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Judy
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 16
After Lunch let’s go hunt treasure.
Start of Treasure Hunt,
[i
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject: Rivkah and Betty were laughing when they finally made their way to the bottom of the stairs. As they stepped off the last rise Mona appeared from out of nowhere. Mona’s sudden appearance startled Rivkah but Betty had another response to Mona’s arrival. She opened her arms as Mona fell into them weeping silently. While holding Mona in her arms Betty gave Rivkah a motherly look. Instantly Rivkah digressed and said,
“I think I’ll just make myself a cup Betty”
Feeling a little bit awkward in the midst of a motherly moment Rivkah quickly assessed the situation downstairs. All the men were playing poker and in deep thought. Maverick was clean as a whistle and the room smelled of cigars and Canadian beer. The men did not notice the drama that unfolded in the stairwell, they just studied their cards. One would grunt and slam down a card then everyone cussed and tossed their cigars around. Rivkah quietly made her way to a big fluffy easy chair near the fireplace. Relieved she found a quiet place away from the smoke she sat down in the big old chair.
Crash! Rivkah sat on the chair and fell through the bottom since the cushions were gone. She screamed as she fell through the chair while pillows cover and extra blankets flew around the living room. Startled Rivkah looked up only to see the faces of everyone in the house looking down at her. The kids even woke up wanting to know what was going on. Even teary eyed Mona was trying not to crack a smile over Rivkah’s crash. Then Betty spoke;
“Are you ok?”
Then everyone tried to assist her in getting out of the lounge chair. In the back ground Antonio and Miguel were bickering;
Antonio said;
“Ok, pay up Miguel”
Grudgingly Miguel handed Antonio some money as Antonio continued;
“I told you someone would fall through the chair if you removed the cushions”
“Well I did not expect anyone to be using it this late in the evening. Besides, you wanted to sit on the floor anyway so you should halve the bet”
The twosome laughed as they walked over to the chair with the missing cushions.
“Sorry Rivkah I took the cushions so we could sit on the floor earlier. I did not think anyone would be using the chair right now”, Miguel sheepishly said to Mona.
Then Antonio chimed in;
“EEEE, did you mean right now right now?
Later Mona approached Rivkah as she sat drinking her coffee with Betty.
“Rivkah, I want to thank you for cleaning up my mess and apologize for how I acted earlier. Sometimes my temper gets the best of me”
Rivkah responded;
“That’s ok Mona there is no need to apologize”
Again, in the back ground you could hear Antonio and Miguel snickering. It caught the attention of Betty who sternly turned around and looked directly at Antonio and said;
“OK you guy’s, what are you up to now?”
Holding back laughter Antonio answered.
“Umm, we were just making a small wager on how long it would take before Mona buffed Maverick up again. Oh, and sorry about the cushions Rivkah”
“You guys are shameless” retorted Betty
Then with pride Miguel and Antonio stood up, their arms around each other in a sign of camaraderie, and said;
“We are as shameless as it gets!”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 15
After Lunch let’s go hunt treasure.
Start of Treasure Hunt,
[i
| Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject: | ||||||||||||
| As everyone was finding a place to sit Antonio chimes in;“Oh oh, its fry bread verses Betty Crocker Pancakes eh Miguel?” Miguel started laughing and the two of them unpacked their bags as if they were searching for something. The sound from outside was of an argumentative nature as Mona and Maverick spoke in loud but muffled tones. Rivkah continued to assist Betty in preparing coffee and cake for the guests. Sal was rescued from the awkward moment as Phil handed him a photo of a motorcycle and said; This is my Harley. Course it’s not like your motor bike with all them fancy gizmo’s and all. It’s a bare bones old timer with a jockey shift. Eves dropping, Betty retorted; “You mean suicide don’t you Phil?” Ignoring the sound of a trash can being tossed around and the bickering from the outside Sal commented on the photo; “Wow, this is a Panhead. I haven’t seen one of these in quite a while. Do you still have this scooter around?” The noise was getting louder and more cans were being thrashed around outside. Rivkah was not sure how to handle the commotion but she looked to Betty for a hint of direction. Feeling Rivkah’s uneasiness she spoke; Oh don’t worry about those two. They will eventually iron things out. Any minute the two of them will walk inside as if nothing has happened, just watch. Gazing at the picture of the motorcycle, Phil told Sal; “Once the clash of the titans is through I’ll show her to yea. She is parked next to my big wrecker in the shop. She ain’t nothing fancy but she runs like a top, course I had to do some modifications since I bought it back in 68’.” Sal looked at the picture then turned his head towards the door where the sound of WW III was waging. Unperturbed the kids were gathered around Antonio and Miguel as they handed out gifts and candy. Excitedly the kids accepted the presents and eagerly ate the candies. Then the outside banter stopped and dead silence befell the once tumultuous meeting. Then the door flew open and Mona was the first to step inside the house. Seizing the moment Antonio said; “Hey, the ax murderer returns!” Mona, with a plastic smile, said in a calm voice; “We’re ok, just had to iron out a few things first, isn’t that right Mav?” Stepping into the door, his shirt and hair messed up and a bit red faced, and said in an equally plastic tone of voice; “Oh yes, everything is just fine” Still laughing Miguel retorted; “EEEEEEEEE, at least I don’t see any blood eh. You got off easy, this time.” Maverick smiled coldly as he tried to act with composure. Mona’s hair and clothing were just as dislocated as Mav’s. The two of them sat at different ends of the big dinning room table with chilling smiles. The room began to smell of fresh perked coffee as Rivkah distributed the cups on the table. When she was done she was making her way to the coffee pot when Mona offered; “No, I’ll get it. Would you like a cup Mav?” “Umm, ok, yeah sure I’ll take a cup” He said hesitantly. Firmly grabbing the coffee pot Mona