by David Kersey
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
There are plenty of things I’d rather do than watch NASCAR racing. It ranks just above licking up an oil spot on the driveway. Hard to believe that Cassie, Marlene, and John were all glued to the tube. Cassie was rooting for the yellow number 31 car since it had CAT written across the hood, which was the cutesy short version of Caterpillar. Marlene was pulling for Jimmy Johnson because he was a doll, and John didn’t care as long as the Busch boys didn’t win. I don’t get it. Eight hundred left turns, ho whoop de doo hum. Only the big wreck, which claimed about a dozen cars, caused me to lift my sleepy head off my paws. I needed to go outside but thought better of it, they’d have to chisel me off the lamppost. By the way, Matt Kenseth won. Yawn.
The movie after the race was The Great Escape, with Steve McQueen, and it held my undivided attention, as well as John’s. The girls would have rather licked the oil spot, so they disappeared to play patty cake or whatever, maybe consort to get a life style lift, who knows? So John was the only one who went two for two. But, hey, it’s his house. McQueen is one of my all-time favorite actors, right behind Rin Tin. I kid, but I do love McQueen though, and the Great Escape was the best of his thirty movies I think. Bullitt was good too and so was Papillon. It was a great tragedy that mesothelioma took him at age 50.
“John,” Marlene asked bright and early the next morning, “You said there would be a surprise today. Aren’t you going to work?”
“Taking the day off. I may go in later but I doubt it. Let’s have some breakfast and then there will be a surprise. You’ll see why I’m staying home in about an hour.”
Cassie and I went for our morning run while Marlene and John took breakfast. It had warmed considerably though I could still see my breath. High 30’s maybe yet it was still early, and the sun was shining. Could be a great day. We ran by the pond and saw Ferdinand at his usual spot.
“G’day mate, and G’day fair lady.” Ferd said as always.
“G’day Ferdinand. How did you stay warm yesterday?”
“Gots me a hibernaculum, laddie. Keeps me warm enough.”
“Ferd, what in the world is that? Never heard that word before.”
“It’s me hole in the mud, mate. I buries myself up to me head. Have to swim ever now and then but always return to me hole. Wanna see it?”
“Uh, no, I don’t think I want to see your hole.”
“Wwwhhhaaazzzzuuuuppp?”
“Mort! How you doin’ big fella? And how did you stay warm yesterday?”
“Wweennnnttt ttoo tthhhee ooolldd bbbaarrrnn. Ddiiddnn’tt hheelllppp mmmuucchh.”
There still remains and old barn and farmhouse west of the wheat and corn fields. John told me it used to be the main buildings long before he bought the property and he soon after built the new house, guest house for his help, and garage. He also told me he would leave the old buildings just for a place of refuge in winter for the estate animals, plus keep his old tractor and other implements there. I rarely walk that way so I tend to forget it’s there. Well, that’s not totally true. I don’t go there because of the huge black bear I saw rummaging around the barn a couple of years ago. When he saw me he came charging and I set a personal best speed record. I haven’t seen him since and don’t care to. Don’t tell anyone, ok?
“Aallll ooff uusss wweerree iinn tthheerrree.”
“That’s right, we were, Buck. We talked late into the night. Mostly about the new buildings and what it means for us.” Penny had joined us.
“Good morning, Penelope, you’re right, we need to have a session and think about that and talk it over. But the old pasture has the brand new fencing, so all I can think of at the moment is that everything will be the same except for using the pasture. Besides, it should be fun to watch the training. Look at it as a good thing. We could all learn something if we have the right attitude about it.”
I heard a car on the driveway and wondered if John was taking Marlene someplace to reveal the surprise. “Gotta run, guys, we’ll talk soon. Plan on a circle meeting tomorrow.”
Cassie and I trotted to the car park and were surprised to see not only a car, but also a van and a box truck. What is going on here, I thought? John and Marlene were standing on the front porch, waiting, coffees in hand. John and the two men from the van walked to the rear of the box truck to watch the rear gate open and a set of ramps put down.
“Ok, are we all here? Come on Marlene, time for the surprise.” John announced. “Gather round. This is only the first part of the surprise. Bring her on down Jim.”
“Oh, my God,” Was the scream in unison from all of us when we saw it.
It was an ATV, double rows of seats, a cargo bed behind, bright fire engine red with a black hard plastic, but sturdy looking top. John deferred to the man who had arrived in the car. “Howdy, folks, I’m Jim, and this is the newest of the newest of All Terrain Vehicles, and perhaps the finest ATV ever built. It is the 2014 Polaris Crew 900 ES. Seats five, capable of 60 miles per hour, over a thousand pound rear auto tilt cargo box load, four attachable hard finish doors and roof, attachable windscreen, reverse gear, it is the Cadillac of ATV’s. And she’s got a full tank of gas which means nearly four hundred miles before a fill up. Who’s ready for a test drive?”
“John, what are you doing? This in incredible.” Marlene was obviously surprised and was the first to scramble to the driver’s seat.
“Hang on, before we take her for a spin, there are two more people here who you need to meet. Jim Summers is the one you just heard, and he is the one who sold me this vehicle and will demonstrate its features. He will be the first to drive it and we’ll need to watch him closely. Next, for the second surprise. If you two gentlemen will help me out by introducing yourselves then we can get with the program.”
“Hello, I’m Frank Cagnetti, a journalist with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and my cameraman here is Larry Ward. We are here to learn about your dog training endeavor and hope to have a story ready to run by the end of the week if you are agreeable. It won’t run until you see the copy first.”
“John, you rascal!” Marlene laughed. “This is quite a surprise. You’ve caught me totally off guard and I’m shocked. And Mr. Cagnetti, I’ve read your column before. Pleased to meet all of you.”
“Ok, Jim, you drive. Marlene, you sit in the passenger front seat and watch him demonstrate its features. Frank, Larry and I will sit in the back seat. Buck and Cassie can ride in the cargo box. Jim, let’s head west. Take the road that runs between the corn field and wheat field. Let’s saddle up and ride.”
“Oh, John, you are full of surprises aren’t you? Are we going to see the entire estate today? I hope so, can we?”
“Yes, we are going to do just that. I want you to feel how the ATV reacts when we reach the slopes beyond the meadow. Do you like it? I think you’ll be able to use it for a lot of things when we’re open for business.”
“How could I not love it? I could carry as many as eight dogs in here if I ever had to. You know we had ATVs in Saudi Arabia and even some in Virginia, so it shouldn’t be a thing you need to worry about. John, and yes, I absolutely love it.”
To say that Cassie and I were any less enthused would be flat out as wrong as me turning up pregnant. “Hey, Cass, let’s put some hay in here and get chauffeured around. Maybe have Methusaleh sing his country western songs. We could fit everyone back here except Mort and Penny. Yahooooo. Home, James!”
Cassie rolled her eyes and huffed, “Oh brother. Buck, learn how to type hayride and Marlene will figure out what to do. And it would be fun.”