Reunion Revelation

Chapter 26

Right back to the 1970's

JB and Carol go to a local party of young adult boomers. Carol meets Mark for the first time. JB doesn’t beat anyone up. 1976

He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969"

And still those voices are calling from far away –

Glenn Frey / Don Felder / Donald Henley Hotel California The Eagles Hotel California


Reunion Revelation

Carol came in and uncorked a bottle of wine. She liked this red blend, also glad to leave winemaking to the West Coast. She took her glass out onto the porch. The sun would soon be setting. Seeing Karen in her retro costume, was Carol seeing herself in her favorite style.

She thought maybe that is why I liked JB calling me the hippie chick. Hippie Chick was much better than ‘Commie Loving Cunt’ which he had popped off on a couple occasions. His most abusive language was always preceded by several beers; JB had carried home many demons not just the mud on his boots. They had needed each other that year of the bicentennial.

JB came to see that the flag burners and the flag wavers were both American. Each capable of being patriotic each capable of being traitors. JB had signed up for the Army at sixteen, ready to leave school behind. He had parental permission and began basic at seventeen. A short decade or endless one depending on viewing it in reflection or in living it as present. His dramatic ride from eighth grade civics to this July 4th celebrating the bicentennial had changed JB’s perspective on many things. The phrase all men are created equal had changed for him, he now understood that all men meant all humankind. He had learned all women were included; Carol had earned his respect. He had learned all peoples were included. He had grown up in the all-white farm community, but a black man named Jerome had saved his life and he had saved Jerome’s three months later. He even spoke of how trapped the Vietnamese were. A pastoral village between two forces intent on reigning hell on them. If you could wash away JB’s resentment, hurt, and loneliness there was simply a lost kid. One-time JB said after a tough fire fight he felt like a puppy who just wanted to be petted and couldn’t understand the meanness of the warped human who beat him.

They had helped salve each other’s scars and wounds that summer. She supposed that is why she agreed to get in that rattling orange deathtrap and go to a reunion party of yokels she had never known. Like many things sometimes doing the least likely of things you want to do allows a new thing to be unlocked. They came rumbling up in the orange bomb accompanied by John Fogerty’s “Fortunate Son.” JB’s gearhead friends were all out opening the hood and talking numbers like 383, 440, and gear ratios.

Carol said, “I’ll be back.” JB had bought the tickets which included the food, beer, and band. It was at an unused quarry. A machine shed held the food and a bar. Mixed drinks in solo cups were a dollar. Carol got a screwdriver and took a ginger ale to JB. She whispered to JB it was ginger ale, but everyone would think it was whiskey. He said thank you, as Cathy came up and introduced herself. She had been one of those who asked JB to invite her.

Cathy said, “I grew up neighbors to your folks. I wanted to come over and be nosey but didn’t want to appear nosey. It is nice meet you Ms. Parker.”

“I’m Carol or Hippie Chick as JB calls me when he is being nice.”

“Why don’t you come over to where we have chairs and benches. I’ll introduce you to some people; we can leave the greaser crowd to their wrenches and stuck nuts.”

Carol giggled and didn’t quite choke on her drink. Everyone she met explained their connection to the Parkers. A few had worked for Eldon and some said their parents were in school with her Dad or uncles. Some of them had been out to the farm and others she had seen her at the local farmers market. The party began separating itself into groups. There was the group who never left high school who were recounting their mild hell raising as if it was a series of merit badges. There seemed to be a group of Vets many in their green jackets with names above the pocket. Carol seemed to be in the group of people who had come back home for the reunion. They had gone to school and now lived in cities away from their small hometown. They all knew her father from the WWII memorial in the trophy case, his picture was there and a model replica of the bomber he flew. This group was discussing the country its divisions, all wondering what it meant for their futures. Occasionally they asked about their old classmates or neighbors.