made a bee line to where Maverick was sitting” The room froze as Mona stormed over to Maverick’s end of the table. Quietly and snickering Antonio told his brother; “I have 10 bucks on loco sister” Laughing to himself, Miguel agreed and the two of them waited with anticipation for the final outcome. Sal was looking read hard at the photo now. He was at a loss as to how to respond or act. Rivkah was equally at a loss as Mona got closer and closer to Maverick. Phil reached for a kitchen towel and tossed it to Betty in silence when Mona began to pour Maverick a cup of coffee. Maverick tightened up as she poured but nothing out of the ordinary happened. In the corner of Sal’s eye he could see Antonio hand Miguel a 10 dollar bill. Rivkah was relieved that Mona did not dump the coffee on Mavericks lap, so was Maverick. Maverick looked to Mona and meekly said; “Thank you” She glared back at him with her frosty smile and said; “It was nothing” Then under her breath she retorted; “Believe me” Looking for an exit strategy Sal immediately asked Phil if he could see the Harley and the two of them made a hasty exit. Betty hollered; “Chicken” In an effort to quell the artificial silence Rivkah grabbed the plate of cake and made her was to Mavericks side of the table. Betty made an motion to stop her but it was to late. As Rivkah approached Maverick Mona grabbed the cake from the plate and smashed it on Mavericks face. Rivkah scurried over to Betty’s side in search of safety. Then a genuine smile befell Mona as she pranced to her end of the table. Maverick sat there for a moment then licked his lips and said; “MMMM, I like the walnuts Betty” In the corner of the room Antonio and Miguel were still snickering and Antonio said; “OK Miguel, fork over my 10 bucks” _________________ Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
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Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 14
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Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 12 1/2
After Lunch let’s go hunt treasure.
Start of Treasure Hunt,
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:12 am Post subject: As Rivkah sat in her car waiting she could hear a distant rumble. It was getting louder and louder. Then the noise stopped so she continued to sip her coffee and nosh on her treat. Then as she sat passing the time she heard a loud horn. The sound was so loud and abrupt she literally leaped out of her skin spilling her coffee. Then she looked in her rear view mirror and saw nothing but a gigantic bumper and part of a massive grill.
Frightened by what she thought was a moving truck she frantically tried to start her car. She began to fumble with the keys and cursing in Hebrew nervously.
“Oy Vey, I’m going to be crushed like the glass at Morey’s wedding”
The car would not start but she still was struggling with the key when she heard a tap on the glass. She looked out the window and saw this tall hulk of a man dressed in western attire, clean neat and had nicely trimmed hair mustache and mutton chops. The man was smiling as she rolled down the window and he said in a calm voice;
“Are you Rivkah? I’m Maverick and this car is a smoke bomb. When you passed me all I saw was smoke. Looks like rings to me”
Still a bit confused she asked;
“What, what are you talking about?”
Maverick explained;
“The engine, it may be smoking because your piston rings are shot or it could be the valves. Pop the hood and let me take a look-see”
She opened the hood and Maverick stuck his head into the engine compartment. He was there for a few minutes when Rivkah got out of the car and joined him in the front. He looked at her shaking his head. She asked;
“What’s wrong?”
He began to explain what the problem was when another truck pulled up along side his rig. It was an ugly yellow Cab Over truck with duct tape on one of the fenders. Rivkah and Maverick just looked at the truck as the driver jumped out of the cab. He was a portly man wearing shorts and his shirt was stained with food. He was unkept and had a foul smell about him. With a sinister look in his eyes he said;
“So this is the gal who joined out parade eh. Boy you’re a cute little thing. Looks like you scored Maverick but do I get a finders fee? How about a little kiss for ole Stacy…”
At that moment Maverick stepped out from in front of the car and in-between Rivkah and the vulgar driver. As Maverick got closer it was obvious Maverick was taller and more than this rude driver wanted to cope with. Maverick put his arm on the guys shoulder and politely asked him to walk around the trailer so they could “talk”. The two of them disappeared behind the trailer. In a minute or two both came out from behind the trailer. The portly driver had a different expression on his face as he approached Rivkah and said in an intimidated voice;
“Miss, I would like to apologize for the statement I made earlier. I was out of line and I’m sorry”
Still not sure what to make of all this Rivkah accepted his apology. Then the driver looked towards Maverick and said;
“Are we square Mav?”
With a quiet nod of his head Maverick acknowledged the groveling remorseful drivers query. In an instant he was back into his truck and in a few minutes he was clean out of sight. Turning towards Rivkah Maverick continued his conversation;
“I think you blew a head gasket since you have oil in your water and the side of the motor is covered in oil. I checked the fluid levels and found that you don’t have any oil left in the motor. Did the engine make any weird sound?”
“Yes it did as a matter of fact. When I pulled into the truck stop the motor was making a loud hammering sound. Why, is that bad?” she said.
Maverick sighed;
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think your motor is toast. You’re lucky you made it over the hill”
Resigned to the fact her car was dead in the water she pondered her fate;
“Oh my, I was not ready for this. I’ve traveled so far and now I don’t think I will make it to Littleton. This has been such a bad trip, I should have stayed home”
Maverick offered a suggestion;
“There is a garage on the other side of town that is very reasonable. They do emergency road work on Big Trucks and they don’t charge an arm and a leg. If you like I can give them a buzz”
At a loss for any direction of her own she replied;
“I don’t know anyone here, and I am 200 miles from where I need to be. Umm, OK give your friend a call, if you don’t mind”
Then Rivkah began to cry.
