A Treasure of Their Own

When they finally made it to Eddy's Hamburger Emporium in Elmhurst, it was hard for Brian to find a place to park. Ryan, Arthur’s dad, had conveniently parked his car across the street and waived Brian down when he came back by so they could switch places. Ryan drove the four blocks to his house and trotted back in a hurry.

  Aaron, Eddy and Aunt Millie filed out of the Emporium and began waiving as Brian parked the Explorer. Aaron picked up Wendy so she could be seen better of course. The question Aunt Millie and Olivia were asking each other concerned the male behind the steering wheel.

  Sheila noticed Wendy first and said, "Look, Fred, there's your little sister. She's got red hair just like yours."

  Fred replied emphatically, "I should say she does. Who is she, Marci?"

  "That's Arthur's sister," she answered. “You’ll find out really quickly that she is a little girl with a big personality, just like her momma. But, she's got quickness about her wits that she could have only gotten by being around her great-grandpa Tom. You wait 'til you get to know her. And, by the way, you'll get to know her pretty quick. She'll see to that."

  "A real handful, huh?" asked Bert.

  A little more softly Marci answered, "Yes, Bert, but she is a very pleasant handful, I would have to say."

  They exited the Explorer and walked across the street. Marci introduced the nursing crew to the Elmhurst crew but purposely left Brian out. Under the watchful eyes of Olivia and Aunt Millie, she pulled him to the center and said, "Last but not least, this is Brian, a very good friend of mine.”

  Then, looking at Olivia with only a faint smile she added, "He asked if he could come with us today. He has some things he wants to talk with you and Uncle Ryan about." Without hesitation she looked at Eddy and asked, "Can they use the room?"

  Eddy was caught a little off guard by the drama of the situation but answered, "Why, sure they can. Y’all just follow me. And you lovely ladies, I have a table for you up close to the kitchen. I understand you might have some questions about our menu.” He stepped over to the door and opened it for them and said, "Please, come in and make yourselves at home. And, on your way in, the first thing on the right hand side is the drink dispenser. Go ahead and get the drink of your choice so you can be sipping on something while your order comes. Refills are always free."

  They all said, "Thanks," and made their way inside. Once inside, Marci introduced them to the crowd, "Folks, I would like you to meet some of my friends from the college.” She pointed to each of them as she called out their names, "This is Sheila, Roberta and Fred."

  From out of the kitchen a male voice called out, "Red head Fred."

  With the exception of Bert, Sheila and Fred, everyone else recognized the voice. However, Fred turned around and saw no one at the order window. Fred could not let it rest. Without asking permission, she marched herself into the kitchen and looked around. Aunt Millie and Uncle Reggie just smiled and shrugged their shoulders and went back to work prepping food. Jake came out of the cold storage room carrying two trays of pre-patted out hamburger patties. "Don't look at me I didn't say it," he said as he made no attempt to disguise his voice.

  "You got something against red heads?" she asked as she crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side.

  "Au contraire, mein schatzi," he joked as he began the task of pre-heating the patties. A little bit louder so that Wendy could hear him, "As a matter of fact, I love ladies with red hair don't I Wendy?"

  Wendy was sitting in Marci's lap, of course, and enjoying being the middle of everyone's conversation. At Jake's question, she vigorously nodded her head and answered, "Yep. And after I marry Ramon, I'm going to marry you."

  This brought a rousing round of laughter from the group but not from Fred. Her arms were still crossed and her head was still cocked. "You're an A-number-one fruitcake, you know it?"

  "I'm always at my best when I'm with you, Sugar."

  Aunt Millie snickered and went into the cooler to get some more vegetables to prepare. Fred was not sure whether she had met her match or not but, decided to join the others and think about it for a minute. She marched herself through the double swinging doors of the kitchen and walked toward the table.

