03-15-2020, 12:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-04-2020, 06:13 PM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 22
Outside Steve is talking with dad. He is helping out and flipping burgers on the grill. That smell is working up my appetite real good. During lunch my mom is constantly glancing over at me. Slightly shaking her head, she asks how I am feeling. Just fine mom, why?
She then looks over to my dad, with that expression only a mom can make. There is going to be a discussion, so far as I can decipher the vibes right now. Hope nothing changes due to last nights slight minor little fiasco.
After a somewhat quiet but filling lunch, Steve gets my attention and wants to show me something. He is hyped up too much about whatever it is. We walk out back to garage behind the house. There is a tarp covering something. He is quick to remove it and show me what is that he is so anxious about.
I can surely say now at that moment there was a complete loss for words. I stared at the pile of rubble and just shook my head. What had been a really fun to drive kart the night before was anything but that now. Bits and pieces were piled up over the remains of one Cates kart which had given me the most enjoyment I had for just a short amount of time the night before.
What? Why? How come? What gives? He gave it to you, dumoss. Steve then tells me what gives. It wasnt worth Mr Cates doing anything with it. I asked if he would sell, but shook his head no. Instead just gave it away. It is yours to fix. That is if you are up to the challenge. If not I guess you can just throw it away.
So how, how did you manage to talk him out of it? It even has the motor still there. That has a Bug connecting rod. It cost more than $15 bucks. The Mercury clutch has got to be worth another $10 dollars. He just gave it to you? Well yea, he did. I told him you would really like to have it. So it is yours. You want it or not?
But dont think for a minute you are the only one that is going to drive it. I figure we can both use the track time. Maybe even swap out heat races or even race nights. Does that sound good to you?
Gee Steve, I cant....I dont know what to say. You did all of this for me? Heck no, I didnt do it all for you. I was selfish and only thinking of me this time. There is no way I am able to fix this mess. Your dad has the welder, and tools. Its going to take a lot of work if even possible. Mr Cates thought it was a total loss. Not worth the effort even to remove any of the parts either.
I figured that if you can make this pretzel into a kart again, then maybe if possible, we can copy it or come up with an even better frame. We have to start somewhere. I can do a lot of the work helping out, but without the necessary tools, it wont happen at my house. So are you interested in fixing it or not?
Heck yea, Steve! Yes we are going to fix this. How hard can it be? The frame is just straight sections of square tubing butted together and welded. Well I think it is supposed to be straight pieces. Really hard to tell right now looking it over.
Steve, dont you think these sections here are supposed to be straight? That sure looks like a machine bend, hmm. I didnt really look the kart over that well last night. It was fairly dark and I got sort of lost with everything going on. Yes that has to be straight. Look there would be no ground clearance any other way. OK this kart is going to get fixed. I can do this. I think.....
Even exciting as it was to know that I now have a kart, my body did not share in the exuberance of that moment. Steve had already thanked my parents for everything and gone on home. I for some reason lost all physical interest in the new project today. That didnt mean I wasnt thinking about working on the frame in my mind. It is just this body was not being cooperative at all.
I stayed inside for the rest of Sunday. The grand parents, only a month before grand dad had passed away, gave the family our first color television for Christmas. Later that evening I watched "War of the Worlds" starring Gene Berry. It was playing as a world premier showing on "Sunday Night at the Movies" on NBC. I was way too young to see it at the movie theater originally, but now to watch at home in color seemed like something that could actually happen for real.
This is one movie I really had been looking forward to watching, even tho still seemed just a little bit scary. I knew it was just science fiction. But over the years, realized that most science fiction eventually becomes science fact. That sure doesnt set my mind as ease tho. Must process this more. What if....
Outside Steve is talking with dad. He is helping out and flipping burgers on the grill. That smell is working up my appetite real good. During lunch my mom is constantly glancing over at me. Slightly shaking her head, she asks how I am feeling. Just fine mom, why?
She then looks over to my dad, with that expression only a mom can make. There is going to be a discussion, so far as I can decipher the vibes right now. Hope nothing changes due to last nights slight minor little fiasco.
After a somewhat quiet but filling lunch, Steve gets my attention and wants to show me something. He is hyped up too much about whatever it is. We walk out back to garage behind the house. There is a tarp covering something. He is quick to remove it and show me what is that he is so anxious about.
I can surely say now at that moment there was a complete loss for words. I stared at the pile of rubble and just shook my head. What had been a really fun to drive kart the night before was anything but that now. Bits and pieces were piled up over the remains of one Cates kart which had given me the most enjoyment I had for just a short amount of time the night before.
What? Why? How come? What gives? He gave it to you, dumoss. Steve then tells me what gives. It wasnt worth Mr Cates doing anything with it. I asked if he would sell, but shook his head no. Instead just gave it away. It is yours to fix. That is if you are up to the challenge. If not I guess you can just throw it away.
So how, how did you manage to talk him out of it? It even has the motor still there. That has a Bug connecting rod. It cost more than $15 bucks. The Mercury clutch has got to be worth another $10 dollars. He just gave it to you? Well yea, he did. I told him you would really like to have it. So it is yours. You want it or not?
But dont think for a minute you are the only one that is going to drive it. I figure we can both use the track time. Maybe even swap out heat races or even race nights. Does that sound good to you?
Gee Steve, I cant....I dont know what to say. You did all of this for me? Heck no, I didnt do it all for you. I was selfish and only thinking of me this time. There is no way I am able to fix this mess. Your dad has the welder, and tools. Its going to take a lot of work if even possible. Mr Cates thought it was a total loss. Not worth the effort even to remove any of the parts either.
I figured that if you can make this pretzel into a kart again, then maybe if possible, we can copy it or come up with an even better frame. We have to start somewhere. I can do a lot of the work helping out, but without the necessary tools, it wont happen at my house. So are you interested in fixing it or not?
Heck yea, Steve! Yes we are going to fix this. How hard can it be? The frame is just straight sections of square tubing butted together and welded. Well I think it is supposed to be straight pieces. Really hard to tell right now looking it over.
Steve, dont you think these sections here are supposed to be straight? That sure looks like a machine bend, hmm. I didnt really look the kart over that well last night. It was fairly dark and I got sort of lost with everything going on. Yes that has to be straight. Look there would be no ground clearance any other way. OK this kart is going to get fixed. I can do this. I think.....
Even exciting as it was to know that I now have a kart, my body did not share in the exuberance of that moment. Steve had already thanked my parents for everything and gone on home. I for some reason lost all physical interest in the new project today. That didnt mean I wasnt thinking about working on the frame in my mind. It is just this body was not being cooperative at all.
I stayed inside for the rest of Sunday. The grand parents, only a month before grand dad had passed away, gave the family our first color television for Christmas. Later that evening I watched "War of the Worlds" starring Gene Berry. It was playing as a world premier showing on "Sunday Night at the Movies" on NBC. I was way too young to see it at the movie theater originally, but now to watch at home in color seemed like something that could actually happen for real.
This is one movie I really had been looking forward to watching, even tho still seemed just a little bit scary. I knew it was just science fiction. But over the years, realized that most science fiction eventually becomes science fact. That sure doesnt set my mind as ease tho. Must process this more. What if....