“Oh geeze, it’s not that bad. Surely your people will understand if you are broke down. I’ll tell you what, let me give Phil a call and see if he can get you in early and check out your car”
Calming down she agreed then he made the call. After a few minutes of chatting he turned his attention to Rivkah who was lost in thought. With a hint of satisfaction he told the stranded motorist;
“I got some good news and some bad news. I’ll start with the good. Phil’s coming down with the tow truck to haul you into the garage, that’s the good news. Umm, the bad news is Phil can’t get to your car till tomorrow at the very earliest”
Unconsciously Maverick looked at his watch catching Rivkah’s eye. Knowing she must be taking up to much of his time she said;
“Well I don’t want to take up anymore of your time. But I want to thank you for helping me. I really appreciate it. I would not have found a good mechanic to fix my car and…….”
She began to whimper as she came to the reality she was stranded with a broke down car. She was starting to feel very alone. Tugging at Mavericks heart strings the seasoned driver pulled out his cell phone and made a call then looked at Rivkah and said;
“Well, I passed on the load in Fort Morgan. I want to make sure you’re OK before I pull out of here”
Just then a tow truck pulled up and a saintly older man with white hair jumped out of the truck.
“Mav, how the hell are you? I haven’t seen you in a coon’s age. How is the ole Pete running you old sun of a gun?”
The man reached for Mavericks hand to shake it. At that moment Maverick grabbed Phil and gave him a big hug and said;
“Hey pop, it’s so good to see you again. It’s been a while eh”
The old man retorted;
“I’ll say, it’s been at least three years I’ll bet. And you’re looking fit as a fiddle, not bad for an ole gear jammer like you. Is this the filly who’s broke down?”
“Yup, sure is Phil, I told her you was the best in the west” Maverick said.
“Well, let’s take the car to the shop and see if we can breathe some life back into her. You going to stick around and visit for a while or are you going to head back out? You really need to take a break if you’ve been doing what I think you’re still doing”
For a moment Maverick’s expression turned to a look of sadness. He paused then replied;
“You know I can’t lie to you Phil. I’ve been hammering it ever since, you know”
The two old buddies hooked the car to the wrecker. Maverick looked to Rivkah and said;
“Well, I’ll follow you to the garage”
With that statement Rivkah and Phil piled into the tow truck and off they went to the garage. Maverick and his shiny Peterbilt were right behind them.
Phil was a kindly man with a very good heart and Rivkah felt very safe. With curiosity she asked him a question;
“What were you guys talking about back there? What was Maverick hammering or whatever?”
The jovial demeanor disappeared from Phil’s face and he began his oratory;
“Maverick is one hell of a guy but he has not gotten over loosing his wife and kids about three years ago”
Knowingly Rivkah responded;
“Oh, I get it. His wife and kids left him since he was always on the road huh. I heard a trucker’s life is hard on relationships. It’s too bad, he seems like a nice guy”
In a fatherly voice Phil continued;
“Well you’re right; a trucker’s life is spent in the cab of their trucks. Many drivers only spend a hand full of days at home a year while spending the rest of their lives driving, delivering and picking up freight. But that’s not what happened to Mav.
You see, about three years ago his wife and kids were on their way to meet him in Grand Island Nebraska. They were going to spend a week with him on the road since they used to travel with him when school was out. While they were on their way to meet him a car driven by a drunk driver plowed into the side of Mav’s wife’s car. The car burst into flames according to witnesses who tried in vane to rescue them but they died in the fire. Some idiot video taped the accident scene. It was bad news since you could hear the kids and Marge, his wife, screaming in the burning wreckage.
Well, Maverick was at the truck stop waiting for his family. While he was at the truck stop he got wind of a fatal accident down the road. He did not think much about it since drivers see many accidents all the time on the big road. So poor ole Mav waited and waited and waited no Marge and the kids. He called his house, nobody home. Then as he was walking out of the café a roll back tow truck drove in. The truck had his family car or the burnt out hunk sitting on the back. On the floor of the wrecker was the burnt remnants of a stuffed teddy bear with his son’s name on the tag.
The tow truck driver had the video and was going to turn it into the state trooper’s office since someone handed it to him at the scene. Somehow Maverick got hold of the video. It was bad enough he found out the hard way his family was killed but the video let him watch his family burn to death. He heard his kids crying for their daddy, their little arms flailing in the molten mass and flames and his wife plead to G*D to let her die. It was to much. I don’t know how anyone could just tape something like that. I got physically sick when I saw the video.
Me and my son drove out to Nebraska to get Mav and his truck. He was in the police station. He was not arrested or anything. He was in protective custody since he was so grief stricken. Suicide watch or something. For a moment there I thought he was never going to pull out of it. He was cat, umm, catt something”
Rivkah added;
“Do you mean catatonic?”
Phil continued;
“Yeah that’s the word catatonic. The poor guy loved his wife and kids very much, they were his world. He used to take November and December’s off so he could be with his family for the holidays. He used to call it “Quality Dad Time”. Summers you’d see the cab of his Peterbilt filled with his family. They traveled everywhere together for 3 ½ months in the summer. I never saw such a close family like his. They would come and visit us, do laundry and stretch their legs, than off they would go.
We brought him home with us and for a while we thought we lost him. It was one of the saddest things I ever witnessed. He looks good now, like he used to before the accident. But he was nothing but skin and bone. If it were not for my grand son who was 5 at the time Maverick would be dead I believe”
Emotionally torn by the sad tale Rivkah asked;
“Why, what did your grand son do?”
Taking a deep breathe Phil told Rivkah;
Maverick was in the basement bedroom. It was the safest place for him we thought since he could not leave the house without us knowing. Well Mav was almost gone; he was dying little by little since he was starving himself to death. There was no way we or the doctors could snap him out of it. And I was not about to let them take him to the loony bin, course it was getting close I have to admit. Well he was always like an uncle to all the kids in our family and he’r become part of the family over the years. His wife and kids were our like our own as well. So we were hit pretty hard too, but not like Maverick.
