A CLEARING HORIZON... with just a little fog (Part 67e)

Elle had proceeded to give Judy a ”tour“ of the front end of the trailer and had been headed to the back with her. The ”bulge“ was still there but no longer a major problem as I slid past them and into the living room. It appeared that Judy was still somewhat uncomfortable but decidedly more relaxed by the time they returned. They’d decided that it would be a good idea to open up the sofa bed so that when Lance arrived he could just slip into bed when he arrived. We had to rearrange the furniture so that Elle would still have a clear path to get to the bathroom on her nightly visits. As we were doing it I asked Elle if she’d told Judy about her ”problem“ and she made a face that told me to ”shut up“.

Once that was done Judy asked if Elle had a nightgown or pajamas she could borrow. Elle had worn one or the other right up until we got married. I convinced her that she was only making work for herself because if she had an ”accident“ while asleep it was only more wash for her to do. She’d changed to wearing one of my T shirts along with her "package". When told that Elle didn’t, Judy said she’d just wear the clothes she had on. I was disappointed to hear that. I was already fantasizing seeing her in panties, even if they were Elle’s.

After we’d decided to go to bed it took some prodding on my part but Elle finally went out to tell Judy about the alarm clocks and the reason for them. I didn’t think Elle would be gone all that long but she was. I actually fell asleep waiting for her to return. Even though I was somewhat groggy I asked Elle what they had talked about but she just gave me a ”Sshhhh“ and turned away from me. I’d grown used to the alarms in the middle of the night but other noises like sounds from the kids or any other noises always woke me up. I heard the outside door and immediately sat up in bed. It took a few seconds before I realized it was Lance. I lay there in bed listening to Judy and Lance whispering to each other and I definitely heard Judy say, emphatically, ”No!“ and couldn’t help but smile.

Normally Elle would hear her alarm and just climb out of bed and head for the bathroom. With ”company“, she had dug out her bathrobe and when she got up I saw her struggle to put it on. I decided to take a peek at our visitors while she was gone so got up and looked in on them. Judy was closest to me and I could see that she was snuggled up to Lance’s back. What I noticed was that she was no longer wearing the blouse and was bare shouldered. I saw enough to have the start of a bulge so jumped back into bed before Elle returned. I lay awake for quite a while wondering just what clothes she was still wearing. (7)

In the forefront of my mind was the delivery of the trailer even more so than getting a voyeuristic peek at Judy. Even though the kids were still asleep I got up as soon as I woke up. Depending on their route, oversized trailers were often required to go through the city at night and I was hoping and praying that this was the case with mine. I slipped on my clothes without getting washed up wanting to get out to the display lot to see if, indeed, it had arrived. As I tiptoed out into the living room I saw Judy, naked from the waist up, lying on her back with Lance’s arm draped over her midsection. It was amazing how fast my focus changed! There was noting special about her breasts but the sight of a nubile young thing lying there like that was certainly attention getting. There was very little light but enough to see her nipples. I didn’t dwell there long not wanting to be caught, especially by Lance.

My prayers had been answered. The trailer was there, covered with a film of road salt. The blue color was almost completely gone making the trailer look like it was all white. The ”boys“ and the park maintenance man didn’t arrive until 8am but I stayed and waited for them. I wanted to know just when they would place the unit on the pad. Ben was the first one there and he, being the dour one, wasn’t too forthcoming. When Dick showed up he explained that they would have to wash down the unit a couple of times to rid it of salt, otherwise I’d have problems in the future. Somewhat elated but also disappointed I headed back to the trailer.

Everybody was up and as far as Judy was concerned, dressed. I knew work would be a ”bear“ not only because I’d taken the previous afternoon off but also because Monday was Christmas and the office would be closed. Since it was the full County payroll all the changes had to be on Thursday so that we could get a head start. The keypunchers were almost done by lunchtime and under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have taken a lunch break but I had to go see what was going on with the trailer. When I got there they had just started trying to get it into the pad. The one thing I noticed was that it sparkled without the salt covering it. I could see that it was slow going and wished I could’ve stayed to help get it blocked up but I had to get back.

Elle called at about 3;30 to say it was finally in place and they were blocking the main part of it as she spoke. I envisioned that they would have it all done and ready for us by the time I got home. However, I’d committed to completing phase one of the payroll process before I left. Talk about time dragging! It was almost 6pm when I left and I drove right to the trailer. I fully expected to see the lights on but the unit was dark. On top of that there wasn’t a soul around it. At home Elle told me they had run into two problems with the first being that when they went to hook up the water they found it would only run at a trickle. They had to dig up the line and found a kink in it. By the time they got it fixed it was too late to crank out the pop out, block it up and to connect it. They had to do that before turning on the electricity and the electricity had to be on before they could turn on the heat. I stood there listening to her while trying to figure out if we could still be in it for Christmas.

To be continued...

A CLEARING HORIZON... with just a little fog (Part 67d)

I stepped back and introduced Elle to Judy and if Judy responded I don’t remember. What I do remember was that Jean, my oldest all of a sudden let go of Elle’s leg and took a few steps forward. Then, much to the shock of both Elle and I, looked up at Judy and said something close to “Why are you in our house?" I remember thinking ”Where did that come from?“ Elle started to apologize for her but Judy stepped forward and bent down towards my daughter and very calmly said that she was going to visit for a while. My daughter said something back and I sensed that some of the ”edge“ of the situation was off. I chose that moment to go move the cars and to get Judy’s suitcase. While out I also went to look at the pad where the new trailer would be going. I remember praying that the unit would arrive during the night.

I was gone for maybe five minutes but when I returned there was no Judy in sight. I asked Elle where she was and she pointed towards the bathroom. When she did it came to me that neither Judy or I had visited a toilet since I’d first laid eyes on her. I don’t know why it hadn’t come up but for some reason I felt badly for not asking if she needed to visit a ladies room. Elle volunteered that the kids had, surprisingly, quickly taken to Judy. Elle had dished out supper for me and it was on the table. I asked about food for Judy and Elle said she’d be out a few minutes. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and was famished. When Judy finally walked out of the bathroom I almost didn’t recognize her. She'd combed her hair and the color had come back into her face. I thought the blouse she was wearing looked familiar but didn’t say anything before I remembered the missing suitcase. In fact, I’d just brought the one case she did have into the house and had put it under the baby’s crib so knew she hadn't gotten anything from it. As Judy sat down I remember Elle asking her if she ”felt better“ and getting a positive response.

Other than the blouse the thing I noticed was that she didn’t appear to be noticeably pregnant. The blouse was tucked into the pants she was wearing and there didn’t seem to be a real tummy bulge. My first thought was that maybe she wasn’t pregnant after all and had tricked Lance into marrying her. That had happened to one of my fraternity brothers in college. We were both quiet while she picked away at her food while Elle put the girls to bed. It was now after 9pm and they were usually asleep by 8pm. When Elle returned she said the girls wanted to say good night to me. By the time I got to their room the older one was asleep but no so for the baby. Getting up from the table made me realize that I needed to go to the bathroom. I walked in from the kids room and as I did I smelled stale urine. Lying on top of the ever present drying rack in the tub was the oversized blue coat that Judy had been wearing. Next to it was a gray piece of material that I quickly realized was a skirt. Reaching down to feel it I could feel that it was wool. Elle didn’t have a skirt like it so it had to be Judy’s. As I reached the end of the tub and the toilet I saw what appeared to be a light blue blouse draped over the corner of the rack. I turned on the lights over the sink and could see what appeared to be a difference in the color of the blouse in the lower region. I was going to pick it up to get a better look when I saw something white lying on the bottom of the tub. All of a sudden it hit me. The reason Judy was wearing Elle’s blouse was that she’d wet herself. I reached down and picked up a ball of damp material. I shook it out and saw another ball fall into the tub as I opened up a cotton slip. Looking at it hanging from my fingers it was obvious that the one side was definitely wet while the other was basically spotted from having been in contact with the other side. I quickly reached for the object still in the tub and, not surprisingly, found it was her panties. Needless to say I had a very hard bulge pushing to get out of my pants. I opened the balled up panties and even though the light was not all that good I could see a definite discoloration in the crotch as well as the fact that they were totally damp. My first thought was to see who made them. They were cotton band leg panties, not unlike what Elle wore but the material was different. It was a much softer cotton more like the T shirts I wore. I slid my fingers inside the panties but noticed the label was on the waistband. ”Lollipop“ with the Number 14 printed below was what it read. I’d seen them before way back when my friend Fred and his girlfriend and her sister used to spend time in our area when we were still in school. But there was something else that I noticed. We all know that the crotch area is made from two layers of material. But I discovered that the whole back panel was two layered. It was something I’d never seen before.

I don’t know how long my investigation took but I realized that I better get back to Elle and Judy. With a hard on like I had I also knew I couldn’t go out there like that. The baby was still standing up in the crib so I put her down and started rubbing her back. The timing was perfect as Elle walked in right after I started. I dodged a bullet there! Once in the living room all I could think of was that I’d driven all that way with Judy while she sat in wet clothes. I wanted to know when and where it had happened and hoped that she and Elle had discussed it. With those thoughts on my mind it was impossible for the bulge to dissipate.

To be continued...

A CLEARING HORIZON... with just a little fog (Part 67c)

Being dark there really wasn’t much to see except the head and tail lights of the cars around us. It was rush hour for sure as we just crept along. For me the silence made the situation even more uncomfortable but I just didn’t know what to say to start a conversation. We’d been driving for a while when all of a sudden the cars ahead stopped suddenly. I jammed on the brakes and, without seat belts, Judy slid forward just barely getting her hands on the dash before she hit it. When I looked over at her I couldn’t see her face at all but asked if she was OK. It took a few seconds for her to answer and she said that she wasn’t but also offered that there was nothing I could do to help. The answer made me curious and as I’d just heard her speak more words in just those few seconds that I’d heard since I set eyes on her I decided to pursue it.

