(Continued from Feb, 13, 2010)
We pulled into a large parking lot behind a supermarket; it was about half a block removed from the health club. In the far corner of the lot, I could see Alphonse’s blue Mini. He was standing beside it, with his left hand on the hood. At185 cm, he was at least a head taller than the sister he was about to meet; and, with his exceptionally broad shoulders he was indeed an imposing figure.
I had told Alphonse about Thea’s Audi so that he would be able to recognize her car. As it turned out, there were no other vehicles near him so we were able to approach his humble automobile diagonally. In the few seconds that remained before arriving in my young friend’s corner, I stated on his behalf: “Alphonse has golden hands; he does all of his own repairs.”
I noted with a mixture of pleasure and surprise that Alphonse was wearing his best sports jacket. It was only the second time that I had seen him wear it, not counting the day that I had gone with him to buy it. A friend of mine, who operated a men’s clothing store, had been instrumental in getting it costume fitted at a special price. Very few of the jackets on the rack were large enough to allow enough room for Alphonse’s broad shoulders.
As she pulled her car into the space to the right of the Mini, Thea observed: “It looks like the first brother whom I am about to meet is a big guy. Are the other two equally large?”
“My oldest son is taller, but not as wide. The other one is about my size.”
I got out of the car quickly. I wanted to be in the right spot for the introductions, which came off very smoothly. As I had expected, Thea was entirely relaxed. She addressed Alphonse as if she had known him all her life: “I was happy to hear that you were available for this unusual assignment.” Then, as she pulled Bob’s photograph out of her purse: “Here is the guy’s mug shot; a real brute isn’t he?”
I knew that Alphonse would have liked to come up with a clever comeback, but his mind was obviously busy trying to figure out Thea’s lighthearted mannerism. So, I quickly responded, thus giving the big guy a bit more time to find his composure.
“That brings up an interesting question: How does Bob compare in size with Alphonse?” I enquired. “Seeing that he has been my neighbor for some time, I feel strange about not knowing. I assume that he is fairly big because of all the weights he has lifted.”
“Bob is probably about five centimeters shorter and he doesn’t have Alphonse’s wide shoulders,” Thea replied casually.”
“That is a huge relief,” Alphonse said with a loud sigh. “Obviously, I lost sleep for nothing last night.” That remark drew a hearty laugh from Thea.
(To be continued)