The Essex

 

There is so much to learn when you are ten years old and there is no man in the house with whom you can share your thoughts, to learn about the world, to learn, most of all, about girls. Haskin Flagg had his grandfather to talk to of course, and after his two weeks at summer camp in Forest Park, they would sometimes go blueberry picking together. However, his grandfather wasn't much for conversation, and Haskin never felt comfortable opening up to him. There was also his brothers Walter and Robert, but they were younger than him and no help.

It wasn't as though Haskin's father was dead. Indeed, he was very much alive and technically still married to his mother. However, it had become common for Jimmy Flagg to disappear for weeks and even months at a time. Sometimes his father lived with the family on Hood Street, but even then he rarely did what could be called "family things." Haskin did recall one time when his family took the trolley, his parents, his brothers and little Sally, to Forest Park for a picnic. However, the whole time his father was taking periodic sips from a pocket flask. Shortly after their lunch began near the rose garden, his father got "that look." As always, there were harsh words between his parents until his father stormed off.

Gathering up what was left of the picnic, Haskin's mom, with the three kids in tow, walked out to Sumner Avenue to take the trolley home. The stop was in front of Alden's Ice Cream and Haskin was tempted to ask his mother to buy them some, but knew this was not the time. Later, as he overheard his mother recounting what had happened to a neighbor, he heard the neighbor say, "The only family that man has is in a bottle."

Each Sunday during that summer, Haskin watched the German family across the street all pile into their beat up 1927 Essex, which their oldest son left behind when he enlisted into the Civilian Conservation Corps. The whole family would go for a ride, with Mrs. Schultz smiling in the passenger seat, Mr. Schultz driving and their children, two girls and a boy all onboard. They were usually gone for several hours. Haskin always wondered where they went on their drives, and what they did.

Haskin went to school with Clause Schultz, the boy. He was tempted to ask Clause if he could go with them sometime, but he knew he should be invited. Secretly, Haskin envied the Schultz family, not just because of their Sunday drives, but for their closeness, always going out and doing things together. One Sunday, late in August, Haskin was sitting on his front porch in the big green chair, when he saw the Schultz family gathering around the old Essex, waiting for Mr. Schultz to come out and unlock the car. Clause looked across the old iron fence and noticed Haskin. "Hey," he shouted, "whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, nothing," Haskin replied.

"Wanna come with us?" the boy shouted back. "I'll ask father!"

Haskin was delighted. "Okay, I'll ask my mother!"

Permissions granted, the boys climbed into the backseat of the Essex with the girls, and with the gears grinding, off they went. They started down Hood Street to Bay Street, then turned right towards Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church on Boston Road and crossing through the intersection onto Breckwood Boulevard. Soon the Essex reached Wilbraham Road and headed towards East Longmeadow.

They continued onward through mostly wooded areas, but to Haskin it was still interesting because, to him, it was new woods. Haskin rarely rode in a car, and he was glad to be riding anywhere. Haskin's own father never drove, and when he asked him about it once, his father replied, "I let my license lapse because I like to drink. I don't want to kill anyone." Another time when Haskin complained that the family always had to take the trolly, his father proclaimed, "That's good enough!"

To Haskin everything about the ride seemed wonderful. Mrs. Schutz remarked that she liked the scenery in East Longmeadow better than in Wilbraham, although she preferred Wilbraham to the scenery they had seen last week in Connecticut. Connecticut? Haskin had never imagined that the Schultz family sometimes drove so far! "Cars are wonderful things," Haskin said. "I'll bet you could see the whole world in a car, even an old Essex!" Suddenly Haskin felt embarrassed, fearing he had unwittingly insulted his hosts by referring to the age of the car. However, everyone laughed.

Soon they were passing a sign reading, "Welcome to East Longmeadow." By a wooded area, Mr. Schultz stopped and said something in German. "He's asking if anyone needs to take a leak," Clause translated. "Not me," Haskin responded, but the girls giggled, opened the door, and ran into the woods.

This caused Haskin to consider something he had never really thought of before. How do girls take a leak in the woods? They couldn't stand and do it like boys did, could they? He knew how girls are different than boys and had seen naked women in religious books that showed people in ancient times, when people wore simply robes and sometimes no clothes at all. But as for girls taking a leak outdoors, he wasn't completely sure of the logistics.

A few minutes later the girls returned giggling to the car. For some reason this made Haskin blush, and seeing this, the girls giggled even more. "Sheesh!" Clause sighed, rolling his eyes. After a few attempts, the Essex sputtered back to life and they drove on. At one point, Haskin recognized a church in East Longmeadow that he knew his uncle belonged to. Otherwise, virtually everything in the town was a new sight to him. It was all so great, but nothing lasts and soon the old Essex was chugging down Belmont Avenue. They were back in Springfield.

When the car arrived at "The X" where Belmont and Sumner Avenue crossed, Mr. Schultz turned onto Sumner Avenue and headed towards Watershops Pond, where they took the shortcut through St. Michael's Cemetery to the Point. The wonderful ride soon came to an end as they turned at last onto Hood Street.

"Thank you Mr. Schultz," Haskin said politely. "You are very welcome, Haskin," the German said with a smile. The girls giggled, and Clause rolled his eyes. The ride was over.