Slowly she warmed up and began to tell me about her day. She’d flown out of DesMoines Iowa which was about 70 miles from where she (and Lance) lived and had grown up. She’d gotten up at 5am to catch a plane to Chicago. She told me that not only was this the first time she’d ever flown, it was only the third time she’d ever even been to DesMoines. In Chicago she had to change planes. She told me she was scared to start with but the airport in Chicago frightened her even more because it was so large and there were so many people. And, because of that, she got lost in trying to find where the next plane she was to be on. She finally got someone to help her and she barely got on the plane before it left. Then they sat on the runway for a long time. When they finally got airborne the plane started “bouncing” (her word). Then, all of a sudden, the plane “felt like it was falling out of the sky”. She said everybody started screaming. When the plane stopped falling it did it so suddenly that she said she felt like she was being “pushed through the seat“. The the plane continued bouncing until it landed.

I let her go on without interrupting and tried to see her face as she talked. The whole time she just looked straight ahead. I think I made a comment along the lines of ”It sure didn’t sound like fun“ and when I did she turned to me and she blurted out that it wasn’t and she even ”threw up“. After some silence I asked about what it was like living where she did. She said that other than school all she did was work on the family farm or at her uncle’s business. I asked her what she did there and she said that after graduation she was a bookeeper there. And then she added something like ”Thank God for my uncle“. I asked her what she meant and, in all seriousness, said she hated working on the farm and her uncle hired her to help get her away from doing that.

Thankfully we were almost back home by then. But, I’d managed not to bring up the fact that she (and Lance) were going to have to live with Elle, I and the kids for at least one night. With all that she’d been through I didn’t have the heart (or nerve) to tell her about the situation. When we reached the trailer park I made a pass through the display lot hoping to see my new unit but there was nothing there. Now I HAD to tell her.

It was obvious to me that she was very emotional and I really didn’t know what to expect from her when I did. I remember wishing that Lance was there. As I summoned up the courage it dawned on me that she’d not mentioned the trailer even once the whole time we’d been together. I really don’t remember what I said to start with but I remember being pretty blunt. I know she turned towards me and I’m not sure if she uttered something like ”Oh no!“ but it was some sort of plaintive uttering. I sped through the whole story of our new trailer and how it was ”stuck” somewhere and how I’d hoped that it had arrived while I was picking her up. I don’t think she heard a word of it. I did hear her say that she “just couldn’t do it” and had her hands in front of her face. I told her that it would all be just fine and that Elle was waiting for us. She wanted to know if Lance knew about the situation and I had to tell her that he did. She then uttered something that I didn’t understand and put her head down on her chest and started shaking her head from side to side. I didn’t know what to say so started driving to the trailer.

Once there I saw that I'd have to move the cars so Lance would have a place to park when he arrived. I got out and the dome light came on. I looked back in at her and she was crying again. I went around and opened her door but she said she couldn't go in and was quite adamant about it. Through her sobs she asked if I knew what time Lance was getting off duty. I told her I thought it was midnight. She looked up and I heard her curse. I knew I couldn’t leave her in the car so I told her, quite forcefully, she had to come in. After a few seconds she slowly got out. I led the way to the door and went up the stairs and as I walked in Elle gave me one of those “where have you been?” looks that was somewhere between being mad and worried. I didn’t answer but turned to see where Judy was and saw her standing at the bottom of the steps. I stepped back out and gave her my hand which she, reluctantly, took. Once inside, as soon as the kids saw a stranger they went right for Elle. The older one grabbed Elle around one of her legs and the baby screamed to be picked up.

To be continued...

A CLEARING HORIZON... with just a little fog (Part 67b)

I didn’t have to call Lance because he called me. When he set up the flight for his wife he forgot that the airbase was going on holiday schedule as of that day. Because of it he subsequently found that he was on duty at the same time he was supposed to pick her up at the airport. Because half the base was on leave there wasn’t anybody for Lance to switch with. Naturally, he wanted me to go get her. If the trailer was still being delivered on time there was no way I would’ve gone... but, old softie me, I said I would. I did remind him of the missing money and he promised I’d get it... sometime. He said that he had to spend more money on the ‘49 Ford to get it on the road than expected. But, the big problem that neither of us realized at the time was that he and his wife would need a place to stay that night.

It was Elle who did. We’d arranged for our friends Mac, Jim, Tom and Andy to help us move. Basically, it was just our foodstuffs and clothes since the new trailer would come fully furnished. Things were hectic enough what with Christmas only a few days away and when she called to tell me I didn’t know what to say or do. Her first thought was the motel just down the road but I knew from Lance when he’d called me that he barely had enough cash to buy basic food to live on.

I don’t remember which one of us spoke first but the idea was that we could “squeeze them in” for the night. All we could do was to hope that the new trailer would arrive sometime that same day and that the "boys" could get it set up on Friday. That would still give us time to get everything organized and ready for Christmas and to let Lance take over the old trailer. That was our prayer as we tried to go to sleep.

The storm that the trailer had been caught up in was in the process of passing through as I got up. As I looked out at the weather I wondered how I'd got myself into this airport shuttle mess. The plane was due in around 3pm which gave me time to get the payroll finished and the checks to the Treasurer's office in plenty of time. It was still snowing when I left for the airport but the roads were clear. This time I was on time. But the plane wasn’t. Her plane was over an hour late due to the snow storm. Lance had made a sign with her name on it so she could find me. I felt sort of stupid holding up a sign with “JUDY” printed on it in front of all those people. At first I thought I was in the wrong place because all these people filed past me and there wasn’t anyone that even came close to the girl who’s picture Lance had shown me. I was concerned that she’d missed the plane and I had no idea what to do if she had. I started looking for someone with a uniform on to ask and then I saw this waif like girl shuffling somewhat towards me. The first thing I noticed was that the overcoat she was wearing was way to big for her. It went almost all the way to her shoes. Looking at her face it was basically colorless except for redness around her eyes. When she saw the sign she did perk up a bit as we walked towards each other.

It was obvious that she was scared and upset but I was certainly not the guy to offer her comfort. I was uncomfortable enough without adding her state of mind to the equation. I think the first thing I asked was how many bags she had brought with her. She said it was two and I turned towards the baggage claim area. Now you have to remember that this was 1961 and airport terminals were still pretty basic. There were no baggage carousels. The bags were unloaded from the carts onto a raised platform and you had to roam from one end to the other trying to find your bag(s). By the time we got there most of the bags had been picked up. She picked out one and as I went over to grab it I had the feeling that I’d seen one like it before. As I set it down beside her I remembered that my grandfather had one very similar. I also remember him telling me that he’d bought it to go to my father’s college graduation, thirty plus years earlier.

We made a few more passes up and down the platform and she told me that none of the bags belonged to her. Then she started crying. Not knowing what to say or do I started looking around. I saw a group of suitcases at one end of the room and headed that way. About the time we got to the bags a round little man appeared with a clipboard. This was the lost baggage area and he took down the description of the missing bag and my address and phone number. Then he told us that when the bag showed up that they would deliver it. (Remember, this is 1961 when the airlines really did provide “service”.)

By that time it was dark outside. I’d told Elle that I’d be back around 6pm and to have supper ready. There were lines in front of each pay phone that I saw and I wasn’t sure that I had the right change anyway so headed right for the station wagon. When Judy went to get in I saw her lean in and feel the seat. I wondered what she was doing but she then got in and I forgot about it. When I got in I looked over at her and with her looking straight ahead I got a good profile look. She did appear to be somewhat cute as I noticed the tip of her nose had a slight rise to it.

To be continued...

A CLEARING HORIZON... with just a little fog (Part 67a)

Even though Jay and I got along very well, he was not very forthcoming about his personal life. Other than his interest in computers and cars I knew very little about him. I did know he was married and had a daughter who was around three years old and that they lived with his father. That was it. Whenever I asked him to help me he was always willing but he never reciprocated. That is until that Saturday morning. The phone rang right at 7am. Elle and I had become somewhat used to the phone ringing at that time of the morning with calls for Elle to come in to substitute teach at the local school. But it was Saturday and it was a call for me... Jay. He asked if I’d like to make some money over the weekend. Before I could ask “doing what?” he said I could possibly make $25 cash. It was perfect timing with Christmas only two weeks away. He told where we'd meet and said he’d pick me up. I was out the door without even eating.

Jay’s father had been a carpenter/builder until arthritis made it impossible to continue working. I found out that, on weekends, Jay did carpentry work to help pay the bills. He had two projects that needed to be done by Christmas and there was no way he could do them by himself. We had to go out to a barrier island and that’s when I found out why Jay’s pick up truck was a four wheel drive... we got to the site by driving on the ocean beach. A coastal storm had washed away the stairs up to the front door of this ocean front home and the owners were planning on spending Christmas in the house. Up to that day I’d done very little in the way of carpentry. As I said about Jay exposing me to the world of computers, he was a very good teacher.

It was a two day job and, as promised, I got $25. As we left on Sunday Jay drove down the beach a little further to the West. He pointed to another beach front home with a porch that had partially collapsed. We stopped and after he gave it a good look asked if I wanted to work on it after the first on the year. $25 a weekend was far better than a maybe $10 on a Saturday at the park so I said yes. It was still daylight and as we’d talked a little about Jay’s racing experiences he asked if I’d like to see the one car he still owned. Never one to turn down an opportunity to see a race car, I said yes.

It was located at the back of his father’s property. If Jay hadn’t slowed down to make the turn off the road I don’t think I would’ve even know there was a house there. It seemed like nothing but trees. No grass anywhere. As we wove our way to the back I saw the house and a garage and three vehicles. I knew Jay was working on a ‘38 Ford pickup truck but there was also a Chevy ElCamino and a pre World War II GMC panel truck. But I didn’t see a race car. As we got out of the truck this little girl came running out of the garage which appeared to be converted to living quarters. She was headed for Jay until she saw me and then she turned and headed back. Jay waved me to follow him further into the trees. Finally I saw the racecar. It was a wreck. There were no wheels on it and the windows had been cut out much larger than on any other racecar I’d ever seen. By then it was getting dark and there really wasn’t much to see. Jay told me some of the people who’d driven it and I did recognize some names. In that sense I was impressed but disappointed with the car. I fully expected him to take me inside to introduce me to his wife but he walked straight back to his truck and got in leaving me no choice but to do the same. He then drove me back to where we’d met up and said he’d see me at work.

