The bus arrived in Little Rock at 2:00 am. The bus driver announced over the intercom that there would be a 2 hour layover. I took my guitar, a 1957 Gibson ES-225, and made my way off the bus. As I entered the bus station, a little old man walked up and said, “Let me play your guitar!” I gave him the meanest go-to-hell look I could muster and told him to get the fuck away from me. He walked away.

I pulled fifty cents from my pocket, bought a cup of coffee, sat down on a bench and lit a smoke. I woke up, warmed up , and wondered “what the hell, might as well play my guitar. As I sat there strumming chords and mumbling to myself, the little old man walked over in front of me and  started singing. I looked up at him or actually smelled him and noticed his jacket was torn and had several holes, his hair was in severe need of an oil change, his beard had grown haggard over his face, his hands were stained from nicotine, and the cowboy boots he was wearing were wrapped with duct tape to keep the soles on.

I had no idea what he was trying to sing, and he asked me again if he could play my guitar. He put the strap over his shoulders and began to sing and play Jimmy Rogers songs. He pushed the guitar case a little ways out in front of him, danced and yodeled at the same time. People passing by in the station started stopping and dropping money into the case, mostly change but a few dollar bills fell also. He sang and danced and in the middle of one of his songs, he stumped his foot and looked me straight in the eye. He said, “My name is LEONEL HOLLAND the LONESOME BUFFALO and don’t you ever forget it!” He continued to play and dance till the crowd cleared and the money stopped falling.

Leonel reached into the guitar case, retrieved his money short fifty cents,  put the guitar in, and closed the case. He looked at me and said,”Don’t worry about it kid,Nothing in Life is Worth Doing if your Heart ain’t in it, and hey, It’ll be Spring Time Soon.” He walked away into the night.

The bus left Little Rock and I took a window seat. I starred out into the early morning sky and thought back on the events that had just taken place in my life. A beautiful woman had drawn me into a situation that had landed me in jail and I had turned away a raggedy old man willing to share his wisdom and knowledge. I realized then that you really can’t Judge a Book by it’s Cover, you got to take a little time and read into it first.

the end

~g

She talked in that smooth voice, relaxed and inviting. I listened and could almost taste the smell of her perfume, far more powerful than the pine-sol and floor wax I was actually smelling.

She said, “DO NOT say a word about the company or where we are staying and I will come  get you.”

The jailer carried me to Lock-Up and I was still feeling warm and comfy. That changed quickly. The room was constructed of two materials, concrete and steel. The bared door closed behind me and I realized I was not alone. The other prisoners sized me up as I sat by myself on the concrete bench molded into the wall. Someone spoke up and asked,”what did they get you for?” I moved to the steel picnic table and proceeded to explain all about E-Z Clean. One guy said your in luck. They haven’t served lunch yet and we get it from McDonalds. Twelve hours later the bared door closed behind me and I was on the free side.

In the car, I broke the silence and asked for a bus ticket home.

At the motel, I was greeted with cheers and pats on the back. Gerard congratulated me on becoming a real salesman. I gave back the clothes I had borrowed and packed my suitcase. I declared that I had quit. No one spoke. I could feel the cold hard stares, danger, anger, and envy creeped into the room. The bus left for Memphis at 10:00 pm, and I was on it.

I was let out in a Texas trickle-down, oil supported, cul-de-sac neighborhood. I had borrowed a business tie from Buster, and a Members Only jacket from Skip. Gerard loaned me a Mississippi State ball cap with instructions that Ole Miss had beaten us at the EGG BOWL, but we’d surely get them back next year.

The first house didn’t let me in. The second house asked who I was and promptly slammed the door in my face. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth houses wouldn’t even open the door. I headed up the other side of the street and was immediately surrounded by two cop cars and four of Longview’s finest police officers. They were dressed in black, packing 9′s, with night sticks drawn. I was not a Member of their elite club. I was asked for identification, my sales permit, and a business license. I had a drivers license, thats all. They read my rights and handcuffed me at the same time.

From the back of the patrol car, hands cuffed behind my back, I explained the benefits of E-Z CLEAN. It will keep finger prints off your windows and clean gum out of your carpet, degrease your engine, and is environmentally friendly. In the Longview City Jail, I was charged with Soliciting Without a Permit. They took my jacket, cap, tie, belt, boots, and personal bottle of E-Z CLEAN. They gave me a pair of cloth flip-flops, and one phone call.

Mid January found me looking through the newspaper for a job. The listing asked for eight men and eight women willing to travel, in an exciting and dynamic career opportunity. I filled out my application at the Holiday Inn. The Interview took place in room 116, around the corner on the back side. A beautiful young woman in her early twenties greeted me at the door. She asked me to have a seat. She told me her name, but it didn’t stick. She asked questions that were easily answered with a yes or no.

