Al meets Popcorn Jimmy

            “Hey, you Al? I’m Jimmy,” Before Al could get up from the bench the young man was right in front of him. “I’m Jimmy, from Salmon Stream Crossing; you gotta be Al, right, nobody else around here.” Al replied, “Yea, I’m Al and I bet your first name must be Jimmy.” Al held his hand out and his first introduction to Salmon Stream Crossing grabbed his extended hand and shook it with gusto.

A torrent of words spilled out of Jimmy’s mouth, “Well I’ll be, face to face with a real-life hero and newspaper reporter. The folks up home are really looking forward to meeting you.” Al stood there trying to take in this first impression. Jimmy seemed to know only one speed, fast and somewhat reckless. In an instant he had grabbed Al’s bag and tossed it on the first bench seat. In one motion he had the front passenger door open and was swinging his arm, like he was trying to sweep Al into the van.

            Al got in the front seat and fastened his seat belt. Jimmy looked at Al and said, “You big city fellers wear them seat belts. I don’t ever wear em, I want to be able to jump out if I have to.” Bouncing  his rear on the driver’s seat, with one fluid move of his right arm he shifted the van into drive and hit the gas. “Man, I can’t believe it! You are really coming to the Crossing. Are you going to live in town? Where ya gonna stay? I know a place, rents cheap. O’man I still can’t believe it. Ray has been talking about you.”

Al’s head was shaking as Jimmy finished. Turning just a bit in his seat, he looked at Jimmy, already liking the kid, “Jimmy,” he said, “Do you always talk as fast as you drive? Do you have only one speed, that is, pedal down and hang on?”  Jimmy snapped his head around so fast it startled Al. “Awe man, I’m sorry, I did it again, Ray warned me, that I better get control of myself before I met you, forgive me man, I didn’t mean no harm.”

Grandma Edith

Entering the diner, Al turned to find Edith right behind him. He asked, “Would you like to join me? We can sit at the counter or a table?”  “The counter is just fine”, Edith said. The young waitress came from the other end of the counter and began to ask Al what he wanted. Edith spoke up, “Oh excuse me for being forward, but I think I know what my friend wants. I think he likes his coffee strong and black, along with a piece of peach pie, if the crust is made the old fashioned way, with lard.” 

Al turned his head so fast to look at Edith he almost fell off the stool. He asked, “How in the world did you know that was the way I liked my coffee? And, what about peach pie, with the crust made with lard, was I talking in my sleep or something?” Edith snickered at Al’s remarks and just very politely said, “I could just tell by looking at you, you’re the kind of young man that likes the basics in living and nothing more basic that strong black coffee and peach pie.”

The two sat quiet for the next few minutes. Al drank his first cup of coffee and ate his pie.  Edith sipped at her English Breakfast Tea and nibbled at her piece of rye toast. As Al was nearly done Edith turned on her stool, looked right at him and said, “You know, Al, I can see in your eyes a great love, but I also see seasons of great pain and suffering.”

A Tender Heart Confesses

Reverend Williams took Al’s hand and said, “We’re gonna pray in a minute, but there is something you need to hear from me.”  Al could see tears beginning to form. “You know, you saved my son’s life. I know that you didn’t even know it at the time, but that doesn’t change what God allowed to happen. You saved his life so he could save the lives of  those precious children in the orphanage.”

Neither Al, nor Mrs. Williams, could look at the massive preacher choking back soul cleansing tears.  He continued, “Nobody but God knows this, but I was mad at God for allowing my Joey to be taken from us. In Joey we saw the promise of God touching the lives of our dear people. When God allowed him to be taken I was mad, mad at God and mad at the world.”

 As the words were penetrating the souls of Al and Mrs. Williams, Al watched the wife of this massive man of faith, as she choked back her own pain. “Al,” Reverend Williams said, “That time of being mad at God ended when you came to us and I began to understand His ways. You are my son now. You will always be a part of us and I hope we will always be a part of you.”