Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

of Siam had mused, in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, from the fifties. Was she reflecting on his manhood? Or lack of same? Was he bringing out her “mothering” instinct. In either case—was that good? Was it bad? Did it matter?

“I’m happy,” he finally replied. “It’s actually more money than I’ve ever made! In my entire life!” (And, he noted—to himself, it goes a helluva lot farther, than it ever has!)

“Happy, possibly. Happy, probably! But, can you continue . . . to do that? For twenty or thirty… or, perhaps, forty or fifty… years? I imagine the construction business will be strong . . . as long as we’re at war! But, have you… ever… really thought beyond that?”

“Well… uh… no.”

“Jason… you have so much potential! So much potential! You need to… you absolutely need to… start thinking. Start thinking ahead.”

No one had ever spoken to him like this before! Including his beloved, late, grandfather. Nor had Eric. Or Susan. And it appeared—that Valerie was far from finished:

“Your landlord,” she probed. “What does he do? I mean… position-wise. What kind of physical dexterity does his job require… of him?”

“Well, some… I suppose. On the other hand, he always says that they pay him… for what he knows. Not what he does.”

“My point… exactly! Your landlord… I’m certain… would not be content, to lug around a whole load of bricks! Day after day! Not… for his entire life!”

“Well, no. I’m sure that…”

“See? Do you see? That’s exactly… what I’m getting at! Jason! You have so much potential! So damn much potential! I can see that! Can see it… from here! I’ve thought that… from the time, I first met you!”

“Gosh!” (He could not believe he’d just said “gosh”! But, it had seemed to fit. Perfectly!) “I’ve never had anyone… not anyone . . . talk this way, to me,” he resumed. “Not like this! Never like this.”

“Perhaps you’ve never let anyone get close enough… to you! Close enough… to go ahead, and talk to you! Talk to you… like this!”

“But… you! I’ve only known you… really… for, literally, just a few hours! And you… here you are! Talking to me… like a Dutch uncle.” (He’d just used another, of his grandfathers favorite terms. Proudly used it.)

“That’s because I… well, I care! I care about you!” She smiled—warmly. “I really care about you.”

The declaration left the young man flabbergasted! Totally overwhelmed!

“You… you do?” His voice was little more, than a hoarse rasp.

“Of course! Of course I do! I never would’ve consented to go out… to the movies, or anywhere else… with you! Not if I didn’t care! From a short time . . . just after we first met . . . I’ve always thought that you were special! A very special boy!”

“You did?” His tone of voice made it sound as though he was asking, “How can that be?”

“Yes,” she answered—with a soft laugh. “To me, you’re kind of a male Mona Lisa. Only… without the beguiling, enigmatic, smile”

He’d never been involved—in a conversation such as this! Nothing even close! A “male Mona Lisa”, indeed!

“When I first met you,” she expanded, “at least, once I’d talked to you, for awhile… I wound up thinking that you were, quite possibly, a treasure trove! A treasure trove… of deep mystery! Mystery! The kind of mystery… that I’d wanted to solve! To try and solve, anyway!”

“Mystery? Me? I’ve always been told . . . told, forever… that I’m really very transparent! Transparent as hell!”

“In a way, I suppose you are. I can see that. But… underneath all that transparency… I suspect. that there’s, actually, a very deep individual! One… unlike anyone, that I’ve ever met! Probably… in my whole life!”

“I can’t believe that I… that we’re… that we’re really having this kind of conversation!”

“Jason? Jason… tell me! Has there ever been anyone… anyone, in your entire life… anyone, who you felt really loved you? Who’d loved you… unconditionally? Anyone? Anywhere?”

“Uh… well, yeah. My grandparents! My mother’s parents! Especially my grandfather! He was…”

“How about your parents? Your mother?”

“Uh… well, she… uh…”

“Never mind! Enough said! Your father?”

Our Boy caught himself—only an instant, before answering, “He split”!

“My father?” he finally responded. “My father… he deserted us! Years ago! I was a mere guppy! I really don’t remember much, about him!”

“And those memories… those few memories… they were not very pleasant? Not especially good ones?”

“Far from it!”

“Aunts?” she pressed. “Uncles? Buddies? Friends? Neighbors? Lovers?”

“No lovers! Not a one! Well, there was my ‘Aunt Debbie’. She wasn’t my real aunt. And I have to admit… I’d had a crush on her! A massive crush! From the time, I guess, since I was four or five! She always treated me special! Always! I think she was the only one who ever showed me any affection! Any love! Well, outside of my grandfather.”

“And where is she… your ‘Aunt Debbie’ . . . now?”

Jason was afraid that—once he’d divulged the name of his “aunt”—that her name would’ve set off all kinds of alarm bells! There couldn’t be a whole lot of Debbies around. Not in 1942. But, her moniker seemed to not trip any caution lights, in Valerie!

“Uh… ’Aunt Debbie’,” he managed to state, “she’s still… still down there, y’know. Down in Tennessee.”

“And what did she do? What was there about her? To make you feel… well, to make you feel… make you feel really special? To show you love?”

“Uh… well, she… uh… well, she just paid me special attention, is all! Was always interested . . . interested, in what I was doing. Would listen . . . to whatever I’d ever had to say! She was… well, just… just simply special! If that makes any sense.”

“Uh, did she ever… ever… did she ever, you know, ever seduce you?”

“Seduce me?” He was sincerely shocked! “Of course not! That’d be… it’d be… well, it’d be damn incest! Well… almost incest!”

He had been rattled—substantially upset—by the question. It had always seemed to “imperceptive” Jason—that Sheila had, from time immortal, suspected the same exact thing! Had always suspected it! But, Valerie? Valerie had never met this voluptuous “aunt” of his! Nor had she ever witnessed any of the interaction—seductive, or otherwise—between