The old-man! Click!-Clack! Echo!
(There’s
a song in this memory-story somewhere? I’m sure there-is)
When I was a-kid, Lo! These 7-decades, ago, there was little-money---but…lots of-“Cool”!
I’d get two-pair of brand-new Levi’s for
the school-year in August each-year; to date-myself, they cost $4.00/pair. That
“huge”-expense bothered me, a-lot! I didn’t think it-fair to my-parents that
they should have such a financial-burden because of-me; they fed and housed-me,
it should have been-enough! I did chores since I can first-remember. And, I
really liked to be a helping-hand. Still-do! There is a special-satisfaction in
being a part of-something bigger than one's-self.
I mowed lawns for 50¢ a-week; did our
own for-“free”! They fed me-“Good”! An-Honor!
I-managed well-enough! Always found Happiness! Only, occasionally
caused-trouble! My Dad’s leather-belt had a “bite” one did not want to-incur on
any-kind of a regular-basis!?
I sure-enough loved those Perfect-fit Levi’s; folded a white
handkerchief into a triangle and inserted it into the right-rear pocket so just
“the right-amount of flag” stuck-out. Cool!
But, when I learned how-expensive the
jeans were, I opted for Lee- & Wrangler-brands! Each had a
leather-swatch bearing their-brand; they fit-Good!
Best-of-all: they were only $1.50/pair! The Cool!-emblem
of the triangle white-flag looked pretty sharp, even though they weren’t Levi’s.
My-parents never complained about a-lack
of-money! We always had-enough of-everything!
I did allow myself one-extravagancy: Taps on the-heels and toes of my
wing-tip shoes! Hmm!
An old-man lived on the-corner apartment
from the-school with his daughter; nice-guy!
He had a small-shop in the back-yard of
the complex where he maintained a shoe fix-it shop.
We made our own entertainment in
those-days; no-TV, computers, internet, money! Just-life!
Our-crew visited Old-man Worschem on
warm-afternoons, when he was “Open”!
He wore a Greek-style fishing-cap,
like one might see along the modern-day Oregon-coast, had unruly silver curls
flying askew around the adornment. He had a soft, inviting-voice; a quiet-demeanor! I think all the guys found him affable and everybody liked him; he might once have been a-cobbler.
For 25¢ he put a big-tap on the heel of
each-shoe; 15¢ got two small-ones on the toes! Cool!
We managed to scrounge-up some coins,
occasionally, mowing-lawns or returning soda-bottles for a recovery of a 2¢
deposit for small-bottles, a-nickel for quart-bottles. Always-a-way!
When I-strolled down the highly polished-floor of the school-hall---those-taps Echoed!...Cool!
Made my worthy Lee- and Wrangler-jeans
feel just like treasured-Levi’s! Cool!---Man…Cool!
Always---Appreciative!...Amen!
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