Oh Brother
Copyright© 2016 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 6
Bernie said, “Breakfast, Mr. Austin.”
On the picnic table chained to the concrete pad, the heat from the coleman stove burner was just finishing off the omelet.
“Ham, cheddar cheese and diced red pepper,” Bernie said. I hadn’t asked but she could see the question in my eyes.
“Just like I like it,” I said. “How did you know?”
“It’s in the will,” Bill said, coming around the back of the tent.
“Charlie’s will?”
“Yes,” Bill said.
“Where did the lantern and tent come from?” I asked, “And how did I get in bed?” I took a fork of omelet and spread it on the toasted bread, added a fork of hash browns and a spoon of mild salsa, folded the slice of bread over the mix and took a bite. “Mmmm, that’s tasty.”
The lantern and tent ... and the Coleman stove ... all came from the metal storage shed behind the summer house. The summer house was our third year at the lake. Charley bought it when he’d sold his first novel.
Charlie set it up as a temporary rental ... and occupied at the moment. After we toured the town and stopped at the boat yard to look at the collection of sailboats Charlie had bought for his kids to learn how to sail, we were on the road again Just the three of us ... and my memories.
The new roads have taken all the fun away from traveling. Michigan is industrial in the middle and deserted on the edges; in the winter, anyway. From about Michigan 57 north it’s pretty barren. A lot like Holland; bedroom communities for the big cities and tourist ‘attractions’ for the rest. Holland the country not Holland the city.
We stopped in Saint Johns and looked at the many CBA rental homes. Sad ... my growing up home is still law offices ... but I don’t recognize the name on the sign. All the rest of the houses on my one block street are gone.
We passed through Lansing on the way back to Belleville. Everything is gone ... REO is a big grassy field ... torn down and remade. All the places I used to go.
They say, you can never go home. But that isn’t true; home went away. Trash took over.
In Belleville, we went to Charlie’s home. To use a much used cliche; OMG!
Saunas; not one, not two, but three. One for mom and dad ... and 10 friends. One for her older kids ... and 10 close friends. And one for the junior league; big enough for company. All three had outside access perfect for rolling in the snow.
Hot tubs; the most interesting was the one on the boat dock. Ten or twelve soakers and the lake to cool off in. The master suite has a two person actual tub ... with a glass walled shower for four.
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