Never the Same #84 Giving Thanks

Rarely Kirk had uncomfortable commitments he attended

Cue: https://youtu.be/DrARl0dzd-0?si=JeqeozkO0sl60lfl

 

            BAM! BAM! BAM!

            Kirk eyes flew open, and he sat bolt upright in his bed straight from a dream-induced sleep coma. One moment immersed in fast cars, stock car racing, and old unforgotten squeezes to the next moment when it was all gone, pretty much unremembered. After another couple moments to get his head on straight, he realized what the noise was…his mother lighting the kitchen oven! She had open and slam the door closed several times to get the gas to light. Ah! Life is good in the old farmhouse. Kirk drifted off for a few minutes.

            Getting up out of bed, Kirk knew what his mother was doing in the kitchen for the day happened to be Thanksgiving Day.  He pulled on his clothes from the day before that had lain on the floor in a heap because, after all, they weren’t TOO dirty.

            Strolling down the stairs and making his way to the kitchen, he witnessed his mother in action preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Kirk knew that she had already baked pumpkin and apple pies the day before along with one of her signature pound cakes. He thought it smelled and looked like his favorite, fruit and nut. Everyone from the family was showing up later in the day, but she was doing it all herself. The turkey was in the oven hence the noisy morning.

             His three sisters lived on the next road over with their houses on the family farm land. So it wasn’t like a rare family reunion per se just a get together with everyone on Thanksgiving. Kirk hadn’t seen Mike since he returned Mike’s car hauling trailer and before that when Kirk felt left out in the cold put out of Mike’s garage after sharing the garage for the two stock cars for over a year. He’d see if words would be exchanged and as we know, Kirk wasn’t too good with confrontations. Besides that Kirk remained sure that his father relished the chance to confront his son in law, Jon. Whenever it came about a shouting match would ensue between the two and everyone wouldn’t say a word or just leave the room. The confrontation could be over a political issue, money issue, or something as benign as whether it would rain or not. Who knew?

            To avoid the potential confrontation with his brother-in-law Mike over the ownership of the stock car, Kirk gladly accepted the invitation put forth by Sarah Elizabeth when she called early that day. She told him that he was mentioned by name to attend Thanksgiving dinner at her maternal grandparents, who by the way, lived right next door to her. He didn’t want to break the news to his mother, yet. Back to the potential confrontation between Mike and Kirk with a chronological summary.

             Mechanical Osmosis might be the term for how Kirk learned from Mike.  Kirk spent a lot of evenings in Mike’s garage helping to renovate used cars that Mike sold along with Kirk’s cars that he prepared for the road.  Kirk started over there at Mike’s as a young teen and even though you might think Mike became his mentor of sorts, he never actually taught Kirk anything intrinsically though the youngster watched and learned hence, absorbed mechanical repair techniques by osmosis. Yes, we remember that Kirk did learn a lot from the Vo-Tech classes but the addition of working alongside Mike reinforced that learning. Also, as a teen, Kirk remained ever eager to learn automotive technology.

            During this pre-driving age, Kirk accompanied Mike to the races eagerly watching from the pits early on taking all the action in. After college, Kirk gravitated to the stock cars with even more fervor. Mike at this time was building a new stock car for himself with Kirk taking mental notes. As that winter waned, Mike offered up his old stock car for Kirk to race. Kirk was all in!

             With the sponsorship that Kirk may have shared (or more likely not) with Mike, Kirk got a running (but slower) car than Mike, but that shiny eye-catching silver paint job with sponsorship lettering professionally painted across the car made him feel like he had something going big. At least at first. That first year Kirk stuck with it, but didn’t do very well using the year to get his feet wet in the racing arena. Towards the end of the season, Kirk got rid of the slow Dodge engine and went with the more powerful, easier to modify Chevrolet engine. Kirk made better process with fewer problems. Whether Kirk making progress in the standings or Mike deciding to move on or he simply moved on by pushing Kirk’s car out of the garage. Kirk took the hint and the car home. The next season Mike raced a few races early on, but upstart Kirk started to shine with his green and yellow car, the bright silver gone but remaining on Mike’s car. Kirk guessed that Mike gave up on his glory days and quit.

            So, in retrospect, the stock car, at least the chassis and roll cage belonged to Mike, but Kirk replaced everything else expensive, basically the engine, transmission, wheels and tires. The two, Kirk and Mike, hadn’t spoken two words after Kirk moved home with the car. Would Mike bring up wanting the car back and how would Kirk react being a couple years older, more experienced with life in general and having Rookie of the Year under his belt react in turn. In actuality, Kirk still didn’t want to take the chance of the whole thing possibly unfolding.

