Lloyd Joins the Navy

Lloyd was bigger than life. Lloyd played left field for Smith Memorial baseball team. Lloyd rode a Harley for thirty years - without a licence. Lloyd had a satellite TV system with two parabolic dishes in his back yard  and motor controls inside. Lloyd had a fishing boat, was in a consortium, and was a skilled under water welder. Lloyd would rarely announce his intentions to visit - Lloyd would arrive. Lloyd didn't use the door on North Morgan Crescent - he came into our room  through the window. Lloyd left home to join the Navy. I was there the night he decided to go.... In our home, as in so many others, certain phrases tended to be linked: "How many eggs you want - Two? Three"  Next kid "how many eggs...." "You want to cry? -  I'll give you something to cry about." "You're bored? -  I'll find you something to do." "Come and give me a hand - Go help your father" This could be an invitation to anything from unloading the groceries for ten minutes to splitting wood for an entire day.  On this particular drizzly cold November night it meant holding the light so Dad could work on the Monarch. I learned a lot holding the light.  Dad was a good teacher, patient and excited.  I learned also to not take the "Gawd - Damm Sunuvabitch of a Gawd - Damm Sunuvabitch" cusses personally.  I learned those were directed primarily at inanimates like stuck nuts or unreachable bolts.  Instead, I learned about how things worked, about how one could take broken pieces of other things (bent nails, unmatched screws, old motor mounts) and make them fit into new roles as saviour pieces of the very thing we were working on.  My daughter refers to this talent as "Joe -ing it up." My role was to hold the light at the end of the extension cord just below the socket where the bare light bulb was.  I stood on a kitchen chair outside in the driveway holding the light in a way that allowed Dad to see the work he was doing.  I knew from my six years of life experience that  the bulb would be hot.  It was fun to catch drops of rain on the hot bulb and listen to the sizzle, but Dad told me to stop and put his head back down under the hood in the bowels of the Monarch's motor. Lloyd approached.  I sensed a change in his demeanor I had never seen before.  Lloyd was swagger.  Lloyd was confidence.  Tonight Lloyd was tentative. "Dad, I want to quit school." Dad had told Lloyd he needed to be a dentist.  Lloyd should be a lawyer.  They make a lot of money, don't go work at the mill, you'll get stuck there. "Go talk to your mother." "I did.  She said it was up to you." "What do you want to do instead?" "I want to join the Navy." "Let me think about it." The Navy.  My mind swelled with thoughts of sailing around the world.  Sunny days on the deck as the lookout, wind whipping through my hair, eyes squinting on the horizon searching for pirates and enemy boats.  Sailing into electric harbours alive with singing and bands welcoming us home .... The Navy....wow... Lloyd's going to be in the Navy..... "Joe?" came the soft voice of my father.  "Can you see what I'm doing here?" "No Daddy." "Then how the hell do you think I can???!!!" I dropped the light and heard the bulb glass shatter.  I caught the electric fizzle of sparks in the corner of my eye as I leapt from my kitchen chair.  I banged the prop rod on the way down and felt the thud of the hood on my father's back.  I hid in my room for a long time but nobody came to find me. Lloyd was not there either.  I made a mental note to ask him about the Navy when he crawled in through the window later that night.  I never did ask him. About a year later Lloyd sent me a football for my birthday.