Augie in Plattskill

Perry Baker

perrybaker316@yahoo.com

Augie in Platskill

“So where are we headed Frankie?” grandpa asked.

I'm not sure, I figured we just drive until we found a nice town to stop in for a few days,” I replied.

You want to do a little skiing while where up here in the Catskill mountains, right?” grandpa asked.

“Sure do gramps, I have all my equipment and I am raring to go.”

We were driving on I 95 north for three hours. We passed New Paultz and Kingston. I turned west at Kingston and took route 25.

“What do you think grandpa, do you think your hip will heal properly?”

“Be damned if I know. Do I look like a doctor?” he said in his gruff voice while lighting another cigarette.

Are you hungry gramps?”

“What do you think Frankie. We've haven't had anything to eat since breakfast. What time is it now?”

“It's nearly six o'clock. Time for dinner,” I said

I continued driving on 25 west for another twenty minutes until I came to the Green Mountain Diner. I turned left into the parking lot. I exited the SUV and went to the back and took out grandpa's wheelchair. I put grandpa into his wheelchair and carefully pushed him into the diner. It was still snowing and there had to be four inches of snow on the ground. I didn't want to slip on the unshoveled pathway.

When we entered we noticed that the diner was empty. We sat a few tables away from the entrance because grandpa was afraid of a draft sitting near the door. Just then an old grizzled waiter limped over to our table. He looked like he was the cook as well as the waiter. He was wearing a stained old white apron and he wore very thick coke-bottle glasses.

“What do ya want?” he snapped.

Grandpa answered first: “ I'll have a cheese burgher with fries and a cup of coffee.”

“We are all out of coffee right now being that it's getting late,” the waiter said.

“In that case, make it a beer,” grandpa said.

“I'll have the same except I will have a diet coke sir,” I said.

The waiter limped away into the kitchen behind two swinging doors.

“Listen gramps, we have to find a motel soon because the weather is getting bad. The weather forecast calls for another four inches of snow. But who knows how much more snow we'll get; the forecasters could be wrong.”

The waiter came back with the food and drinks and he slung the plates of food and drinks at gramps and me.

“Excuse me sir,” I said to the waiter, “but where is the closest motel?”

“Continue going west on 25 for about two miles. You will see a sign for the village of Plattskill. Make that right turn and go down into the valley. You will see a sign for the Plattskill Motel.

“Do you think they will have vacancies,” I asked the waiter.

“Don't know...go find out yourself. What do I look like...a travel guide?

The waiter limped away slowly and he turned around to look at us once with a sneer.

We finished our food and drinks and then my grandpa left the exact amount on the table to pay the bill. My gramps didn't leave a tip.

As we were walking out the door, the disgruntled waiter, who saw the exact amount on the table said to us under his breath: “Fuck you.”

My gramps heard it and said: “Fuck you to.” right back to him.

The snow was really coming down. I helped grandpa into the SUV, then I stowed his wheelchair in the back. and I drove west on 25. I drove a few minutes until I saw the sign for Plattskill.

“I hope the people in this village are friendlier than that waiter in that diner,” I said to gramps.

“He was an asshole...they're all assholes,” grumpy gramps stated.

“Gramps, we should have left a tip to that waiter. We might have to go back in there to eat again.”

“The hell with eating there. We'll find a better joint. The food in that diner sucks. My burgher was under cooked.”

“Just try and be nice to the people in this village gramps. Who knows maybe we will like Plattskill.”

“Sure sonny...what ever you say.”

I made the right turn at the Plattskill sign then I drove down the hill into the valley. We were surrounded by steep mountains. The road was pitch black; I had to drive with my high beams on. I drove a quarter of a mile until I saw a bridge. We crossed the river and we were in Plattskill. Across the avenue was the post office and to our left was a grocery store that was still open. We pulled into the parking lot and I went in to ask for directions to the motel.

“Is anyone here?” I cried out.

