Jimmy

This is a story from my previous life in small town Appalachia:

We had many "characters" who lived in our town. They kept us "normal" folk annoyed and amused. Jimmy was one of them. Every day he walked around town, closely followed by his Radio Flyer, going from trash can to dumpster... collecting cans. Our town is small, only a handful of stores still open after the great industry pull out in the 70's. Most of the people who live here have chosen an isolated life, have left the city because their assistance check goes a lot further here than in a city, or they were born to families who settled here in 1890. Jimmy comes from one of those long term families, who also happen to have married too many cousins. The lack of intelligence in the Buckle family is notorious. In a town where everyone knows everyone's business, all you have to say is, "He's a Buckle," and eyes roll, indicating, "Oh yes, we know the whole clan isn't worth much."

Back to Jimmy. As Jimmy walked he visited every store, chatting with the unlucky clerks who weren't able to hide quickly enough. Jimmy could talk you to death about nothing in particular. Each stop brought a few more cans into Jimmy's wagon, and by late afternoon, he'd have a load. This happened every day of the week. Jimmy was part of the scenery, like the bank or the hardware store.

One day Jimmy became ill. He may have spent a few days in a hospital, but I can't remember. We all grieved in our own little way, over not seeing Jimmy wandering by. Of course the store clerks rejoiced for their respite, but the talk of the town was all about Jimmy and whether he would be able to come back. His illness evidently necessitated his getting a scooter. He was of course told that he could no longer make his trips into town. He had to stay in his home for his own good. And of course he didn't listen for long. Within a week, Jimmy was riding his scooter down the highway, into town. It was great to see Jimmy out and about again. The scooter changed the silhouette, but at least Jimmy was back. There was one problem. Jimmy sold those cans for extra income, and now he didn't have a way to haul them. A few days after his first scooter trip into town, a milk crate appeared on the back of the scooter, and he was back in business! The only problem was that the crate didn't hold enough cans. Hmmm. How to solve this dilemma?! You guessed it. Within another week, the Radio Flyer was secured to a tow rope behind the scooter, and Jimmy was really back in business. Down the highway, into town he rode, once again making his rounds. It was a day to celebrate! Jimmy was back! All was well in G-town!

We all rolled our eyes, and knew an accident was going to happen, but we knew that Jimmy was being Jimmy and there was no stopping him.

One day I was pulling out of the bank drive-thru and I looked across the street to see Jimmy, driving his scooter, dragging his wagon, pulling out of the furniture store parking lot. This time there was a major change in his load. Jimmy had decided he and his scooter were invincible! He was not loaded with cans (but then he may have been because I couldn't really see the wagon). All I could see was Jimmy, his scooter and a full size mattress and box spring about 2 ft from the ground, inching out the drive! It took about 10 feet for the whole thing to topple! He actually thought he could drive that scooter, toting a mattress and box spring on his wagon, through town, and out the highway to his house! Now that's possibility thinking! It wasn't logical or physically possible, but he was giving it his best! Just as I drove to rescue him, another driver stopped, loaded the dumpster find in her van, and set Jimmy safely on his way home driving his scooter, followed closely by his faithful Radio Flyer! This is life in G-town! Characters to annoy and amuse. People to love just the way they are!