Ginny's Story A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright© 2018 Karen Lockhart All Rights Reserved.

CHAPTER 86

I still had Saturday and Sunday off, so I decided to sleep late and watch football both days. Ellen had plans with Pete, so that left Wendy to keep me company. The pre-game show had no sooner started, when Wendy's phone rang. By her conversation, I guessed it was Ariana.

After she hung up, I asked, “I suppose the two of you will be off somewhere?”

“No Aunt Ginny, I invited her over here to watch football with us. Up to now, she's had no-one to watch games with her. Is it okay?”

I messed her hair saying, “It's just fine, she must be really lonely. When you think of it, her mother's dead, and her sister and father are in jail. I know she is older than you, but we all have older friends at one time or another.” I chuckled, “Soon you and I'll be the older friends.”

With that, she tossed a sofa cushion at me.

I told her, for that indisgression she had to make lunch for the three of us. I could hear the crunch of Ariana's tires on the snow that fell overnight. How does the Almanac do it?

After Ariana was settled in and the game had started. I asked Ari how her car was running. I was worried that with winter coming, it was a long ride to work with an old undependable car.

She mumbled, “Okay, I guess Ginny.”

“Driving in to work is one thing, but driving home at 3 AM is something else. You need dependable transportation. (Oh no, now I'm sounding like my father!) There's a Ford Taurus next door that belonged to the woman's mother. She's in a nursing home and needs to sell it. I think it's 10 years old with only 40,000 miles on it.”

I got up and looked out the window. “Wendy can you read the price?”

She hopped up, grabbed her coat and ran outside to get a better look.

“They want $3500 for it Aunty. I didn't see any rust either.”

“What do you say Ariana? Should I call her about the car? We can take it for a test drive, and have Pete look at it.”

“Oh would you, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look.” she said.

I had Wendy go outside again and write down the phone number, which I called during the half. I didn't want to miss anything in the Oklahoma, TCU game.

I spoke with the daughter who said the car was spotless, but she and her husband were going out. She then suggested in the morning before the Patriots game. I said it sounded good, and hung up. Now if I could get Pete here too that would be great.

I relayed the news to Ariana who gave me a big hug, asking, “Why are you guys so good to me?”

Oklahoma won by two touchdowns. I looked at Wendy and asked, “When will lunch be served?”

She hopped up yelling “I forgot, how about subs from across the street?”

Without waiting for an answer, she and Ari grabbed their coats and ran to the sub shop.

The next game was Alabama vs Ohio State. I love this weekend! Great college football.

I just realized, Wendy never asked what I wanted for a submarine sandwich.

The came flying back just as fast. Ariana set the table while Wendy unwrapped sandwiches, and placed a bag of chips on the table.

I looked over my shoulder and asked, “What's for lunch?”

“Steak bombs.”

Who could resist that?

Wendy got three glasses with ice cubes, and opened a 2 liter bottle of root beer.

The second game started before we had finished eating. After cleaning up and washing greasy hands, it was back to the sofa.

I checked for other games and found Michigan ( Tom Brady's school ) was playing Notre Dame. I asked the girls if they had a preference, and they both picked the Michigan game. So we watched that!

It started snowing lightly again, so I convinced Ariana to do a sleep over with Wendy, while I convinced, or connived Pete to look at the Taurus in the morning. I had it! I'd talk Ellen to having a sleep over with Pete!

The soon to be newly-weds arrived home just before mid-night, so the two kids had nodded off. I beckoned Ellen and Pete into the kitchen and explained about Ari's car.

“I wondered who that piece of junk belonged to,” Pete said. “Do you want me to wear my uniform? It's in the trunk.”

“Then the poor woman would think you were a doorman at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston,” Ellen said.

“Hush, don't wake the kids!” I snickered. ( I would giggle, but I didn't shave my legs today.) “Jeans and a down jacket is the only uniform you'll need. She's only trying to sell her elderly mother's car, for Heaven's sake.”

As Pete sipped his coffee that Ellen just made, he grimaced, “I hate to tell you how many crappy cars dealers get that are sold this way. There was a guy in Lynn that sold 15 cars a month from his driveway. He'd run an ad in the paper, and whichever car he got a call on, it would move from his lot to his yard. The wife would do all the work showing the car. Worked for a couple of years too.”

“Why did he stop?” I asked.

“He sold one to a guy in Nahant that got a flat the next morning. When he went to unbolt the tire, there was only 2 bolts instead of 5, same thing on the other side. When he called, the wife said it was okay two days ago. What did he do? The guy went right to his police chief who called us.”