  From the direction of the kitchen came an, "Eyow-w-w!” Everyone looked up to see Jake vigorously shaking his hand and then stepping out to the drink dispenser to get some ice. He flashed a goofy smile and said, "Burned my hand," and headed back to the kitchen.

  Fred was right behind him and was quick to ask as she reached for his hand to check it out, "How did you do that?” While she waited for him to answer, she found a plastic bag and put the ice in it. She held his left hand carefully and placed the bag of ice on the reddened part of his palm.

  Jake let a bit of a smile creep across his face as he didn't offer to hold the bag in place. Fred saw his smile and plied a sly one of her own as she tilted her head to the left and threw him a questioning glance. This time in a slightly testy voice she asked again, "And... just HOW did you do that?"

  Jake was very correct in assuming that smile was not one of those shy and demure type girly smiles. It was more of an 'I'm-gonna-get-you-big-time-if-you-don't-answer' smile. There was something in her light green eyes that he had never seen before in a young lady. And, it was pretty darned unnerving to him right now. He looked at his Aunt Millie for help but she just unashamedly chuckled again as Jake tried to explain, "Uh.... you see,......I....uh,.......I liked the way you walked out of here so much that I wanted to watch you walk through the dining room. I guess I leaned a little too close to the grill."

  With her smile firmly in place she tilted her head a little more to the left and opened her eyes wide to accentuate the question, "Watch me walk? What's so....special about the way I walk?” To aid in prying an answer from him, she added a little pressure to the iced bag.

  Jake inhaled just a bit as he explained, "You've got a cute little hitch in your get-along.” He bobbed his head as he threw at her the rest of his reasoning, "Since you don't look at it like I can, you probably won't notice it like I did.” He tried to look nonchalant, but his face got so red that it gave him away.

  "Hey, Jake," Eddy yelled back to the kitchen. "Step out here for a moment if you can. We're going to lay out our plan."

  "Sure thing, Chief," Jake took his hand and the ice bag away from Fred and, like a swashbuckling pirate; he jauntily strolled into the dining room.

  Fred put her hands on her hips and shook her head as she watched him walk out. Aunt Millie stepped up beside her and they exchanged glances and then chuckled. Millie recognized the look in her eye. She had had it herself once upon a time.

  Fred put one fist on top of the other and raised them over her head. Millie watched and wondered. She swung them in front of her like.........like she was casting a lure into a pond. She looked at Aunt Millie with a smile and slowly nodded her head as she jerked her air fishing rod as if setting the hook in the mouth of a large mouth bass. She struggled with the rod a couple of times and then pretended to reel him in. She grinned at Aunt Millie and nodded a few more times to reiterate her decision.

  Aunt Millie looked her question toward Fred and pointed toward Jake. Fred, spread her feet apart, crossed her arms and nodded a great big 'Yes.' Millie mouthed the words, "Want some help?” When Fred gave her the wide-eyed answer, Millie took her by the arm to the back of the kitchen.

  Aunt Millie pulled her over to the stove in the back where they prepared the chili and the sauces. She pointed to an 8 quart stainless steel stock pot that had seen its better days, just to look at it. She reached underneath the counter and pulled out a newer one. "Here's the secret to his spectacular chili. I'm serious. No one around here can touch it," she declared. She poured the content s of the really used pot into the newer one then went over to the sink and rinsed it out. "This is the only pot he cooks the chili in. The secret is, he lets it scorch for about three minutes day after day after day, and it seems like the pot builds up a flavor in the chili."

  "Really??
?? Fred asked with look of consternation on her face. "I've never read that any book."

  Millie stuck a ladle in the chili and brought her out a taste. "See for yourself."

  As Fred took a taste of the chili, she admitted, "I could almost tell you everything he has in there........down to the hickory smoke. You are right. There is one indescribable taste in there."

  As Millie leaned a little closer to Fred she whispered, "Now, when I get a chance, I'm going to sneak over to Brian, get his keys and lock this pot in his SUV."

  "Why?"

