It was a sunny day, warm with robins singing outside our window. I parted the curtains and looked outside to see a lovely blue sky and a woman running on the sidewalk past the B & B. and then I thought of the car, the brakes. How much were the repairs going to cost? How would we pay the bill?
Lois entered and we said 'good morning.'
"If you hurry up and get dressed we can go downstairs and have coffee,"
I obeyed Lois and in a few minutes we were slowly descending the two flights of stairs. I noticed the sketch of Jesus with His crown of thorns and the agony in his eyes. I think Michelangelo did this.
The morning light came through a stained glass sun-catcher, brightening the second staircase. The stair walls displayed many photographs of the Mayer family and there was a singular photo of a woman in long skirts, hair done up and she w
standing sideways to the camera. The aroma of French toast beckoned us.
We took coffee right away in the dining room which was dominated by a long table, covered by linen with a plate of thick glass over it. Three candelabra graced the elegant place settings. We sat down and shortly Darryl served us warm grapefruit with the sections all severed so all one had to do was spoon out each bite. I remembered to put the linen napkin on my lap.
Darryl told us about the renovation process that had taken seven years to complete. Plumbing, electrical wiring and drywall were new where required. Three new furnaces were installed, plus central air-conditioning and energy-efficient windows. The dark buffet at one end of the table had a mirror and drawers and magnificent woodwork. Darryl said they tore out a wall that had covered this buffet. It is a deep fixture, as Darryl demonstrated how deep the drawers were, about three feet, I think.
He waited until we were both done with our grapefruit and then brought us our French toast and pork sausages. We have never experienced such an elegant presentation of food. There was a glass rod to the right of each plate for us to lean our forks and knives so we wouldn't sully the meticulously kept tabletop. By the way, the coffee was bold but not overpowering and begged a second cup, which Darryl so thoughtfully poured. He had all the technique and manners of a butler.
After we finished, we lingered over coffee and Darryl joined, standing as he talked.
"Could you please give us the number of Lifetime Auto?" I asked, concerned about getting the car into the shop as soon as possible.
Darryl brought out a phone book and looked it up and gave me a slip of paper and a pen to write it down.
"My nephew's name is Bob and he's a skilled mechanic and honest. The name of the place is Lifetime Auto."
That recommendation satisfied me as I perceived Darryl as an honest Christian man.
I told Lois , "I'll give you a ride to Ken and Michele's and come back."
Darryl said he would then drive out to the shop and I could follow.
Bob was the friendliest, most animated mechanic I have ever met.
"Hi, how are you?" Bob said, smiling a warm genuine smile, extending a soiled hand. I took it and introduced myself.
"Whattya got wrong with your Nissan?" His animation came out strongly, like a doctor asking a patient what's wrong.
"Brakes. they grind when I hit the brakes."
Then his affect changed to one of concern. "That's serious. You're from Michigan?"
"Way up north on the Wisconsin border, next to Hurley. A lot of West Bend people don't know where Ironwood is, but they know where Hurley is."
"I assume you'll want your car fixed sometime today? Were you planning on leaving for Ironwood tomorrow?"
"If at all possible. Looks like you have a lot of cars to fix."
"Yeah, and I'm working alone." He didn't say why he was the lone mechanic but this bit of information put perspective into the situation.
"Hey, where's the little clicker that attaches to this key?" Bob asked.
I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him.
"Why do you carry it around all the time?"
"To lock and unlock the car. Then I take the key out and start the car."
"Did you know that you don't have to use the clicker to unlock your door?"
I must have had an inquisitive look because he became ever more animated.
"I'm walking to my car after a hard day and I don't have to dig the key out of my pocket, or your wife doesn't have to dig it out of her purse, assuming you're married, of course."
I nodded to affirm my marriage.
"I just stand near the car and push that tiny black button on the door handle and..." He dramatically paused and raised his hand in a flourish as the car opened up.
"And, that's not all, George." He got into the car. "I'm sitting here with my key and clicker in my pocket and all I have to do is..." he turned the ignition without the key and the car started. Then he turned the engine off without the key and got out, closed the door, hit the black button and the car locked.
"Aren't these smart keys cool?"
"Thanks for showing me." I tried to hide my embarrassment.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll try real hard to get 'er done today. I'll call you before noon with an estimate."
Darryl drove me back to the B& B as I told him I wanted to take a run before I visited the Knops.
"There is a terrific running /walking trail just beyond the bridge on Washington. It's concrete, twenty-six miles long and well-maintained."
"Thanks, I think I'll try that."
The cool morning had passed by and now it was uncomfortably warm, yet I was determined to go for a run. Running straightens me out when my mind is bent out of shape. I was dwelling on the car and I got my running shoes on. They were the old running shoes; the new ones were back in Ironwood. I sighed, "Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change."
I ran down to the trail and decided to estimate my run based on an easy rate of a mile in 12 minutes. I looked at my watch, which was twenty minutes slow, since the battery was failing. The exertion felt comfortable and comforting.