She was now involved in conversations much like if she were with her own college classmates. After Carol came back home it took her about two years to finish her degree at a local private college. She had studied and stayed at home making up for her being gone. As she listened to people who all shared this special connection of being from here Carol became aware of how well they knew each other. Almost everyone had been in the same classes with each other for twelve or thirteen years. If they hadn’t been in the same class, then their brother or sister had. These small-town people were a close-knit extended family. Carol began to realize these were the good students, now lawyers or doctors, accountants and teachers, engineers and scientists. Carol fell into informed conversations. She hadn’t discussed Watergate, Nixon, pardons, Carter, Ford, stagflation, the war, the draft, or any serious news topic in a long time. She had listened to the radio and had long dialogs with herself and then there was JB. Those dialogs were often between two people speaking separate languages. She decided to go get another drink. She bought JB another ginger ale. She took it over as his gearhead group was about to head for food. She told JB she had enjoyed the pork and especially the coleslaw. Carol said she was over by those benches and near the fire someone had just started. Carol said, “I’m enjoying meeting these people.”

JB looked over as they walked back towards the shed. “Yeah, those are the bookworms. If you grew up here, they would have been your crowd. Be careful of that Cathy she can be quite the gossip.”

“I am just listening JB and not adding anything to the gossip circle.”

“I’m probably going to go say hi to Tom and some of those guys over there”- JB pointed to a group Carol had thought were the Vets.

“Good I’ll just stay where you can find me.”

Carol walked back over and sat on a log next to Cathy. Cathy asked, “Are you and JB a thing?”

“No, I need JB on the farm, he’s got great mechanical skills. He needs me to keep him busy enough to stay out of trouble.”

“I didn’t think you could keep him that busy, but I haven’t heard of him beating anyone’s head in lately.”

“Did you know JB in school?”

“Yes, I was two classes behind his. We rode the same bus.”

“He liked tractors but wasn’t much for other subjects. Someone convinced him the Army would be good for him.”

“Vietnam only got worse the longer we stayed. JB respected my Grandfather. Once he saw I was serious about making money on produce and fruit he tried to help. He feels like he needs to keep me from screwing up too badly.”

“I heard you drove your truck in on a cold winter night and hauled his drunk ass home. Dad says he’s been much less trouble since then.”

“JB realized Bill was looking out for him and his friends were trying to keep him out of trouble. I think he was embarrassed over the cussing he gave me. I made him promise that after he fixed stuff we had to talk. He needed someone to listen. He brought home wounds no one can see. He slowed down his drinking. I haven’t heard of any fights. JB bought that Orange beast. I think he is beginning to want to live instead of killing himself. He says the farm gives him purpose like it did for his Dad and Grandad. He overhauled the engine on that Roadrunner down at the implement dealer. He had to dedicate some time and money to it; he must see some future in his life now.”

“Yes, his Dad was buried while he was in Vietnam. He missed out on all the grieving. JB was always his worst enemy. Even as a kid he couldn’t just walk away. Glad you are keeping him busy. You know Carol, he’s not such a bad looking man when he’s sober.”

“Cathy I’ve noticed that, but from my past experiences I’m not looking for a man drunk or sober.”

Some people had been there with small children and a few had babies in those kangaroo pouches people were carrying their kids in these days. They were beginning to leave as those who had been to the football game arrived. It was the first game of the season. Some said that had been the original emphasis of the reunion, but people liked it so much they had it every year whether the game was at home or away. I was enjoying fitting into my community and not feeling like I was from the planet Klingon.

A well-built young man carrying a beer cup in his hand was walking over. People kept hollering little insults as he got close, I have learned that kidding or lighthearted insults are engrained in the community. They all know who to jibe and just when to stop. You know they have a special bond as you hear them chuckle.

“Hey Greene when you are going stop going to school, you know the draft is over.”

“Maybe he’s going to invent himself a new plow”-a comment that the group found inexplicably funny.

“How’s the team look, Ben said they were losing?

This man I now knew was Greene said,” they played a pretty good team, but yeah we lost.”

“Maybe you should have suited up.”

“I was too slow when I played. I wouldn’t be walking if I had been out there. I’d be all stoved up”

“You going to be an ambassador of something?”

