The Grill Ornament

 

         I was in a hurry.  I was almost always in a hurry, but today was different.  It was Friday.  St. Johns was well known for Friday night football.  The Redskins had been undefeated for the season and we were playing our rival team, the Round Valley Elks.  Even though I had been out of high school for nearly 15 years, I would often play my trombone with the high school band and always enjoyed it.

         I was driving home after a long day pumping wells, fixing engines, and checking fences.  On the road from the Pine Springs there were several stretches where a truck could reach sixty miles per hour though it wasn’t very safe.  I was being a reckless Mario Andretti that day.  I hit one stretch and floored the gas.  I was flying down the road between two banks of dirt and weeds about the same height as the wheel wells.

         A momentary flash of movement ahead caught my attention.  The gray fur was definitely not a cow but I was completely surprised when a jack-rabbit the size of a medium-sized dog leapt out of the bushes and into the path of the speeding truck.  I knew that rabbit was finished and continued on.  The rabbit sailed about halfway across the road, hopped of the ground in a millisecond, and leapt for the other bank.  He almost made it.  As they say, almost only works with hand grenades.

         The large rabbit collided with the truck with a resounding thunk.  One more dead rabbit, one less to eat the grass intended for the cattle.  Feeling no desire to view the carnage, I continued on toward home.  I drove into town and stopped by the Circle K to get goodies for the game.  I could smuggle quite a lot in that big trombone case!  When I came out, there was a small group of high school kids checking out my truck.  The boys were pointing and laughing.  The poor girls looked like they were going to lose their hot dogs and coke.

         I glanced at the front of the truck. The headlight was missing and in its place were the rear legs and fluffy black and white tail of the deceased rabbit.  There was fur stuck in the grill and blood spattered all over the front of the truck.  I started laughing and asked them if they liked the way I designed my grill.

         That was one of the only times in my adult life that I had a group of teenagers I didn’t know give me high-fives.  I drove through town several times to give the kids, cruising before the game, a good show.  I got quite a mixture of looks from teens and adults alike.

         It took a bit of time trying to remove the carcass from my truck.  I lifted the hood to assess the damage and found the head resting on top of the engine.  The entire headlight was wedged between the engine and the side of the engine compartment.  It took some explaining to my boss, otherwise known as Dad, even though the proof was all over the outside and the inside of the truck.  The truck was sent to the body shop and when I picked it up, the body guys looked at me in exasperation and said, “We didn’t need proof.  Next time, clean it up first. . . . Please!”

         Thank heavens there was never a next time.  Once was enough for me!