The Garage Man Finally came to fix the garage that has been broken now for nearly three months -- and in the process of moving things in the garage, I found a bag of old clothes that Baby had intended to toss. I left the Garage Man to do his work of repairing our Christmas Eve damage, while I took a short break from the usual-usual around here, rummaged through the bag and decided if there was anything left to salvage from it.In the bag were some good shirts and neckties, sweat pants, hiking shorts and old baseball uniforms – all stuff that Nick or one of the boys could use, for costumes if nothing else. Two shirts were of a warm Ecru colored silk, soft and flowing fabric with sweet details including decorative buttons and gathering at the yolk. The scooped tails of the shirt brushed just above my knee -- perfect for a nightgown for me. Just to see, I tried on, too, an old LEVI shirt and stood in front of the mirror wondering if Nick would still be too small to fit it. If not for Nick, then maybe my daughter's boyfriend could use it.
I looked at the shirt as it hung on my form, recalling how it looked on Baby. I wondered why he was tossing it. Out of style where he is, I suppose, though it would never be in this Western burg. The shirt was in good condition; Baby always took great care of his things. When he was here, he was the only one capable of keeping his dresser drawers in order – not me, certainly not the kids. I considered for a few minutes wearing the shirt for the rest of the day -- to keep the chill at bay and the thermostat down, you know. It’s another grey day, threatening to rain or snow. The shirt would be warm. Then I noticed I was already wearing one of his old toss-offs, a blue Henley, also too big for me, but -- cozy.
Cozy, as a hug would be, but without the same impact or scent of cologne.
