It's All About Your Memories

The view out the front door was a peaceful setting. A field of wheat and the half mile long lane from the road. The view from the back porch was a small meadow surrounded by woods on two sides and a wide cold creek filled five acre pond. It was a perfect place for solitude, meditation, and painting.

Fred was sitting on the deck sipping hot robust coffee, smoking his corn cob pipe, camera with long lens ready to capture a deer family that usually came at dusk for a drink. There was a Canadian Goose family swimming the length of the pond. He took several shots of them for a future painting. His mind was already laying the paint on canvas.

The sunset was beautiful. Right on schedule the big old buck (Looks like a 20 pointer) led his family to the pond. Fred shot several pictures of this majestic family when he heard it. It was the sound that made his heart race. A Chevy 283 with dual exhaust was rumbling towards the house. He had built a 1969 Chevy Camaro SS with that engine in his youth. He would never forget the sweet rumble that brought pride to his heart.

Fred started around the cabin. He could see the dusty rooster tail coming down the lane. Instinct cause Fred to pick up his camera and begin to shoot. The bright red Chevy convertible rolled into the yard coming to a stop just a few feet from Fred. A lady with red hair jumped over the door and sprinted up to Fred. Grinning from ear to ear she hugged Fred and whispered "You don't remember me but do you remember the car?

Fred looked at her up and down. Sucking on his pipe he quietly looked at the car. Then he saw it. The owners plate on the dash said re-built with pride by Fred Ellis. Paint and body work by Peewee Mulligan. He looked back at this woman and said "Peewee?"

She reached up and grabbed his corn cob. She pulled a lung full of smoke and exhaled. "Yes Sweetness it is me. I bought our car from your ex and restored it to the glory it once had. I found all your notes on the rebuild with the title." Fred just smiled and tried to not think about the ex-wife and all of her negativity.

Fred had returned from Nam to find his wife with another and his car beat up and ready for the junk pile. He went to a lawyer and signed the car, the house, and the other household stuff over to her. He bought this little cabin to hide and it became a place of refuge for him and the animals in the woods. Fred went to town to get his mail weekly just so no one would know exactly where he lived yet Peewee found him.

He looked at Peewee and asked if she wanted some supper. "Nutthin' fancy just soup and grilled cheese." She accepted with a slight Mona Lisa smile. Fred nodded towards the car saying "You best put the top up it's gonna rain." Peewee looked him in the eye and said "That's one of the reasons I'm here. I can't get the hydraulics to work." OK pull her in the barn. We'll look at it in the morning." They got the old girl put away just as the thunder began to roll in. Fred and Peewee dashed for the cabin only to get soaked to the skin.

Fred told Peewee "There is Michigan sweat shirt and pants in the dryer. There's clean towels if you want a hot shower." Fred put a pot of Robust Colombian coffee on the back burner, a pan of New England style Clam Chowder to begin warming, Fred buttered (with garlic butter) six slices of hearty bread, sliced Provolone and American cheese.

Fred lit a fire in the fireplace next to the table and lit a candle on the table. Fred slipped into his room to change into dry clothes. Returning to the great room Fred inserted a Frank Sinatra CD into the player. It filled the Great room with soft music. When Fred heard the shower being turned off he began to grill the triple decked cheese sandwiches.

Fred and Peewee both attacked the food as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. Leaning back on the old plank chairs sipping coffee in front of the fire they both listened to the rain on the tin roof. Fred stacked the dishes in the sink poured boiling water in the chowder pot, refilled their coffee mugs, and turned the lights off over the sink.

Fred returned to the table with coffee and half of a chocolate covered cherry pie. Peewee pulled her chair next to his and they shared the pie directly from the pan. As they both groaned from being full Peewee remarked "I always thought you'd make one helluva wife."

WOOF WOOF came from the back porch. Fred smiled "Some one else is hungry." Peewee followed him as he scooped a big scoop of kibble from the bag and added a large can of sardines packed in tomato sauce to a dish. Meet Bubba the first, aka Goofball, as a huge coal black Newfoundland jumped from his bed and began emptying the bowl. Fred poured a scoop of ice and ice cold water into his water bowl. When Bubba had finished his food he sat up paws in the air and whined.... Fred laughed "Ice Cream?" Bubba wiggled all 150pounds from head to toe as Fred unwrapped a peppermint ice cream bar.

Fred turned to go in and Peewee fell into his arms. Pulling his face to hers Pewee deeply kissed him. She whispered in his ear "All these years I was a good girl waiting for you to return. I'm not waiting anymore I need you to hold me." Fred held her a moment the carried her to the couch. "Look I am not the man you knew 40 years ago. I'm not saying "NO" just not now." Fred hugged her again for a long minuet. Fred carried her to the bed and tucked her in. He grabbed the extra pillow and a blanket from the closet returning to the couch...Bubba came in and crawled up on the bed with Peewee. Peewee thought "I won his dog over tomorrow I will win him over."

Fred slept little. He was up and painting before the sun had crested the top of the trees. Fred heard the shower turn on just as he smelled coffee brewing. Peewee was making herself at home. She came to the porch hair wrapped in a scarf and his coveralls on ready to fix that car. Fred covered his canvas and said not till we have breakfast. He made oatmeal with raisins and they shared the coffee she had made.

As they dismantled the hydraulic unit they fell into the old rhythm hand tools back and forth before they were asked for. Peewee began telling her history since Fred had left for Nam. "I was engaged to a Marine but he was executed @ the Hanoi Hilton. Truthfully I was waiting for you to come home and explain to me if it was worth it.

I did build a few cars to fill the time. I used every lesson you taught me and a few I learned myself. My last car was four 283 engines each powering a wheel. We broke the Land Speed Record for a wheel driven vehicle. Mickey Thompson broke our record in 1969 then Art Arfons from Akron came in with a jet engine. I retired from GM last year."

Fred told his tale rather quickly. I was carrying four orphans through the swamps in the Mekong Delta. I boosted them up into a pontoon boat just as Charley open fire. Fred stepped away from the car remarking "we saved those kids" and snapped off both of his legs. Peewee looked at him and quietly reached down and unsnapped her left leg and said "rollover @ 125mph"

Fred insisted they replace all the hoses before reassembling the hydraulic unit. This meant a trip to town. They washed up and Fred remarked "How about a steak for supper?" Peewee just smiled and nodded. Fred dialed the phone and spoke "this is Fred Ellis, I need a set of high pressure hoses for a 1969 Chevy Camaro SS rag top. I'll be in town this afternoon. Ready after 15:00 OK" 2^nd phone call "Fred Ellis here I need 2 boneless rib-eye steaks 1 ¼ inch thick. I pick up a few other items. Ready before 14:30?" Thank You"

Fred turned to the center of the cabin and Peewee was standing naked as the day she was born. She looked at him and said "Before you say one word I need to tell you. My breasts have been removed because five years ago I fought and beat breast cancer. I also had ovarian cancer so I had a complete hysterectomy. The blessing was I only needed one series of chemo and radiation." Fred wrapped his arms around her and replied "You are a beautiful, warm, strong woman. Someday soon I will make love to you but not today. There is more you need to learn about me."

To be continued... Mizpah