It was one of the first festivals of the season and a time to renew acquaintances and to greet old friends. Most of us hadn\u2019t seen one another since that dreary cold day last winter. The sweet smell of woodsmoke summoned us to perch on camp chairs and coolers and begin to spin yarns from memories and moonshine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI first met Davy, we were in high school together. He was one crazy sonovabitch then, too.\u201d DJ\u2019s booming voice carried easily over the crackle of burning brands. \u201cWe used to drag race cars down by the lake every chance we got. Of course, the cops know all about us; they knew our cars, and they\u2019d take any excuse to pull us over whether we deserved it or not. One night the deputy sheriff sees Davy\u2019s car parked along the side of the road. He was sitting there with his girlfriend at the time, just talking, and when the deputy shone his flashlight at them through the window, Davy says to him, \u2018Now just hold on there! I haven\u2019t even got her pants off yet!\u2019 He never did have too much respect for cops.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe only had the one girl in there with him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe mostly only ever had one at a time. He tried dating two at once a time or two, but he always said that was too much work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe know how to woo a woman, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d remarked Jen, Davy\u2019s first ex-wife. \u201cHe just couldn\u2019t keep us. We mostly forgave him. Eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a swig from the bottle and passed it along. \u201cI first met Davy five\u2014no, I think it was six years ago at that little festival they used to have down by Tecumsah. It was the last day, I had just finished with my tear down, it was late, it was raining, I had a four and a half hour drive ahead of me, and I had to be at work in the morning. Suddenly I realized that I had locked my keys in my car. I had no idea how to tell Triple-A where the heck I was, and I was practically in tears when Davy comes by and stops to ask me what\u2019s wrong. He just happened to have slim jim in that truck, and had my car unlocked in nothing flat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDavy had one of everything in that truck. Anything you needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat truck was Fibber McGee\u2019s closet,\u201d I agreed.<\/p>\n
Randall told me, \u201cFor a while, he even carried around a kitchen sink.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell did he do that for?\u201d DJ barked.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething to do with a remodel job, I think. But if anyone was ever short something, I used to tell them, \u2018Go find Davy, he\u2019ll have something. Look for the license plate BLU HAND.\u201d Us old-timers chuckled at that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t get it,\u201d said the new kid.<\/p>\n
Randall explained. \u201cDavy was a proud member of the Blue Hand Club.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the Blue Hand Club?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when you\u2019ve dropped something down the porta-john and have to stick your hand into the blue water to get it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
A chorus of \u201cEwwww!\u201d at that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he drop?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis wallet, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis glasses. He was blind as a bat without them,\u201d I corrected.<\/p>\n
Jen decided it was her time to reminisce. \u201cBack when we were still married\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stories went on into the night. Cancer\u2019s a bitch, you know? Afterwards, all you have left are a graveside and the stories. Someday even those will be gone.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t drink often\u2014it makes me sleepy\u2014and once the various bottles had made a round or two more I decided it was time to find my sleeping bag. I had pitched my tent a bit up the hill from the main camp, for the quiet, and I guess my flashlight needed new batteries. I ended up nearly tripping over something. A hand grabbed my elbow, keeping me from diving face first right through somebody\u2019s tent wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d I grunted. The hand was cool against my arm, and looking down I saw it was outlined in a faint blue glow. Or maybe that was the starlight. I looked up at my helper and saw only the glow of campfire flames reflected in square lenses in stainless steel frames. He turned\u2014I think he turned\u2014and suddenly I couldn\u2019t see him any more. I could only hear the wind in the hickory leaves above us, and they seemed to whisper, \u201cWhat? Did you think I was going to miss this?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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