The smell of the room caught my attention. It had a warm inviting aroma, sort of like sitting in a peach orchard on a summer afternoon. Then there was this fairy tale princess sitting across from me. The black heels on her feet were made of smooth, supple leather, simple but elegant. The silk stockings that covered her legs were like transparent curtains, draping perfection. I was trapped, cornered and had no desire to escape. She asked, “Are you free to travel?’

We drove into Longview, Texas a couple of hours before sunset. The motel we stayed at was right off the interstate, in an industrial part of town. From the second floor, overlooking the parking lot, you could see the LoneStar Brewery. I shared a room with Gerard Lopez, Skip and a guy everyone referred to as Buster.

The previous week had been spent training with Gerard. Gerard was a top notch salesman. While out canvassing prospects, Gerard would wear his arm in a sling and walk with a limp. Gerard would explain that he had been hurt in a football accident and had to take a break from college. He was working to pay his next years tuition since he wouldn’t be on scholarship. Every morning he read the sports section in the newspaper. He knew everything there was to know about Texas football and would engage potential customers on the subject often. He had never really attended any college unless you count reform school. The scheme worked. Gerard could sell E-Z CLEAN concentrated non-ionic biodegradable cleaner to people that didn’t even have anything to clean, much less the $20 it cost. During the lean times, he’d use his arm sling to shoplift.

I didn’t have an affliction worked out , but I was starting to get hungry. We received $7.00a day plus a commission on our sales. It cost $1.50 to do your laundry, $2.00 for a pack of smokes, and that left $3.50 for breakfast. To survive, you had to sell, steal, or starve. My first day out solo, I sold one bottle of E-Z CLEAN. I made a $3.00 commission, but that went against the previous weeks draw. That night, I made a pledge that I would sell $200 worth of product the next day.

April 1, Huff and Jenny sat in the diner eating their #3 specials, steak finger baskets with fries and large cherry Icees. Huff finished his third cigarette and began to cough. Huff had been carrying around a cough for several years now, and the cough didn’t seem that unusual.

Jenny said,”Daniel Wayne, are you allright?” Huff looked at her, then fell to the floor.There was nothing the EMT’s could do. The heart attack was too swift in delivering it’s deadly blow.

Wal-Mart sent a nice wreath of flowers to the funeral, and some of the employees that knew Huff and Jenny showed up to pay there respects. Daniel Wayne Huffman, Veteran, husband, father, teacher was laid to rest with a full military ceremony. Jenny cried tears onto the folded American flag.

Two weeks later, Jenny sat alone at their favorite table, sipping her Icee. Shirley Weaver, who had been at the funeral, saw Jenny and walked over and sat down. She held Jenny’s hand and held back the tears in her own eyes. She said,”Jenny it’s time to be strong and go on with your life.”

Jenny said, “I know, but I just don’t know what to do.” Shirley smiled and asked,”You ever thought about getting you a job here at Wal-Mart?”

The End

This story is dedicated to the Greeting Lady at Wal-Mart, thanks.

Jim Walter home with four acres near the Air Force base in Lowndes county.

Even with his bad leg, Huff could still drive a tractor, but he knew that he would

never be able to farm for a living again. Huff took his high school diploma,

Honorable Discharge, and papers for the G.I. Bill and enrolled himself at

Mississippi State University. Nine years later he graduated.

That fall, Huff got a job teaching Industrial Technology at Hopewell

High School, an honorable job, a paying  job, benefits and a paycheck

on the first and fifteenth. A chance, a part of working America,

Huff and Jenny were living the American Dream. Life was good.

Over the next eighteen years, Huff and Jenny raised two children, Mathew and

Lisa Marie. Huff became active in the local VFW and was elected Commander

for a time. Jenny took up pottery, quilt making and collecting Elvis

memorabilia. The time passed by so quickly that it was hard to believe their

children had grown up and would be on their own soon.

Without the kids to tend to, Jenny started adopting stray dogs and cats,

she got a talking bird and an aquarium with brightly colored gold fish.

On the first and fifteenth they probably spent more on pet supplies than on

themselves. Pets made Jenny happy and Jenny’s happiness and love where the

most important things in life to Huff.

everything brown turned gray, and the sky froze ice blue. The family

sat around the fire place and listened to Huff read the official paper,

over and over. Huff had the distinction of being the first person in his

family to finish high school. He had missed a lot during planting and harvest,

but managed to graduate with a little help from FFA and 4H. Now he had been

honored with a Draft Notice.