When I got back to the trailer I was somewhat surprised to see the ‘55 Chevy parked out in front. When I went inside Elle told me that Lance had been there and had left an envelope... and the keys to the Chevy. She still wasn’t too keen on the car being a part of the trailer deal but, thankfully, didn’t say anything. When I opened the envelope there was the check for the $2,000 and $420. It should’ve been $600. I was a little upset but didn’t say anything, especially to Elle. At least I had the ‘55.

Even though the next week was a Police Department payroll and a lot less stressful I was still under a lot of pressure. Dick had arranged for the bank loan for Elle and I to cover the difference between the cash we had and the cost of the new trailer. We had to go sign all the papers and I remember Elle being very nervous. So much so that even with wearing a “package” she managed to leak into her slacks. I spent every night, after work, preparing the pad for the arrival of the trailer. Because it was the last one created it had been too cold for grass to start growing. I got some stakes and rope to try and keep anyone from walking out into the mud in the yard. I also set up a new kerosene tank and rack and made arrangements for a new electric meter so that all I had to do was connect it and we’d be good to go. The manufacturer had let Dick know that the unit went on the road from Indiana on the 18th which meant it would arrive on the 20th and could be set in place on the 21st. Lance had told me that his wife was arriving on the same date so it appeared everything was going well... that is until the early morning of the 20th. Dick got a call that the trailer was stuck on the Pennsylvania turnpike caught up in a snow storm.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66g)

Elle was waiting for me at the door wanting to know what was going on. She’d seen (or heard) the ‘55 Chevy and wanted to know just what was going on. I waved the check at her and told her it was a new trailer. She looked at me like I was crazy and that’s when I sat her down and told her about Lance wanting to buy our unit. (I carefully neglected to mention the car.) It really was too much for her to fathom in such a short time. Even though I’d previously taken her up to the display lot to show her the new style trailers I’d never really indicated that I was serious about buying one or that we even could afford it. The kids had already eaten so I suggested that we go up there again to take a good look. Since it was a Friday night I knew that one of the “boys” would be there until at least 7pm. We dressed the kids and headed on up.

There were two of the “pop out” units on display. We went into the first one which was similar to the one I’d shown her before. The first time she’d just looked without visualizing actually living in it. This time was different. We were inside for about 10 minutes or so before Dick showed up. I gave him the “thumbs up” signal and he picked up on it right away. He pointed out some features that even I didn’t know about and then mentioned that there were options that were available if we wanted to order one from the factory. Of course we had to at least listen to them.

I don’t think I’d even given a thought to actually ordering a unit up to that point. After listening to what Dick had to say Elle picked up on a few of the options. The unit we were looking at was a three bedroom model. We’d toyed with the idea of having a third child, wanting to add a boy to the two girls. One option was to have bunk beds built into one of the bedrooms and that made sense rather than to try and “stuff” a store bought one into the existing space like we’d done. Another option was for different styles of kitchen cabinets. A third option was to have the bathroom laid out in such a way as to be able to put a full sized washing machine in there. THAT was something that really resonated with Elle. I asked how long it would take to get a custom made unit and Dick said it usually took about three weeks. That would make it right before Christmas. I remember looking around at the expanded living room and wanting to be able to celebrate Christmas with all that space.

In spite of the kids getting bored and tired we sat there and placed our order. The options added a few hundred dollars more to the total but there was nothing I could do about it. When we got back to our trailer I was amazed at how small it looked and felt in comparison. I’d never really felt cramped in it until that night. After putting the kids to bed we spent the next few hours planning/dreaming about what it would be like in our new home. I told Elle about how I’d more or less “reserved“ the last South side lot and the advantages we’d have with it. It was hard for both of us to get to sleep that night.

It was frustrating not being able to get in contact with Lance. All I had was a barracks number and he was never there when I called. I had to use Mac as a messenger. It was Tuesday before I saw him. I know he was disappointed when I told him that it wouldn’t be until right before Christmas that we would be able to move. I gave him the projected date and he said he’d arrange to get his wife here at that time so they could celebrate Christmas together. Now all either of us could do was wait.

Things, for me, at work went well over the next few weeks. Nina ignored me as did Leo, which was fine by me. The ”excitement“ was in the arrival of the two transferred employees. One was an older lady named Hilda. The ”buzz“ concerned the reason why she was transferred. She’d been a Treasurer’s department employee for a long time. The other was a young girl who had started during the Summer named Lenora. She was a very attractive girl with shoulder length dark hair. Since we were somewhat removed (physically) from the general work area we didn’t get to interact with either of them. All we could do was look through the partition windows as the office dynamic played out in front of us.

One issue that did involve the whole Audit and Control Department was the upcoming Christmas party. A vote was taken and it was decided it would be for the employees only; no spouses or boy/girl friends. Leo, through his potato chip route, knew of a local restaurant that would give us a break on price since we would have to pay most of our own way. The Controller threw in some money but the rest was pay as you go. It was decided to hold it in the middle of the month so as to not interfere with everything else that was going on. Jay insisted that it be on a Thursday evening so as to not to deprive the DP department from participating due payroll processing. I was looking forward to it as a way to get to know some of the people that I could only see but not interact with.

The County Board of Supervisors monthly meetings were always held on the second Thursday. The payroll was delivered to the Treasurer’s office on time and Leo had given the Audit and Control department permission to leave for the party at 4pm. They didn’t call it ”Happy Hour“ back in those days but the restaurant did provide cheaper drinks when we arrived. I hadn’t done much, if any, drinking since leaving college so after just two I was pretty blitzed. I remember Leo arriving well after the rest of us and the first thing he did was to call us all together. Then he announced that the Supervisors had authorized a 7.5%, across the board, pay increase. The place went wild and there were more (and more) drinks all around.

I don’t remember a thing after that until I found myself at the trailer. A couple of the non drinking women had ”poured“ Jay and I into his truck and drove it to the trailer. The next thing I remember was waking up the next morning with one of the worst headaches I’ve ever had. As I stumbled to the bathroom I saw Jay all crumpled up on the sofa, his 6’4” frame all twisted around. By the time we were both showered and dressed it was close to 10am. The last place I wanted to go was to work to have to face the people who’d seen me so messed up but I did go. Other than a few smirky smiles nothing was said about our behavior. The “talk” that I do remember concerned the new, older lady to the department, Hilda. Supposedly she’d been cut off by the bartender and than proceeded to curse him out. The important thing was that I survived the day at work. However, I got an earful of grief from Elle when I got home.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66f)

I did not get a good night’s sleep what with the potential sale of the trailer and the almost sure fall out at work concerning Nina and my involvement with the last payroll. Since I was sort of “vague” with my answers to Elle’s questions I also had to put up with a barrage of nagging that continued right up to the time I left for work. I wasn’t looking forward to facing the Controller but it was almost better than listening to Elle.

As expected, Irwin, Jay and I were called in to the Controllers office soon after 9am. Irwin took the “heat” for the decision to let me go ahead and to run the payroll. I had envisioned Leo being there but, thankfully, he wasn’t. The long and short of the meeting was that Irwin used up a few of his “chips” with the Controller. He “sold” him on the fact that Nina was NOT the person for the job and that, at least for the time being, I was. Even though I didn’t know exactly what “for the time being” meant, I left the meeting feeling good and knowing that I had a job that I really enjoyed and couldn’t wait to get back to.

Monday’s were used for “catch up”, running reports and doing file maintenance so I let my mind wander a bit and to think through the sale of my trailer and the purchase of the new one. Lance was on duty until midnight and I knew the earliest I could catch up with him would, hopefully, be sometime the next day. On my way home I stopped at the park office and told Dick of what was going through my mInd. I trusted him enough to tell him the asking price I’d given to Lance. The only thing he said was that he would’ve given me more if I’d traded it in with him. My immediate thought was that since Lance hadn’t signed any papers maybe I should back out and trade the trailer in. That was when I remembered the '55 Chevy. I told Dick I’d think about it knowing that if I told Elle that the car was part of the sale price she wouldn’t have a problem with it. By the time I arrived home I’d pretty much decided to let the deal stand with Lance.

Surprisingly, Leo was there on Tuesday morning. He called a meeting of the staff but didn’t include the four of us in the DP department. It didn’t take long to find out what it covered as Linda and Allie were so close so Jay sent Linda in as soon as the meeting broke up. The main purpose was to explain that Nina was going back to her old position and that there would be two new additions coming from the Treasurer’s office. The only one affected by Nina’s return was Lynn who had been doing Nina’s job. The “buzz” was more about just what the “new” people would be doing. There was one vacancy that had been left vacant in anticipation of such a transfer. What would the other person be doing was the question. As Linda was spilling the “goods” I noticed Leo leaving with his coat and hat on. So much for a full day at work!

The news about the impending additions from the Treasurer’s office elicited a snide comment from Donna (the primary keypuncher). I don’t remember exactly what it was but it was a typical negative remark from her. I wondered how one person could be so sour. I was just about to start the payroll process for the week when we saw all the women in the main office gather around Nina’s desk. Linda was sent out to find out what was happening. It wasn’t good news. Nina had just received a phone call from Dora’s son that she’d been seriously injured in a car accident on the way to work and was in critical condition at the local hospital. For some strange reason I can still remember that she drove an early ‘50’s big, black DeSoto 4 door.

From a work standpoint she was a Senior Clerk and her responsibilities were something that Lynn could slide right into. Dora’s accident pretty much answered the question as to the need for another person but it still left the question as to just what she would do and how that would affect all the others. It didn’t mean anything to us in the DP department or so we thought.