  "So you can take it back to college with you."

  "Why would I want to do that?"

  Now it was Aunt Millie's turn to cock her head to the side as she said with a smile, "So Jake will have to come to check on it and his star pupil. Now, whether he takes it back or not is entirely up to you."

  One of those female 'So-it's-up-to-me' looks came across her face as she sweetly murmured, "O-o-o-h-h-h-h, is it now?"

  Meanwhile, in the dining room, Aaron stepped up to the table and announced their plans. "Eddy, Jake and I came up with an idea. Why don't we make five of our bestselling burgers and cut them into quarters. That way all of you could taste several of them. How does that sound?"

  "Great, but what burgers will that be?" asked Sheila.

  Aaron answered, "We figured," as he looked at Marci, "the old goat burger for one."

  "Excellent choice," Marci declared.

  He continued, "And, we figured that the pizza burger and the taco burger would probably be favorites."

  Bert agreed, "Oh, yeah, the guys would love those."

  "And, Jake has finally named the other two, Marci," he went on. "The bacon one he calls the double cross, because of the way he puts the strips of bacon in it, and the other one he calls," he wrinkled up his nose, "the tick burger."

  Sheila cried out, "The tick burger? What on earth would possess him to do that?"

  "He puts Cajun fries in it and he says that the little dangly things sticking out of the side of the burger makes it look like a tick," replied Aaron.

  "That all makes sense, but it still sounds so gross," said Sheila as she shivered.

  Marci offered, "We could call it the paramecium burger."

  Wendy let out her own unique brand of giggle as she nestled her head into Marci's neck and looked at Sheila and Bert. Bert furrowed her eyebrows, lowered her head and looked out of the tops of her eyes as she asked her, "Don't tell me you like the 'tick' burger?"

  She laughed as she nodded her head and responded, "I tell Jake to put ketchup in the middle and then I bite off its legs and it looks like it's bleeding to death."

  As ladies would normally do at a time like this, there was a collective, "E-e-e-e-w-w-w!"

  Bert reached over and took Wendy out of Marci's arms and declared as she laughed, "Gracious, I can't stand it anymore. I've got to hold that precious jewel for a little while. Come here, you ragamuffin. I wanna kiss your whole face."

  Olivia, Ryan and Brian came out of the room to join them about that time. They were greeted at the table by screams of laughter from the nine-year-old and a chorus of laughter from everyone within three tables of them. An innocent child's laughter is always as contagious as it is pleasant to the heart.

  As Wendy was sprawled all over Bert's lap, her mother asked mockingly, "Awe does the poor helpless baby need Mommy's help?"

  She answered in classic Wendy, "No Ma'am. I'm just going to lay here and let her tickle me until she's all wore out. Then, I'll go sit in Marci's lap for a while."

  Marci's only reply was to Bert and Sheila, "Did I tell you the truth?"

  As Bert breathlessly relinquished her hold, she said, "Yeah, well you've done a good job of wearing me out, kid. Scram."

  As Wendy climbed back onto Marci's lap she asked Sheila, "Do you want a turn?"

  She answered, "Maybe after we get through eating."

  Fred stepped up to the order window and commented, "Speaking of eating. If the chef doesn't get in here to tutor his student, no one's going to get anything to eat."

  As he sauntered back into the kitchen, he addressed Fred with, "Just couldn't do without me, could you?"

  Fred bantered back, "I see you came when I called, didn't you.” With a serious look on her face, she held up her hands and declared, "Truce. Truce. I came here to learn from you, so let's quit with the cutsies, OK? I love to cook and I do well. BUT, I have to go strictly by the book.” She began to smile as she confessed, "I do NOT know how to think out of the box. I honestly need your help."

  Jake got control of himself and started into a teaching mode. Their banter had put the orders behind just a bit so he suggested that they share the grill and double-time the orders. "When orders start coming in hot and heavy, you learn to think out of the box pretty quickly," he stated. He started to ask Aunt Millie for an apron but one whizzed by him on its way into Fred's waiting hands before he even turned around. He gave her a spatula, put an order in front of her and class began.

