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Story Time Cont...
“Yea! Eddie Long. We once know about farming, some years
double-dated, he married the it’s good and some years it’s not Let’s Clean Those Gutters!
girl—sharp as a tack. I can’t quite so good. I don’t have to tell you
remember her name, but I know about the winters. They can be Storm Preparation / Cleaning
for a fact that she was a real fine tough.” Front / Backyard Clean ups
person, extremely attractive.” With what passed for sincerity, Shed / Deck Removal
A question gushed from the Rizzo looked intently at the sailor. 7 Days (408) 849-3134
sailor’s mouth. “Was it Martha?” “I spent all my early life there. I
“Yes! Yes, Eddie Long married know Nebraska like I know my
Martha. I remember the wedding.” own back yard. Look, son, what Underwood typewriters filled the
I watched the chief trying to was your first name again?” room. Rizzo, without expression,
hold back a laugh as little puffs of “Tom. Tom Long.” again peered into his empty coffee
smoke burst from his lips. “What a The chief held up a fistful of mug, and with a shrug he lit up a
day that was!” papers in his left hand. “Tommy, fresh cigarette. With no notable
While having difficulty keeping I’ve got work to do. You’ll be expression, he stood, left his desk,
his composure, the sailor writing home to your mom and and got himself a coffee refill.
exclaimed, “They’re my parents. dad in the next week or so, won’t It was no surprise when later I
Ed and Martha Long are my you? Here, I want you to take my learned that the chief had never
parents!” card. Tell Eddie and your mother been to Nebraska. During the
Rizzo flicked the ash off the end we met.” Lowering his voice and following six months, I repeatedly
of his cigarette while keeping eye speaking slowly, the chief added, observed Rizzo cheering someone
contact with the sailor. “Small “Tell them that I said their boy is up in his own unique way.
world. Damn small world! So how a special person, a chip off the Six weeks after my discharge
is the family doing? Is Eddie still in old block, and that they should be I saw the old chief one last time.
the same line of work?” proud of their son for honorably Retired after 30 years with the
“For sure, Dad has been farming serving in the United States Navy. Navy, he was working full time at
all his life.” Tell you mom that I still remember the used car lot on the Alameda
Mesmerized, I watched as the when your father and I used to in San Jose. He had retired to the
chief again looked into his empty paint white farm fencing. God perfect job.
mug. “When the two of us were in bless you and Merry Christmas.”
high school, all he could talk about “Chief, you made my day! Merry
was corn and farming.” Christmas.”
I can’t believe it! I can’t believe Disbelieving, I watched with
it,” blurted the sailor. a smile as the elated sailor
“So how has farming corn in vigorously shook Chief Rizzo’s
Nebraska treated my best friend, hand. Seated 20 feet away, I was
Eddie Long? Also tell me about still able to see the sailor’s eyes
those winters.” misting up as he turned and left.
I grinned to myself as I watched While pretending to work, the
the sailor. The man’s words got office staff had taken it all in.
in the way of each other as they Each of us quietly grinned and
tumbled out of his mouth. “You immediately the sound of twelve
Y 11 Z