Then one day my grandson Joshua managed to get downstairs and into Mav’s room. Don’t know how the little poop butt managed to get down there either. But anyway he crawled into Maverick’s bed and said, “Please uncle Maverick, please don’t die, we love you too” or something like that and while we were watching TV Maverick’s emaciated body managed to make it up the stairs. Little Joshua was yelling “Uncle Maverick is back, Uncle Maverick is back”. We ran to the stairwell and sure as shoot’n there was that ole snuff skeeter crawling up the stairs. And there was Joshua helping the ole boy out.
Gawd, this is hard Rivkah. When I looked down at my buddy he looked up to me and said, “I’m really hungry”, it was the first sensable thing he said in months. As it turned out we fattened him up a bit. Then he hit the concrete sea and has been on the road ever since. All he does is drive Rivkah, all he does is drive. He has paychecks he had not cashed in his sleeper. All he does is pay for fuel and tires and a few groceries. I know he is still running from himself but at least he is healthy other than that. If you did not break down when you did, I might not have seen him for another three years. All he does is just moves cows to market”
With tears in her eyes Rivkah was overwhelmed by the story of her rescuer. It struck a core of her being. Then Phil added more bit of information;
“If you ever get a chance to get in the cab of his truck, there is a locket of hair from each of his kids and his wife’s he has on the sun visor. It’s the only possession he cares about. That stupid tape is in the cubby of the sleeper, I know because I’m a nosey old fart and I poked around the truck before he left. Man, that was over three years ago. Oh, and if you look at the back of his sleeper there is a painting of his wife and kids on it with a caption, They are in heaven and in my heart”
As Phil wheeled the tow truck to a halt, Maverick pulled his rig along side the wrecker and tooted his horn. Out of the back of the house next to the shop several women and a flock of kids ran outside. They were excited and were yelling Maverick’s name. It was a reunion of sorts as they surrounded his rig. People were hugging and embracing him as he jumped out of the truck. It even appeared the dogs were excited to see him.
Rivkah watched as this giant of a man grabbed three kids at a time and give them a big hug. Kids were even holding his legs and the hounds wagged their tails like windshield wipers. The elder woman, Phil’s wife, burst into tears and grabbed Maverick like he was her long lost son as she wept in Maverick’s arms.
With tears mixed with a catty smile the elder woman said;
“I ought to hog tie you to the barn you crazy SOB. Where the heck have you been? I know I know”
Maverick and the old woman said in unison;
“All Over!”
Maverick looked at the old woman up and down and said;
“You’re looking younger every day Betty”
She faked a scowl;
“You are such a liar Maverick, some things never change. You are going to stay for dinner, you know that”
“Yes, Yes, Yes, how can I resist your sweet potato pie, besides I can’t walk away from a free meal?”
Betty turned and said to Rivkah;
“And you young lady are staying for dinner as well”
In a semi whisper Betty asked Maverick;
“And who is this beautiful young lady Mav, hmmmmmmm?”
Slightly embarrassed he said;
“Oh ah, it’s nothing like that Betty she is the stranded motorist I brought. Her car took a dump at the truck stop and I referred her to Phil, that’s all.”
Still looking at Rivkah Betty retorted;
“I like her, she has kind eyes. Maybe it’s time for grand ma to play cupid”
Turning beet red Maverick felt like he was standing buck naked at a church social. All of a sudden he wanted to be invisible. Then Betty went on;
“Rivkah sweetie, Maverick is our highway guardian angel and a good catch I might add. He needs a good woman and shut up Phil, I know what you’re about to say”
Phil looked at Maverick then Betty and finally Rivkah then said;
“I’m keeping out of this one”
Totally embarrassed, Maverick was at a loss for words. He turned slowly to see Rivkah’s reaction. Then he noticed Rivkah was smiling and looking directly at him. Still suffering the open fly syndrome, Maverick wished he could find a rock to crawl under. Then the younger woman said;
“She is a looker Mav”
Thinking to himself he mumbled;
“Somebody shoot me”
Betty called everyone into the house and the crowd obeyed the matriarch of the family and started shuffling inside. The smell of home cooking was wafting in the yard. Paralyzed with embarrassment or fear Maverick stood there hoping to find a graceful exit of some kind. But where on Earth could he run to. Then as the last of the family members made their way back into the house Maverick felt someone grab his arm. It was Rivkah as she lovingly put her arm around him and said;
“Hey Big Strapper, lets have some supper”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:41 pm Post subject: | |
| | |
| Dinner went without a hitch as old friends talked about old times. Maverick told story after story about life on the road and the people he met. Everyone was mesmerized by the tales of adventure as he told of tornados, blizzards and floods he and his rig endured on his travels. He spoke about his truck as if it was his best friend and in some way it was.Rivkah listened intently to his stories as well. This was a part of life she never knew or had any concept of. “So this is the life of a trucker”, she thought as she began to learn more about this mystery man named Maverick. She panned the scene in Phil and Betty’s home. It was like a snapshot of a home back in the 30’s with all the antiques and old yellowing pictures. As if time stood still she found herself looking at all the old photographs. There was a fuzzy old black and white picture of people standing around a wagon. Obviously this was taken back in the 1800’s but she noticed something in the photograph that caught her eye. Standing with these rugged old time mule skinners was a slight woman wrapped in a blanket with a tiny child. Noticing Rivkah’s curiosity Betty chimed in; “That’s my great, great grand mother, Sarah ‘Kicking Fox” Jones’. They say she saved my grand pa’s life on their way to Colorado back in the old days.” Laughing with a sinister glee, Betty continued; “They say she also killed a bandito in the process. Yup, she