Back in October I wrote a diary about Al. " I have these pictures..." He came back to see me the other day. We had coffee and we talked. And this amazing man and I found out more about each other.
We've had an uncommonly warm spring here- interspersed with some late snow. It was one of those warm spring days- and into the antique shop comes Al. He had left some things to sell with the owner.
I asked what he had left- and told him I hoped it wasn't his pictures! He laughed and said it was just some stuff he didn't need any more. Well I found the reciepts and gave him the money from the register. I offered him some coffee and a seat. ( there's a nice old rocker close to the register ) - it was a slow day and I needed some good company.
He looked older. And sadder. But there was still a little twinkle in his eyes.
He asked me if I always took my coffee black. I told him I did, I learned to drink it black while I was in the Army.
Well- that gave him a little surprise-he asked if I was a WAC and I told him that was how I started out, but they changed the whole Army on me.
"Then you aren't from here?" he said. "Nope-I'm from around NYC. My better half is from here and that's why we settled here after we retired"
So Al gave me a little history of the area- who's who, what it was like before the oil ran out and the steel mills left. We talked about gardens.That's when he told me.
"She's been gone a year today. She loved white lilacs. I 'm not crazy about them. I bought a new pruner, and I'm going to cut them down"
I must admit I was a little startled. I argued pro lilac- he was against. So we made a deal. If he'd wait until Saturday- I'd give him a hand. I was just trying to buy a little time for him to change his mind. Al gave me his address and said he'd see me on Saturday
Now I love to garden, but to tell the truth I really didn't want to cut down a lilac. I really missed them when lilving in TX. Saturday was a little cooler so I showed up at Al's about 10:30 am.
There was a HUGE white lilac shrub in the front yard. It really needed some work. So I knocked and there was Al, ready to go. He offered me coffee and we took a look at the lilac.There were tears in his eyes.
"I just don't know if I can tear it out"
I suggested we prune it down and thin it out- then he could decide.
" That way we can test out your new pruner"
So we got started, pruning and talking. He asked again how I ended up here,and I told him. He swore he had seen me before and couldn't figure out where. Finally I told him that I had canvassed the area for Obama in the last election and for Joe Sestak in 2010( 'even though he was Navy')
That took him by surprise- how could I do that - being a veteran?
So I told him- about my cousin dying on 9/11,that I thought Iraq was a mistake, how glad I was that President Obama had gotten Bin Laden.
At first- Al looked at me like a stranger- then as we kept working on the lilac,he said quietly "Maybe you have a point"
I told him I had been a union member and voted against making our Fire Dept volunteer.
"You are just an old fashioned Democrat"
"Guess so, blame it on my Dad"
By now- the lilac was a third of it's original size. I asked if I could have a piece for my yard- and if he wanted to take it all the way out.
"No, my wife really loved it. I just couldn't think about how to save it without her.If you want, take a piece for your yard."
"I'll plant it for her-spread the beauty around"
"She'd like that. See you for coffee next week?"
"Sure"
I wouldn't miss it for the world.