with me.  I ACTUALLY GOT TO SING WITH "CACTUS” TOM BROOKS. He could still do it in his 80’s.

Now there were a lot of people in that waiting room, but no one else had connected with this family like I did.  Maybe it was because I was by myself or maybe it was meant to be.  Somehow, I felt the spirit of the Lord was at work.  Once they found out that he was “Cactus” Tom Brooks, he was a very popular man in the ICU waiting room.  He was not only my idol, but he was MY special friend.

Don was starting to be coherent at this point and came out of the surgery very depressed.  Now, we know this type of depression is normal after serious surgery, but it didn’t help us then.  I told Cactus this and he wanted to know what he could do to help.  After hearing his success with his open heart surgery, I asked him if he would mind going into the room with me and telling Don his success story.  He was delighted to help me out.

Don lived another 10 years, and I still think my special friend, “Cactus”, had a lot to do with it.  I have always believed in guardian angels, and I know that Cactus was mine

Now I am 62 and live in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Cactus has died, but I will always remember him as my special friend and hero, and I will remember the generosity of the rest of the Brooks family. 

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