Payroll for the week went very well. I employed more multi tasking and was able to shorten the run time by twenty minutes. I was unable to contact Lance and even went to see Mac to have him contact me as soon as possible. By Friday night I was really concerned but when I got home there was the ‘55 Chevy parked in front of the trailer. I pulled in behind it and Lance jumped out and got to the door before I even got it open. He handed me a piece of paper and in the dim glow of the dome light I could see it was a check. Before I could read the amount he told me it was for $1,000 and the rest would be coming in the next week. Before I could say anything he was running back to the ‘55 and I watched him drive off. I sat there and looked at the check and realized that the "deal“ was, indeed, on. It was time to tell Elle.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (part 66e)

His new wife’s name was Judy and she was the youngest of four kids and the only girl. Her family had been involved in farming ”forever“ in Iowa. Lance’s family were also into farming and the families had known each other. Lance had, more or less, grown up with her and had been best friends with one of her brothers. Even though there was was a year difference between them they dated in high school. Upon graduation Lance joined the Air Force and she finished school. They weren’t ”together“ but continued to write. When Lance went home on leave they got back together and... well, the pregnancy and wedding were the result. Lance didn’t seem too upset but the tone of his voice told me he wasn’t overly thrilled with the situation. In any case, he’d received the the ”threat“ from her father and knew what he had to do. When he showed up at home to get married her father was really happy as she was a ”daddy’s girl“ and always got what she wanted. Her uncle (her father’s brother) also had four kids and they were all boys and he’d taken kindly to the only female in the immediate family. He owned a farm machinery company and had done quite well with it. According to Lance, at the wedding they had collected around $500 cash from his family and her relatives (Not bad for 1961!).

It had been the next day when Judy’s uncle approached Lance wanting to know what plans he had since everybody knew she wasn’t returning to the base with him. Lance explained that housing was hard to come by and that when he could make arrangements she’d join him. One thing led to another and Lance mentioned the possibility of a trailer. The Uncle said he’d loan them $2,000. Before Lance knew it Judy’s father said he’d loan them another $1,000. That’s when Lance called me.

We were almost back by the time we got to that part of the story and I was sitting there doing all kinds of calculations in my mind. I quickly figured that if I could get around $3,500 for the trailer from Lance along with the $1,000 I had on deposit with the ”boys” I’d need roughly a $2,500 loan to get the new trailer. Dick had let me know that his father was on the Board of Directors of a regional bank and that he could get loans for people he recommended. I certainly felt like he liked me so I was pretty excited about that possibility. I took a deep breath and told Lance that because I liked him I’d sell him the trailer for $3,600 but I was going to keep the car. He’d been slouched down in the seat but that brought up upright in a hurry. The first thing he said was he was interested but disappointed that I wouldn’t sell him the car back. By then we were back at the park and I pulled into the lot where the trailers that were for sale were displayed. I stopped in front of the used unit that I’d told him was probably going to sell for around $3,600. We got out and walked around it with me describing the layout as we did. The thing that had made the biggest impression on me when choosing my trailer was the efficient use of space. It had a unique layout. The trailer we were looking at had a “traditional” layout and was two years older than mine. I made sure to point those facts out to Lance as we walked around it. I don’t remember him saying much so I offered to drive back to the other unit that I knew was for sale. We stopped in the road in front of it but he said to drive on by. When we pulled up in front of my trailer he got out and looked down both sides of it commenting about what good shape it was in. That comment lifted my spirits which were lifted even higher when he asked that if he bought the trailer would I loan him the car until he got the ‘49 Ford he was working on up and running. I immediately said “yes” but he wasn’t done yet. He pointed to the metal shed behind the trailer and said he wanted it as well. I’d bought it used and it wasn’t in good shape so that was a “yes” as well.Then he saw the laundry rack. In making up the pad that I wanted to put my new trailer on I’d laid it out in my mind to put up two “T” poles so that wasn’t an issue either. By them I was so anxious that I could hardly breathe. Finally, he stuck out his hand and I grabbed it.(4)

I wanted to get some details from him but it was after 5pm and he had to be back on the base and on duty at 6pm. I gave him the keys to the car and watched him drive off wondering if it the right thing to do. Once in the trailer Elle was all over me for not letting her know where I was. I’d been gone for almost six hours. I had a lot to tell her, not the least of which was that we were going to get a new, bigger trailer. But something told me to suppress my excitement until I had something more definite from Lance than a handshake.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66d)

I drove the Chevy to work on Friday and it was my first time behind the wheel. It was such a short distance that I didn’t really get a “feel” for the car but I did notice a bit of a “jump” when I pulled away from a stop sign. I couldn't wait to take it for a ride during lunch. Nina never showed up and I went about running all the reports as I’d done previously. About half the women in the office were out including both the keypunchers. It was like a morgue. Leo never showed up so it was a real quiet day but I pretty much knew that Monday would be “interesting”, for sure.

At home I expected a nice quiet weekend. My main job at the park on Saturday was to help place a new trailer in one of the new West side pads and that was about it. We were almost finished when Mac showed up. He told me that Lance had called and needed to talk with me. I was to call him when I could get to a phone. When Mac handed me the number I asked if he had any idea what it was about. He shrugged his shoulders as he walked away. I had no immediate idea why he would want to talk with me. He had said that he had a ride both to and from the airport so it was a puzzlement to me. As I finished up I got the thought that he might’ve changed his mind about the car. I still hadn’t resolved, in my mind, how to tell Elle that the car was mine. Walking home I was mulling the thought that if he really wanted the car back and actually had the money that it might be best to do it. At least that way there would be no problem with Elle. I was just about to the door when I decided I didn’t want to talk with him where Elle could hear the conversation.

I walked in the trailer and saw a note posted on the refrigerator that she was over at Alice’s. After a big sigh of relief I dialed up the number on the piece of paper Mac had given me. A dainty voice answered the phone and I thought I’d dialed wrong. I asked for Lance and after a few seconds I heard his voice.

I’d been right. He wanted to get the car back. In thinking back on it now I think I was more relieved than upset. I didn’t give him an answer right away but let him talk. When he didn’t get a quick answer he changed the subject. His next question was asking if I knew of any used trailers for sale. I immediately thought of the weekend before when he’d been in my trailer and had asked what a trailer like mine would sell for and how I’d just sloughed him off. I hesitated and sort of stammered out that there were always used trailers for sale. Then I sort of laughed and told him that he could buy mine. I swear there wasn’t but a second went past before he asked what I wanted for it.

When I’d come up with the grandiose idea of buying one of the new “pop out” living room trailers I’d roughly figured (hoped) that I could get as much as I’d paid for it ($4,100) so I threw that number out. There was a definite silence on the other end of the line. It had lasted for maybe 10 seconds when I heard Lance ask if I could pick him up at the airport the next day. This really caught me by surprise as he’d told me he'd made arrangements before he left. I hesitated because Jim had invited me, Andy, Mac and his next door neighbor over to watch the Giants football game on his new color TV. It was a tough call but I knew I had to resolve the issue with the car so said I would. It wasn’t the way I wanted to spend my Sunday.

Because it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving the traffic was horrible. Everybody was on the road. I’d given myself two hours but it took almost three. Then it took me a while to find him in the terminal because it was way crowded. Once in the car I started the conversation asking how the wedding had gone. He didn’t offer much in the way of information and because I’d used the station wagon to pick him up he wanted to know if the Chevy was OK. Then he told me he had the money to buy it back. I really don’t remember the words I used but I know I kind of “danced” around with my answer. I was really torn. I “wanted” the car but I knew I didn’t really “need“ it. I took a chance and changed the subject and brought up his question about the availability of used trailers. There were two that I knew of. One had been traded in for one of the new, longer trailers. It was around 5 years old and in decent shape. I knew the ”boys“ (Dick and Ben) usually put an inflated price on the used units so they had some ”wiggle room“ when it came time for bargaining. I didn’t know what they were asking for the unit but I told Lance it would probably sell for $3,500. I caught him shaking his head out of the corner of my eye but he didn’t say anything. Then I told him the other unit would be cheaper because it was older. I told him that I knew that it needed a new heating unit and that the hot water heater had been a problem (I’d worked on it a couple of times). It was being sold by the owners and I had no idea what they were asking. Lance sat there without commenting for a few miles and then, finally, he asked about mine.

Basically he had a promise of loans from his new father in law, his father in law's brother (his new wife’s uncle) and his family, plus money he and his wife got at the wedding. Without telling me how much the loans would be for he asked if the price I’d quoted him was negotiable. As I previously said I had the thought in my mind that I could possibly get what I’d paid for it. I’d only thrown that out as a starting point. I knew the unit was three years old but I’d put a lot into it (additional shelves, bunk beds for the kids, bigger hot water heater) and, like any normal person, I wanted to get as much as I could squeeze out of it. I told him that he should throw out a number and that we could work from there. He just shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent. Once we’d started talking about my trailer I'd got all excited again about the possibility of getting a new one. His unwillingness to offer a counter price wasn’t very helpful. I asked again and then he started opening up.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66c)

I ran back to the computer room and told Jay. He was surprised but happy. With him working along side of me and allowing me to multitask using two pieces of the peripheral equipment at the same time we were up to the point of printing the checks by around 9pm. When we walked out I had a s__t eating grin on my face knowing that Nina was going to be royally upset. Jay and I had left it so that if we had to let Nina run the checks the next day it would be really hard for her to screw it up. I felt like I’d won the lottery and yet, I wasn’t going to be paid for my extra efforts. It didn’t matter. It was the right thing to do. I just couldn’t imagine the majority of the Police department not being paid on time, especially on a holiday weekend.

While the computer was doing it’s calculations I did find time to tell Jay about buying the Chevy. He wasn’t upset at all. He told me he probably would’ve kept it six months or so and then sold it anyway. He also told me that at $500 I got a good deal. Hearing that from him made me feel better but I still had to tell Elle.

