"UNCLES !"
The large red Polara had just come screeching to a sudden halt, sending up a cloud of dust & gravel, before it's occupant yelled out for the second time, "UNCLES !!"
EuEarl looked up briefly from what he was doing in the direction of his partner KC, who'd been pushing the hand mower. "There's our boy !", he quipped, followed by a quick wink, as he then resumed his work. EuEarl was installing a new blower wheel on their outdoor generator. Living smack in the middle of the Flat, miles away from Euwalla, the nearest town, the sole powerline to their home was often apt to go down after a big storm. And an early experience had shown that they would likely be last on the utility lineman's repair & service list, too. So, they'd bought a discounted generator at a flea market in Tahopke. Since then, EuEarl had made it his solemn mission to keep their back up power supply in good working condition via regular maintenance &, when finances permitted, upgrades ! Luckily, EuEarl had more than average knowledge of most any kind of motorized machinery, thanks to his 4 year 'mentorship' with Uncle Sam. " I'm not much of a soldier, but I am one terrific Mr. Fixit ! ", he would often say.
"How's my fav'rite uncles this fine day ?", asked Q-Bubba, bounding towards them both.
"Jest fine !", KC responded, genuinely pleased by his nephew's visit. He was also genuinely pleased to have an excuse for a quick break ! Although there wasn't much grass on the Flat this early in the Spring, what there was was already quite high, particularly around the generator. It was too early for snakes, but he'd hated the idea of EuEarl squatting in the high weeds, all the same. KC had only intended to do the immediate area around the generator, but once he'd begun, it simply made sense to continue on. He'd already finished the back yard & was debating starting on the front when Q-Bubba drove up !
Q-Bubba gave KC a big bear hug. " Don't go huggin' me, son.", KC protested. "I smell like ol' field hand ! "
"So ?", Q-Bubba laughed, "Ya ain't findin' me smellin' of roses, are ya ?"
"No, but I sure am hearin' bees a'buzzin' in yer head, ya fool boy.", KC tried to sound stern, but his broad smile undercut his intent. Q-Bubba gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then released him. He then scooted over to EuEarl & leaning forward, applied a similarly strong & heartfelt embrace. " You smellin' roses on me, Unc ?"
In the middle of tightening a lug nut, EuEarl held fast to the wrench in his left hand & with his right arm, he gave Q-Bubba a backhanded jiffy squeeze. "You are buzzy, but nope. I don't smell roses on ya. Just youth , with a slight whiff of your last trick's cologne, I think !"
Q-Bubba roared out loud. "Awww, Uncle, I swear ! You say 'bout anythang !" He slapped EuEarl gently on his back, kissed his cheek as he had KC's, then stood and leaned against the generator shed. "That's some Hai Karate ol' Doryl gimme on Christmas. BJ likes the smell on me ! Kind'a gets to 'im !"
Having met BJ , a Swedish exchange student who's actual name was Bjorn, EuEarl attributed this last statement to wishful thinking on his nephew's part. " Poor kid's so smack dab in love with that freezer pop !", he said to himself, but out loud & somewhat sardonically,
" Just be careful how you use it !"
KC had walked over to the back porch t& retrieved a soda from the cooler setting there. He tossed it to Q-Bubbba. "So, what's brung ya out this way, boy ? Weren't 'spectin' t'see ya 'til the weekend !"
Q-Bubba twisted off the bottle cap & took several full gulps of it's contents." Me & BJ is goin' rollerskatin' over in Denton tomorrow night after class & I wanna wear muh fancy banlon shirt. Y' know, the one with Iggy Pop & Jerry Reed on it ! "
EuEarl chuckled quietly to himself ! It tickled him to realize that, not quite in his mid 30's, he was already on the opposite side of the Generation Gap !
"I figured I'd pick it on up today !"
KC nodded. "Well, it's hangin' in yer closet, along with yer other duds !"
"Suh-WEET !", Q-Bubba exclaimed. For the next half hour, as EuEarl worked intermittantly installing the blow wheel, the three chatted & caught up. Q-Bubba brought them up to date on his latest courses. He attended Allenvale University, a small, yet prestigious college, that often gave it's nearby rival SMU a run for the money both scholastically & athletically ! EuEarl, though a high school graduate, had enlisted within weeks of his own Graduation & KC had only gotten as far as a single semester of 9th Grade before dropping out. They were both very proud of their nephew, who had worked hard for years to earn the grades & the money that attending Allenvale U. would require ! He was now in his Freshman year & fully immersed in the college experience.
Quentin Bubba McClintock had officially come into their lives when he was 10 years old. At age 7, he had been taken in by Miss Eula, who had also played the role of benefactress, as well as dear friend, to both KC & EuEarl individually & then later, after bringing them together on that hot July wedding day ! Once she'd introduced them to young Quentin as "Uncle Earl" & "Uncle KC" their titles & roles were permanantly struck. At first, KC & EuEarl had expressed some misgivings at becoming a young boy's male role models, but Miss Eula's answer to this was, "You're Perfect Role Models, so that's settled . ". And it wasn't long before they'd both fallen in love with the little guy. Dropping him off at school, taking him to games or the amusement parks,celebrating birthdays & holidays... it was like re-living their own childhoods, as they wished they had been. In time Miss Eula, well into her 90's , died, a mere 3 weeks after Q-Bubba had finished 9th grade. Though she'd left a Will clearly stating her wishes, it had been immediately contested by a distant relative. The day following her funeral, Q-Bubba moved in with his Uncles EuEarl & KC .
While many in the town raised an eyebrow & whispered amongst themselves, for the most part, no one interfered with them. Miss Eula had cast a wide cloak of protection over them that evidently extended even beyond the grave.
( Although, there was the one incident. That following school year, sometime around Homecoming, a senior on the track team had sneered , " I hear there's a coupl'a queers at your house." Just before punctuating his words with a fist to the kid's nose, Q-Bubba had corrected, "Yer wrong there, friend. At my house, there's three queers !" Ka-POW ! He'd grabbed the guy by the jersey & helped him up. "You can call me whatever ya want, whenever ya want, if ya think it wise, but don't even think about bad mouthin' my uncles to me, never, y'hear ?!"
The senior heard, as did everybody else that day. And while his actions landed him a week's suspension. it never-the-less made the point to everyone, students & faculty alike, that whatever Quentin Bubba McClintock was, he was not a pussy ! And from that point on, at his own insistence, he was known as 'Q-Bubba'. )
Eventually the conversation returned to the Iggy Pop/Jerry Reed shirt that he'd come for & Q-Bubba bolted towards the house, then stopped dead !
"Oops ! Nearly forgot !"
He turned on his booted heels, ran over to the passenger side of his car & reached into the glove compartment ! Finding what he was after, he returned & as he passed KC he said, "This was in the post box !",& he frisbeed the postcard to KC ! " Hey, Uncle Earl, I wanted t'ask ya...."
KC stared at the twin race flags pictured on the front for a bit, before turning it over. On the back, a printed caption at the top read,
"Speedway, Indiana. Home of the Indianapolis 500 !"
and underneath, in small cursive script, was written,
" Heading your way, with news ! Tecumseh"
As EuEarl & Q-Bubba obliviously carried on with their conversation, in KC's mind, two words kept repeating over & over & over again,
..........................................................................
BRAVE MEN DO now available in ebook or softcover form. Order yours today !!
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