“Foreign service has many positions beyond ambassador. I have been scheduled for a second interview. It looks promising so far. “

“You know Mark, you could bore them to death with those history reports, you used to do. I think they would sign anything. I would have signed anything to get out of class.”

“Maybe you should have negotiated a deal outside of class to get him to give shorter reports.”

“Hey, are you suggesting I would bargain my considerable assets in a somewhat tawdry way?”

“No accusations but you did have something to bargain with.”

“Now you are embarrassing Mark. How long you staying Mark."

“Leave Sunday, flight out at 6 PM.”

“If Carter wins will you have to apply again?”

“No foreign service serves the country not a party. The ambassadors are often people who have party connections, but not the working staff.”

He had finished joking and Cathy grabbed his arm and brought him over. “Mark this is Carol Parker. Mark is Max Greene’s son.”

“Nice to meet you, I talk with your Dad occasionally”

“He said you are Mr. Parker’s granddaughter and are really working hard trying get an orchard and gardens going.”

“I do work hard. I think it will work out. I enjoy living here. I believe your father has his doubts about me.”

“You are quite a change from Mr. Parker. He’s somewhat skeptical”

“Carol, Mark was there the day JB’s dad was killed. Deputy told everyone Tim Carder would likely be dead if not for Mark.”

“Your Grandfather got the ambulance coming, I tried to slow down his blood loss. The medical people saved him.”

“Mark the modest, he won’t likely tell you he was all conference in football, or about being an elite state scholar, and didn’t you win some foreign scholarship. What country did you go to?”

“It was an Asian trip, it was fascinating. I got to go as an assistant to a professor. Our graduate school has several foreign policy experts. It was an honor, but I think Cathy is trying to make it a bigger deal than it was.”

“I rode the school bus with you for 12 years. I think I know you well enough. Allow me to inform your new neighbor what an accomplished man Max’s son is. Also, I bet you will never hear him swear. He can speak more words but never cusses. Unless you’ve changed.”

“Thank you, Cathy. No, I guess I don’t swear much. My folks don’t and I just feel silly throwing in a cuss word.”

“Carol, I wish I was your neighbor. I would like to judge your plans for myself. I know Dad doesn’t trust outsiders with new ideas.”

“If I can get production up by next year then I have found there are adequate markets. Apples take a long time to get to full production, but I am producing more revenues on my part of the home place than it ever did. My father is monitoring my returns, he is my landlord.”

“He is also one of Dad’s landlords. I hope it all works out for everyone. You are certainly breaking some barriers. I worked at your place many times with hay, cattle, and sometimes crops. It is lovely farm. I need to go say hi to some of my old classmates; I don’t get home often.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m going to prove to your Dad and all the real farmers I can make it.”

“I will try to come back and see your progress”-Mark nodded and left with maybe a bow expression from his Asian trip.

Cathy said, “A real hunk, isn’t he?”

“Yeah”

“He doesn’t think he is; always tends to undersell himself. Everyone liked him in school. He never had a big ego not in football or schoolwork just did his job. Too bad you weren’t here a few years ago, he might be pursuing a more domestic service.”

“I like his father, but I can tell Max thinks I’m a misguided, crazy hippie. I think, I will go grab a drink JB seems to be enjoying himself, no fights yet.”

“I am going stop by your farm sometime, now that I can do so and not appear to be nosey.”

“See you then Cathy.”

Carol got another screwdriver and a ginger ale. “I brought you another ginger ale.”

“Good I had one with Jim Beam, but I shouldn’t have another. You see the guy wearing the cavalry hat; he flew choppers. His girlfriend is dancing with another guy. I like the band, but she’s a flirt. She likes to see her boyfriend John come over and defend her. We’ll leave in about thirty minutes if I stay late, then John’s going take a punch to defend his little cutie. I wouldn’t let a flyboy get away with a sucker punch. I would end up ruining his nice hat and his face too.”

“OK I will over by the fire.”

I came back up. One of the guys I had met named Joe, I had forgotten his last name called out, “Miss Parker don’t you agree that the politicians screwed up Vietnam. They should have listened to the generals. My brother always said we should have shit or got off the pot. I am sure you will help me explain this to your neighbor.”

