"Hello? Yes, this is the Beatty residence."

 

"I'm trying to reach a Mary Beatty?"

 

"This is Mary."

 

"My name is Larry Muffer. (Names have been changed  to protect the victims...) I bought an old van from a guy here in town and have been fixing it up. It has your name on the title."

 

"Old van? My name...title... But that's impossible!  There must be some mistake! Old Blue is dead and buried!"  I gasped about an octave too high.

 

Larry guy chuckled, "I'm afraid not. The old van is alive and humming! Got lots of miles left in it yet!  It's a honey! Engine sounds real good. Little hard to start sometimes. The interior is remarkably nice for its age."

 

For a moment I was struck speechless, remembering how Ken used thumb tacks to hold the sagging ceiling fabric in place. For two years I was certain Old Blue had gone to a better place and was laid to rest in the junkyard cemetery! Oh, I can just  see Ken now,  looking down from his post in heaven, clapping and shrieking, "I tried to tell her, sir - I tried to tell her!!" 

 

"Hello... Hello! Mrs. Beatty, are you there? I've wondered... Why did you get rid of it?" Larry guy surely thinks he's caught himself a  loony.

 

"My husband was very ill and the old van hadn't left the driveway for seven years. I needed to have access to the garage."

 

"Oh. So it was blocking the door."

 

"And I assure you I don't want it back, so how can I help you?" 

 

"A man in Pennsylvania restores old vans.  He especially liked this one because he'd never seen a van like this with the extra doors on each side."

 

"I can give you a brief history of that van. My husband's parents purchased it when it was brand new. They owned an antiques business and hauled a ton of boxes to and from shows. Ken performed major surgery on the van's body and installed the two doors so it would be easier to load and unload the heavy boxes. Then he added the six sets of glass jalousie windows.... I think that's what he called them, and I sewed the pull back curtains for privacy."

 

"Hmmm. Interesting. Well, this fellow is going to buy Old Blue. He said he was prepared to bid $1500 there on eBay. But the bidding stopped short of $900."

 

This is incredulous! Bill of sale for a piece of junk I had hauled away for free! 

 

"He says Pennsylvania laws are different so I may need to get the original owner's signature on the bill of sale. If you wouldn't  mind? I'll contact you in a few days when I know more. Either I or a deputy will call you to make an appointment."

 

"And the deputy's name...?

 

"Mernie. Mernie Johnson. Nice talking to you!

 

"Good-bye......." 

 

With a deep sigh I slumped into the nearest chair by the living room window, then grinned from ear to ear in disbelief!

Well, if this isn't another "Rest of the Story"...!  Oh, my goodness! Since I haven't been able to locate a photograph of Old Blue for my website maybe I can get one  before it leaves town.......! My whole family would get a kick out of  remembering how patheticus it looked! Larry guy said they had several good snapshots and would send me one.  But just to be certain, I will go take the picture myself, first thing next week!

The next week it rained. And rained.  Every day!  So I watched expectantly for the mail truck. And each day I checked email. No photos. Gone was my last hope of ever having a picture of Old Blue.

 

Then one day someone signed my website guestbook...

 

Where are you from?   Lancaster PA

How did you find this website?  We are the new owners of your ' Old Blue!'

We have emailed a few  times and I now have the three wonderful images you see on these pages - the same ones shown on eBay! And needless to say, viewing that beloved "heap of sentiment" again brings back many bittersweet memories of times past!

Suddenly, a clap of thunder startled me from my musing. A  chuckle of delight bubbled up and bounced off the  rain-drenched window, and I peered  through the dark clouds beyond...

 

"Uh... Ok, Ok!  I hear your thundering applause, Ken...!  LONG LIVE OLD BLUE!!"

 

 

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 Background Music: I Love You A Bushel and A Peck

Midi Sequenced by Redsal