My Grandpa Roy told me this story when I was a kid.
Most of his adult life, my grandpa worked for the movie studios– MGM, RKO, Warner Brothers. At various times he worked for them as a horse wrangler, grip, and greensman. Sometimes he just did whatever needed doing on the set. One day, back in the 1930’s, he was asked to pick up a truck in Hollywood and deliver it over the hill to the WB facilities in the Valley.
Now Grandpa Roy had a grandfather named James who frequently visited him. On this particular day, Great-Grandpa James joined Grandpa Roy for the ride over the hill. Back in 1930’s there were no freeways as there are today, and travel to and from the Valley required negotiating narrow, twisting canyon roads. The route they took that day was over Cold Water Canyon Road.
As James sat in the passenger side of the truck, my grandpa Roy began the ascent up the road. James was quiet, as was his nature, but just before the truck reached the top of the grade, James turned to Grandpa Roy and said “You need to check the brakes before you start that downhill grade. You won’t make it if you don’t.”
Grandpa Roy had always followed his grandfather’s advice so he pulled over to the side of the road. He got out and slid under the truck for a look. Sure enough, there was a problem with the brakes, and had he proceeded down the grade more than likely they would have failed and he would have careened out of control.
I don’t remember what Grandpa Roy said about how he got the truck down the hill. I don’t remember because I got stuck on what Grandpa said next about Great-Grandpa James riding along with him.
You see, Great-Grandpa James was dead and had been for many, many years.
Lori Gloyd (c) 2006, 2007
Truly a story to be told when carving the Jack-o-Lanterns.
amm
Or… late at night, with the wind creaking in the willows and leaves scratching across the gravel driveway.
He… hehe… hahahahahahahahaha!!!!
{{{screams}}}
Good one: I’ve needed great-grandpa when driving over the Cascades in the fifties! Fran
Lori, I think this is my favorite story — love how you brought it to the reader’s attention at the very end that Great Grandpa James was dead and had been for some time.
Ooh, that’s scary. I mean real life scary.
I’m with Fran: I could use a Great Grandpa James!
Loved that story Lori…I am sure we would agree that there is a great story in all families if we can sit with them to recall them ( before they disappear) as the old timers tell us of their past…
I remember when my Mum Jessie told me her story for my thesis in my Diversional Therapy course “Memories of an older person” ..not as eerie as yours but so humourous..part of it recalled the Great Depression…..
During the 1920’s depression when there was not enough money even for food….Mum would take a parcel wrapped in many layers of newspaper,then lastly a piece of brown paper tied with string , to the local pawnbrokers in Bay st for a few shillings to buy some lamb off cuts to make soup/stew.
The pawnbroker wrote on the outside of the parcel CRASKE- Station St Port Melbourne GOOD SUNDAY
SHOES male……….My Mother tells me that she had to tell this lie but had no trouble taking the money….BUT in the box was 1/2 fire - place brick..not her Father’s good shoes….He didn’t have any good shoes,said Mum just one pair of working boots ..only one pair to his name……….
I loved this story as it reminds me that subsequent generations have improved on their lot …the following 2 generations never wasted much but the generation following mine are a different story altogether……..
Lois (Muse of the Sea) Mon 29/10/07
I recall my mother telling me that during the Great Depression, she and my grandmother would follow along behind the harvesting machines in local lima-bean fields picking up the leftover beans. She was so embarrassed to have to glean fields but it kept food on the table during that awful time.
I think it is the action you have packed into a brief telling that wins me over. What a great story for Halloween.
“Short” stories are just as good as long ones and often they are even better. This is one of those.
This is a wonderful Halloween story - it sure caught me by surprise!