Grand Marais was the center of activity in the area. Didn't take much to be a center up in the Arrowhead as people were outnumbered by everything but flush toilets. When in town we'd take a tour of the sights. Gas station, IGA, one of the three cafes, always the Ben Franklin and hardware store. There Emil bought a leather handled Estwing hammer.
"Always wanted one but felt them to be downright decadent. Almost too nice to be gripped by hands like mine. Yup, this Estwing stands at the pinnacle of several millennia of metallurgy and deserves respect. It'd be a shame to mishit and bend a nail with such a tool. Maybe I should get a second? One for each of us. Share the blame. Seat them in our tool belts as though we were Knights Templar about to rescue the treasures of Christendom. Or simply satisfy ourselves with sinking nails into decking and two by fours. Maybe even blacken a thumb nail as a badge of honor. Sir Archie, we shall make this steel ours!" And off he marched to the front desk with me trailing behind like an unworthy lackey.
Don't know how many men of Uncle Emil's bent walked the aisles of Hardware Hank. No doubt the town had its share of characters over the years and thankfully, though definitely out of the ordinary, Emil was harmless. But he did raise his share of eyebrows. Being comfortable in his own skin and a little hard of hearing often drew unprepared others into his world. Sometimes from the far side of a cafe or three aisles over in the grocery store. Yes, Uncle Emil left an impression in many places he frequented, also a smile.
Emil kept up his banter as we wandered from store to store, "Ever tell you about my friends the Vidarcci twins, Harry and Gary? That Knights Templar thing got me thinking of them. Also the Muslims and the Masons, mainly 'cause the twins once joined them, the Masons that is. As far as I know they never became Muslims. They figured joining a group with a name like Masons was sure to get them work as brick layers. Good luck with that. Even I knew better. Anyhow, word of them as lodge brothers eventually reached St. Bruno the Incontinent - he was the thirteenth apostle you know. Should you ever take a close look at the painting of the last supper, Bruno's in the background just disappearing into the men's room - where they were parishioners, got them a dressing down from father Frank and banned from the Knights of Columbus. As was inevitable they were also thrown out of the Masons when they got the secret handshake confused with the one from the KC's."
By now we'd walked through the glass doors of The Hub and hunkered down to broasted chicken and mashed potatoes. Normally a time of celebration for us but I had some concerns about my uncle. From the general level of Emil's ramble, way below par for him, I could tell he was distracted and asked him if he was okay,
"Truth be known Archie, building the cabin is a bigger job than I'd thought it would be. But one thing I know for sure is I'm reaching the age where physical labor is sure to grow tougher every year. Last summer when thinking of what was coming up I figured the two of us could finish most of the structure, outside and indoors, in three months. Now I'll be happy should it be buttoned up against the elements by the time you head to school in the fall. Once I can move in, the finish work can be putzed away at my own speed."
"Could be part of the problem is building a new life in place of the one I had with Lena. Old dogs and new tricks. Can be done but it ain't easy. Anyhow, for better or worse it's finally lumber time. So we'll swing by the mill on our way back to let them know."
Like most folks, Emil assumed I had a driver's license. Why not? I'd been born in the U.S. of A. and seemed to be missing no necessary body parts. But no license. No car in the family. No prospect of borrowing what wasn't there and no desire to drop a bunch of cash on a car just so I didn't have to take the bus. Once I'd confessed, Emil came to see it as one of his missions on earth to put me behind the wheel. But never on the Gunflint Trail or the McFarland Road.
"No offense Archie but I'd have to have a gun to my head before I'd consider turning you loose on the Gunflint. Not so much I don't consider you a fine, upstanding and intelligent young man. Noooo. It's more that I lack a death wish. And a painful demise it'd be."
Whenever we were down in Grand Marais he'd turn me loose for a few miles on the highway. Emil's truck was a four speed manual transmission. Cornering required clutching, shifting and steering, all at the same time. That's why the Gunflint Trail was out of the question. As was maneuvering in town and any downhills requiring stopping or starting. Once down from the mill and on the highway it was a different story. Occasionally Emil'd let me take the wheel in town and do the run all the way to Hovland. And I'd do it flawlessly. Big grin on my face like I was ready for the Grand Prix.
"Outside of the whiplash and the pain my ears suffered from your grinding of the gears, you're getting better. Didn't even once come near to screaming in terror this time. Well, maybe that one time near the five mile rock. And again as you somehow managed to take the syncro out of the synchromesh transmission on the downshifts over the Brule. Yup, another eight or ten years and just maybe you'll have it down pat."
After dinner we did little but sit by a small fire. For once I did the talking. Not a good sign. Emil was dog tired and showed it. He even started me off on a ramble of my own. Talk about topsy-turvy. Leaned back and got the ball rolling with, "High school. Figure you must have gone. So tell me about it." While I stared off to the heavens he leaned back in his red camp chair and sipped coffee.
My time in school was a little embarrassing for me. Throughout my description I kept my eyes averted. Didn't dare make contact for fear of seeing the disappointment on Emil's face. "Well, it was four years long if you count ninth grade. And must have be easy seeing as how I graduated with honors without doing a whole lot. Would have had my picture in the yearbook had I'd gotten off my butt a few days earlier. Got a lot of finger wagging 'shame, shame', about being on the last page with no picture over my name. And an embarrassment to me when I saw a copy. On the upside, the yearbook I never bought didn't cost a cent.
" But heck, there was a lot more than that. Would have been the star pitcher on the baseball team had I played after ninth grade. Could have been salutatorian had I knuckled down. So for the most part high school was a coulda, shoulda kind of thing. Shoulda gone to DeLaSalle High School but just like I'd been warned by Sister Eleanor Marie, I didn't get my application in on time. Almost didn't get into ninth grade 'til I got off my rear and registered about a week before school was to start. Didn't date, didn't go to dances. Guess things that terrified me held no attraction. You'd almost think I was making this stuff up to pass time but it's all true. Geez, I better stop or you'll kick me out of camp."
That wasn't the end of it. Went on for a few more minutes. Not that I had any regrets. I'd done what felt right at the time. Some students swam through the waters of high school, some sank. I treaded water.
When I finally looked up, there sat Emil, sound asleep, chin on chest. Don't know if he heard a word I said. Probably would have been best had he not. I gave his shoulder a gentle shake.
"Sorry about that Archie. Guess I was tired. Don't know about you but I'm gonna brush my teeth and hit the hay", Emil chuckled, "maybe next time around, high school will go better for you but I doubt it. Mostly it's about survival. Seems you did fine." He shuffled off toward the tent. The sun was still up when he turned in.
Sat there for another hour. Smoked a couple of butts and watched the flames flicker down. Coals below, stars above, I also turned in.
No comments:
Post a Comment