  Fred was intent on learning how to make those special types of burgers. Jake was intent on teaching her all he knew about the art. He was so intent that he never noticed his Aunt Millie sneak out to the dining room and whisper in Brian's ear.

  Word got around that Marci had come back to town and people began to come in. Orders increased and it was just about all that the two of them could do to keep up. It was normal for Jake but it was a new adventure for Fred. The two of them were having so much fun.

  Aunt Millie and Uncle Reggie kept the fries hot and tasty and all the fixins cut, sliced and diced. After thirty minutes of almost non-stop action, you can say that Fred had become quite accomplished on the grill.

  The three ladies were almost through with their burgers, so Aaron and Eddy shooed the two of them out of the kitchen and into the dining room to join the rest of them while they manned the grill. Fred declared as she sat down, "Wow. I never knew that cooking could be so much fun."

  Sheila asked, "Did you learn a lot?"

  Jake answered for her, "Are you kidding? After thirty minutes in there she had everything down pat. She's got a photographic memory or something. By the end of the session, she was showing me some things."

  "Oh, it was just a whole lot of fun," Fred replied.

  Eddy peeked through the order window and asked, "Fred, Jake, Brian, Olivia and Ryan, what do y’all want?"

  Jake ordered for him and Fred, "Make that two double-cross, paramecium burgers. Mine with a shot of hot and Fred's with a shot of molasses."

  Roberta asked, "What?"

  Fred answered, "Yeah. Jake's got a great idea. You make these different flavored sauces to squirt on the burgers while their cooking and you can make the same burger taste a little different."

  "Yeah," Jake continued, "People here are already used to it. I've got a hot sauce, molasses sauce, sausage sauce, Italian sauce and a sweet and sour sauce. That's molasses with a little bit of pickle juice. For, example someone who likes their burgers a little hotter will call for a burger hot. If they want it hotter than that, they ask for a specific burger hot, hot. It all depends on how many squirts they want on it. And, they basically get individualized service. That makes them feel special."

  Marci declared, "That's a great idea. So, they keep coming back. That's one of the main things that we need to hit on first is repeat business. Oh, my gosh. That keeps the cost of condiments down, too."

  "Exactly," Eddy said as he brought out their burgers. "Repeat business, lower overhead, and," he patted on Jake's shoulder, "a show every now and then. Jake's always got some kind of banter going on. I have actually had people come in and make sure that Jake is here before they sit down. Imagine that."

  "I do what I can," he said as humbly as he could.

  Eddy looked out the kitchen window at Olivia and Ryan and asked, "Liv, Ryan, what would you like. It's on the house. All of this is by the way."

  Liv and Ryan looked at each other and said, "Just a plate of those Cajun fries with
melted pepper jack cheese is fine with us."

  "Sure?"

  "Yep."

  Ryan volunteered, "I'll get us some Cokes."

  "Thanks, Hun," Olivia said as she smiled at him.

  Bert gushed, "Oh, that is so swe-e-e-t." She turned to Brian to crack a joke and almost got cracked herself when she said, "See, Brian when you marr-y-y-y.....me that's exactly the way I expect you to treat me.” She finished with a silly giggle.

  The other girls tried to laugh enough to pass it off as a joke. Everyone sneaked a glance at Olivia to see if she suspected anything. She too was glancing from face to face to see if she could detect what was going on.

  Maria appeared at the door dressed in a fashionable pair of jeans and a western shirt. She motioned for Olivia to come outside. As she got up out of her chair and walked to the door she said, "Well, don't you look nice. I think that's the first time I've ever seen you in jeans before. You look great."

  "Thanks," Maria said with a big smile.

  As the two of them walked around the side of the building, Eddy called out, "Brian, what would you like?"

