Chapter 20 #2
“Yeah. He used to let me ride the conveyer belt for the packages sometimes. He worked the night shift. When I was a little kid.”
Oh. I am holding my breath. Hunter rarely mentions memories of him. To me at least.
Landon chuckles. “That sounds cool. I would have loved that.”
A laugh rises from my boy and it makes me happier than I knew I would be.
“They were like two best friends,” I add. “The day Hunter was born was the best day of his life. That’s what he would say.”
“You and I were lucky that way. We landed in good families.”
“You’re luckier than me. You still have your dad.”
I’m staying out of the conversation now. It is more interesting to listen.
“Life can be so fucking harsh. I’m really sorry, man.”
It was just two sentences, but it was one man expressing empathy to another. No sugarcoating. But without a doubt genuine.
“Thanks.”
It ends there. Another ribbon tied.
“This is the street.”
We make a turn onto a single loaded tree lined avenue with brick houses. A hill faces the homes, and above it is another row in the same style. Blossoms on the hill’s bushes make their last appearance of the season. It’s pretty here.
“She said it’s the last house before the cul de sac.”
Slowing, we approach the one story small home, with the old oak in front. The car is not parked in front.
“Now I’m nervous,” Landon says, shutting off the engine.
“I have a good feeling. Take a breath.”
We exit the truck and I see Landon straighten his shirt. He dressed for the occasion. When I questioned his choice he said he wanted to show the woman respect. She was a southern woman and would appreciate a man who knew the occasion called for it.
As we are walking toward the front door, it opens. I assume it’s the daughter who wheels her mother to the edge of the entry. The younger woman smiles. The older one does not.
“Hello!” The daughter waves. “I’m Maddie!”
Landon walks ahead and takes the outstretched hand. “Hi.” But then he addresses the woman in the chair.
“Hello, Mabel. It’s nice to meet the woman who understands a car’s worth.”
“Hello.”
“It’s about more than the money, isn’t it?”
I’m not sure he is landing his dismount. He may have jumped too quickly. She lifts her chin and meets my eyes.
“Who’s this?”
“This is Kim, and Hunter.”
“Hello, Mabel. Can I call you that?”
“It’s my name, so I suppose you should.”
Ha!
“And what about this one?”
“I’m Hunter. Nice to meet you, Ma’am.”
Ma’am? I have not heard him use that word in years.
She looks him up and down and behind her eyes something sparks. But it goes unsaid.
“Come on in,” Maddie says, pulling the wheelchair back and around.
We walk into a pleasant room, and I can tell Landon is more nervous than I have ever seen. He chews on the inside of his cheek. Another woman walks in from the kitchen adjacent to where we stand. She carries a tray of lemonade and glasses. She places it on the coffee table and pours.
“Hi. I’m Darla, Mabel’s daughter. Here, take one.”
We exchange hellos and each grab a glass none of us are interested in.
With a gesture of her hand, Mabel tells us to sit. She gets to it.
“So what kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a contractor. I’ve swung a hammer for fifteen years now.”
“Uh huh. What about family? I mean beside your wife and boy. You mentioned your father.”
Without a pause, he tells her the truth.
“Unfortunately, I can’t claim them as my own. Kim is my girlfriend and this is her son.”
But it doesn’t faze the woman. She looks him straight in the eyes.
“I’m an old woman.”
Landon doesn’t contradict her. She is too savvy for that kind of bullshit. I met her five minutes ago and I can see that. It’s not his style anyway.
“I’m a desperate man,” he answers.
There. Cards on the table. When she doesn’t respond he continues.
“I know it’s probably the worst thing a buyer could do.
Telling the seller he’s desperate to buy.
But there it is. The car means so much to my family.
To my father and sister and to me. Our memories are trapped inside the trunk. Can I show you a photograph?”
She nods and keeps her expression frozen. Reaching inside my tote, I take out the picture and hand it to him. He passes it to Mabel. She silently gazes at the scene and I see her jaw tighten.
“Is this your mother and father?”
“Yes. That’s from the seventies. Before they had to sell. They never would have, but money was tight and there wasn’t another way. My dad always said he was so glad when he found your husband. He knew she was going to be in good hands.”
“So it was a woman to him too, then?”
“Of course. He said the design reminded him of a woman’s beautiful curves. It was never an inanimate object to him.”
“Why didn’t he come?”
“He doesn’t know about my search. I didn’t want to get his hopes up in case I couldn’t find it, or you were not ready to part with it. He lives alone. I know if he had the car he and my mother loved, it would make his life brighter. I see him looking at the photograph of her in the car a lot.”
Mabel’s eyebrows knit.
“Would he drive it or garage it?”
“Oh he’d drive it alright. I won’t hide that. It will be driven and shown off. But at the same time, he’s a car man so it will be taken care of as it should.”
“What about your mother? Does she know?”
“She’s deceased. But if she knew what I was trying to do for him, she’d be all for it. They had a pretty special love. When they were selling the car, my father told me she cried. Not for her loss, but for his. That’s who they were.”
Mabel turns to Hunter. “My Eddie had blue eyes like yours.”