opened them up with that big ole Bowie Knife on the wall over there next to our wedding picture”. Utterly stunned, Rivkah exclaimed; “Oh my goodness!” Rivkah was almost in a state of shock from what she just heard. Then Betty added more to the story about her granny. Maverick looked to Phil with a knowing glance as they both smiled since they heard this story before. “Grand ma and grand pa were coming out of North Carolina when some outlaw jumped grandpa and shot him in the chest. Leaving him for dead he leaped onto the wagon. That’s when grand ma came to the front of the wagon. Guess he beat her up a bit and I guess he was going to have his way with her when she pulled out that old knife. They say she opened him up like a trout and all his innards fell out. Grief stricken she ran to grand pa and to her surprise he was still breathing. Guess she could hear the wind blowing through his chest since the bullet went right through his lung. She nursed him back to health out in the wilderness and she hunted for the three of them and used herbs to heal his chest wound. They don’t make women like that anymore.” “You’re no slouch yourself ma”, said Phil. “Tell her about the pig-napper you shot.” “You shot someone?” exclaimed the amazed visitor. With a twinkle in her eye Betty acknowledged her Annie Oakley style adventure with a cattle rustler who tried to steal her pig. Rivkah was totally amazed at the pioneer frontiersman candor Betty possessed. She never encountered people outside of the bustling world of the city before so this was novel at best. Curiously she asked Betty; “Did you kill the thief who stole your pig?” Laughingly Betty retorted; “Naw, I was using that old double barreled shotgun over in the corner. It was loaded with rock salt and bacon grease. When the sheriff came a calling it did not take him long to find the old crook since he was hole up in a storm drain down the road crying from the salt in his wound. Ole Mav, he’s the real hero here. He rescued an old woman from her car when she had a stroke and drove off into the irrigation ditch. Yup, he slammed the brakes of his big truck and ran across the road and pulled her out, just ask him. Ain’t that right Mav?” Rivkah turned towards Maverick only to catch him walking out the door with Phil. Once outside Maverick and Phil went into the garage where Rivkah’s car was. They studied the car for a while when Phil chimed in; “Both you and I know this wreck is not worth fix’en eh Mav? This motor is completely shot and I don’t think even my magic will get that gal to Denver. She won’t make it to Walsenburg. Your know Mav, she ain’t bad on the eye sight ole buddy.” Ignoring Phil’s last statement Maverick queried his old friend; “Do you have anything lying around she could use? She has a job or something up north she needs to get to I believe. I sure hate to leave her stranded out here in the boonies. She’s sort of a city slicker” “How did you manage to get involved with this gal Mav?” asked Phil. “I’m not involved with her Phil, I only just met her a few hours ago. She was following me up to the Mile High. Than reminds me, I better call dispatch about my load” After a quick chat on the phone Maverick looked to Phil and said; “Guess I’ll be sticking around for a day or so. Looks like there are no loads ready. I might as well visit eh.” You know you’re always welcome here Mav, you’re family and it’s been a while my friend, said Phil. Back in the house Betty and Rivkah were just making small talk. When Rivkah asked; “I notice your grand mother was wrapped in a blanket” “Yup, most of her pictures you’ll see her wrapped in a blanket, course that’s what most of her people wore when it was cold out” “Her people?” Quizzed Rivkah. “Yes, she was a Cherokee woman, guess that makes me an Injun as well” she said with a giant smile. ‘Indian? You don’t look Indian Betty.” Said Rivkah. Laughing, Betty turned to Rivkah; “Umm what does an Indian look like anyway? And how did you know my nickname Rivkah? That’s what people call me, Indian Betty among other things. Bet you would never have guessed that Phil is a card carrying Choctaw. We might be pink on the outside but we are Native America’s. Wait till morning when our friends Antonio and Miguel show up. Now they look like a couple renegade red skins if I ever saw one. That reminds me, I better defrost the neck bones for stew tomorrow.” At that moment Betty stood up and went to the freezer. Rivkah was pondering all the information she had just received. Truly this was a cultural experience for her since she never met Natives before. Then she thought; “I wonder if they have a tipi?” | |
Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 12
After Lunch let’s go hunt treasure. Start of Treasure Hunt,
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:55 am Post subject: Oh Great, this was all she needed! After that Spring time Snowstorm! Her boss paying her that surprise visit and his wipe out on his bike in that icy parking lot, sliding into her!
Now her car decides to rebel here in a town named Trinidad? Which she had heard mentioned in passing , so it definitely was rich in History, this could be an adventure?
She suddenly heard….. “Hey Rivkah, you got a copy on the Maverick?”
She had left this newcomer in her life, sitting on a side of a hill as she passed him.
Her vintage Buick Skylark was insulted, as His big diesel was making short order of the steep incline and it kept falling further and further behind. But to top it off then the trucker Maverick says …….
“Well honey you better mash the gas and move that ass if you want to keep up with me” Yes, it all went down hill after that when Rivkah then laid a heavy foot on the gas pedal! Groan …. talk about adding insult to injury.
Rivkah answers back…..
“Maverick? Maverick do you hear me? I’m at the truck stop here in Trinidad. Something happened to the car”
There is a long pause …… oh boy , thought Rivkah . He is bye byeing it out of here! I hope he radios the Truckers following us or are they listening in now? Then suddenly his voice comes back on the radio saying!
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch”
Ann LRD
Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:44 pm Post subject: Well, the truckers were all heading in her direction, so it was not out of their way. Best of all, to top it off it was a good size very busy Truck Stop.