  The four ladies said in unison, "The volcano burger.” That brought some much needed smiles to the table. Hopefully the little standoff was over with.

  "Volcano burger," Jake said resolutely as he stood up. "That's my specialty. I'll take care of that one myself.” Off he went to the kitchen.

  Fred grimaced, held her finger to her lips, got up quietly and sneaked into the kitchen behind him. Aunt Millie quickly grabbed a bowl, put a burger in it and stepped over to meet Jake at the chili pot. The closer he got to the chili pot, the slower he walked until he stood directly in front of it. In measured tones he asked, "And... just...where.....is....my chili pot?"

  Fred took two more quiet steps toward him, reached out and pinched his butt and said quickly, "Aunt Millie gave it to me.” Then, she turned around and raced back to the table with everyone wondering what was going on.

  Poor Jake, he was so preoccupied with his missing pot that he had no idea that she had sneaked up behind him. The pinch scared him so bad, that he jumped and yelled "Jesus!” He looked around in time to see a giggling Fred running the slalom through the kitchen and into the dining room. Realizing his last expletive could be construed as taking the name of his Lord in vain, he faced the crowd, extended his arms and sang in his best baritone, "Saves.......Jesus saves.” To which he received a polite applause and an abundance of laughter.

  Aunt Millie looked at him and said, "Here, Sugar. Aunt Millie will help you.” She quickly grabbed a ladle and heaped up some chili on the burger. Like a great half-back, she sidestepped Jake and grabbed a heaping handful of pepper jack cheese on her way to the dining room. She put the volcano burger in front of Brian and gently piled the cheese and said to him, "It's OK. I washed my hands yesterday."

  As Jake ceremoniously opened the kitchen door and stood there with one hand on the door and one hand on his hip, Brian chuckled as he said to Millie, "I don't think I'm going to worry about your hands at a time like this."

  Needless to say there was some snickering going on as Jake crossed his arms and walked stealthily up to the table. Fred hung her arm over the back of her chair and slid down in it just a little. She looked all cheery-eyed at the approaching Jake and batted her eyes at him a little. A 'what's up' kind of smile played on her lips as she gave him a small finger wave.

  Aunt Millie stood to her left and smiled. Brian was seated to Fred’s left and snickered along with the rest of the gang. Eddy, Aaron and Uncle Reggie were standing in the kitchen watching from the order window like they were in the outfield bleachers at a baseball game.

  Jake stopped in front of Fred, who was patiently waiting to hear whatever he had on his mind. He sounded like a prosecuting attorney as he addressed her, "So, you not only stole my chili pot with the help of my ex-Aunt Millie, but then you had the audacity of pinching my butt."

  Brian couldn't even think about starting on his volcano burger. His head was cradled in his hands as he refused to look up. His shoulders were shaking and his neck was red. All the ladies, with the exception of Fred and Aunt Millie were trying to cover their mouths to stifle their snickers. Ryan was trying to keep Wendy from interrupting the proceedings.

  Fred smiled up at Jake and said so very, very sweetly, "I'll let you give me a reciprocal pinch but I never let a guy pinch me on the first date. And this is not a date.” She fluttered her eyes at him again.

  "Wha..." was all Jake could say before Eddy chimed in.

  "You can have every other Saturday off, Jake. We can handle things here for one day."

  "I..." Jake started.

  "See, you'll have to take a trip to the college and check on your student to make sure she cooks up to your standards," Aunt Millie added.

  Roberta jumped in, "Yeah, you can come and give her an exam."

  Fred sat up straight and looked wide-eyed at her, "What?"

  The whole crowd realized what Bert said before she did. "Oh, I meant a cooking exam.” It was too late the laughter had already begun.

  Poor Jake. He was pretty well stunned. As the laughter somewhat subsided, he held arms out and started to ask, "Can somebody tell me where I..."

