Page 76 of Southern Comfort
“No! Listen. I just found the VIN number!”
“What?! Where?”
I come alert with the news and sit my ass back down. Bing and Hunter watch my reaction.
“Ronnie’s wandering around here somewhere. I have to be quick. He wrote on the backs of the pictures. He had dusted the one of the car, so I didn’t see it. But I just got this brainstorm to look! On the back is a copy of the transfer of ownership!! I am so friggin excited! He doesn’t know I looked of course.”
Now I am fully awake.
“This is great. Did you copy the information?”
“I took a picture. Oh! He’s coming in from the porch.”
“Be careful you don’t give it away!”
The creaking of the door sounds. Shit. I have to get to that.
“Want to say hello, Ronnie?”
My father’s voice carries.
“No time. The President’s calling.” His voice raises as he heads for the john. “I’ll call him back!”
“So send me the picture. I have to get to work.”
The boys are listening and have put the pieces together.
“I’ll send it now.”
As soon as I am off the phone we give high fives all around.
“This is going to be so cool,” Bing says.
“Think he’ll cry?”
“Shit yeah. Wouldn’t you?”
“I can’t see my future kid tracking down the Honda.”
Bing finds it funny to even consider. “Make sure he knows you’d rather have the cash.”
“Cars were different then, when you could work on them yourself. People got more attached,” I say.
Hunter tosses Bing and I one of the three remaining peanut butter cups. We avoided the half-smashed ones till now.
“Mom said it was your mother’s favorite car too.”
“She was as crazy about it as Dad.”
The ping of the photo’s arrival sounds.
“Let’s see what we have.”
I blow the image up and read the information.
“Howard Maple. Yeah, Dad said he lived in Kentucky.”
“What are the odds he still has it?”
