Day six continued...

The air was filled with the smell of dinner. There seemed to be a hint of something sweet in the aroma. Mary had covered the table with an off white linen tablecloth and all the dishes matched. They were blue and white with pictures of birds on them. Bear was sitting already and when he saw Evan he immediately stood up and said. "You sure look like you are feeling better son." Evan answered. "Yes sir, much better. Dinner sure smells great." "Here sit down son." Bear told Evan, as he pulled out the old chair for him. In the middle of the table, right beside the salt and pepper, was a big loaf of hot home made bread, on a cutting board, covered with a dish towel. Evan was so tired he could hardly sit up straight. "Bring Evan some coffee Mommy." Bear asked in a very gentle, loving tone. Mary poured them both a cup of coffee and placed a creamer, that matched the dishes, in front of Evan. Bear complimented Evan. "You did good work today son. That old loader is not the easiest thing in the world to drive. Your Daddy must have taught you how to drive pretty damned good." Evan didn't answer. He just smiled a crooked smile, took a sip of his coffee and looked at Bear. "Watch your mouth now Daddy. Your not at a poker game!" Mary exclaimed. Bear grinned child like, raised his eyebrows at Evan and answered. "Yes ma'am! Sorry Mommy." He chuckled as Mary brought over a platter with the hog maul. "Sure looks and smells good." Evan announced. The platter matched the rest of the dishes and was filled as full as it could be. Evan had eaten hog maul before. His Nan used to make it for special occasions. He had never seen one as big as this one. It covered the entire platter. Bear got up and pulled Mary's chair out for her. "Here Mommy you sit down and eat with us." He whispered so gently. He then walked over to the counter, beside the sink, and pulled a carving knife out of the knife bin. He sharpened it and came back to the table. The knife cut through the hog maul like it was melted butter. "Do you pray Evan?" Mary inquired. "I used to when I was a boy." Evan answered. Bear injected. "We pray at dinner all the time around here. I'll say grace." He and Mary folded their hands on the edge of the table and closed their eyes. Evan did the same as Bear prayed. "Thank you dear Lord for these thy gifts which we are about to receive. From thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Thank you Lord for our health, our home and for sending Evan home to us. We thank you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." They all crossed themselves and said. "Amen." Evan, a little confused, thought? "Did he say thanks for sending me home to them?"

"Pass me your plate Evan." Bear said as he reached toward him. Evan did and Bear put a huge slice on it. Must have been two inches thick. Evan took the plate and sat it in front of him. Bear then served Mary and himself. "Dig in son." Bear said as he shoveled up a big fork full. Mary handed Evan a piece of butter bread. "Here Evan dip this in the juice." "That's the way I like it." Bear let out with his mouth full. Evan thanked her and sopped up some juice and stuffed the bread in his mouth. The juice ran down his chin. Bear laughed.

"Evan did real good working today Mommy." Bear explained. "I knew he would." Was her response. "Drove the old loader like he grew up on it. "Bear added. "Well why wouldn't he? He learned from the best." Mary said. Evan smiled and said. "Thank you. I enjoyed learning about farming. That loader sure was a challenge. About wore me out." They all laughed. "Here son have another helping. Your going to need your strength."Bear said as he flipped another big slice onto Evan's plate. "Eat up son." Evan ate till he couldn't eat another bite. Sopped the juice up with his bread leaned back in his chair and stretched. His belt was feeling a little tight around his waist. Mary poured them both another cup of coffee. "Thank you ma'am." Evan whispered. Mary started to clear the table. Evan offered to help but Bear insisted he sit down and enjoy his coffee. "Mommy can take care of cleaning up. You worked hard today." He stated. The table was cleared and Mary began washing the dishes. Bear and Evan were still sitting at the table. Both laid back and relaxed and as stuffed as Christmas turkeys. Bear stood up.