Rivkah had managed to get the car to the big Truck Stop sign she saw way down the highway, as the car sent out black smoke behind her. She just hoped she had not pushed it too far. Rivkah was also glad it was the actual place of business!
Rivkah had already gotten her coffee and something to eat – to go. As she had asked information about getting her car checked out. She knew she had better stay close by her car if this ‘Big Strapper’ as the other truckers called him did show up soon. She figured he was a big or tall man going by that nick name but of course had no idea what he would look like and He did not know what she looked like either so she needed to stay with the car.
So there she sat waiting for, Maverick.
Ann LRD
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:26 am Post subject: Like a deer caught in the headlights Sal was speechless as the elders began to chuckle. An old man with barely one tooth looked at Sal and said;
“John Wayne’s real name was Marion Morrison and he was a big man like you. Only thing different is you’re a motorcycle man.”
Still speechless Sal turned and looked at Mona hoping she would enter into the conversation. Biting her tongue she grabbed Sal’s arm and sat him down next to the group. Then the old man continued;
“I used to ride one of them motor bikes when I was in the Army. I was in the 3rd Armored Division in Normandy. I got shot off it twice by them Nazi’s, hombre let me show you my scar”
Then the old man began to pull up his shirt when his wife stepped it;
“Lencho por favor no mientras comemos!”
Almost immediately the old man began to tuck his shirt back into his pants and said in a sheepish voice;
“Si Angelica”
Sal turned to Mona and asked what the old couple said. She whispered;
“She does not want him to undress while we are eating”
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”, he replied.
Sal made some small talk to try and ease what he thought was tension between the old couple.
“Lencho was that a WLA 45 Harley Davidson by chance?”
Returning the sparkle to his eyes, with a sense of pride the old man eagerly responded;
“I rode an INDIAN the first time I was hit. The second time I rode a Harley but when I was hit that time I was behind enemy lines”
Then the old man paused and turned to his wife. He grabber her hand to comfort her since she was beginning to well up with tears. Then the old man continued;
“I got pretty messed up when them Krauts hit my bike the last time. I woke up a few days later in a farm house. My arm and leg was messed up. Sure glad them resistance guys found me first”
Holding back the tears the old woman spoke out;
“I’ll never forget when the soldiers came to the house. My heart still hurts when I think about the day they said you was missing in action you old prune. I died that day and my life felt so empty. All I could think of was you lying in some ditch…………”
Struggling to hold back the tears she continued;
“…….so far from home”
The table fell quiet as she silently wept. Sal reached for his bandana and offered it to the old woman. The old man was comforting the love of his life as she spoke about the months she lived knowing he was dead. The scene was quite moving in contrast to the festive occasion at the bar and grill.
Feeling moved by this turn of events, Sal turned and glanced at Mona. She was covering her mouth and streams of tears flowed down her cheeks. She was futilely trying to hide her emotions. Then in an effort to change the mood of the conversation Sal chirped;
“Umm, I smell chilly. Is it any good?”
The old man, taking the hint said;
“Chilly is real good, its’ Hatch Chilly from New Mexico. They say it’s the best in the world. Get a bowl before it’s all gone”
Snapping out of her sorrow Angelica chimed in;
“I made the fry bread and the sopapilla’s so you better hurry. They don’t last long around here”
Regaining her composure Mona stood up and made a motion for Sal to accompany her to the table full of food. As they walked to the bountiful display she leaned over to him still choking back tears and emotion then whispered to him;
“That’s so beautiful; they’re still in love after all these years”
In a clumsy move to add levity to their conversation Sal made an attempt at humor;
“Hey, this is the first time I saw you cry when you was awake”
Stopping in their tracks, Mona glared at Sal then punched him in the side then retorted;
“Let me get the bowl for her Francis”
Upon their return to the table everyone was laughing and having fun telling jokes. Sal sat down at the table and was making preparations to eat. The old woman queried;
“Did you find the chilly OK?”
“Mona got it for me. There was such a variety” said Sal.
Angie queried again;
“Mona did you see the Habaneros?”
With a devilish smile she said calmly;
“Yes”
The two women and the old man smiled at one another as they watched intently as Sal began to eat.
“Ay Caramba!” yelled Sal as he frantically gulped down a soda.
His mouth was in flames as the habanero chilly did its deed on his unsuspecting pallet.
Calmly Mona looked over to the woman and said;
“Yes, I found the habaneros”
With his mouth afire he looked desperately at Mona as if to ask why.
With a smile and in a soft monotone voice she said to Sal;
“Gosh Francis, this is the first time I saw you cry while you’re awake too”
Just then, the door to the establishment flew open and two long haired Native men walked into the bar. The crowd stopped and the room fell silent as one man said;
“Ola people where’s the free chow?”
Then the whole bar went wild with salutations;
“Antonio! Miguel!
People came to the men and began shaking their hand. The bartender ran around the counter to give Antonio a lip lock. Then she asked;
“The usual boys?”
They nodded their heads in unison
She reached into the cooler and pulled out two giant cans of tea and slid them down the bar.
Antonio stopped in his tracks and bumped Miguel to get his attention then said in a loud and clear voice;
“Is that Mona, the AIM ax murderer?”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
Treasure Map Stories by Buffalohair Page 11
After Lunch let’s go hunt treasure.
Start of Treasure Hunt,
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject: It’s been fifteen minutes since Sal and Mona left the restaurant. The warm and fuzzy feeling of adventure has long since left the duo. It soon became apparent the roads were plowed but there was plenty of ice and slush to make things wet and cold. They were soaked from head to toe. Their nerves where frazzled from the many near collisions they’ve survived. Sadly, they were only a few miles out of Raton they thought. They were making horrible time as they tried to forge a path in deep slush and frozen roads. The higher they got, the deeper the slush.
