The elderly man was pumping gas into an old beat up Chevy truck and his
partner, a black Labrador Retriever, was hanging his head out the window. His
tongue was also hanging out and it looked like it was a mile long, but of
course it was just normal. Max just kept flicking his tongue in and out as
he slobbered down the side of the truck.
Pete, the rancher, had just finished topping off his tank when a shiny
black Lexus SUV pulled up to the pump next to him. It sat there for a few
minutes and Pete wondered what was going on. Nobody got out, they just set
there by the gas pump with the engine idling.
After a few minutes, the horn honked a couple of times, but still no one
got out. Well Pete could not figure out what was going on, so he walked over to
the big fancy car and gave a couple of taps on the blacked out window. The
window came down about two inches and a woman’s voice said, “don’t they pump
the gas for you here?” Well Pete told her no, that it was self-serve, but if
she wanted him to he would do it for her. She asked him if that would cost
extra and Pete laughed and said, “nope I don’t charge nothin.” She handed Pete her keys and opened the gas
tank without getting out of the car. Pete saw the gas tank lid cover pop open
and said, “Well I’ll be darned, you opened that from inside your car?” Pete
took the key and unlocked the inside lid and started filling her tank.
He also got a squeegee out of the bucket of water and told her he might
just as well wash her windows while he was at it. The lady put up a fuss and
told him she did not expect him to do that, but he just told her that he did
not have much else to do, so he might as well do it while the gas tank filled.
As Pete walked around the car he noticed that the rear passenger side
tire was as flat as a pancake. Although the tread looked like it was a brand
new tire.
He walked around to the driver’s side window and tapped on the window,
(as she had rolled it up again). When it came down a few inches she poked a
credit card at him. Pete told her that he did not work there and she would have
to take the card inside to pay.
He then asked her if she knew she had a flat tire? She started yelling, the
door flew open and out she stepped.
As Pete described it later, he said it was a sight to see. She had on skin tight and skin colored pants
and top. Her shoes were like stilts. They were about six inches high and the
same color as the pants and top. Her fingernails were about 2 inches long and
painted flaming red. But the worst part was as she stepped out the door she was
yelling, “A FLAT TIRE, how could I have a flat tire? These are brand new tires
on a brand new car.” Whiles she was still yelling Pete walked around then car
and saw several horseshoe nails in the side and bottom of the tire. He went
back around and told the lady that it looked like a “local” must have lost a
box of nails from his truck and she had unfortunately come by right afterward.
She was still screaming, “well who owns this place, or who is the
manager?” How can I get hold of the
“cops?” Pete told her the manager was in the office. It is the little building
with the snack store in it.
The lady went marching over to the office, waving her arms, yelling and
digging through her purse for her cell phone. Pete watched her through the
office window as she continued to wave her arms and pounded on the display case
as she alternately combed her fingernails through her hair and kept pounding on
the display case as she continued to yell. At least it looked to Pete like she
was yelling. And his thought was that he sure was glad he was not INSIDE THE
little office.
Well Pete decided he might as well get on with his business, so he went
over to shut the door on the Lexus. Just as he touched the door handle he
thought he heard a little voice from the backseat say something. It took Pete
back a little so he opened the back door and there was a boy, who appeared to
be about 6 or 7 years old. Pete was almost flabbergasted . He said, “gracious
me son, are you OK?” The boy told him he could not talk to him because he was a
stranger –but he REALLY was thirsty.
Just then the office door to the convenience Store/office flew open and
the lady came flying out with her arms waving
and yelling do you know where I can find a guy named Pete?
Pete said, “I am Pete but the most important thing right now is that you
have a very thirsty boy in the back SEAT OF YOUR CAR.” The woman told Pete that
they needed to talk, and Pete told her the boy needed a drink first. Pete told
her that he knew the boy was not supposed to talk to him because he was a
stranger, but he made him do it. He also told her he was going to get him a drink
and should he get water or something else? She told him water would be fine and
Pete hustled toward the store.
When Pete came back the woman was still yelling and waving her arms at
anyone that was close by. Pete asked the boy if she did that all the time and
he said, “yes, but she had done it for so long that now nobody listens to her, or pays any attention to her, but it still makes her think she is the boss.”
Pete walked over to her and told her if she would quit waving her arms
and yelling and calm down and tell him her name, he was sure they could figure
something out.
