11/19/2020
As Harry B. finished up his career at the power plant, the Kid had enough of working for the man. He became self-employed, full time, except when his urge to go see something kicked in, and off he went. The Kid had a fondness for Harry and kept in touch by stopping at Harry’s house 3 or 4 times a year, usually right after one of his trips, to tell Harry of the history and the animals of faraway fields and streams. Pat was at first somewhat cordial, but the Kid could sense some animosity emanating from her and left right after he finished his stories and 3 beers. Harry soaked up the information and dreamed of big game hunting in Alaska, trout fishing in Idaho, and elk hunting in the Rockies. He was approaching 65 years old and was only out of the state for 1 fishing trip with his sons-in-law. After gaining 4 young men into his family, who took off with him in tow, they spent as much time in the titty bars as they did in the boat. This made father-in-law Harry, uncomfortable, and he never went again. Harry retired just 5 years after the Kid had a new goal: to set foot on all 7 continents. It took him 15 years, 34 countries, and a host of other trips in Canada to set foot in all their provinces. Harry B., in the meantime, sold the city home and retired to his expanded lake cottage. The Kid would stop in twice a year and fill Harry in on his exploits. With 3 beers, and the evil eye from Pat, the Kid departed and could not help but feel there was a full-blown argument at the B. ranch right after he left. As the Kid completed his 6th continent on Antarctica, he too was growing old and slowing down. Time hangs on to you like a loved one and slowly holds you back. Although the mind is still young, the bones resist another trip into the unknown and you catch yourself gazing up at a lookout that your younger self would have climbed. For Harry, he never left his small world again and, unknown to the Kid, Harry B. succumbed to life’s golden watch that just stopped ticking.
Torked Truth 