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Leo stared into the flower imprinted china coffee cup with the gold
rim. Sophie always served his morning coffee in these darn cups even
though he preferred a big mug. He could hear her humming in the
kitchen while she rinsed the frying pan that moments ago held those
wonderfully fragrant Italian sausages that she served him every
Tuesday and Thursday. His belly full, the paper read, and the sun
peeking over the neighbors roof, Leo knew it was time to gather his
tools and be on his way. He sneaked up behind her as she bent over
the stove putting the clean pan into the bottom drawer and slapped
her quick on her behind. "LEO Tucci! Out with you! Already
you are underfoot, go on off to work, and don't forget to bring me
home my tomato plants today". With a quick kiss on her nose and
a little push to re-align her glasses he was out the sidedoor heading
back to the one car garage and storage shed.
The warm morning sun was already beginning to melt the frost that had
covered the grape vines entwined in the arcing trellis that lead to
the backyard. In another couple of weeks the vines would began to
break out with those large green buds that would signal planting time
in Sophie's vegetable garden. The vegetables garden was Sophies
private haven, but the grape vines and trellis' all belonged to Leo.
He chuckled as he thought about the bottles of fermenting crushed
grapes cradled in the oak barrels in his cellar. Life is good! Leo
called aloud as he smiled up at the pink encrusted clouds in the
brisk morning sky. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the
storage shed collected his tools and his cart and headed off to the truck.
Leo tied down his cart and tools in the back bed of the old truck and
climbed into the chilled cabin that smelled of old worn leather seats
and motor oil. He reached up under the visor and pulled down a worn
map of Deerfield, marked in outlines of red pencil and picked out
which territory he would cover today. That's right, Cherry street,
Oak and Pine. Good thing too, He knew that Old Mrs.Villanova had
called Sophia the night before complaining that Leo needed to stop by
and readjust some work he had done for her last year. Leo smiled, he
liked people; even people who tried to take advantage of his good
nature like Mrs.Villanova. They all had stories to tell. And Leo like
to listen.
The old truck was turning the corner at Main and Cherry now, Leo
waved to Chuck Stankowski as he passed by in the Deerfield squad car
on his way home from night patrol. Leo noted to himself to remind
Sophie to give Chuck and Sara a call this weekend and have them over
for a game of cards. It must have been three months since they last
saw them at the St. Lucidius Christmas Service. Leo stopped the
truck, parking behind the Cherry Street drugstore got out and unload
the flatbed. He loaded his tools into the bottom cabinet of the
bright red cart and walked it around to the street. All set to go,
wait, he walked back to the truck, opened the door, and reached in to
the glove compartment. Couldn't start the day without my helper he
thought to himself as he pulled out a large black handled choir bell.
With the pink clouds fading into a clear blue sky Leo began to stride
down the middle of cherry street. Five paces one ring, five paces one
ring, "knives sharpened" sang Leo, humming to the beat of
his footsteps. Five paces one ring, five paces one ring, "knives
sharpened, tools fixed". Leo looked up to the sky and filled his
lungs with cool crisp air, "Life Is good!" |
