GOOD TIMES... Summer (Part 70b)

My mother had called Elle and “suggested” that Elle and I make an appearance at the hospital. Nothing had changed but she insisted that it was the right thing to do. By the time we got back I was asleep on my feet. It was a very, very busy weekend.

When Jay walked in on Monday morning I couldn’t help but to notice the cuts on his hands. He’d gone out to the barrier island to start moving the debris from the place we’d visited. At coffee break time he told Jo and I that it was much more than he’d bargained for. He said he had worked all day and hadn’t made much progress. Because of so much debris from the storm the town landfill had limited access to only those who lived in the township. Jay lived in the next township to the West and even though he was working for a man who lived in the town the gatekeepers wouldn’t let him in. He had to drive another 20 miles to get to his own town landfill. He told us that he was ready to quit but if he did he probably wouldn’t get paid for what he’d already done. He didn’t ask me directly but I sure had the feeling he was looking for me to volunteer to help him.

Jay didn’t join Jo and I for lunch and when we returned to work he was on the phone. A little later he came up to me and said he had a “deal” for me. I knew I owed him more than one favor but I really wasn’t interested in the project he was working on. He told me that he finally made contact with the property owner and told him he was quitting. The guy ended up pleading with Jay to stay on. Jay’s arrangement had been for an hourly wage. I don’t remember what it was but it was more than Jay was making when we were making replacement stairs. Jay said he told the guy that he’d only do it on one condition and that was for a flat fee. The guy told Jay to come up with a number and get back to him. That’s where the “deal” for me came in. It was Jay’s idea to charge enough so that he could “hire” me as well as his cousin (the one who helped switch engines in my Chevy cars). He felt that with the three of us it could be completed by the end of June and we’d all make some real money. I told him I’d think about it and for him to come up with the “number” that he would give to the homeowner.

With Summer rapidly approaching there were a lot of things I wanted to and needed to do on weekends. Money wasn’t as much of a problem as it had been and I wasn’t as "hungry" as I’d been during the Winter. I ran the idea by Elle and she felt much the same as I did. We’d been looking forward to spending time together with the kids. When we were making the playhouses Jay and I were earning about $5 an hour which was WAY above the going rate at the time. I decided to wait and see what Jay came up with for a “wage” but I had my mind set on that same $5.

I was looking forward to hearing what price Jay came up with on Tuesday. When he arrived he told me he was going to ask for $1000. He figured that if we all worked for ten hours on both Saturday and Sunday for the next three weekends the three of us could each make $300. The extra $100 would cover gas and wear and tear on the truck. I did a quick calculation and it came up with that "magic" $5 per hour. I told him I liked it but now he had to call the guy. He said he was hard to get in touch with but he'd keep trying during the day.

Tuesday was also important in that it was the day that Jo, Jay and I were going in to the city to see the presentation of some new equipment. Jay’s expenses were being covered but Jo and I were on our own. We waited until 4pm hoping to hear from the guy about the job. When he hadn't called back by then, we had to leave to make sure we found the location and and a place to park. We made good time as the rush hour was headed out of the city and not into it. The program was to start at 7:30pm and we had the truck parked a little after 6pm. I still had some memories of just how crowded the city could be even after the workers were let off but both Jo and Jay were shocked. But it wasn’t just the number of people we saw. It was what so many women were wearing. Watching TV I’d seen some of the new styles but they hadn’t really reached or caught on in our somewhat rural area. We saw many skirts at mid thigh which certainly caught our attention. But it was the one’s that were even higher than that had us gawking. I remember one in particular.

We decided to have a couple of hot dogs bought from a street vendor. We were on 6th avenue and at about mid block. I felt Jay poke me and point to this young woman who was straddling the curb with one foot in the street and the other on the sidewalk. She was trying to hail a taxi cab. Much to all of our surprise, (and at least to Jay’s and my pleasure) when she’d rise her hand up and wave it, her skirt was so short that we could see a bit of her panties. I remember Jo holding her hand up to her mouth with her eyes bugged out in pure disbelief. With both Jay and my eyes permanently fixed on the woman's butt, Jo ended up smacking Jay on the arm. It was our first live experience with a mini skirt. Here we were in mid block on a crowded city street and Jo started in on both of us about being voyeurs and telling us to behave. I kept my eyes on Jay and he had this big grin on his face. Jo smacked him a couple of more times but she was sort of laughing as well. I liked her... a lot.

To be continued...