“Was the man stuck with the car?” Ellen asked.

“No, he got his money back including the RMV fees and sales tax. Too bad, he said he loved that Chrysler New Yorker. Push-button shift, and a square steering wheel.”

So it was decided, Pete would stay overnight, look at the car, and have a party during the Patriot's football game.

Everyone was up by 8 AM. Can you imagine the traffic jam in the bathroom with four women? Poor Pete, he had to run outside behind a tree, with 4” of snow on the ground. When he was given several yucks, he said “Don't worry, no yellow snow.” That got yucks from all of us and a few pigs thrown in.

When he started to say more, he was silenced by a kiss from Ellen. Somehow the log jam was cleared, and Ariana and Wendy started to make coffee, and put the kettle on for tea. I dove in and made a mountain of scrambled eggs and toast for everyone.

We were just finishing when our neighbor called, saying they were home from church, and would now be a good time?

We decided I would go with Ariana and Pete to see the car. Why me you ask? Remember I drove heavy trucks for ten years, and I used to be a good man with a wrench; of course now I'm a good wench with a guy.

The car was like new on the inside, no smokers, a leather interior, bucket seats and a great Bose sound system. The car was on a dry spot so while I looked under the hood, Pete looked under the car at the frame brake lines and for excessive rust. While Pete drove it on a road test, I asked where her mother lived. When she said Georgia, Pete and I looked at each other and nodded.

We pulled over and had Ariana drive to see if she liked it. When we got back I excused us so we could huddle. Pete and I said it was a Southern car with no rust or snow. It had the more powerful engine that purred like a kitten, and could Ariana afford the car.

Even though she was a little overwhelmed, Ariana said she liked the car, especially the bright red and the spoiler on the trunk and wanted to buy it. Pete suggested I do the negotiations while he and Ariana look on.

It turned out her name was Smith also, so we had a chuckle at that. I offered her $2500 in cash, but we settled at $2750. I saved Ari $750! Now she could sell her rolling junk for the same amount and have $1500 in her pocket.

There were hugs and handshakes all around. I noticed the curtains moving so I guess Ellen and Wendy saw everything.

Every one was excited when we got back inside. We still had time to go to the market and get party trays for the game, and I had plenty of beer and soda left over from Thanksgiving.

We discussed the logistics of selling her car and the trip to the RMV during the half.
We were in a good mood because the Pats were winning by 27 points halfway through.

Pete suggested he sell her old car, and Jean and I drive her back and forth until the new car was legal. As soon as the old car was sold, Pete offered to take care of the RMV paperwork too, since the trooper in the Revere office used to work for him.

The home team won by three touchdowns. It was agreed, Pete would follow Ariana home and get the title, and spare keys for her car. He was hopeful, everything could be done by late Monday afternoon.

Jean was surprised when I asked her to stop in Revere for Ariana, but was excited that we found her a car that quickly. Jean immediately asked how much that tight-wad was paying her to sing. When she said $400 a night, we were both shocked. I remembered when she was hired that after a month, she would be paid $750! Jean started to sputter, that as of tonight, Ariana would be paid as Logan agreed, or else.

As it turned out, it was an oversight and the club owed her the difference for 3 ½ months. That's $24,000!

I laughed, “Hey Ariana, you can buy a new car for that, let me call Pete, and have him just junk your old car, you'll still get a couple of hundred for the scrap.”

Which I did!

I also found out some news from Hiram. Since we were printing money, it was decided to be open from 10 AM until 2 AM each day, 16 hours a day with two 8 hour employee shifts rather than one 12 hour shift.

This would allow some normalcy in our lives, but a 50% cut in pay. I looked at Hiram and said, “I QUIT, I can work much closer to home for more than I'd make in 8 hours, especially if it was the early shift with much less tips.”

He looked shocked, then saw the logic in what I said.

“If you want to open earlier, just hire part-time waitresses and staff. That way we can take a vacation or be sick and the shifts are still covered. Also when someone leaves, you have a fully trained replacement right here in place.”

“Shit!” he yelled, “Where were you when we had the meeting on Friday? Ian!” he yelled into his phone, “Not a word on changes in hours until you see me.”

By this time, Bobby was hanging over my shoulder, saying, “See, I told you so.”
Hiram leaned over and kissed me in thanks. “If we open a second place on the North Shore, I know who the manager will be.”

Ian showed up puffing, and when he heard Hiram out, kissed me too. During this. Cathy or should I say Jack was jealous, and kissed me too.

“What was that for?” asked Ian.

“Just didn't want to feel left out.” he said.

To be continued.