September 18, 2015

JOURNEY TO THE PORTRAIT’S SECRET #76: July 30, 1946


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This series is a little bit biographical and a little bit imaginary about my dad and a road trip he took in the summer of 1946, when he turned fifteen. He and a friend hitchhiked from Loring Park to Duluth, into Canada and back again. He was gone from home for a month. I was astonished and fascinated by the tale. So, I added some speculation about things I've always wondered about and this series is the result. To read earlier SHORT LONG JOURNEY NORTH clips, click on the label to the right, scroll down to and click OLDER ENTRIES seven or eight times. The FIRST entry is on the bottom of the last page.

Freddie Merrill shaded his eyes, looked left, then right, “Sign says it’s fifty-six.” There were no cars. “Middle of the week, ain’t gonna be no one going nowhere.

“Sounds right.” Tommy Hastings started walking. “We wait until someone that don’t speak Finnish stops to give us a ride.”

“Right.” They’d walked a mile or so when Freddie added, “Sorta gonna miss Nils.”

They kept walking on the silent road as the summer sun climbed slowly into the sky. Tommy finally said, “We can hitch up here later one, ‘fore school starts.”

Freddie grunted, then said, “Don’t we gotta find out why the Fins want you?”

They kept walking as Tommy said, “I know why. They want the picture in Mom’s kitchen cabinet.”

Freddie snorted, “I know that much, stupid! But why do they want it?”

Tommy thudded along on the gravel as Freddie Merrill shaded his eyes, looked left, then right, “Sign says it’s fifty-six.” There were no cars. “Middle of the week, ain’t gonna be no one going nowhere.

“Sounds right.” Tommy Hastings started walking. “We wait until someone that don’t speak Finnish stops to give us a ride.”

“Right.” They’d walked a mile or so when Freddie added, “Sorta gonna miss Nils.”

They kept walking on the silent road as the summer sun climbed slowly into the sky. Tommy finally said, “We can hitch up here later one, ‘fore school starts.”

Freddie grunted, then said, “Don’t we gotta find out why the Fins want you?”

They kept walking as Tommy said, “I know why. They want the picture in Mom’s kitchen cabinet.”

Freddie snorted, “I know that much, stupid! But why do they want it? I seen it. Couple of guys, your ma. She was real young." He shrugged, adding, "No big deal.”

Tommy thudded along on the gravel as it got hotter. He finally said, "I think she was goin' out with one of em. Before she met Dad."

"She looked pretty in the picture." Tommy shot Freddie a long look., but his best friend ignored it, adding, "What happened to her?"

Tommy thought about pushing Freddie into the ditch along the road, but this was mostly dry, full of purple lupine, black-eyed susans, bee's balm, and lots of ragweed/ Boring. Instead he said, "She got old, I guess. I think that guy who Mom was going with is important."

Freddie stopped, "Important how?"

Tommy shrugged. He was starting to sweat. "I dunno, but either Mom or the guy with her -- or maybe the guy who was shaking his hand -- was important. Gotta be one of 'em." He started walking again. When he stopped to look back, Freddie was still standing in the same place, looking strange -- like he was thinking.

After a few minutes, he plodded up to Tommy and said, "Your Ma never acted like she was important, so it's gotta be one of the old guys." They started walking again until they came to the shade of a huge pine tree that sprouted from the side of the road, between the ditch and a field of corn. A breath of wind shivered the tree. "I gotta sit down or I'm gonna melt right here on the side of the road.
"Me, too."

They looked both ways on the road, saw nothing, then slid down the embankment. Freddie lifted a branch and said, "Better sit under here in case you fall asleep."

"I won't fall asleep," Tommy exclaimed. "I get up early all the time! You just want us to sit under here in case you fall asleep yourself!" He ducked under the branch.

"If you wasn't my best friend, I'd have let go right then and there -- then where do you think you'd be?"

"I'd be jamming my fist down your throat is where I'd be!"

Freddie snorted, "You and what army?"

"My fists are the only army I'd ever need to handle someone like you!" Tommy shot back.

Despite the words, neither boy slowed down as they ducked under the branch and let it swing back into place, screening them from the road slightly above their heads. Neither one commented further as they lay back on the springing, cool bed of dried pine needles. "I don't feel tired at all," Freddie said.

"Me, neither, so you can just shut up your mouth about sleeping."

"Fine. Consider my mouth shut."

There was a long silence, broken only by cricket chirps, cicada whines, and two snuffling snores...

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