            With all that replaying in his mind, Kirk indisputably decided that he’d take up Sarah’s offer to have Thanksgiving with her family. Well, that meant breaking the bad news to his doting mother.

            Sipping his scalding hot coffee, Kirk indifferently asked, “so, who’s coming for dinner.”

            His mother paused in her frantic kitchen activities. “Sounds like everyone, including the nieces and nephews.”

            “Well, that ought to fill up the house and dinner table.”

            “Yes, it will,” which seemed to remind his mother that she had to work harder pulling out pots and pans causing a racket. She started running water full blast into a pot.

            Kirk sipped with a thought. “Think Dad will behave himself?”

            His mother paused, but she said nothing.

            “Yeah, I think so too. Get him with an audience and it goes to his head.”

            His mother never said anything when Kirk brought up his father’s bad habits like relishing in loud arguments with anyone, but especially Jon who’ll engage in his petty vehemence. Kirk sat there until half of his coffee remained, then fixed his usual bowl of cereal. After a few bites, he chewed and swallowed with a look.

            “Oh, by the way, I’m going over to Sarah’s for Thanksgiving dinner.” He took another bite. “So one less person to plan on.”

            His mother turned to him with a crestfallen expression. “But Kirk, the whole family will be here.” She stepped closer. “Everyone will wonder why you’re not here.”

            “Everyone?” Kirk chewed on it. “No one will miss me or ask where I am.”

            “Oh, sure they will, dear. You know Sarah is more than welcome to eat with us.”

            “I know, I know. I told her you offered, but I guess they’re eating at her grandparents specifically because they are getting ready to head south for the winter. There’s talk wondering how much longer they’ll be around.”

            Kirk thought about his relationship with his parents comparing his family relationship with hers. He knows Sarah gets along better with her grandparents than her parents. She considers her parents as hoity toity who put on airs and act overly Christian in their lives, but it’s only a fake front because they basically ignore her and dote on her brother. Bitter would be a word…At least that’s what Sarah relates to Kirk.    

            So Kirk killed some time toying with his coffee and cereal while his mother slaved away in the kitchen. No telling where his father was even though hushed tones among family members usually explained he was up to no good. After he was done, Kirk wandered out to the garage to take in his handy work so far on the car. On some days, he just doesn’t have the fire in his belly to push on with the work needed to move the stock car along. On other days…he gets things done. He examined his next step on the suspension which is adding preload screws. He knew they weren’t difficult or expensive to build while there were many, many other things hanging out there in the build that were very expensive. He thought about his old car that he could cannibalize parts from, but the true ownership of the car haunted his contemplative meanderings.

            Surprising him, a quick knock sounded from his plywood doors with them opening right up thereafter. It was his brother-in-law Jon, who hadn’t shown in some time. Maybe it was too cold in the garage, yet Kirk knew Jon had his with metal working hobby that paid well but remained a hit or miss enterprise. Jon took in Kirk’s suspension work and after Kirk worked it by hand, Jon wholeheartedly approved. He wondered aloud if Kirk had all those other parts that he still lacked on the suspension. And of course, Kirk embarrassingly told him no, but explained that the next step that he had just been contemplating would be easy and cheap.  Kirk wondered why he was there so early, and Jon said that Kirk’s sister came over to help their mother. That was nice, Kirk commended. Kirk told Jon his own plans for the day. He wondered aloud on how Kirk’s mother took it. Kirk informed him not so well.

            The guys went to the old farmhouse seeing no one was about to get dirty working on stock cars and such. As Kirk’s mother and sister busied around the kitchen, the guys grabbed a coffee and a piece of pound cake. Kirk soon announced that he needed to get ready and go to Sarah’s. Going up to his room, he perused his scant selection of “good” clothes which included a suit which sure wouldn’t fit him anymore. His letter man jacket with letters and leather sleeves swung out. The memories of high school hit him hard like his knees got weak.

            Sometimes you just don’t want to look, think back. He pushed the jacket back, out of sight and pulled the other employed hangars forward over it. He had some dress shirts, but he knew that they hadn’t been worn or washed for over a year…or had it been two years… Well, he decided that seeing he was “Uncle Neal” stock car driver he should present himself along those lines. No, he wasn’t going to wear his white/red fire suit which was hanging there, too. So he picked out his best pair of jeans and his very best flannel shirt. To guard against the cold, he’d wear his trust standby blue jean jacket with fleece lining. Yep, always one sharp dressed man that’s Kirk. 

            On the way out, his mother said, “Why don’t you and Sarah come back later for coffee and pie.”