It is to West Bend's credit, this wide and well-maintained trail. No hazards, just a smooth, attractive trail. I had just broken a sweat when my phone rang. It was Lois.
"Where are you?"
"I was running on the splendid trail that runs by the bridge on Washington."
"Why don't you come and help Ken with the branch on the birch tree?"
"Okay. I'll be there in a little while." I knew about the job.
Sixteen minutes had elapsed so when I arrived at the bridge, making the run was about three miles. Now I ran up Washington to the street that curls around Regner Park up to Greentree Street.
Ken was sawing up a hefty branch that had been a hazard. I went through the gate and waved to Michelle. Ken sawed for a while and shut off the saw. We shook hands.
"How can I help you, Ken?"
"You can pick up the sawed pieces and pile them on the side of the house. There's a woodpile started already."
I started hauling and piling and soon had caught up to Ken and He shut off the saw again. Time for a break in this hot morning. We stood and surveyed the birch tree.
"Where did you take your car?"
"Lifetime Auto. The mechanic is supposed to call me before noon with an estimate."
"Tough when your car breaks down on a trip."
"Yeah, whatcha gonna do? It is what it is."
"Want to saw for a while?"
"Sure," I said. That was like asking Pavoratti if he wanted to sing.
This was great- a run and now I was sawing firewood. Something about a chainsaw clicks with me. I worked for the U.S. Forest service many years ago as a cutter. I also sawed up logs delivered to our house, ten logger's cords each year. Running a good saw is like driving a fast car, sharpens your senses because one little mistake can wreck a lifetime. I liked the power of Ken's new Riobi saw and was disappointed when I ran out of wood to cut.
We finished the job and Ken raked up the mess and then we sat down in the gazebo with refreshments. It was a good time, catching up on each others' lives and having a laugh or two. Ken and Michele Knop make you feel at home. They are good people.
My phone rang again and it was Lifetime. I went away from the gathering to hear what was wrong with our car. My stomach tingled and Bob revealed a litany of automotive woes.
"I'm not gonna pull any punches, George. It's not a cheap date. Your rear brakes were metal-on-metal and the rotors are completely destroyed."
I anticipated that, but I wasn't ready for the rest of the story.
"Your left front wheel was wobbly and I found out that there was nothing left of the wheel bearings. You are real lucky to be alive."
"How about the front brakes," I asked, suspecting them also to be worn out as well.
"Your front brakes have 10% left on the pads. If I do the rear brakes, the front brakes and the new hub assembly the bottom line is just over a thousand bucks."
I felt sick in the pit of my stomach, somewhere between miserable and nausea.
"Can I make it home to Ironwood without doing the front brakes?"
"I can't give a guarantee. that is up to you, George. Do you want us to just do the rear brakes and the front hub? That would come to
$718.00, including labor and sales tax."
"Let's do that, okay."
"It's your call, George. but I'd get those front brakes done in the very near future. I'll try to get it finished since you said you were going home tomorrow."
"Appreciate it," I croaked. I was flattened by the news. I couldn't think or speak or move. In a few minutes I shared the bad news at the gazebo.
Somehow I was cheerful over lunch. I was even conversational. I don't know why. My personal prohibition against spoiling this gathering would not have kept me stable. Something else was working then and I can realize it as I write. It was God stuff.
 |
| Nephew Michael Knop, his wife Hadley , daughter, Corva and beloved dog, Tula. |
After lunch when Ken was napping and our nephew Mike and his wife, Hadley, on furlough from their work in Germany arrived. They brought their two-year-old daughter, Corva. We hugged and made such a racket that we woke up Ken. Mike's sister, Kenlyn also joined us.
I remained on the periphery of things as I usually do and when the tenor of the gathering relaxed I recalled that I didn't have my Kindle. I wanted to go outside and read a few chapters of The Wind is not a River. I told Lois that I would run back and get it.
"Take it easy. It's hot out there," Michele cautioned.
I ran around the curve alongside Regner Park again and this time I ended up on Main Street instead of Washington. No problem. I knew how to get back to the B & B. I remember seeing the Toucan custard place just before I sailed through the air, hands before me like Superman, my glasses flying off me head and my left knee bouncing off the concrete. Then I slid on hands and knees. All this seemed to happen in slow-motion.
I got to my feet quickly and retrieved my glasses. Heavy traffic whisked by and I hoped no one had noticed. Both knees were bleeding and I wiped away the blood with some tissue from my pocket. I resumed running as though nothing had happened.
In our room at the B & B, I viewed the damage in a full-length mirror. A piece of skin had been scraped from my right knee, about the size of a quarter. The left knee was also bleeding but swollen twice the size of the other.
A bottle of cold water from the dining room refrigerator would suffice as a cold compress. I judged the swollen knee wasn't broken, else I wouldn't be up here in our third-floor room. I thanked God for that and sat on the bed holding the cold water bottle against the swelling.
======== To be continued. Part 3 is coming!==========
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