Thursday, December 26, 2013
I met Errett for the first time when I came to inspect the house we were buying that was across the street from he and Roberta. As I stepped out of my van, I saw a giant black snake. Being afraid of snakes, I picked up a rock and threw it at the snake, missing it but taking a chunk out of the newly poured porch. From up on high (also known as the front porch of his home) he sat there, swinging and beckoned me up to his home. He told me, "That is not how you kill a snake and you are going to find more in your yard." Well, with that I had my neighbor, who watched over me as I attempted all sorts of silly projects: building a shed and the walls falling down, powerwashing the house and getting soaked, attempting to fix my lawn tractor (I wisened up and took it too a professional until I got better at it), trying to seed my yard, cutting down trees that almost fell on me and putting up pools that always were lopsided. We hardly ever talked about his past, except for locals I should know, and talked about my various jobs, as I was young and had a few over the years. He always seemed to know when I was pulling the late shift, but that was OK with me. He talked with girls when they were old enough to know he was our neighbor and he was friendly. Little did they know that he held them all when they were babies and he enjoyed watching them play in the yard, picking up his acorns and leaves in the fall and swimming in the summer. I envied his green mower, but knew that I was never worthy of a John Deere. He lent me the tools I never thought I would need and always ended up buying after returning his to him. I will miss his whistling as he mowed and his voice beckoning me to the porch or to his bedroom in the basement.