"I'll be right back son. I have a surprise for you. Your favorite pipe and tobacco." Bear said as he walked down the small hall and into a room on the left. Evan sort of peeking around the corner to see where Bear had gone. "That's your room Evan." Mary announced. Bear came back with a huge smile on his face. A rack of old wooden pipes and two tins of tobacco. He handed Evan a beautiful straight stem hand carved briar and one of the tins. They loaded the bowls and lit them with wooden matches. Evan took a puff and said to Bear. "Wow! This is really good tobacco. What kind is it?" "It's your favorite Evan. Imported from London, England. All the way on the other side of the world. I am surprised at you my dear boy." Mary said as she shook her head and continued washing the dishes. "Give the boy a chance Mommy. He has only been home for one day. It will take time." Bear lovingly replied. Evan didn't understand what they were talking about. After all he was a stranger and moving on in the morning. Bear and Evan sat at the table smoking their pipes and drinking coffee for a few more minutes.

"Bring your coffee Evan and lets you and me go in the living room. We'll see if Paul Harvey's on. Come along Mary. You don't want to miss the show." Bear shouted from the living room. "I'm coming Daddy. Has it started yet?" Just starting Bear told her. "Sit here son." Bear pointed to an old recliner in the corner. "Be careful the handle sticks sometimes." Bear explained to Evan. "O.K. Bear. I will. Thanks." Evan answered. Mary and Bear sat on the sofa. The wooden radio was right next to the sofa where Bear could reach it without getting up. The program came on. "Hello everybody this is Paul Harvey with the news." Mary and Bear were glued to the radio as if something was going to jump out of it. "Today! Troops were attacked and 55 were killed outside of Hanoi. A reporter Walter Cronkite was there. It is easier now for journalists to be in the thick of battle." "We sure are glad you didn't die over there son." Bear mumbled with a sad look and a tear in his eye. "Me too! " Evan blurted out. "But I haven't been there yet and I don't want to go either." "You see Mommy I said it would take a little time. Bear whispered softly. "Alright Evan whatever you say son." Bear smiled and put his hand on Evan's knee. The program went on and on and on and on. News, sports, sports, news, weather, sports, news....."Thank you everyone. This has been Paul Harvey with the news!" Evan was so relieved that the program was over.

"Lets get those boots of yours cleaned up for you son? Before it gets dark and we can't see our hands in front of our faces." Bear expressed softly. "O.K. Bear", Evan expounded, "I'm all for that. They sure took a beating today. How in the world are we ever going to get them clean?" Bear smiled. "Go out and scrape them off on the boot scraper and I will be right out. "Mommy where is that can of saddle soap we bought in town last week?" "I put it under the sink Daddy." Mary answered. Evan went outside and looked at his shit covered boots and almost cried. He began to scrape the shit right of his boots. Reminded him of a song and he started to sing. "Got to scrape the shit right off your boots." Bear came out smiling. "Give me that boot there Evan." He said. Bear had a bucket of hot soapy water and what seemed like a complete cobblers shoe kit with him. He took a scrub brush to the boot and dunked it in the hot water. "Oh no!" Evan thought. "Man, I will never be able to wear my boots in the morning. They will be soaked." Bear pulled out the tin of saddle soap and lathered the boot up real good. "This will clean 'em up son and make them soft too." He told Evan. "Looks a lot better already." Evan exclaimed. "You aint seen nothin' yet son. They will look better than ever when I'm done with them. You just wait and see." He followed the same procedure with the second boot. Bear never said a word about the stars Evan had carved into the leather around the tops of them. "Lets get inside and set these next to the heater in the bathroom. Bear said as he carried both boots inside. "we will oil them up in a few minutes." He told Evan as he came out of the bathroom.

"How about some cherry pie and ice cream?" Bear inquired. "Sure that would be super." Evan answered. "Mommy! How about getting us a piece of that cherry pie and dip us up some of that there ice cream? Bear asked. "That was the sweet smell from earlier", Evan imagined. Mary quickly replied. "I'll be right there Daddy. Why don't you go ahead and get the pie out. It is still in the oven. Be careful it's still hot." Evan's mouth was watering. He remembered how his Nan used to bake all the time and cherry pie was a real treat. Mary came into the kitchen and pulled the ice cream out of the old ice box and set it on the table. She cut the pie and put a slice in a bowl. She put two big scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. It began to melt as soon as it hit the hot pie. Then she got out the milk and put a little into the bowl and put it in front of Evan. It smelled so good Evan could hardly wait to taste it. "Go ahead son. Get to it before your ice cream all melts." Bear said. Mary made Bear a bowl and he and Evan dug in. Bear was finished in an instant. "I'll get you boots and oil them up for you now son." Bear said as he walked into the bathroom. He sat back down to the table and rubbed mink oil all over Evan's boots. They were looking great. "Thank you so much for cleaning my boots Bear. You really know your leather. I can tell. Never thought they would ever come clean." Evan admiringly exclaimed. "Take care of your leather and your leather will take care of you." Bear replied as he rubbed more oil on the boot. "We will put these in the bathroom for the night, next to the heater, so the oil can soak in." He said. "Cool." Was Evan's response. Mary was cleaning up the kitchen counter and putting dishes away.