Lance was going to drop the car off on his way to the airport Wednesday morning. The last thing I wanted was to have him talking to Elle but even with Mac’s help couldn’t get in touch with him that night. The sweetest sound I could’ve heard that morning was the phone at a little before 7am. Elle was being called in to teach and, even though it was supposed to be a half day of school, would be paid for a full day. That made me even happier. When I realized that she and Lance would not meet was when I told her that he was going to leave the car off with us while he went home for Thanksgiving to get married. I told her I’d loaned him the money and that I was going to hold the car as collateral for the loan. She had no idea what ”collateral“ meant but she was smart enough to know that ”something was up”. But she was busy getting ready while I was talking so nothing came of it at the time. I was so relieved that I willingly walked to work knowing I'd be late... but I was still ahead of Nina.

I don’t really know how to describe Nina’s reaction. At first it was surprise and then anger. But she had no one to vent the anger to. The Controller wasn’t in and neither was her son in law, the new Deputy Controller. Most of her anger was towards me but not in a verbal way. It was one of those “if looks could kill” things. Jay picked up on it and told her she could start running the checks to see if she’d do it. It took about three minutes before she turned and walked out the door, grabbing her handbag and coat as she walked past her desk. I knew it wasn’t the end of the saga but at least the rest of the day would be somewhat quiet.

Leo showed up right after lunch and told the women in the work area that they could leave at 2pm. He then left never setting foot in the computer room. It didn’t matter to Jay and I but the keypunch ladies were being left out. Irwin was still at his desk and I went and asked him if we could let them go at 2pm as well. I told him that since Leo was already gone I didn’t know who else to ask. He said it was OK but told me to sit down. Again, I had no idea what this was going to be about but I had that feeling it wasn’t going to be something I wanted to hear.

It was more about Leo. The first thing he told me was that he had no accounting background at all. Then he proceeded to tell me not to expect to see much of Leo in the future. I’m sure he saw the furrow on my brow because he made the comment that I certainly had a lot to learn about local politics. In any case he told me that the Deputy position was not Leo’s only job. He had a route franchise for the local potato chip company and spent the mornings covering his territory. What could I say? Irwin was giving me facts but they were hard to swallow. I honestly don’t remember my reaction after that but I do remember being mad later on in talking with Jay. In my mind it just wasn’t right... any of it... starting with Leo and Nina being related and working in the same department. It was a good thing the next day was Thanksgiving.

Elle and I celebrated Thanksgiving at my grandfather’s house. We got the kids all dressed up and, to please my grandfather, took pictures of them to take to my grandmother. My parents came and my mother cooked the dinner while my father and I took my grandfather to the hospital to see my grandmother. It was sad as she didn't know who we were. I could tell my grandfather was still upset with me for selling the convertible but he didn’t make a point of it. After we ate in the early afternoon we had to drive to see Elle’s parents and eat all over again that night. Thankfully, the Chevy was never a topic of conversation. After we got home and put kids to bed Elle surprised me by coming over to where I was sitting and sat on my lap. She had undressed down to her "package". I wasn’t expecting it and, for sure, wasn’t expecting to feel my lap get warm. It was pee but not directly on me. The “package” had held it.

As she was getting undressed she felt herself start to pee. She rushed in and sat on my lap. I know it sounds somewhat gross but it was extremely erotic to feel my groin getting warm in that manner. With all the food that I’d ingested during the day I knew had to use the toilet before moving on with Elle. When I walked back into the living room I saw Elle standing there with her hands on her hips and her eyes closed. She looked so serene I immediately thought of the camera and saw it on the table. I opened it up and snapped the picture, alarmed at how bright the flash was. Naturally, the flash had startled her and when she opened her eyes questioned what it was. I told her it was a light bulb that had blown out and somehow she believed me. I'd quickly put the camera behind me and then proceeded to lead her into the bedroom. Neither of us had any trouble sleeping that night.

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66b)

He didn’t say much but told everybody he’d check in with each and every one later in the day to find out just what they did. Then he and the Controller left together. As the group broke up Irwin grabbed me by the arm and led me to the vacant office that Leo would be occupying. I couldn’t imagine what this was about. Once inside and the door was closed he looked at me and told me not to react to harshly to what he was going to tell me. I figured, for sure, I was being fired. But no. It was worse. Leo was Nina’s son in law.

I’m sure it was because I’d thought of him (Leo) as a sort of buffoon but I remember laughing. Irwin was serious though. He told me to sit down and he’d give me quick lesson in local politics. A bit earlier I told you that the County was primarily Republican but, because of some corruption the Democrats had made some inroads in the recently completed election. However, they didn’t take control of the Board of Supervisors but did win two of the ten positions, making it now six to four. Leo was one of the two Republicans to lose. Since he was a tried, true and loyal Republican they had to do something for him. As the Controller, a Republican, had won and there was a vacancy in his department, Leo ended up as the Deputy. As I also told you before, I was apolitical and this situation made me even more so. If it weren’t for the relationship between Leo and Nina I might’ve been able to partially, at least, accept it. When I finally gathered my thoughts I asked Irwin, point blank, why couldn’t anyone put an end to Nina’s tardiness and extended breaks. He shrugged his shoulders and said but one word... Leo. Even though he’d lost the election he was still a powerful force in the Republican fold and Nina was riding it for all it was worth. When Irwin indicated that we were through I asked him what I should do. “Suck it up” was what he said and walked out of the office.

It was the longest afternoon I’d spent since I started. Leo was calling all the women in to his office, one by one and after Linda and Dora’s turn he left his office with his coat and hat. Nina, as usual, left at ten minutes to five. I did a quick calculation based on what she’d been able to process and came up with the fact that, without Nina spending time after work, there was no way we’d be able to hand the checks to the Treasurer’s office before Friday. And this was after but one half day of work. Jay and I figured out that of the three and one half hours of time since the keypunchers had given the cards to Nina she’d only put in a little over two hours of actual work. I don’t know why I felt so bad about the situation. The responsibility had been taken from me. I guess it was because I knew I could get it done and do it right. Jay handed me a sheet of paper with numbers on it. He’d been keeping tabs on what Nina was doing. He had everything... ten minutes blabbing to Linda... five minutes on the phone... 20 minute break... etc. It was obvious to me that he wasn’t going to let the payroll system that he’d developed be taken down by her. I felt a LOT better!

As I walked out of the office I realized I had yet to tell Jay about my buying the Chevy. I didn’t think that was the time so headed home. I know Elle didn’t understand 90% of what I was telling her after the kids went to bed but she pretended to listen. It helped.

Tuesday was more of the same as far as Nina was concerned. Yak, yak, yak, both on and off the phone. Right after she got back from her hour and fifteen minute lunch she took a handful of processed cards and stacked them into the working tray backwards. I don’t know why I happened to be looking at the tray when she did it but I called her attention to it. She immediately denied it but I made her go back and look. Her response? A laugh and some inane comment. I felt like I was watching a sinking ship, had a bucket but couldn’t use it because my hands were tied.

The first I saw of Leo was around 2pm. He went into his office not to be see again until a little before 5pm when he left with his coat and hat. By the time 5pm came I calculated there was at least eight hours of work to be done to have the checks all finished. I knew it wasn’t going to happen because, exclusive of the time Nina had wasted on the phone and just plain yakking, she’d only put in 5 3/4 hours actually in the room and there was no reason to believe that Wednesday would be any different. We knew the absolute latest the Treasurer’s office could get the checks and have them delivered for Friday distribution was 2pm.

I happened to see Irwin about to leave and went to cut him off. I told him of my observations and, initially, he appeared to be annoyed with me. He took a few steps down the hall and then stopped and turned into the Controller’s office. No one had seen him since Monday so I wondered what Irwin was doing. The secretary was still there and I, still out in the hall, heard Irwin ask if she was still able to get in touch with the Controller. I could hear parts of Irwin’s conversation but couldn’t get the “feel” of it. The secretary came out with her coat on and waved me into the office. Irwin had the mouthpiece covered and when he saw me asked if there was any chance at all of making the deadline. Without hesitating I said “Yes!“. A minute later he said but one word... “GO!“

To be continued...

A BUMP(us) IN THE ROAD... a pothole? (Part 66a)

There was no way to avoid having to tell my grandfather about the sale of the car. I tried to get out of taking him to the hospital to see my grandmother on Sunday. The best way to describe his reaction was disappointment. Of course I made the mistake of leading with all the reasons why I’d done it. He acknowledged them but said I owed him the courtesy of telling him my plans beforehand. The guilt I’d felt since I’d sold the car just reinforced the fact that he was right. A lesson learned. However, I still had to face Elle on the ‘55 Chevy.

Our neighbors, Tom and Lola, had wanted to have us over for a “thank you dinner” ever since the fire at their trailer. We agreed on that Sunday night. So as to have some time to ourselves we arranged for the teen sisters from up the street to baby sit all the kids at our trailer. By having both girls there it would make it easier to keep the boys happy with one and the girls happy with the other. We had a pleasant evening and kept my mind occupied and off the car and telling Elle about it. When we went back to the trailer the heavy sister was sitting on the sofa reading to the boys and the other girl was sitting on the floor playing a game with my oldest. As I walked in I got a very good DP (down pants) and what made it especially interesting was that it was clear that she was wearing two panties... two distinct waist elastics. It was somewhat stimulating to say the least.

I don’t know if the success of getting the payroll done dulled my senses as far as Nina was concerned but I certainly wasn’t expecting to be shepherded into the controller’s office upon my arrival on Monday. The comptroller was behind his desk and directed me to take a seat. A few minutes later Jay walked in and was also told to take a seat. Next to arrive was Irwin who had been out most of the previous week due to problems with his leg. I had no idea what was going on until Nina showed up, about ten minutes after nine. The controller expressed thanks to Jay and I for the successful run of the county payroll and then dropped the “bomb”. Nina was to run the current week’s Police payroll. I was told that my roll was to be a "guide" for Nina and that under no circumstances was I to touch any punch cards or to operate any of the peripheral machinery or the computer. It was like I’d been punched in the gut. I looked at Jay and Irwin and their faces were expressionless. I know mine wasn’t. I couldn’t believe that my reward for getting the job done and done well was to be removed from it. I remember looking over at Nina’s face and seeing a slight smile. I wanted, so badly, to go over and smack it.