  Fred answered him very calmly, "You never had control.......Stud.” She reached behind him and gave him another pinch. "There, that's two you owe me.” After a short pause, she announced, "But, I only allow one per date."

  I don't know what was the loudest, the laughter or the hoots. A smiling and embarrassed Jake kept his arms outstretched in the I-don't-know position and walked back into the kitchen. His voice was almost pleading as he said to his best friends, "Can anyone explain to me what just happened out there?"

  Amid all the laughter, Uncle Reggie offered, "My boy, let me go buy you a good cup of coffee and you and Uncle Reggie will sit down and have a long talk."

  Olivia came back in side and had her handkerchief in her hand. Her eyes were reddened but she was grinning from ear to ear. As she sat down in her chair beside her hubby, she held on to his arm real tight and said to him, "Have I ever got a story to tell you some time."

  "Really?” Ryan asked. "Is it something about Maria and 'Berto?"

  She opened her eyes real wide and answered, "Yes, but I don't know if she wants me to tell anyone, yet."

  Marci was next, "Well, when can you tell?"

  "Sh-h-h-h. Here she comes."

  Maria came in through the door and came over to the table. The two ladies rejoiced in their secret as they looked at each other. It was the first time that anyone had seen Maria smile that big and for so long.

  She walked up to Olivia and handed her a pager. She said, "When 'Berto comes in, hit that button on the pager.” She held her hands in front of her face and clapped them together. She looked at the group and excitedly said to Olivia, "Go ahead and tell them. Pretty soon, everybody will know anyway. But, hurry. 'Berto will be here in about 10 minutes."

  Maria walked to the other end of the dining room and sat in the corner table that she and 'Berto had been sharing the past two Saturday afternoons at 3:10. Olivia stood up and motioned for the guys in the kitchen to come around the table. Once everyone was there, she lowered her voice and told the story.

  "We all thought that Maria had been raped and that's how 'Berto got here. She just let us think that to keep us from asking stuff. The truth is that one of the notorious gangs in New York City forced her and Juan, 'Berto's father, to have sex in front of them just so they could take pictures and make fun of them."

  Fred was astounded, "Good gosh, that's cruel. What gives them the right to do that?"

  Brian answered matter-of-factly, "I've had occasion to deal with those gangs and that is nothing compared to what they do when they get mad. It never makes the papers and there is a real reason for it.” The ominous tone in his voice was enough let the folks around the table not ask any more questions.

  "Anyway, up to that time, they had never known each other. But, Juan b
egan coming around to see Maria and wanted to marry her when they got out of school and he could get a job. Maria didn't know if he was suggesting that out of pity for her, shame, or whether he was for real. The experience really shook her and she really didn't know what to think.

  "Two weeks later, Juan told her that he had to leave the next day to go down to Chile. His uncle had just had a heart attack and needed him to come help him run their ranch until he was well enough to get back on his feet. Everybody told Maria that he was just making excuses and really didn't want her. Three months later, her family moved out of state. She said that she prayed to God that if Juan was the right man for her that God would bring him to her somehow.

  "Juan was gone for six months. He tried to find her but nobody would tell him where she moved to. He told all of his friends that it was the right thing for him to do to marry her and that somehow he would find her. They all laughed and made fun of him. But, he swore up and down that he would find her no matter what it took."

  'Berto came through the door, right on time. Since everybody was right there at the front table, he came in gave hugs and greetings to all and then went back to sit with his mother. Olivia held the pager up where Maria could see it. As she hugged her son, Maria smiled and gave Olivia the thumbs up sign.

  The light came on inside Jake's head. His eyes got real wide and he fell on his knees beside Olivia so he could ask quietly, "That elderly lady....."

  Olivia grinned and nodded her head as an interruption.

  A muffled gasp went up from several at the table. Uncle Reggie was the first to speak. Almost under her breath he said, "Jake, you and you alone take a gander at who's getting out of that semi parked in the back lot.