Well she calmed down somewhat, and told Pete her name was Jill, and her
son was Robert. He ask her if she wanted him to call her Jill and she told him
that would be fine. Jill also told Pete what went on in the store, but actually
I suppose he already knew. After all he had lived in that small town for 55
years, he was the Sheriff and the Mayor. He owned the gas station/convenience
store and probably helped in some way on every project that was done in the town.
He also knew there was no store within 100 miles that would have a tire that
would fit her Lexus.
They talked a few minutes longer and Pete told Robert to get out and
stretch his legs while his mother was in the store. Robert told him he could
not as he was not allowed to get out of the car. Pete looked him in the eye and
said, ”If the Sheriff told you to get out, would you be able to then?” Robert
“supposed ” he would have to under those conditions.
Pete took out his wallet and flipped it open and showed Robert a very
large, well used Sheriff’s badge. Then he asked
Robert if he could keep a secret . He said, “yes sir I sure can.” So
Pete asked him to not tell his Mom about the badge.
Pete told Robert to go over by the pick-up and he would let old “Max”
the Labrador out of the truck and they could watch over each other. Robert was
a little nervous and asked if he was friendly. Pete told him that he was, but to just be sure
that Max did not lick him to death.
Jill did not seem to know if she liked that or not, but she bit her
tongue and did not say anything. Pete just kind of snickered as Robert was
trying to fend off Max and his licking.
Jill told Pete that the man in the store said there was a nice lady just
outside of town that took in people for a night or two if they got in trouble
out here in the “boondocks.” Pete told
her that would be the Thompsons and he would be glad to drive she and Robert
out to see if it was OK. He told her they have a large home and only the two of
them lived there. He also told her that they had an old “land line” telephone
there if they need to make any calls. She already knew that a cell phone did no
good out here.
Jill got some stuff out of the Lexus and they took it over and put it in
the back of the pick-up. Pete suggested that Robert and Max could ride in the
back of the pick-up, and Jill almost had a heart attack. Pete explained that
all kids should ride in the back of a pick-up sometime in their life and Max
would take good care of him. With Pete persuading and Robert jumping up and
down yelling, “please say yes, please say yes," Jill finally consented. Pete
lifted Robert in and then let the tail gate down and Max jumped in and they
took off down the road.
A little less than two miles out of town they made a turn and there
sitting on a hill, across the valley was a small group of homes situated about
¼ mile apart. Pete said, “well that is where you will be staying if Mrs.
Thompson takes you in.” As we approached Jill could see it was a large rambling
log home, that sat up on a little hill on the edge of the valley.
Jill said, “Oh it is beautiful,
but why do you think they built such a large home way out here in ”no where?”
Then Jill took a big breath and said, “I’ll bet they are snooty, living like
the King and Queen on a hill and overlooking and owning everything as far as
you can see!” Pete assured her that Mrs.
Thompson was a real Angel, but he was not so sure about her husband. Jill
thought about that for a minute then said, “ya that is usually my luck, I’ll
bet he is a real dragon."
They stopped the truck in front of the home and Max and Robert both
jumped out. Max headed up to the front door and Robert just followed him. Jill
called Robert and told him he better wait for Pete to make sure they were going
to be welcome. Just as she said that the front door opened and a pretty, petite
lady stepped out on the porch. She held her arms out toward Robert, and said,
“You must be Robert, come in before Max licks you to death.”
Jill looked at Pete and said, “Well she seems to be really nice, I hope
her husband is the same?” Pete looked at Jill and told her that he reckoned he
probably was.
They stepped into the living room and the lady of the house took Jill by
the arm and told her she presumed she was Jill and that little one must be
Robert and I am Angela, but everyone just calls me “Angie” or “Angel” take your
pick, I answer to both." Then she turned to Pete and said, “Of course you have already met my
husband Pete Thompson.” "He thinks he is
the big boss around here" and she looked at him and giggled.
Well the look on Jill’s face was indescribable. She turned to Pete and
stuttered a couple of words, but he was laughing so loud he could not tell what
she said. He finally said, “yup I guess I am the old Dragon.”Robert laughed and said, “yup we
rode all the way out to the boondocks with Pete the Dragon, Ha Ha.”
