The Little Orange Coupe

It was so cold that night,

a black January's end,

from a seemingly endless Indian summer.

As we pulled up,

we could see it,

with all the other refuse,

piled up at the curb,

to be cleared away,

Tuesday morning,

first thing.

++++

Maybe the metal man will,

see it first-

like so early on a warm summer morning,

his noisy truck,

cruising our street looking,

for junk to steal.

Laying in bed with the windows open,

I could hear him rummaging-

I gave him a screen door once,

rushing out in my bare feet,

to put it down by the curb,

before he passed us by.

++++

Maybe the neighbor kids will

see it first-

on their way to school,

waiting for the bus,

grab something to add,

to their fort out in the woods;

or maybe just mess things up,

for the fun of it.

Sometimes I could hear their voices,

screaming on their bikes,

flying over the jump ramps,

they made with our junk.

+++

But,

we saw it first...

pulling up from "out weekend"

++++

I assembled it for him,

when he was three-

it was always a struggle.

I was never good at following directions,

one wrong move...

and a door

or a handlebar

or a leg

or something,

wouldn't fit together.

One part out of place,

one metal grommet,

improperly inserted,

and you are the proud owner

of a fifty dollar fiasco!

But this time,

everything fit together

just right!

The little door opened and closed,

the steering wheel rotated just fine,

and the wheels rolled and turned.

He loved it so much,

drove it everywhere

his feet could push.

Sometimes, he would even let his sister

go for a spin it it too!

Must of racked up

millions of

frequent scooter miles.

He could really lay down

some powerful foot rubber,

or sometimes he could switch

to auto pilot...

and I would give him a push-

especially up those hills

around our house;

got kinda rough,

on three year old legs.

++++

When we moved,

he got a two wheeler,

learned to ride it right away,

cause his best buddy next door,

could ride and even do tricks,

His buddy's mother sat at our picnic table,

gave me a brochure,

and spoke of "eclectic"-

that was the year to speak of eclectic...

After the father took his buddy,

and his sister away,

for "their weekend",

his mother's friend,

would arrive,

hide his truck in the back yard.

Later on, his best buddy,

his sister, and their mother,

moved away to a new house;

left behind a pile of broken junk,

by the curb.

++++

But even when he got to be a whiz

on the two wheeler,

he never forgot the orange coupe,

never too old,

or too cool,

to stop and take it out,

for a quick spin.

++++

When I washed my car,

in the back yard,

he would wash the coupe,

buckets and rags swinging-

when his sister got the hose,

we'd all be yelling,

and laughing,

and wet!

+++

When I left,

it was autumn.

I went to Maine,

and sat on a vacant porch,

and watched the ocean,

and felt empty.

When I left,

he painted the coupe black,

took off the top,

to make it into a convertible.

I saw it sitting in the back yard,

all alone,

black,

and broken in two.

Later he wrote me a letter,

to tell me how he felt,

because he couldn't speak the words.

Later, I sat on the floor,

in the corner of their,

"other bedroom"...

The tears rolled down my face,

they stood in disbelief,

and had never seen me cry,

before.

Finally, they surrounded me,

and comforted me,

and tried to give me a little push,

up the hill...

+++

Anyone could have come upon

that pile of garbage;

the last detail,

of our life together...

But we saw it first,

as we pulled up from

"our weekend".

That cold January night,

he got out of my car,

and walked over to the junk pile,

by the curb.

He touched it for a moment,

picked up the black roof-

Wouldn't it be great if...

we could have gone out,

for just one more spin-

You steer, I'll push,

up all those hills.

I know that's what we were

both thinking,

as he moved his little car about.

For a moment-

I could see,

the little boy in him,

once again.

I could see

his curly hair,

and hear his baby voice-

Just for one brief moment...

we were all together again,

but...

But, now that bright orange coupe,

he painted black,

is broken up,

by the curb,

waiting,

for collection and disposal.

The last vestige of our life together...

I gave him the biggest hug I could,

and all I could say was,

"I love you"