  Jake turned to look out the back window and caught a glimpse of the fellow just before he got to the edge of the picture window. To keep from being seen by the 'Berto and Maria, he gently laid his head on Olivia's shoulder and said through his sobs, "Oh, Sweet Jesus, I know You're good."

  Olivia threw her arm around his neck and put her head down on his and joined him tear for tear. The others wanted to look but were frozen in their positions.

  They heard the door open and Maria's excited voice tell her son, "There's someone here to see you."

  They looked up and saw a 6' 5" man that could have been an exact duplicate of 'Berto, only fourteen years older. He wore an outfit that matched Maria's. Hung over his left arm was a pair of jeans and a shirt somewhat like his own. In his left hand, he held a pair of cowboy boots that were definitely 'Berto's size. Tears as big as he was flowed freely down his face as he looked at his son for the first time. He tried his best to smile but his eyes displayed his apprehension he felt. What would 'Berto do? How would he react?

  "Who?” 'Berto asked.

  "Well, just turn around and see," she told him.

  Everyone saw 'Berto's double take when he first saw his father. He stared at him for a few seconds and then slid out of the cubicle. Without taking his eyes off of the tall gentleman just 20 feet away from him, he asked his mother in a faint voice, "Is that.....?” He was afraid to finish the question.

  Maria's voice trembled as she answered the obvious, "He….. is your father."

  "My Daddy?"

  "Yours and nobody else's, my baby boy."

  "My Daddy," 'Berto said as he started walking toward the big man. After three steps, his pace quickened and he said it louder, "My Daddy."

  Everybody in the building was on their feet and clapping their hands. Olivia and Jake were having to hold themselves up as they sobbed out their joy for their best friend. There was not a dry eye in the house.

  Juan dropped the clothes and boots on the floor as he knelt down to embrace his son. "Roberto. At last. At last. God has brought us together. At last. At long, long, long last. Praise God. Praise God!"

  Maria had come up behind them and carefully picked up 'Berto's clothes and shoes. Though tears flowed down her cheeks, her face radiated a joy that only God could give.

  Juan stood up and 'Berto was able to address the crowd. "My dad, guys. God finally sent him.” He looked at his momma and declared, "My momma always said that God would bring us together."

  Juan looked at his watch and said in his fatherly voice, "Yes, and if you don't hurry and get dressed, I'll be late for my appointment. Hugs and kisses later. A man of honor is never late when he gives his word. Now scoot."

  Maria held his clothes and boots out to him. As 'Berto held them up in front of his friends he said, "Wow, guys. Get a load of these threads.” Without waiting for any comments, he sprinted toward the bathroom.

  Everyone came around and shook hands, hugged necks, introduced themselves, cried, laughed and hurriedly tried to talk almost all at the same time.

  Maria took the center stage as she stood beside Juan and slipped her arm inside of his. "Real quickly, Juan has always been a trucker because he was so determined to run down every lead he had to find us. His truck has always been his home. On the weekends, he goes to the rodeos. That's where we are off to now. He's one of the main attractions."

  Juan held his hand up to keep the questions down, "I was born and raised in Chile. Every child grows into manhood on top of a horse. It's like you Americans play baseball. Showmanship on a horse just helps me stay in shape for the inevitable. My uncle will someday pass from this world and I am his only heir. His other children have shown no interest in the ranch. So, I must keep up the practice."

  'Berto sprinted out of the bathroom with his new duds on. He did look just like his dad. He gave quick hugs and kisses to as many as he could get his hands on and then ran for the door. As laughter filled the place he looked back at his father and prodded, "Now, look at who's going to make us late?"

  There were cheers and laughter from everyone as the trio made their way out to the semi. They watched them get in, crank up and pull out. What Juan didn't tell them is that his uncle's ranch was 10,000 acres on which 5,000 head prime cattle graze. But, I'm sure he'll get around to it in due time.

  Chapter Twelve