The Mailman Wants My Grass
A short Story by JJ Wilson
This is a story of mystic and intrigue in the life of a typical dysfunctional family in America. In order to understand we must start at the beginning of this particular family. We are the Wilson's and have lived in the same house in Colorado Springs Colorado since 1985. Our children (we've got two of them) are grown, married and have produced offspring which we call grandkids (we've got four of them). Actually we've got a fifth grandchild, who is grown and married and has two offspring, so we're great-grandparents as well. We are affectionately known as Papa and Grandma Tian.
I'm a retired military person who works from home repairing computers and installing computer hardware and software. Tian is a the owner of a home based beauty salon and a darn good hairdresser of more than 23 years. She's from Thailand (we met and later married in 1969) and came to America in 1970. We've moved around a number of times, giving us a wide range of experiences in the states and to lots of cultures around the world.
Tian is a pretty good cook when it comes to many of the oriental specialties from Thailand. Her friends and our children prefer her style of cooking, saying that her food tastes better. Our grandkids prefer Grandma Tian's food over their own mom's cooking most of the time. She spends lots of time relaxing outdoors in her garden, working on her roses and many other flowers and plants. She has a green thumb and knows just how to make things grow.
The time I spend outdoors is when it comes to cutting the lawn and trimming around the edges but over the years I’ve acquired lots of neat tools. What man doesn’t own tools or toys to play with in the yard?
I’ve got a neat little lawn mower that is self propelled. I just have to walk behind and turn the corners. This is fine for the small yard we have. One time I bought a brand new electric hedger, only to have my wife and her friend pull all the bushes out while I was at a reunion. I came home to find them piled in the middle of the yard. What a waste of a trimmer? Anyone need one, I might still have it around here somewhere.
I have a corded drill and saw, and a number of cordless tools that have a single rechargeable battery that fits all. See real neat stuff?
I’ve got a gasoline engine trimmer and edger that I can’t seem to keep running. It must be in the fuel mixture that I just don’t get right? So I went out and bought a corded trimmer and 100’ extension cord so I can reach anywhere on the property.
Because of the snowy seasons of Colorado I have a number of snow blowers and a couple of snow shovels. I’ve got one of those Toro Snow throwers that run on gasoline and oil mixture and I haven’t gotten it started in several years now. I could probably take it to a shop and they’d have it running in an hour or so, but that’s too easy. I have a smaller one that is equipped with an electric starter (which doesn’t work either). And a few years ago I bought a used Sears Snow blower (auger type) that is self propelled and has snow chains on the tires. It has an electric starter and runs good, only we haven’t had one of the “big ones” here in town since I bought it.
That brings me to my sons-in-laws (?). They live within a 5 mile radius of our home and used to come borrow tools and stuff. I don’t remember all the things I’ve lent out, but I seem to be missing my dolly? The blue one with the flat tires, just don’t know where it is? I think I loaned it out to one of my kids and if I really needed it I’d go searching. But I don’t, at least not at the moment.
Last month one of my son’s –in-laws (?) wants my grass. See how I worked that into the title? It so happens that he works for the post office as a mail carrier (mail man). He’s an avid gardener and decided that if I didn’t throw my grass away, he wanted it for his garden. So instead of putting it in the trash, I just have to remember that the mailman wants my grass.
This story is kind of rough, but at least it’s short. Maybe tomorrow I’ll think of another one.
The End