Previous Challenge Entry (EDITOR'S CHOICE)
Topic: DEPOSIT( 03/11/21)
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TITLE:
Fools Rush In | Writing Challenge By Stephen Kimball 03/17/21 |
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10th Place
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I noticed the thermometer in my truck tic up a degree to 104 as I pulled onto his asphalt driveway. “Ted†was already waiting outside, propped up against an old Ford truck that was parked beneath a welcoming shade tree. He wore blue jeans with a beat-up pair of boots and a sweaty western-style shirt that hung untucked and greeted me with a handshake and a warm smile, as if we had known one another for years.
He was a big man with a deep voice and a pure Texas accent, “Why don’t you head ‘round back while I go inside and get us a drink,†he says. “It’s hotter’n blue blazes out here!â€
I glanced over at the “Bad Dog†sign on the gate. I guess he could read my mind because he quickly assured me that “Buster†was inside and not a threat.
I’d been searching for a good deal on a boat ever since moving off the base. We found a place near the lake and I wanted something to enjoy with the family. My wife, April, is seven months pregnant and I can already envision Jake Jr. on a pair of water skis, just like I use to love to do when I was a kid.
As I rounded the corner, there it was, sitting under a large, blue canvas shelter. Twenty-four feet long – sleek, with a powerful black mercury 300 on the transom. I couldn’t wait, so I climbed up the step ladder and took a look inside. Seating for four, plenty of storage, a soft-top canopy which would be a must for April, some built-in rod holders…
Just then, my new friend walks out the back door and hands me a Miller Lite – as if there couldn’t be anything else I might possibly want to drink at 6:00 pm on a Friday night.
“She’s in good shapeâ€, he declared. “Hardly used since we moved here four years ago. Engine has only about three hundred hours on it total.â€
This boat was exactly what I had been looking for, and at the right price too.
“Take your timeâ€, he said. “But just to let you know, two more folks said they were coming out to take a look tomorrow.â€
“What would it take to get you to hold it for me?â€
I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but I was pretty sure I could talk my dad into lending me the cash for this. After all, it was him that had instilled in me my love for boating.
“How ‘bout eight hundred dollars?†I had just cashed my check on the way out there.
I’ll be back next Friday to pick it up.â€
He hemmed and hawed around for a good minute while I looked around the inside of the cabin. At last, he shot me that smile again, shook his head, as if he were making the grandest gesture he’d ever made, and thrust his hand toward me. It was a deal.
Turns out, my father was more skeptical than I had anticipated.
“Son, I’m not sure the timing is right. You just bought a new truck, you have your rent payments, and you are about to have a baby! I’m afraid you’re getting in over your head.â€
If my dad is anything, he is cautious and wise. So, at this point, I was really second-guessing myself. I hate it, but I know he knows better. I tried to call and cancel but only got voice mail.
We drove out there together that next Friday after work, to try and get the money back. “Ted†wasn’t waiting for me this time. In fact, there was nothing in the yard at all. A knock on the door yielded no answer and this time, a call to his phone just rang and rang.
We noticed the gate on the side of the house was ajar, so we walked over to it, half hoping the “Bad Dog†would appear to protect his territory. But there was no “Busterâ€, and there was no boat. The place, upon further inspection, had been abandoned, along with “Ted†and my $800.00.
It was a long, quiet ride home.
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