Going Home

Part 64

And Josh and his mother reached one of the sheds furthest from the house Margaret pulled open the door and waited for Josh to enter.

 Stepping inside Josh could see a vehicle covered by a sheet. He moved further into the shed and looked at it wondering why his mother brought him to see it.

Margaret grabbed the sheet and pulling it off, stepped back and smiled as she watched Josh try and work out what she was showing him.

Josh walked around the ute puzzled. He had no idea why his mother had brought him to see it until all of a sudden, paying attention to the model, he began to understand. He turned back to her, his expression incredulous.

Margaret nodded.

Josh looked back at the ute and shook his head in disbelief. It can’t be, but his mother just indicated that it was. This was the ute he’d bought when he was sixteen to do up ready for when he got his license. The ute his father went ballistic about because he thought Josh had spent too much money on a bomb. It didn’t look like a bomb now though. It looked amazing, completely restored, just how he’d imagined all that time ago. Josh turned back to his mother “who did this?”

“Your father, it took him a couple of years but he wanted to finish what you’d started.”

Josh frowned and asked “why didn’t he show it to me?”

Margaret gave him a sad smile, “he thought you might think he was trying to buy you off, using it as a way of making it up to you. But that’s not why he did it. It was his way of keeping part of you here. I told him he should show you but he didn’t want to put pressure on you.”

Josh turned to look back at the ute and ran his hand over the shiny black surface. He opened the drivers door. Sitting in the seat and inspecting the dash he asked “does it run?”

Margaret smiled and said, “give it a try, the key’s in the glove box.”

Reaching over Josh opened the glove box and located the key. He put it in the ignition and turned. He expected it to take a couple of goes, but to his surprise, it started with a low throaty rumble first time. Josh listened to the engine for a minute. It was obvious that it had been started regularly. He couldn’t believe his father had spent so much time finishing it and still made sure it was maintained. He turned the engine off and turned to his mother, “thanks for showing me.”

Margaret looked at her son and said “my pleasure, I thought you’d like to see it.”

Josh put the key back in the glove box, and got out. He shut the door and picking up one side of the cover, he waited for Margaret to grab the other side, then together they placed it back over the vehicle.