With Thanksgiving coming on Thursday it meant one less day to get the job done. In fact, it meant the checks, ideally, should be to the Treasurer’s office at noon on Wednesday. Planning ahead, all changes were cut off as of Thursday of the previous week so that the keypunchers could start first thing on Monday. It had been hoped, due to the lesser number of people in the County Police payroll, they would be finished and turn their work over to me (now Nina) around noon. My mind was doing all sorts of time calculations. Figuring in the fact that Nina was habitually late, left early, and took excessively long breaks during the day I felt that it was neigh unto impossible for the checks to be done on time. On top of that she had stated, publically, that she would not work after 5pm unless she was paid. But no one in the room was allowed to speak. It was a direct order from the Controller. He then told Irwin to gather everybody, including all the Auditors who were out on assignment around the county, together in the work area for an important meeting at 2pm.

Irwin, Jay and I were excused at that point and as soon as we reached the hall I exploded. Irwin let me rant for a brief minute and then calmly put his hand on my shoulder and told me to let it play out on it’s own. I didn’t know what he meant but I did shut up. Jay just stood passively by. As Jay and I walked into the computer room I remember shaking my head. It just made so sense at all. None.

Nina arrived in the computer room a few minutes later and when I saw her it was hard not to say something negative to her but I managed to hold my tongue. My god, was she ever slow!. Plus, she was constantly blabbing to the keypunchers about absolutely nothing. I tried to be a civil as I could when I reminded her that we were working on a time sensitive project but she pretty much ignored me. She took a 20 minute break and was late back from lunch. I couldn’t understand how she could get away with it. I was a very unhappy camper.

A little before 2pm Irwin gathered us all behind the useless counter that was in the front of the work area. It was the first time that I’d seen all the Auditors in the office at the same time. Of course there was all kinds of speculation as to what the meeting was about. The optimistic ones were touting a raise and the pessimistic ones were thinking that the workday was going to be extended. At 2pm, on the button, the Controller walked in followed by this tall, funny looking man. I’m talking about being really funny looking. You’ve seen pictures of people who’s eyes bug out of their head when surprised or scared. This man’s eyes bugged out just standing there. Picture Obama’s ears. His were similar. You know how most people’s heads are curved in the back. His wasn’t. It was a continuation of his neck... almost perfectly straight except that, from the shoulders up, his neck and head leaned forward at about a 20 degree angle while just standing there. On top of all that his hair was slicked down to the top of his head. The Controller introduced him as Leo Bumpus, the new Deputy Controller. I don’t know how I suppressed a laugh. His looks and then the name were almost too much to comprehend.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65e)

When we were leaving (and on time) Jay asked if I could arrange for him to see Lance’s car. I asked if he was really interested and he said he was. He had a four wheel drive Ford pick up truck and seemed very happy with it. I knew he was rebuilding a 1936 Ford pick up and had him figured as a Ford man all the way. I stopped at Mac’s on the way home and told Elise I needed to see Mac. He was still on duty and wasn’t due home until 7pm but she’d send him down when he got home. It was close to 9pm when he got there. I told him I had a friend who was interested in Lance’s car and I needed to talk to him to set up an appointment. I wont go into the machinations that I went through to set it up but Friday after work was the best we could work out. The problem with that was that Lance had to be back on base and on duty at 6pm. There wouldn’t be a lot of time for Jay to look over the car and to do any negotiation.

Work on Friday went smoothly. There was no more “noise” coming from Nina and I was free to get started on the subsidiary reports. All I could do was hope that my work spoke for itself and that the Nina “mess” was over. It was a big day for me in that I got my first County paycheck. With the cash left over from the sale of my car and the paycheck I felt that I finally had a “cushion“... but I still kept thinking about the car.

Fast forwarding to after work... Lance brought his car to the County Center around quitting time. It was dark but Jay saw (and heard) enough to make an offer for the car. I could see that Lance wasn’t happy with the amount of the offer but also picked up on the fact that he hadn’t rejected it. I think it was around $550. With Lance wanting to sell the car as quickly as possible that obviously touched a nerve. But when Jay told him that he wouldn’t be able to pay for it until after the first of the year it was no deal. The one thing that did happen was that in seeing the car again I was even more interested than I was the first time. Lance picked up on it and just before he drove off asked if he could come back to see me over the weekend. I didn’t say no.

Elle had promised to take the kids down to see her mother on Saturday which worked out perfectly for me. Lance didn’t get off duty until noon and asked if he could stop by around 3pm or so. That worked perfectly for me because I wanted to find out just why he wanted to get rid of the car and felt Mac would be a good source. I caught up with him before Lance arrived. He was somewhat reluctant to answer the question but I prevailed. When Lance had gone home on leave during the Summer he’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant. Her father had gotten in touch with him and told him “to make it right... or else”. The air base was giving all the staff three days leave at either Thanksgiving or Christmas and he chose Thanksgiving and needed the money to get home and back. Mac made me promise not to let Lance know that I knew about his situation. I sad OK but now knew why he’d entertained Jay’s offer. I immediately thought about offering him $500 cash when he showed up.

He was at the trailer before 3pm. I had him come inside and it was obvious he liked what he saw. I figured he’d want to get into dealing the car but he ended up having me give him a tour of the trailer. He floored me when he asked what a trailer like mine would sell for. Even though I’d established a price in my mind I hesitated and before giving him a number asked why he wanted to know. I couldn’t tell if he was blushing but he kind of stammered when he said he was getting married. I took the opportunity to ask if that’s why he wanted to sell the car and he nodded affirmatively. I asked what he would do for a car and he said he was working on a ‘49 Ford. For a brief second I thought about asking if he’d be interested in selling it. I figured it would have to be a lot cheaper than the Chevy... but I didn’t. From somewhere came the thought to ask where he’d be living after the wedding. He volunteered that there was no base housing available. I pretty much knew that from my conversations with Mac. He went on to say that a couple of his buddy’s rented bungalows in the “off season” (it was a Summer destination area) but once Summer came they had to find other, much more expensive, arrangements. Seeing my trailer gave him the idea of renting or buying a trailer. My immediate thought in hearing that was there was no way he’d be able to buy a trailer if the only money he had was tied up in the ‘55 Chevy.

That brought me back to talking about the car. I wasted no time and told him I’d give him $500 cash, right then and there. I remember distinctly that he immediately looked down at the floor. I waited for what seemed like 5 minutes before I pressed him for an answer. Finally he looked up and I won’t dramatize the situation by saying he looked like he was about to cry but he was clearly torn. He hesitated and finally nodded his head and said “yes”. But it wasn’t without conditions.

His immediate need was the money for his plane ticket home and return. He had mentioned that his new wife wouldn’t be returning with him and would wait until he made living arrangements for the two of them. He asked if he could still have the use of the car until he left for home. I don’t know why but I had this feeling that I was, in some way, cheating him and, feeling that way, said OK. As he wrote out a bill of sale I had my first experience of “buyers remorse”. What was I going to say to Elle when I told her what I’d done. I still hadn’t told my grandfather about the sale of the convertible and that was weighing heavily on my mind, and now this. I counted out the five $100 bills. I remember him holding them in his hand and staring at them. I had a brief thought that he might’ve changed his mind but he shook my hand. He told me that he’d deliver the car the following Wednesday when he was on the way to the airport. As I watched him drive away I realized that I’d never even driven the car.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65d)

The rest of the day went by without incident. Again, I stayed late just to give myself a little breathing room for running the checks the next day. It would be the first time, anywhere, where continuous form checks with the check numbers prepunched were used. Jay had promised to be there early to help me set the tabs on the printer. By the time I left for home I was confident that I was prepared.

I hadn’t been in the trailer but for a minute before there was a knock on the door. It was Mac with a young, blond man. He asked if I could come outside for a minute. I still had my coat in my hand so told Elle I’d be right back. Mac introduced me to the guy who’s name was Lance. He told me that this was the friend who had his car for sale. I reminded him that I’d just bought the station wagon that we were standing next to. He said he knew that but Lance was hoping that I might know somebody who might be interested. He was desperate to sell the car and was just looking for help in finding a buyer. Lance said the car was parked in front of Mac’s. I hadn’t eaten and was cold but I said I’d go take a look at it. As we approached Mac’s I could see this ‘55 Chevy. As we walked up to it I could see it was in good shape. ‘55’s were known to rust out over the headlights and these looked perfect. It was blue and white and as we walked around it I couldn’t see any rust or dents. Lance opened the drivers door and started the engine. Immediately I heard the deep sound of dual exhausts and a powerful engine. Even though I hadn’t been messing with cars in a few years my ear was still tuned the “sound”. As we walked from my trailer to Mac’s I told myself I was doing it as a favor to Mac. Hearing that engine and seeing what appeared to be a pretty clean car had my head spinning. When I sold the convertible I let myself dream about having a second car but was enough of a realist to let it die. I'd lived hand to mouth for long enough to have put the thought of it quickly to rest. That is until I heard that motor and saw the car. Lance lifted the hood and shined a flashlight on the engine. It was clean as a motor could be. I quickly noticed the 4 barrel carburetor just like the one on the station wagon. Lance proceed to tell us that he had completely rebuilt the motor and put a “street cam” in it for a little extra “oomph”. I don’t remember how many miles were on it but it wasn’t that many. Just like the unctuous little man over at the used car lot, Lance stated that the tires were new and the brakes were good. Even if I’d had a question, Lance covered it before it was asked. I slid in behind the steering wheel and revved the engine a bit. I could hear the “growl” of it through the glass pack mufflers and as I did I swear I could feel the hair on my arms rise. I sat there for a minute before I got out. I knew immediately that I wanted it and I’d only been there for about 10 minutes. I also knew I didn’t dare say so right then and there. That extra money I had from selling the convertible was going to pay off the bills that I owed and buy some Christmas presents. I knew I had to control myself and it took all the will power that I had. Trying to be as indifferent as I could I finally asked what he wanted for it. I almost choked when he said $600. It took only a split second for me to do the calculation. This was a 1955 “210” model and not the top of the line “Bel Air”. I’d just paid $750 for a 1957 “Bel Air” station wagon. Lance wanted only $150 less for a car that was two years older. That just didn’t add up for me. I told him it was too much. He started telling Mac and I just how much he’d put into the car. By that time I was really getting cold and the price had shocked me back to reality. I told him that I’d talk it up at work, shook his hand and headed home.