Realizing it was futile to drive any longer in the deepening ice; Sal pulled the bike over to talk to Mona. As they wheeled to a stop, a car following them passed in the left lane. Though the car was driving slowly it threw a giant rooster tail of slush and ice as it drove. In a deluge of super cold and dirty snow and ice, mixed the magnesium chloride, Sal and Mona were drenched to the bone. Dirty water even made it into “the dry place”. You know, down the inside back of your neck and into your underwear, resting in the crack of your ass.
Sal and Mona looked at one another for a moment then they began to smile. Their smiles turned into slightly guarded giggles then they broke out in laughter. In a chivalrous English voice Sal said;
“Well madam, shall we return to our suite?”
With water and slug still dripping down her face, Mona said;
“I say old chap, that’s a bloody good idea”
While sitting on the idling bike, Sal told her;
“Tallyho and all that rot now let’s get the hell out of here”
To Sal’s surprise he had traveled only to the edge of town in all that time. They drove back to the motel in an air of aristocracy. When they arrived at the motel they were completely soaked. They walked up to the front desk with noses held high. In a firm English accent they said in unison;
“We still have till Noon old chap”
Somewhat surprised by their candor as well as them being soaking wet the host calmly said;
“Will tonight’s stay be charged to the same card?”
Sal nodded his head in approval. Then Mona chimed in;
“Not so fast homeboy. This one is on me. Here take it out of my card”
Sal then told the host in a firm voice;
“No, I have it covered. Just save your money Mona”
With a look that could kill. Mona stared Sal down. He was trying to ignore her as she glared at him. The host was very uncomfortable since he could see the whole thing. Sal was making small talk but the clerk did not respond. He was doing everything possible not to notice Mona’s constant glare. Then Sal turned around and said;
“Now what did I do?”
Still glaring, with venom, Mona walked up to Sal and stuck her finger in his face and retorted;
“You’re not the boss of me!”
Bewildered, Sal began to query;
“What is the major malfunction Mona?”
Surprised by her own conduct, Mona relaxed her confrontational demeanor. She looked deeply into Sal’s puzzled smiling face. She could feel him struggling to find an amicable solution for a possibly volatile situation. She began to call into question her motive for such an angry repartee. After all, he was only being nice, she thought. No matter how much she tried to make sense of her retort she could still feel a boiling caldron of anger she held deep within her.
Mona began to recall an event when she was a child. Her mother and father were arguing about the utility bill. Her father was drunk and had spent his pay check on booze. Her mother was trying to reason with him about the electric bill when he looked over at her and said;
“So you want the electric bill paid? Pay it with this bitch”
The little girl Mona watched in horror while her dad punched her mom in the face. She ran to her mother’s side crying hysterically;
“Momma, Momma!” Mona cried as her dad kept hitting the unconscious woman lying on the floor. Blood splattered all over the white enamel kitchen. Her father was yelling at her;
“Mona, Mona, get out of the way. Mona!”
At that moment Mona was startled out of her daydream. It was Sal trying to break this catatonic spell she was on. He was trying to snap her out of it. He was shaking her arm.
“Mona, Mona, wake up. Are you OK? Mona!” Sal said in a frenzy.
Flush with perspiration Mona began to regain her composure. The fear and anger began to dissipate as her eyes began to focus on Sal’s concerned face. She began to feel something, it was compassion. There was something in Sal’s eyes that gave her comfort and this scared her for some reason. More cognizant Mona calmly said;
“Guess you really think I’m a raving lunatic now, huh Francis”
Sal looked into her eyes and with a calm brotherly voice he said;
“So you have issues, don’t we all?”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:30 am
Rivkah slowly opened her eyes! Truckers were all around her, Medics were checking her out and saying “She is going to be alright!”
Then there was that voice again that she had heard in the parking lot. It was her boss, Big C who knocked the wind out of her! What was he doing here and on a motorcycle in this weather!
I forgot to give you some files you needed to work on and that will need your full attention! I have been traveling right behind you, trying to catch up to you, as I did not know where to mail them!
Some of the truckers shook their heads. “What a slave driving boss she has!”
Ann LRD
Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject:
With the roadway finally clear, the twosome made their way to Trinidad Colorado. Before they made their final decent off the mountain they stopped at the Welcome to Colorado sign to take a gander at the Rocky Mountains.
“Them mountains sure look pretty”, Mona sighed.
“Yeah, the Blood of Christ Mountains (Sangre De Christo), is that where Cibola is?” Sal retorted.
“Yup, that’s where the fabled 7 Cities of Gold are. In those mountains” she replied.
“Well I guess it’s time to start our adventure Mona. Let’s slide into town and see what’s happening in ole T-Dad”, and with that statement Sal started his motorcycle and the two of them rode down the hill to meet their destiny.
Exiting onto Main Street Sal wheeled his bike down the narrow streets. He and Mona were amazed at the old buildings, Victorian houses and brick roadways. Then Sal spotted a few bikes parked at a local tavern and decided to park.
Just as they were stretching their legs a bar patron came stumbling out the door.
“Hey bro, you and your ole lady better grab a bowl of that green chilly before it’s all gone eh”, said the slightly inebriated fellow.
Smiling, Mona whispered sternly to Sal, “I’m not a bar person”
Almost instantaneously Sal said loudly, “Free chilly huh?”
Then the man opened the door of the tavern for the couple in a most courteous manner. “Allow me” he chirped. Happily Sal started for the door. Still smiling but with a glare that could kill, Mona also made for the entrance of the pub. She was not a happy camper indeed.
