Bay Area Stew
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Journeyman’s Day
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Bob’s a Journeyman, not a Master, and makes $350 a day wrestling 12-foot sections of rebar into the 60-story tower he’s been assigned to for ten months. It’s Wednesday at 2 PM, and with a 6 AM start, his day’s work is done.
His journey home starts on 5th Street near Market in San Francisco with a walk to his truck. He’s not long distracted on the way by the failing, mismatched shoes he sees on some, or the short skirts he sees on others. Aside from an occasional stern look skyward to push the coming rain back to the clouds until he’s home, his eyes are straightforward, and on the level. He needs to grind across the Altamont Pass in his ten-year-old pickup to get to his four-bedroom home in Tracy about two and a half hours from now. At the door he won’t find one of the fantasy women of his dreams, but Susan has been with him every step of the way. Their girls are 12, 10 and 4. Bobbi, the youngest, was their last shot for a boy. They’re all healthy, and the two in school do OK, but there’s no more ivy in their futures than on the beige stucco that encases their home. Time for a beer and a quick shower before dinner at 5:30. Tonight is taco night. Jessica and Laura can almost do it all by themselves while their mother attends to Bobbi. Dinner talk is how was the day; how was school; and how was the commute, answered by four OK’s and a quizzical look from Bobbi. While the older girls clean up the kitchen, Susan starts Frozen yet again, so she and Bob can talk about the summer. The local pool is only four blocks away, and the $250 annual family membership is one of their best bargains. Jessica and Laura swim the second and third legs of the 12-and-under girl’s freestyle relay. They usually don’t gain on anyone, but they’ve never been caught from behind. Bob would like a new motor for his 21-foot Boston Whaler, but that would take almost two weeks’ take-home pay. He’ll have his neighbor’s cousin do the best he can fixing it for $300 cash, even though with all of them on board, the 50HP Evinrude can barely get both girls up on skis at the same time. As usual, they’ve got to plan for Susan’s mom from Cincinnati for a week. That’ll mean a couple of dinners out at Olive Garden and TGI Fridays, and one or two extra takeout dinner nights. But she’s OK, and the girls love their time with her, so he doesn’t mind the extra expense. While the older girls finish their homework, and Susan puts Bobbi down, Bob catches an hour of a Warriors game before his day’s journey ends with bedtime at nine to be ready to begin again tomorrow. Susan watches an episode of God Friended Me before she quietly joins him. Both of them are waiting for the weekend, when sleeping children might invite more than snoring in their bed. |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Catalano practiced law for more than 30 years before he retired in 2018. He has since pursued his interests in photography, high performance driving, travel and writing. He has enjoyed his first OLLI as SF State courses in the spring semester 2019 and thanks the members of the OLLI at SF State Poetry Writing interest group for their input and support. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Joan.
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Vistas & Byways Review is the semiannual journal of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University (OLLI at SF State) provides communal and material support to the Vistas & Byways volunteer staff.
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