I admitted to Elle that I’d been looking at a car but only as a favor to Mac. She didn’t press me on it but when we went to bed I can tell you that my thoughts were more on that car than on Elle or the payroll. As I drove to work the next morning I was imagining that I was driving the ‘55 rather than a staid old station wagon. Jay was in early as he’d promised. I set the tabs on the printer and he checked them. I was amazed that I’d gotten them all right. It was then that I told him about the ‘55 that I’d looked at. I wasn’t mentioning it for anything more than conversation. I was surprised when he started asking me about some of the details. When I told him that I thought the $600 price was high he said that it was but not by that much especially when you considered all the work that had supposedly been done on the engine. At that point we both knew we better get the checks into the printer if we were going to make the noon deadline to have them to the Treasurer’s office.

We had very little trouble printing the checks once we got them aligned. But we’d both forgotten one major thing. They were continuous form checks and had to be burst apart before we delivered them to the Treasurer. We had a burster but we’d never used it for anything other than standard sheet computer paper. The settings for it had never been changed since the machine had been delivered. On top of that Jay had no idea where the instructions for the machine were. Luckily, we were both mechanically inclined. We wasted almost an hour getting it to work and by the time we did we knew we’d never make the deadline. Jay called in to the Controller and explained the problem. Of course he had to come in to see for himself. Once satisfied he said he’d go to the Treasurer and get us “off the hook” but admonished us to get them delivered in “batches” rather than to wait until they were all done. I breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away. It was around 2pm when the last batch was delivered.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65c)

I realized Tuesday was a really important day when I finally went to bed and because of it I didn’t sleep all that well. The decision had been made to use the computer generated journal and checks to pay the County employees since the two tests had gone so well. Here I was, in only my third week at work, responsible for it. I was wide awake when the phone rang before 7am. It was a call for Elle to go in and teach. Normally that was a good thing but I was looking forward to taking the station wagon to work. Now Elle would have to have it and I had to find a ride. Elle had to wait to call Alice about taking the kids for the day until 7:30am. She liked to ”sleep in“ and by waiting until that time she had time to get both herself and her daughter showered and dressed before I showed up with the kids. It was a little before 8am and right after Elle had left when I got a call from Alice. When she went to give Julie (her daughter) a bath the water was just luke warm. Knowing that I’d worked on and around the trailer park she asked if I could take a look at it for her. Elle had helped me get the girls washed so it only took a little time to dress them. I still needed to get shaved and dressed but I took the girls over at around 8:15am. When I got there Alice was in a robe. Hers was the first of the new trailers at the park so I actually knew more about it than some of the others I’d worked on.

The first thought I had was to check the fuse box. I knew it was in the master bedroom closet and I asked Alice if it was OK to go back there. She was busy taking the coats off my kids and just waved me on back. As I walked in I saw her clothes laid neatly on the end of the bed... trousers, blouse, bra and panties. I looked down at the panties and I immediately wanted to pick them up but didn’t dare. I opened the closet and found the fuse box but needed a flashlight. I asked if she had one and she told me it was in the night table on the right side of the bed as I walked in. She was still busy with my kids as I walked back down the hall. Again, I stared at the panties as I walked past them, and this time I picked them up and checked out the maker. I couldn’t believe my eyes as the label read ”Munsingwear“, the same as the panties I’d just purchased in the city the day I took my test. There was a big difference though. They were just plain white with no lace of appliques. They were size 5, the same as I’d purchased but these didn’t seem quite as big. I was puzzled as I placed them back where I'd found them.

I retrieved the flashlight and looked at the fuses. As I’d suspected, the ones for the hot water heater were blown. I pulled them out and saw what the problem was. They needed to be 20 amp and were only 15 amp. I looked at my watch and it was almost 8:30 by then. I still had to shave and get dressed and I didn’t have a ride. I knew there were spare fuses in the trailer park's storage shed so quickly ran to get them. Upon my return I asked Alice if she would give me a ride. I knew she didn’t want to but she could hardly say ”no“ with me just having solved her problem. I told her I’d be back in a few minutes as knew she still had to get dressed and had to prepare the kids for going outside. Another thing the whole episode had accomplished, other than to give me a peek at her panties, was to get my mind off worrying about the payroll.

I was concerned about being 10 minutes late and on top of that was the sight of Nina sitting at her desk. Not a good start to my work day. Because of the time invested with the station wagon on Monday I still had some reports to run before the keypunchers were ready to hand their work over to me. I was just getting caught up when I got a call from Irwin to come into the empty Deputy Controller’s office. As nervous as I was about the payroll I certainly didn’t need this. All he wanted was to let me know that he'd heard that Nina was badmouthing me with the other workers in the department. Even though she didn’t report directly to him he said he’d try to keep the ”damage’ down to a minimum. I didn’t quite know what that meant but it was nice to know he was on my side.

Actually, the payroll work went well. Jay spent the day using the computer to test some of his new programs for the appropriations accounting project while I did the preparation to run the payroll. As tempted as I was to try my ideas for multitasking we decided to take the conservative route since it was the first “live” run. I was frustrated having to wait for each segment of the process to be completed before starting the next. I’d planned on working a bit late to get a bit of a head start on the Wednesday’s work. But, with Jay also working late and me relying on him for a ride home I stayed until he was done. As we left for the night all the cards were ready for the computer. I really wanted to stay but knew that was unrealistic.

I did get the station wagon to go to work with on Wednesday and got in early to get a head start. I was really excited. Right at 9am in walked the Controller, back from his vacation. He was surprised to see me and asked where Nina was. I really didn’t know what to say. Jay wasn’t in and neither was Irwin. I honestly don’t remember what I said other than to tell him that everything was going well. After he left I waited for Nina to show up. Jay finally came in and I told him about the Controller asking about why I was running the payroll. He just pointed towards Irwin’s office and shrugged his shoulders.

It wasn’t long after when I was summoned to the Controller’s office. When I walked in there was Nina. I knew this wasn’t good. He told me that Nina had told him that I had “stolen” her job. I knew that the only way that this situation could possibly come to a reasonable end was to have Irwin there. But he’d taken a sick day and wasn’t available. Again, I don’t remember exactly what I said but I do remember getting Jay to come in and explain that Nina had been out and the work had to be done. He told the Controller that I’d “volunteered”. The controller took it all in and finally asked Jay if Nina could finish up the payroll that was currently in progress. I do remember that Jay never said a word but just stood there shaking his head from side to side. The meeting ended with me being cleared to finish the payroll run but I knew the matter was far from over.

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES...the start (Part 65b)

Talk about “going to school“! Within seconds after arriving at the car lot Jay had the hood up and had the oil dip stick out and up to his nose. He told me that the engine burned oil. That was a new one for me. Then he pulled a couple of the ignition wires off the spark plugs and immediately told me that it had been a while since the engine had been tuned up. I asked him how he knew and he showed me how white the ceramic part of the plug was under the rubber cap and how dirty the rest of it was. Another ”trick of the trade“ became known to me. By then this short little man with a mustache showed up and immediately started extolling the virtues of this particular vehicle. Jay interrupted him and asked for the keys so we could start it up. He looked startled but retreated towards the showroom returning quickly. Just as Jay had predicted there was a puff of smoke from the exhaust as soon as the motor started running. Jay let it idle for a few minutes while checking the carburetor and radiator for leaks. The salesman jumped right in again saying that it had just been tuned up and was ready to be driven off the lot. Jay didn’t hear him as he had his head down inside the engine well. The salesman continued on saying that there were brand new tires and brakes. Jay heard the word ”brakes“ and immediately opened the rear door and found the spare tire well. He took out the jack and proceeded to the rear of the car. The salesman protested but Jay ignored him. In just a few minutes he had a tire off as well as the brake drum. It was obvious that the brakes were not new although they were more than adequate. At that point Jay revved the engine up and more smoke poured from the exhaust. He then turned to the salesman and said we’d give him $500. He made some sort of smart ass remark to which Jay demanded to see the sales manager. The little man was taken by surprise with that. When he didn’t head for the showroom Jay did. The guy started running after him and it was funny. Jay was about 6’3” and he was, at best, 5’5“. I stayed by the wagon and in a few minutes Jay was headed back with another man. He had a folder with him. Back at the vehicle he showed us the file for the car. There was a job ticket in there that called for an oil change and a lubrication as well as a tune up (new distributor points and spark plugs). He apologized and said it had been ”missed“ by the shop. Jay then said we’d give them $650 for it with the missing work to be done. Jay pointed out the fact that the engine burned oil and proceeded to rev up the engine to show the man the smoke. He hesitated for a few seconds and then said $800. Jay looked at me and we went around to the other side of the wagon. He pointed out that this was the top of the line wagon and had a lot of ”extra’s“. He felt that if I could get it for anything less than the $800, even with the issue with the oil, it would still be a good deal. I nodded in agreement. As we approached the two men Jay said ”$750!“. The taller of the two just shook his head. Jay nodded to me to follow him and just as we got to his truck we heard ”Wait!“. The taller man walked over and said he’d let it go for $775.

We left with the understanding that all the missing work would be completed by 5pm. I’d been impressed with Jay right from the first time I’d had a chance to watch him work at the County Center. This was a whole new experience and I was somewhat amazed at how he’d handled the whole thing. I wouldn’t have done any of the things he did. In a way I had seller’s remorse in that I wished I’d had him to negotiate with the guy I’d sold the convertible to.