Upon entering the establishment they were overcome with the smells of Southwest Cooking. There were families at the tables eating various culinary delights. There were pots and cookers filled with chilly, beans, rice, meats, pastas, veggies and breads. The aroma of fresh sopapillas, and tortillas mingled in the air as well. Javier Solis was playing in the jukebox. The atmosphere was most festive and warm.
Somewhat startled, Sal walked inside trying to get his eyes adjusted. As he focused he could see a diverse ethnic mix in the crowd. There were cowboys, bikers, mom and pop’s and various transient construction/oilfield people. Everyone had their little white bowl of chilly munching down.
In a start he realized Mona was not so hip to the idea of going to a bar in the first place. Whirling around to spot her he noticed she was long gone. He poked his head out the door to see if she was outside. “Nope, not a sign of her”, Sal thought. He pondered, “Gads, I hope she is in the can or something”
Returning to the confines of the pub, Sal scanned the crowd endlessly as time ticked away. Not a sign of her, he lost Mona somehow. As he walked towards the bar someone grabbed his arm. Then he heard someone say;
“Francis, where the heck have you been? Come on I want you to meet some people” said the stealth full voice.
Only inches from the bar and a waiting bartender, Sal was whisked away by this phantom emissary. While being lead away, Sal looked back at the bar; the taverness only shrugged her shoulders. Sal could almost taste the shot of whisky on his lips too.
In the lead, Mona took Sal through a maze of tables, people and boiling hot pots & pans. Behind all the chaos were several elderly people seated in a cubby of sorts. Frail and leather skinned they shared an air of distinction. Their eyes told of many sorrows. At that moment they were telling stories when Sal was thrown into their spotlight. Awkwardly, Sal stared at the elderly folks. In turn, they just stared directly back at him, not saying a word.
“This is the guy I was talking about”, boasted Mona.
The elderly men and women looked Sal up and down. One old woman looked at him and said;
“So you’re this morotcycle man called Francis”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:25 am Post subject: Rivkah’s new found friends were not letting her travel until they knew she was okay. She had become part of the Cafe crew! The truckers had her story going out along the road to a keep check on her. So each new trucker coming in asked about her! The waitress thought this was great fun. Rivkah still had all her bosses files, she was sorting through. Making sure all the information was in order. She was going to have a lot of work to do once she got to her Colorado destination. Not just for herself but now also for her boss.
I really need to get on the road! she stated The passes have been clear for some time now.
Well, what do you think boys, shall we let her go on her way?
Heck, we are heading in that direction! a couple of truckers said. She can travel along with us. Let me check out her car and see if it is okay to go.
After High fives and lots of hugs
Rivkah was finally on the road again!
Ann LRD
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:37 am Post subject:
Mike, a Bull Hauler from Kremmling Colorado, was heading northbound on Raton Pass in his semi when he came onto the group of truckers. He was monitoring the events on the CB when one driver asked;
“Hey Big Strapper, you headin to the Mile High?”
Mike retorted;
“I’m headed to Fort Morgan and will run through Denver, why?”
The other driver responded;
“We kind of adopted this 4 wheeler and she is heading to the Mile High and you are running a bit faster than us. So I was wondering if you’d mind keeping an eye on her since she got in a little accident earlier. She bumped her head or something and well, we’ve been traveling with her ever since to make sure she is OK.”
Mike paused and said;
“If you was driving a Peterbuilt instead of that covered wagon she could follow you. Well just watch my back door and I’ll guide her over the pass anyway. Well sweety, they call me the Maverick. Are you ready to go over the Big Hill?”
Startled by the candor of the new driver on the scene she returned with a message;
“Umm, hello? My name is Rivkah and I’m on a business trip and I am heading to Littleton Colorado. My sister lives in Colorado Springs and I was thinking of stopping by and visting her.”
There was a pause on the radio then Mike said;
“I don’t know about all that stuff but you are welcome to follow along, just follow the chrome naked ladies on my mud flaps. I’ll get you there in record time”
Another driver entered the conversation;
“Don’t worry Rivkah we will be behind you just in case you have any more problems”
Rivkah thanked the other truckers who’ve taken her under their wing and watched over her since her accident. A couple trucks flashed their lights in a symbolic gesture of acknowledgement and off she went. Mike was a seasoned veteran of the open road and knew every curve and twist of this highway.
He was empty and bound for a fed lot to pick up more beef. Mike was running a tight schedule and was not to concerned about “Driving Awards” (speeding tickets). His big diesel was making short order of the steep incline when he noticed her vintage Buick Skylark falling further and further behind.
“Well honey you better mash the gas and move that ass if you want to keep up with me” Mike said in a jocular voice.
“Oh my”, Rivkah thought to herself as she accelerated her car up the hill in an effort to keep up with the cattle truck. Mike was making tracks up the mountain when the forces of gravity took its toll on the advancing semi. He slowed while finding new gears to keep his rig rolling. This afforded Rivkah the opportunity to catch up with him and to enjoy his slower forward progression.
“Well kid, what brings you to Denver?” Mike said
Rivkah said;
“Umm, I’m on a business trip and I have lots of work waiting for me when I arrive. I just need to get up there so I can get started”, responded Rivkah.
“Well, you better pass me now since I have to slow down even more. I will catch up with you after we reach the summit”, Mike informed the motorist.
And with those words Rivkah accelerated around the big truck and made her was over the hill. Later as Mike was rolling down the pass he got back on the radio;
“Hey Rivkah, you got a copy on the Maverick?”
Then in a hurried voice the radio crackled;
“Maverick? Maverick do you hear me? I’m at the truck stop here in Trinidad. Something happened to the car”
Mike thought to himself; “Gads, what did I get myself into this time? Crap, I better see whats wrong!”
He got back on the radio and said;
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch”
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind
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