Little John and Mr. A. go to Town

“ I’m needin’ to go to town and pick up a few things, Little John.  Reckon you could drive me in Saturday?” Mr. A asked.

“Yep, sure can.  I’ll get the milkin’ done for dad Saturday mornin’ and then I’ll come across the road to your house about 10:00.  Mom’ll probably have some chores for me to do before I can go; she usually does.”

So, Little John and Mr. A. headed toward town in the old Model A.  Every squeak and rattle manifested itself as they road along the old dirt road.

“ Looks like we might be headed for some cold weather ‘bout next week.  What’d ya think about us going rabbit huntin’ if it snows?” inquired Mr. A.

“Sure thing; I’d like that.” Replied Little John.

By this time they had gotten to the square.  Little John pulled the old Model A in front of the hardware store and they two of them climbed out and went inside. Mr. A. visited with the proprietor while Little John walked up and down the aisle looking at the different things on display. His favorite aisle was the gun aisle.  He would stand and stare at the 22’s and shotguns and dream of the day he’d have enough money to buy one.

“Come here, Mr. A.  I gotta show you something.” Hollered Little John. So, down the aisle came Mr. A.

“What is it?

“Looka here. This guns got a telescope on it. You can look through it and it brings the target up closer. Man, I’m gonna have one of them one of these days.”

“Okay, let’s go, Little John. I think we might ought to head down to Check’s and get us a bowl of chili and a burger. What ‘cha think about us a doin’ that?”

Little John didn’t have to be asked twice. So, down the sidewalk they headed. Opening the door to the restaurant, they chose to straddle a couple of the stools and order up big bowls of chili and burgers. Crumbling a handful of crackers in the chili, Mr. A. looked at Little John.

“How’s ‘bout you goin’ over there to that coke box and gettin’ us a couple of them RC colas?” Mr. A nudged Little John and pointed to the coke box.

After they finished their meal in the steamy, smoke filled restaurant, they headed back to the old Model A, Little John jumped in the drivers seat.

“Watch this, Mr. A.,” said Little John. He backed out and put the Model A in gear. A control on a Model A located by the accelerator on the steering wheel column was called spark control.  It advanced or retarded the timing of the engine. Little John pushed the spark control up and barely gave the Model A some gas.  As they headed around the square very slowly, the old vehicle would cluck, cluck, cluck just like an old setting hen.  It was a strange enough sound that it drew the attention of those who were outside standing around or walking down the sidewalks. They would all stop what they were doing to see where the noise was coming from. The women would look at each other and wonder but the men knew exactly what Little John was doing and they would rare their heads back and laugh.

“How’d you do that, Little John? Inquired Mr. A.

“I ain’t a tellin’ “ said Little John as he gave the old Model A some more gas and turned the steering wheel toward home.  All the way home, they were chuckling to themselves about Little John’s antics and talking about the fun they were going to have as soon as there was snow on the ground.

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”1 Timothy 5:1-2 ESV