            Kirk looked to the floor, “Sure, we can do that” knowing full well that he wasn’t going to make it back for pie and coffee at any reasonable hour. “Bye.” And he went out the door. He felt a little guilty, maybe sad for not sticking around and convincing Sarah to come to his home for Thanksgiving, but there were those negative family factors that could be embarrassing for him and Sarah. He drove over to Sarah’s.

            Pulling in and parking at Sarah’s, he uncharacteristically had to go to the back door and knock because she was either in the barn or came out to meet him. That was because he drove the quieter pink van, and the fact that it didn’t mess up the television, and it was midday. Sarah answered the door.

            Kirk couldn’t believe his eyes; Sarah was dressed to the hilt and had more perfect makeup on than usual. He had to admit she was an absolutely gorgeous fox.

            “Hi there,” Sarah simply said.

            “Hi yourself, you hottie,” Kirk said, checking out her very short skirt. “I didn’t know this was going to be a formal dinner.”  He padded down his outfit. “Look at me, should I go home and change?”

            “Nah, you’re fine. My mother guilted me into getting dressed up even though no one else is going to.”

            “Well, you really look good. Good enough to…” He grinned and she bashfully grinned with a glance back into the house. She leaned into him and kissed him long and hard.  Coming up for air, he asked, “so what’s the plan?”

            “Let’s head over to grandma’s.”

            “Hope they aren’t waiting for me.”

            “No, you’re right on time, and I just thought I’d meet you here.”

            “Good plan.”

            They walked the twenty-five yards to the grandparent’s house next door. Apparently, Sarah’s grandfather built the house from scratch and when he wasn’t around there were discussions, especially from Sarah’s mother, their daughter, about things wrong with the house. This house build was after partially building another house that grandpa dismantled for some unknown reason that remained mysterious. From Kirk’s vantage point the house seemed okay just built simple and well. Just the grandparents and an aunt called “Al,” short for Allie, live there. Al never married though held a good secretarial job at a nearby factory. Kirk’s theory was that she buoyed up the household financially seeing she had no other real expenses.

            Sarah’s grandmother remained highly active for her age being top of the bowling league, which attests that she rolled a mean ball with a healthy average. She was also a member of the Daughters of the Revolution (a direct descendant of a patriot) and a member of the Rebekah’s which is the female branch of the Odd-Fellow organization.

            Sarah’s grandfather was a jolly, low-key fellow. Rotund with a barrel chest and belly to match not so painstakingly derived from a healthy German diet of pretzels and beer. His claim to fame was employment with the Pullman Train Car factory until they closed in 1959. Handy with electrical appliances and so on he did odd jobs around the area. He fixed up the back of the pickup truck to camp in because they wintered down in the Keys. He took his trusty twenty-foot wooden boat down there which may or may not have been ocean or gulf worthy but that didn’t stop him from going out to fish.

             One story Sarah related was that grandpa took the grand kids on the Niagara River, upstream from those famous falls. The river is huge and the current builds closer to the falls with wild rapids. Sarah said they became terrified hanging on for dear life when grandpa turned the boat around against the current and could barely fight it with his little screaming outboard motor. Sarah said the river’s last gasp retaining safety cable wasn’t that far from where they turned to fight the current. Kirk’s fear of water would have kept him from getting in the boat in the first place, but this event had occurred when Sarah was a mere child.  

            Walking inside the grandparent’s house, Sarah instantly caused a work stoppage and became the center of attraction because she was atypically dressed from her usual ripped jeans and chaps that smelled like horse from working in the barn.

            “Sarah, you look like you’re dressed for some big Hoo doo event,” said her grandma. The two chatted about that while Kirk glazed over smelling the cooking and baking going on.         

            After a moment, the two women of the house noticed Kirk.

             Sarah’s grandmother, always rather outspoken asked, “So did you get work yet?”

             Kirk meekly told her, “No, but I’m still, always looked for something.”

             Aunt Al grabbed a tray of pastries offering them to Kirk. “Here, take a couple to hold you over until dinner.” Being polite and well aware of her pastry expertise took one.

            He said “thanks, they look delicious.”

            She held the tray out closer telling him to take a couple, but Kirk told her instead, “I’ll come back for more after this, I’m sure to try the others.”

            Sarah eyed Kirk with a knowing smirk and subtle shrug.

            Settling in the snug, retro decorated living room Kirk took it all in. He and Sarah sat somewhat distant from one another to try and defuse any wrong impressions or perhaps provide the accurate impressions of their relationship. The turkey and sides suddenly hit him, and he discovered he was really hungry, so he got up and raided the pastries which apparently delighted Aunt Al.

            A bit later, grandpa shuffled into the room and offered his hand to shake which Kirk did after getting to his feet.

            “Hallo, Kirk. How’ve you been?”