Pete and Angie were just one of those couples you could not help but
like. Angie asked Jill if she wanted to go up and change her "costume", which she
did without a word (even though Pete did not think it was a costume. He thought
it was her everyday wear.)
When she came back they had dinner. After dinner they sat and talked and
even laughed. Jill told them about her profession, which was, as she called it, a
stage performer and that she was headed for Las Vegas when the tire episode
happened. She told them that she was sure her manager would cover up for her
when he found out she would not make it tonight.
Pete told Jill that one of his grandsons was coming over tonight to have
a sleep over with Robert and Max. Jill wondered about the sleep over thing, but did not comment about it.
He also told her he had made arrangements for his son “Tim” to pick up a
tire for her car in the morning at the cross roads. It was a place where two main roads hooked
up. It really was just a big box with a padlock on it where neighbors and
businesses could drop things off. He told her Tim was going early and she could
be on her way by noon tomorrow.
They were all tired and ready to go to bed when they heard a clatter on
the back porch and “Joe Bob”, the grandson burst in like a hurricane. With one
foot in and one out he yelled, “Where is Robert I cannot wait to meet him.”
Well they met and talked and Angie commented that everyone must be tired and
they better get to bed.
Robert and Jill started for the back of the house but Joe Bob said, ”we
need to have prayer before we go.” So as if it happened every day, they all
knelt and Pete asked Joe Bob to say an evening prayer. Joe Bob prayed and they all stood up and
Jill thanked them profusely for all they had done. Robert, Joe Bob and Max
headed upstairs and Angie and Jill went down the hall to make sure everything
Jill needed was in the guest room.
The
last thing anyone heard that night was Max giving a small bark as if to say
good night and then all was quiet.
The next morning they all had a country breakfast. ( Both Jill and
Robert said they had never eaten so much at one sitting in all their life.)
Tim got an earlier start than he planned, so he ended up driving up in
front of the house at 10:00 AM to tell Jill that the tire was on the car and
ready to go so she could go into town and get it anytime she was ready.
After many expressions of thanks and almost arguments over how much Jill
and Robert owed for the nights lodging, food and running them around Pete said
they could pay for the tire and he would pay for the rest. Then Jill and Robert got in the old pick-up
and left to drop off their new friends to pick up their car.
All the way from the ranch to town all Robert could talk about was how
much fun he had and how living in the country was like a “real life” and not a
pretend one like he and Jill lived. Of course Pete did not have too much to say
but he smiled all the way to town.
As they stood by the Lexus ready to leave, they all hugged (which seemed
like a normal thing for the Thompson's, but something new for Jill and Robert.)
Jill told Pete that she did not think she could ever repay him for his
kindness.
They thanked Pete again and he told them that if they ever got out this
way again to be sure and drop in. As if an afterthought Pete told them about a
family get together they had every year in July. Not only did the entire Thompson
Family show up there. So did all the friends they had made over the years. It
seems there have been many people, over the years who had received help from
Pete and his Angel Wife.
It was time to go, they rolled the black windows all the way down and
waved as they pulled out on to the road. Robert yelled. “I hope we see you in
July.” Then he looked at Jill and said, “Do you really think we can come back
in July.” He looked at his mom for an answer and she had tears in her eyes.
Then she said. “I really hope so Robert, I really do.”
When Pete got home, Angie told him she was glad he had found some new
friends, and she supposed he invited them to the family party in July. He told
her that yes, he had invited them, and he knew she enjoyed having them there and it
was so fun to see the change in Robert in just two days.
Then she reached over and took Pete’s hand and they sat in the porch
swing and reminisced about their family and the friends they had made over the
years and how fortunate they were.
Angie looked at Pete and had a
big smile on her face, as she told him how cute that “Bob” was and she was sure
they would see them again in July. Pete jut grinned and said, “Yup I am sure
you are right.”
That night four different thoughts went through the minds of four
different people. JILL: I really did not know that there were people in the
world that lived a life like that—I am so jealous. BOB: It would be so great to
live a life like Joe Bob does. ANGELA: Well Pete has added a couple mere people
to his annual reunion list. PETE: Ain’t life great. I have made two more
friends, cheered up two more mad or sad people and it made me feel so GOOD to
do it. And MAX: He just settled on a “rag rug carpet” by the front door and
gave a couple of barks, then put his head between his front paws, and went to
sleep.
W.R. Baldwin
18 Dec 2016
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