Everybody agreed , he needed to get married. So the next morning, Huff’s

momma ironed-up his best shirt and pants and shined his work boots with

some KiWi shoe polish. Huff took a bath and found the Aqua Velva.  Old man

Huffman fueled up the truck and slipped Huff a five dollar bill out of the savings

jar.

Sister Ethel saw him coming first and she told Sister Kate. Sister Kate told

Brother who met him at the door.

“Daniel Wayne Huffman, what brings you out to these parts,” Brother

asked? Jenny was hiding in her room, but she knew what he was there

for.

The ceremony took place the week before Thanksgiving. Jenny Louise

took Daniel Wayne till death do ‘um part, after he’d done the same. The

buffet tables were covered with the best white sheets and stacks of MelMac

dishes bought piece by piece at the Big Star store. There were several  variations

of sweet potato casserole at all four corners of the table. The Huffman’s brought

a smoked pork shoulder and big bowls of deep fried sweet potato’s. The Barnhills, had

killed six young, tender chickens and fried them with Mertle’s secret ingridents.

Others brought funnel cakes and fritters, stuffed eggs, snap beans, and corn bread.

Everybody prayed for Daniel Wayne that Christmas and watched

Walter Cronkite hoping not to see Huff. He never made the evening news,

but by Easter, he was back in Mississippi. The only problem was, Huff was a

patient at the VA hospital down in Jackson. While in Vietnam, a land mine

blew up about a 100 feet away, and Huff had caught a piece of shwrap

metal in the knee.

Huff spent his recovery days thinking of his Honorable Discharge, his

Purple Heart Medal, and the fact that he was now a War Veteran, proud and

true. Jenny sat with him, day in and day out with loving attention and care.

women on a wagon pulled behind. The tractor has a scoop that pushes the taters

up onto a conveyor line. The women grab them, shake the dirt off, sort ‘um

by size and stack them in crates.

The work day started at sunrise and Jenny showed up ready to work. She

was wearing an old straw hat that belonged to her grand dad and carrying

a grocery store sack with her lunch in it; two slices of white bread with a thick

slice of country ham, a dozen tea cakes and a quart jar of sweet tea.

The other women showed her where to put her lunch and explained how

the job was done. She would be at the front of the line since she wut’n

experienced and all.

Huff drove the John Deere out of the barn and stopped at the shade tree by the

edge of the field where the ladies waited to go to work. Huff spotted Jenny

and asked, “What’s yo name girl?”

Jenny perked up and said, “Jenny Louise Barnhill from over in Houlka.”

“Well Jenny from Houlka,” Huff asked, “You ever dug taters ‘fore?”

Jenny blushed and said, “Naw, but I’m ready.”

Half way down the third row, Jenny grabbed her first rotten sweet potato .

She screamed so loud, Huff stopped the tractor. He turned around and all the

ladies were laughing. Huff said, “Damn girl, you supposed to let them rotten

ones go.” Betty, Huff’s aunt, who was working next to Jenny, gave her a pat

on the back and an old rag to clean her hands with. With a smile and a nod she

let Jenny know they had all done the same thing.  Huff fired the tractor up and

they were digging again.

Jenny because that’s when Huff got paid.

Huff taught industrial technology at Hopewell High School. The classes consisted

mainly of field trips to hog farms and the local wall paper factory and generous

lectures on the Vietnam War. Huff was a veteran and damn proud of it, except

for the fact that he had caught a piece of shwrap metal in the knee and had to

wear a knee brace. But war wasn’t talked about on the 1st and 15th cause

that was when Huff carried Jenny into town to shop at the Wal-Mart and have

lunch in the diner there.

Life was good and simple. Twenty years of marriage hadn’t faded their love

for one another. The 1st and 15th they got to go out and by chance see some

old friends and talk about the kids and grand-younguns’ they’d soon be having.

Jenny was born and raised in Houlka, Mississippi, the daughter of a Pentecostal

preacher. Huff, or Daniel Wayne as he was referred to when he didn’ t  do

right, grew up in Thorn, Mississippi. Huff’s daddy had a sweet potater farm

and that’s where Huff and Jenny first met.

Jenny was kind of a big girl, country with long black hair, and not afraid

to get her hands dirty digging taters. Old man Huffman could tell a good

tater-digger when he saw one, and when Jenny came down looking for a

job, he hired her on the spot.

clouded my mind. I wanted to shout, but I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I unbuckle

her belt and wrapped it boldly around my shoulders.  My Finger-tips tingled with electricity

as I caressed her neck. I felt the curve of her body mold into mine. I reached down

and plugged my cord into her waiting outlet…..ROCK and ROLL!

The First Time You Play that Special Guitar, You never Forget It.

So, If you get too carried away and break the neck, heres how to make a new one.

Click here to view the embedded video.

~g