Jay drove me back after work and the station wagon was right out in front of the showroom. It was dark except for the lights in the lot. I could see that it sparkled in the lights as we walked past it and into the showroom. It didn’t take long since I had cash. They agreed to let me use the dealer plates until I could get the vehicle registered and plates for it. I thanked Jay profusely and happily got in it to drive it across the street and home.

Of course Elle insisted we go for a ride after we ate. As we drove past my grandfather’s house I felt really bad. I was definitely not looking forward to telling about the change. We drove out to the main highway and then I had Elle drive back. She loved it. I remember her saying that she was no longer driving a ”tank“. When we got back to the trailer and were getting the kids ready for bed Elle asked about the camera. I’d forgotten all about it. Too many more important things on my mind... that is until she mentioned it. I remembered the picture I’d taken of her but hadn’t yet developed. The way the original Polaroid cameras worked was that you actually pulled the film out to activate the development chemicals and, after a minute, you peeled the picture off the film. Then you had to put a coating over it to keep it from disappearing. As soon as I told Elle it was to take pictures of the kids she wanted to do it with them in their night things. I had a mini panic attack right them and there. Fortunately, the little one had a poop in her diaper which needed to be cleaned up first. That gave me a few minutes to get Elle’s picture out, coat it and to have the camera ready for the kids. (you can see the results...)

To be continued...

THE ROAD TO GOOD TIMES... the start (Part 65a)

I went back to the bedroom and saw Elle asleep in just her wet panties. The camera had been right at my fingertips while I was on the phone and the idea came to me to take a candid picture of Elle as she lay there. I quickly got the camera and went to the doorway and snapped the picture. I ducked right back out thinking the flash might’ve wakened her. I left the camera and went to fetch my clothes and found she was still asleep. I pulled a blanket over her and then got myself dressed and headed up to the car.

The guy was waiting for me. I’d been put off by the tone of his voice but seeing him in person somewhat changed my perception of him. He seemed much nicer and wasn’t ”spitting“ questions at me. He told me that he’d fallen in love with the car when it was first offered new in the Fall of 1958 but there was no way he could afford it. He said that the color, light blue, was the color he’d picked out way back then. He was an officer in the Air Force and had just come back from overseas duty. He was assigned to the base just down the road. His last duty station was in Greenland and there was no need for a car while there. All this information had me believing that I might really have a ”live“ one. He asked to take the car for a ride. I hesitated but said OK and gave him the keys. At the last second I jumped into the passenger seat and we headed out towards the air base. It was about seven miles with five of them almost perfectly straight. It was known as the ”strip” because a lot of the locals would drag race on it. He got the car up to about ninety miles per hour and I could see from the look on his face that he was pleased.

Back at the trailer park it was time to get down to business. He opened by offering $1,500, cash. I’m pretty sure I laughed. I told him that it was totally unacceptable. I’m not sure if it was right at that moment but I did challenge him to the extent that I mentioned that in our initial conversation he didn’t really believe my offering price and wanted to know what was wrong with the car. I caught him off guard and he kind of hemmed and hawed for a few seconds. He finally asked what was the best price I could do. I’ll admit that seeing that much cash influenced me a bit. I’d been asking $1,700 and even though I’d said there was nothing wrong with the car I knew it needed new tires. I’d priced them out during the Summer (when I had no money) and a new set was going to cost me $130. It didn’t take me long to blurt out $1,600. I remember him, still sitting behind the steering wheel, just staring at me not saying anything. I don’t know how long we sat there that way when he reached back for his wallet. It seemed like he was in slow motion as he pulled out five $20 bills.

He had borrowed a car to go out looking and had to get it back to the base. He also wanted to take the convertible. It ended up that we both drove and he then drove me back to the park. As I walked back to the trailer it was starting to get dark. It wasn’t until then that I realized that Elle had no idea where I was. Needless to say she was quite upset when I walked in the door. She was over it quickly after I put the $1,600 on the table. There were smiles all around after that... and especially after the kids went to sleep.

With the money came an immediate problem. Now we had no car at all. All my close friends at the park had to be at their work by 8am so that wasn’t an option. Of the women we knew none was available or willing to accommodate me early enough to get me to work on time. I ended up deciding to walk. I really didn’t have a winter coat so by the time I got there I was chilled through. I knew I had to strike a deal on the station wagon really quickly. I told Jay about the sale of the car and about the wagon. He seemed really excited about it. I knew he liked messing with cars and trucks (as well as race cars) but we really never had a chance to get into it. He offered to take me to the dealer during lunch and to look at the vehicle with me. I couldn’t wait.

To be continued...

THE NEXT PHASE... positive signs (Part 64g)

I got Jay to drive me home that night. Elle was in a much better mood but still not that happy with me. I’d neglected to take extra diapers and clothes for the baby when I took her to Alice’s trailer. There was nothing I could say so I asked about her day. That quickly changed her mood. All in all it had been a good day for her. She ended up thanking me for reminding her to take extra ”supplies“ as she had a couple of extended periods of time where she didn’t have access to a bathroom. I wanted to tell her about my day but let it go.

For me, the big thing on Friday was to refine my skills on the printer. My prayers were answered when Nina didn’t show up again. Jay had set the ”tabs“ for me when I ran the payroll journal as well as the check run. It was a very tricky machine to set up and just one ”tab“ out of place could ruin the whole run. By the end of the day I felt somewhat comfortable with it. I felt I was ready for ”the big one“, the next week's payroll.

On Saturday I had to make a run to the cement block factory for the trailer park. On my way I noticed a 1957 Chevy station wagon in the used car lot of the Buick dealer across the street from the park. I slowed but didn’t stop. While waiting for the blocks I got the seed of an idea. Maybe if I sold the convertible and bought a used station wagon I’d have enough money left over to buy a second car. The wagon would be perfect for Elle and the kids and I wouldn’t need much of a car to get to work and back. By the time I got to the park I was hooked on the idea. The first chance I got I headed over to the used car lot. They were asking $899. They also had a 1958 Buick convertible in the lot and even though it wasn’t the same year or model as mine I got the price off the window and started calculating what mine would be worth. I have to admit my mind wasn’t really on my work the rest of the day. At lunch I scratched out some numbers and based on the prices I’d seen and what those cars cost new I figured my car might be worth $1700 or maybe a little more. I knew enough about the car business from my grandfather to know that I wouldn’t get anywhere near as much as it was worth if I’d tried to trade down to buy the station wagon. That meant I’d have to sell it on my own.

Before Ben left that night I asked if he would allow me to park the car out along the road with a ”For Sale“ sign on it. He wasn’t all that positive about the idea but I lied and told him that if I did sell it it would mean that I could order the new trailer sooner. That did it. I came right home and told Elle what my plan was. I can’t say she was all for it but she didn’t say it was stupid. After supper I went and cleaned out all the stuff we had in the car and vacuumed it as best I could. I made up a sign and couldn’t wait until the morning. The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was telling my grandfather.

Sunday was my day for taking my grandfather to the hospital to see my grandmother. He’d usually be waiting on the back porch for me. I waited for about five minutes before going into the house. I found him sitting in my grandmother’s favorite rocking chair in the bay window looking at the garden. I'd never seen him sit in her chair. He didn’t hear me when I walked in and called his name. That told me something was wrong.

He’d just received a call that one of his closest friends had died. He said he just wasn’t up to a trip to the hospital right then but still wanted me to go. It was really sad. I knew it certainly wasn’t the day to tell him I was going to sell the car. By then my grandmother was really nothing more than a ”vegetable“, not responding to any verbal commands. I knew she wouldn’t know if I went or not but knew I should anyway. As I was leaving, my grandfather gave me his Polaroid camera telling me to take pictures of the kids for my grandmother. I took it but decided I wasn’t going back home right then. I figured I’d take some pictures during the week and give them to him the following Sunday. At least he’d appreciate them.

On returning home I ended up parking the car out by the entrance sign for the park and walking to the trailer. As I walked past Mac’s trailer he stuck his head out his door and asked if everything was OK. I told him my plan to sell the car. He said one of the airmen in his crew at the airbase was trying to sell his car. I told him about the station wagon and let it go at that. Back at the trailer Elle and I discussed the options we had and she said she wanted to go over and see the station wagon. We bundled the kids up and walked over to the car lot. She didn’t like the color, black, but quickly noticed that it wasn’t as long as the convertible. That had always been one of her complaints along with that she couldn’t see what was behind her with the ”blind spot“ created by the convertible top itself. The station wagon had glass all around. All in all she was pleased and I could tell she was getting excited about it as we walked back home.

Elle had neglected to put on a "package" before we left and by the time we got back to the trailer she was wet. The kids were ready for their nap and we put them to bed before she went to wash up. I convinced her to wait and led her into the bedroom. We’d had more negative moments than positive ones since I started the County job and this seemed to be a good time for some enjoyment. She didn’t resist as I slid her trousers down and unbuttoned her sweater. I stripped off my clothes and then pulled her down on top of me with my penis firmly ensconced buy her upper thighs and wet panties. I undid her bra and then rolled with her onto our sides. We ”snuggled“ like that for a few minutes before the phone rang. Timing is everything in life and in my mind that certainly wasn’t the time for the phone. I wanted to let it ring but Elle insisted that I answer it so as to not wake the kids. I remember walking across the living room, stark naked, with the curtains open and standing by the table answering the phone.

It was a guy with a southern drawl and he asked if I was the owner of the blue convertible that was for sale. I said I was and his next question caught me by surprise. He wanted to know if the price on the sign was correct. I said it was and then he sort of demanded to know what was wrong with the car. As far as I knew there wasn’t anything wrong and wondered why he would ask such a question, especially with an ”edge“ on his voice. I really didn’t like the tone he was using and was about to hang up on him when he said he wanted to do a test drive. That told me he was interested and I asked where he was. He said he was at the diner located in the middle of town. He said he could be at the car in five minutes. I looked down at my naked groin (and now normal sized penis) and told him ”ten minutes“.

To be continued...