Rhapsody in Grey - Part Two

A glorious sunset

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent -- that is to triumph over old age.                                                             Thomas Bailey Aldrich

When Rob arrived at Pat's apartment he quickly assessed the situation: chaise lounge?, no. So, he decided sensibly he couldn't sleep there. Because they were both vets, Rob said, "we can get a free hotel room on the military base." Sounds like a sane, rational plan right? The military base was Great Lakes, more than 100 miles from Chicago. They called a cab. I can only imagine the cabbie's face when they stated where they wanted to go and then imagine what that cost!

Meanwhile from California Mike, Rob's son, was gathering up his gear to come to the aid of his Dad. It was to be a rush job and because it was summer, he grabbed a suitcase, threw in surfer togs, a couple of extra sneakers, a few tank tops and grabbed the first plane he could catch. He flew all night, arriving at Uncle Pat's groggy and grumpy. No one was home and the apartment was locked up. His Dad and his uncle were probably just leaving Great Lakes. So Mike did what any sensible Californian would do - he went to hang out at the beach.

Our best guess is that the military base whisked the two brother into a cab as dawn broke the next day. All we know for sure is when sister Sal and husband Dirk returned to Pat's apartment the old men had returned from their adventure.

An hour or so later Mike returned to Pat's and reasonably asked his Dad, "Hey, where's your luggage?" "In the rental car." "Where is the rental car, Dad?" "In front of the fire station." "Which fire station?" "The fire station!"  Knowing that this conversation was getting him nowhere, Mike set out with the two elderly men to find the rental car with his father's clothes in the trunk.

Mike asked us later, "Do you have any idea how many fire stations there are in Chicago?" The task ahead was daunting and had they known which fire station it would have been so much easier. 

Mike called the Police and told them the story and they weren't terribly helpful. "It sounds like it's somewhere in Chicago, probably legally parked..." they said. Not helpful at all. Hoping that it would spark his father's memory, Mike set off with the two elderly gentlemen in tow to try to find the missing rental car.  After traipsing around for many hours, Mike took them to a McDonalds.

After eating, feeling less discouraged, he talked his father and uncle into going up to the party. Because his father's luggage was in the back of the misssing rental car Mike had to dress the two men in what was in his suitcase.

And so they arrived at the party in grand style, Mike's rental car: a big Lincoln Continental. Out from the car emerged, very slowly but with great dignity, our uncles Rob and Pat--- in surfer togs. Real surfer dudes, stooped with the years and shuffling but obviously glad to be with all of us.

We were thrilled to see our Uncles and Mike, and now we were able to entertain and feed them. We sang show tunes from the 30's and 40's for their enjoyment and lavished them with food and attention. We danced to our own music, drank and made very merry. We roared with laughter as we heard the three different versions of the Uncles' adventure from Sally, Dirk and Mike's perspective. Mike smiled sadly and seemed tired though delighted to be with all of us.

Finally exhausted, Mike rose and announced that he had to get some sleep. He'd booked tickets and was flying home with his Dad the next day. He was not looking forward to the trip back to Chicago or to the next day, anticipating more blank stares from his Dad and Uncle Pat regarding the rental car. Nor was he pleased about having to make more laborious official inquiries over where the car was and what to do about it.

Sunset over the ocean

After we gave them many hugs and kisses, Mike gently herded these two old men into that whale of a car. Before he wearily climbed in himself our sister Trisha said to him, "Mike you really should write this adventure of Rob and Pat as a short story." Mike looked at my sister and with a heavy sigh and a slow smile replied, "No, Trish, I plan to take two Quaaludes and forget the whole thing as soon as possible."

susansmagicfeather 2012 copyright Susan R. Grout all rights reserved