The Old Pickup And The 94 Bus
Well, I hadn't seen Him on the bus for quite awhile, but that's not unusual on the Bainbridge 94 route -- people change shifts, job locations, go on vacation -- all the usual things that happen in life.
He was articulate and had a dry sense of humor -- fun to banter with and never at a loss for a quick and thoughtful comeback.
I told Him once that I had an old 66 GMC pickup that I was looking to give to someone. It had been to South America and back and had been given to me by some Islanders who lived at Fort Ward. It was used for the Boy Scout Christmas tree pickup, to set up the Boy Scout hot dog booth every 4th of July, and to haul the neighborhood junk to Rotary or Vincent Road. Otherwise, it just sat under the cedar trees on Skiff Point -- He sounded interested. I told Him that the only condition was that it had to stay on Bainbridge Island.
He didn't say much at the time, but a few weeks later, He stopped me on the boat and said He knew someone who might want the pickup -- a project for a man and his teenage sons to do some "tinkering." Thanks to Him, a deal was soon struck and the old pickup found a new and caring home on the Island. Old pickups seem to endure.
I ran into the new owner on the 6:20 boat tonight (6-23-08) and reminded him that there were still a couple of parts sitting at my house that needed to be picked up. He said, "Did you know that He's gone?" I asked him what he meant and he said, "He was killed in a car accident a few weeks ago. Fortunately, His son was able to walk away from it."
I was dumbfounded. I stammered a couple of the usual retorts, but it took the rest of the boat ride for it to sink in. No wonder I hadn't seen Him on the bus.
When I got the 94 tonight, I sat down next to Doug and across from the guy who always gets off just before the Jiffy Mart at Rolling Bay. As usual, everyone was jovial and glad to be heading home at the end of the day. I said, "You know the nice guy who always used to get off at Springwood, the one we haven't seen for a while?" They all remembered Him and said, "Yes." I said, "Well, He's gone," and they all understood.
The rest of the bus ride was silent as we all thought about Him and how we missed and would continue to miss His pleasant demeanor and smiling face.
Life goes on, even as many of us drop off by the side of the road. The most important thing always is whether we gave a good account of ourselves while we were here and whether those who knew us, intimately, or as casual acquaintances, are better for our presence and mourn our passing. All of us on the 94 mourn His passing and will remember Him as a man we were glad to know.
Robie G. Russell
Manitou Park