"Well Mommy guess we should get ready for bed. We have a big day tomorrow. Evan and I are going to paint the barn." "The barn?? Not me!! No way!! Evan thought. "I am leaving here in the morning. No ifs ands or buts." Mary said. "Come along now Evan. I'll turn down the sheets for you." Bear said very gently. " Good night son. See you in the morning. Don't let the bed bugs bite" Evan relied. "Good night Bear" as he followed Mary to the room on the left side of the hall. They entered and Mary turned on a small dim floor lamp. As Evan looked around he saw pictures of Jimi Hendrix on the wall and the same Bob Dylan poster he had in his room. There were baseball bats and a glove in one corner. An old acoustic guitar in another. One wall was painted with day glow paints. Looked kind of Peter Max like to Evan. "Here Evan." Mary motioned toward the bed. "Now you get your sleep. Daddy gets up with the birds and you will need to be ready to go." Evan sat down on the bed and she kissed him on the forehead and left the room. "Good night son." She said as she shut the door. Evan noticed his bag on the floor beside the door and his clothes were stacked on top of a cedar chest at the foot of the bed. "Great my stuff is in here." He thought. As he looked around he saw a picture on top of the dresser on the other side of the room. He walked over to see it. When he picked it up and got it into the light he just about could not believe his eyes. It looked like a picture of him. Blue jeans, long hair, and all. Beside it was another picture of the same boy in uniform. His heart began to thump. These people think he actually is their son. Evan got really scared. "Am I locked in?" He was about to panic. He turned the door knob and the door opened. Bear was heading toward his bedroom. "Good night son." He smiled. Evan was relieved but still scared. "I need to get out of here now!" He muttered. "Might just as well sleep for a bit." After all Bear and Mary did not hurt him. So he figured why not? He got undressed and crawled under the covers. The sheets were chilly but warmed up quickly. It was so nice for him to be in a real bed. He fell asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

No time at all had passed till Evan was awake. He rolled and tossed around. There was no way he could sleep. No way he could get comfortable. He kept thinking. "How am I going to get up and out of here before Bear gets up? I have to go now." He got up and packed his bag. Tip toed to the bathroom and got his boots. "Where am I going to sleep tonight? How can I leave while it is dark? Can't be here in the morning!" He searched the room for a alarm clock and found one behind a certificate of meritorious service awarded to corporal Evan Broadwater who was killed in the line of duty. "My God their son's name was Evan." He said aloud. He set the alarm for 3:30 am and laid back down. He drifted in and out of restless sleep in anticipation of the alarm clock going off. The night seemed to be a week long. "What if they hear the alarm?" He said to himself. "Can't let that happen." At 3:00 am he was up and dressed. His boots were damp, there was a misty dew and it was foggy out. He remembered seeing a note book and some pencils on the desk where the certificate was. He opened the note book and wrote a note. "Dear Bear and Mary", he wrote as a tear dropped and stained the paper, "I am very sorry that you lost your Evan. Thank you so very much for all of your love and hospitality. But, I am not your son and I must be moving on. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart." Another tear fell on the paper. "Love, Evan." He climbed out of the window and headed toward the highway. It was cold and damp out. He was tired and all alone once again. As he walked away he couldn't help but feel that maybe he should go back. He felt so sorry for Bear and Mary. How could they be so happy after loosing their son? "Life is just not fair." Evan shouted. "Just not fair! Just not fair! Damn the war! What right do they have to send us young men off to die?" He cried for their loss and for the fact that he could not do anything to help them. After they did so much to help him.