The New Truck

When "gardening" season came this last spring, my 70-year-old mother and 84-year-old uncle put out a garden, 5 acres of it to be exact. I was a little afraid they were in over their heads this year so when musical was over and Robert wanted to look for a job, I told him I would pay him NOT to get a job so when Mom and Uncle Junie needed him, he would be available. Well, he has helped out some with the garden, but they neither one would let him help like I thought they would. Don't get me wrong, in the last 3 weeks he has carried 2100 lbs of potatoes into my uncles root cellar, 40 lb buckets at a time, and that was after helping pick them all up. When he helps, it's hard work and they depend on him to do it. I was expecting him to be up there 3 or 4 times a week and he has probably been there 2 or 3 times in 2 weeks.


My thing is, there have been a couple of weeks this summer that I think he resented me for not letting him get a job because he believed Mom and Uncle Junior would have worked around his schedule (which they did last week when the El Camino was broke down again).


ANYWAY, Mom called me Saturday morning and said Uncle Junie wanted to GIVE Robert his old farm truck. I was like, "does it run?" which honestly wouldn't matter to a kid who lives, breathes, eat and sleeps working on vehicles. But the answer, was yes, it ran well, Uncle Junie had seen a chance to get a newer truck a few months ago and took it. He didn't get rid of this truck because it was in too good of shape and has a brand new transmission in it.


So, yesterday afternoon we went to talk to Uncle Junie about the truck, I thought it was a bit much and Uncle Junie informed me that he had done what he wanted to most of his life and he wasn't about to stop now and what he wanted to do was to give Robert that truck for helping them and helping him when he needs hogs loaded or pigs cut (which Robert is becoming pretty good at and will need to do again in the next couple of weeks).


So.......I think a truck is a pretty good wage for a summer job. Robert is so excited, there are some things that need a little work but they are minor and it runs! and runs well! And minor work just equals a lot of good times to Robert. He has already ordered a catalog that specializes in parts for this truck--which is a 88 Chevy 1500 Silverado.


We will make everything legal tomorrow, how lucky can one person get? Not even 18 years old and OWNS not one but two trucks, straight out. I think he leads a charmed life!