            “Good, good.”

            Grandpa asked, “You land a job yet?

            “No, no luck yet, but I’m looking.”

            “What are you doing with your time then? Have you applied to the local hydraulic manufacturing factory?” Grandpa thumbed over his shoulder apparently in the factory’s direction.

             Kirk said he hadn’t.

            “Maybe Al can get you a foot in the door. You have skills, right?” Grandpa then went back to snag a few more pastries.  

            As they snacked and sat around, Kirk asked Sarah to where her brother Waylon was. She didn’t know, probably working at the farm, which Kirk had no clue to what farm. Sarah’s parents came in causing more ruckus and appeared only the two women dressed up for the occasion. Her parents came in and offhandedly said hello to Kirk with her mother patronizingly commenting on how unusually nice Sarah looked dressed up. Of course, both her parents asked if he got a job. Kirk began to feel like he had a target on him being a real loser for not having a job. 

            Just when the turkey came out of the oven and was set on the table amidst the oohs and aahs, the sound of Waylon’s Corvette rattled the windows. Always the sore point with Sarah was that he got the Corvette as a gift from his parents and she had to make do with the junker LTD. Kirk looked at Sarah and mouthed, “How’d he know the turkey came out of the oven?” She shrugged.

            If you remember, readers, Waylon was once a drinking buddy of Kirk’s, but that ended when Kirk started dating his little sister. Waylon was currently between wives. He came in smelling like cow but only grandpa said anything as Waylon scarfed down some pastries on his way to a chair at the table ready to chow down.                      

            With an impressive spread of Thanksgiving feast on the table, Sarah’s father gave a prayer of thanks. They dove in. The turkey was sliced and sides were passed around. Kirk restrained himself feeling like he didn’t want to appear piggish and maybe make a mess, but it still looked like he was eating a lot compared to Sarah who habitually ate like a bird. In the course of the meal, Kirk was constantly egged on to eat more in which he took seconds but in tiny amounts while he carefully ate.  Waylon had huge seconds and thirds putting it away like he hadn’t eaten in days. Taking in the family dynamics, Kirk could see that Sarah favored her grandparents to her own parents, but maybe that’s the way it always is with families.

            Helping a little to clean up and offering more help, Sarah was turned down to washing dishes seeing Kirk was there. After a while, after the kitchen crew cleaned up, it was time for coffee and pie. Kirk didn’t feel so stuffed that he couldn’t eat pie and wondered how Waylon could fit anymore in his belly. Aunt Al, of course, had baked four pies of traditional pumpkin and apple, along with a cherry and lemon pie. Kirk stuck with pumpkin with a dollop of pressurized whipped cream in a can. Aunt Al voiced that they should have made real home-made cream. Grandpa threatened Waylon with the pressurized Reddi-Wip real whipped dairy topping can apparently stemming from an earlier pie session when grandpa actually let Waylon have it full on in the face. He didn’t spray Waylon this time, but got a satisfactory dodging reaction from Waylon just the same.  The day waned into the late afternoon.

            Kirk voiced his thank yous to all involved and bid his goodbye. Sarah escorted him back to the trusty pink van her arm tucked into the crook of his arm. They briefly embraced and had a quick kiss. Kirk told her that he had a good time, despite being uptight and uncomfortable the entire time with her family which he hadn’t had all that much interaction with before.

            Kirk drove in the driveway noticing only the kitchen lights illuminated. Going inside, his mother sat alone at the table appearing quite weary. Washed dishes were stacked to high heaven and the house had a disheveled look to it.

            “Hello dear,” she said. “How was your day with Sarah’s family?”

            “It was okay,” he said, trying to downplay his time away from his own family dinner. “Pretty much par for the course for a Thanksgiving dinner. I’m thinking that Sarah might have liked coming here more than there. I felt uncomfortable during the meal.”

            “Sure. Maybe you two can have Christmas dinner here.”

            “Yeah. We will.” 

            “Are you hungry? Would you like some pumpkin pie?”

            Kirk wasn’t hungry, but he wasn’t stuffed either, so to propitiate his mother, he said, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind a piece of your great pumpkin pie.”

            Despite her looking totally whipped, his mother jumped to her feet like from a springboard and headed to the fridge. She cut him a large pumpkin pie wedge and topped it with a huge scoop of Cool Whip, non-dairy topping.

            “Wow!” Kirk exclaimed. “Really looks good!”

            His mother didn’t say anything, but she definitely looked pleased that he took a piece of her pie. He took his time savoring the pie that simply tasted like home.
            So Kirk survived the ordeal quite well leaving him just the same as usual, but a giant change loomed for Kirk that no one expected...especially him.