I looked up to see Mark Greene standing there, “Well Joe," I decided to play into the neighbor thing, "Vietnam was a civil war. It was always more about colonialism than communism. "

"We were stopping communism; there'll be no stopping them now." - Joe countered.

"That may be the problem now, Joe. We nixed the democratic referendum during Eisenhower and General Westmorland was the one who requested the troop increases, then LBJ agreed. We did escalate bombing and troop levels; North Vietnam got more help from the Soviet Union. It is hard to win the hearts and minds of the people while dropping napalm on them. We should have realized we were fighting the wrong war much sooner. Possibly Nixon could have revealed his secret plan after he was elected in 1968.”

Mark smiled, “Joe, Carol is right. We built one miscalculation upon another. We didn’t want more Chinese or Soviet intervention. We shouldn’t have stepped in after the colonialist French had their hats handed to them. “

Joe replied, with less certainty, “I am just saying all those boys fought for something, it’s wrong to say they died for nothing. Those people out in those boats prove Commies are brutal killers”

Mark in a most modulated voice, “We preserved American honor, we proved we try to honor our commitments. You’re right it is a horrible situation for many South Vietnamese. Unified Vietnam is now in control of a powerful military. It’s a mess but we can’t go back in time, we need to go forward. What do you think Carol?”

“I think our hope to not be where we are ended when RFK was shot. I think he would have walked us out. We wouldn’t be the divided nation we are today.”

Another guy, Carol didn’t know jumped in, “Nixon used our divisions to divide us. He saw Wallace’s strength and pitted us against each other.”

Mark came back with, “I like Carter and I like Ford, maybe we can find our way without pitting ourselves against each other.”

Joe not quite done but running low of facts, “I work with Calvie; he says we were winning when he left, he’s not sure who fucked it up after that.”

“Joe we all did because no one listened to anyone. I was watching a war without end or purpose holding a 1A, away we go lottery number. I didn’t know what the moral choice was. It was not simple or easy to know where duty lay. I was in school, but I was going to graduate in a couple years. Nixon Vietnamized the war and then there was no draft. We need to learn and try to not make those mistakes again. “

“OK Greene you were always the brain on politics. I hope you can straighten things out in that government job.”

“I don’t have it yet, but I hope I can help avoid some of our errors.”

JB came ambling up. There was a general chorus of Hey JB. One guy said, “I like that Roadrunner, they are so cool.”

“Yeah, seems to be running good, now that I got it put back together.”

“You ready to go JB”

“Yes, it’s time, Carol. That little flirt was over trying to get me to dance with her. I saw flyboy looking steamed.”

“Hey, you’re Greene aren’t you?”

“Yes, JB it’s been a long time.”

“Golldamn you’ve grown up, I think you were thirteen dragging bales around in the barn at Parkers.”

“Yes, JB it was first year I helped or at least tried to.”

“You were doing good for thirteen.”

“I was in the Army soon after that and I guess you’ve not been home much after going to school.”

“I come at holidays but have not stayed home for long. It is nice to see you again. I love Roadrunners.”

Mark smiled a nod almost a bow, "Nice to have met you Carol Parker. I hope you continue to prove the old guys wrong.”

-

We got back to the Orange Beast and climbed in. “You want to listen to this Outlaws tape on the way back?”

“Sure JB, let the country music roll. I was proud of you tonight. I hope you had a good time.”

“I did, I would have tied into that keg, but I knew I couldn’t stay out of it if I did. It was nice to see some of the guys and walk away clear headed.”

“And unbloodied.”

“Yeah, most of the blood isn’t usually mine, still have to clean off my shirt.”

Carol found herself singing along “My heroes have always been cowboys And they still are, it seems …” -

Carol looked at her Apple watch, another gift from her sons. It was about time to head down to this Orangemen concert. She folded the blanket back. She kept it on the porch unless a storm was coming. She found she was covered in it at sunset without noticing. Her body seeking warmth and her mind not paying attention.

She went inside and put on a designer label barn coat. Grandpa Eldon had a barn coat his label was Oshkosh B’gosh.