Sunday, October 4, 2009

DIETRICH MERC

Watercolor of Dietrich Merc painted in 1983 and given as a gift to my parents. 
Then returned to me a year ago at their passing.

Buddy, the big Springer Spaniel, lay in the middle of the street in front of the store. The thin autumn sun warmed his black-and-white coat. His head rested on his paws and his long ears brushed the dusty asphalt. He raised his head when the whine and a slap of the screen door announced the exit of a tall farmer carrying a heavy feed sack on his shoulder. The man tossed the burden in the back of his pickup and climbed into the cab, straightening his sweat-stained hat as he went. The dung splattered truck moved carefully around Buddy and rolled down to the corner, tools banging in the back as the railroad tracks were crossed.

Moments later a school bus, loaded to the windows with raucous, bouncing children, navigated around the dog and rumbled out of sight. Leaves the color of the bus flowed out of the cottonwood tree and tumbled across the street. A magpie in the tree shouted and took flight.


The screen door announced the entrance of a girl dressed in denim and carrying a stack of school books. She asked for the use of the telephone. Mr. Royce set the phone on the counter and went back to stocking shelves.


“Mom? I’m sorry. Can you come get me? I missed the bus…..I know…I thought I could get a ride home with Danny, but he had to stay for football practice. Okay…okay, ‘bye.”


The store smelled of the oil on the dark wood floor, plus a mixture of soap, leather, cardboard boxes and fresh produce. The girl put some coins by the register and pulled a bottle of Hires root beer from the cooler. A pop and a hiss sounded as she removed the cap. She settled on the box seat by the window and opened a book. The shadow of the store found Buddy in the street. He gathered himself up and trotted to the door when a green Chevrolet sedan stopped in front of the gas pump. He slipped inside as a tired-looking woman entered the store.


“Pick up some cereal and bread while I get a new one of these,” said the woman to the girl as she held up a broken fan belt. Mr. Royce smiled, took the belt and walked to the back of the store. By the time he returned, there was a box of corn flakes and a loaf of Wonder Bread, in the white bag with the red yellow and blue spots, on the counter. A bottle of Heinz ketchup and a tin of bag balm were added to the collection. The woman asked for half of a pound of baloney. Mr. Royce turned on the meat slicer and skillfully cut and weighed the meat and wrapped it in white paper. The new fan belt was rung up with the groceries. The woman and the girl left the store. Buddy settled with a groan into his spot behind the counter.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...the store smelled of the oil on the dark wood floor, plus a mixture of...". Could almost smell that store in your piece of writing Leenie. It's wonderful. I am sorry your parents passed away so recently. I have yet to face this.It was a wonderful way to give tribute to the painting that was theirs, and indirectly, them.xx

Anonymous said...

...of course, it was you who did the painting, right? They would have been chuffed with something you created so delicately...my thinking is a bit slow this morning!

Linda Sue said...

Incredible how vivid memories of the day flood like a pool of paint on wet paper- The same thing happens to me- I used to take notes in school by drawing rather than writing because i could remember better that way- are we wired differently? I don't know but I LOVE it and I LOVE the feeling of the day you painted this wonderful painting- I am there! Thank you for taking me - it was a mini holiday in time.

Flea said...

I love your story.

Linda Sue said...

about the dog dancing- it is horrifying actually and the poor dogs put up with it like toddlers in tiaras-I posted on a positive note for the sake of Daisy and her person- empty nesters do some crazy things...like blog...
LOVExxxoooo