No one answered for a while. Then I heard some footsteps coming from the back of the store. A dark skinned Pakistani or Indian man came from the back. He looked miserable and I was afraid to ask him anything.

“Please,” I stammered, “where is the Plattskill Motel. My grandpa and I need a place to sleep tonight.”

“Go a few blocks until you see the sign, make a right and go straight. You will see it on your right.,” he mumbled with a scowl on his face.

“What time are you open until?” I asked with trepidation.

He ignored me and he just turned and walked to the back of the store. What an unfriendly town I thought, First the diner, now this grocery store.

I went back to the SUV and went inside. The snow was still coming down. It's a good thing my SUV has all-wheel-drive,

“We're close to the motel Gramps. Just a few blocks,”

“Let's hurry, I gotta pee.” he said.

We drove down Main street until I saw the sign for the motel. I made the right turn and drove straight with another river to my left running parallel with the road.. I saw the sign for the Plattskill Motel and just before I was about to make the right turn into the motel's parking lot, a large brown rabbit sprang out of the bushes on the left near the river, chased by a large gray coyote. I slammed on the brakes because I didn't want to hit them. The SUV slid left on the unplowed road, down an embankment and hit a tree. My grandfather hit his head on the dashboard and cried out:” Oh shit! What the fuck happened?”

“An accident gramps! Did you see that coyote chasing that rabbit which cut in front of our car?” I asked him.

“I didn't see shit. Let me get inside to the bathroom before I wet my pants,” gramps said coarsely while holding his forehead.

I got out of the car and went to inspect the damage. The grill was broken and their was green anti-freeze on the white snow at the base of the tree. I went to gramps and told him of the damage and that I was going to run to the motel and get some help.

I ran in the blinding snow to the motel. It was nearly seven thirty and it was cold. I guess it is supposed to be cold on a January night in the mountains.

There was only one car parked in front. Maybe there would be vacancies. I went into the office and looked around. I didn't see anyone so I rang the bell on the counter.

“Hello...is anyone home?” I shouted.

“Hold your horses,” said a woman's voice from behind the door.

An elderly woman came out and she was unhappy about the intrusion. The expression on her face told me that she didn't want to be bothered. She had long, soft, gray hair and she wore glasses. She was of average height and weight and she wore black slacks and a red blouse.

“What can I do for you? she said angrily.

Oh no, I thought. Another unfriendly person in this town.

“I need a room for me and my grandfather Augie,” I pleaded.

“Where you from?” she inquired with a frown.

“Listen, we had an accident out front. My car slid off the road and hit a tree. My grandfather hit his head and he needs to use the restroom.”

“Sure, bring him in, but no funny business,” she said suspiciously.

I put my paperboy cap back on and ran back to the SUV. The snow tapered off just a little but it felt like the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. I took the wheelchair out of the back and coaxed gramps into it. I then pushed the wheelchair through the heavy layer of snow to the motel entrance and we went in.

Gramps had peed his pants and you could smell the urine.

“What happened gramps, your pants are all wet,” I whispered.

“I told you I had to go. You know I have an enlarged prostate,” said gramps as he took of his fedora and brushed the snow from it.

“Are you the owner of this motel?” I asked the woman behind the counter as she appeared from behind the door.

“What if I am? Why do you want to know? She inquired skeptically.

Just curious...I want...

“Listen miss we need a room, do you have one or don't you have one,” snapped an impatient gramps.

The woman looked gramps up and down, and noticed the wetness on his pants. I observed a look of interest in the woman's face when she was looking at gramps. Maybe a look of tenderness on her face, or was it pity? The woman smiled at gramps and said: What is your name mister?

“Augie Fratello,” he replied guardedly.

“Hey, an Italian, my husband was Italian. I like Italian men...they are so confidant. Are you confidant Augie?” she said while batting her eyelashes.

“And what is your name mam?” I asked her.

“Emma Mancini,” she said while still flirting with my grandfather.

My name is Frankie Bass. Do you have a room for rent?” I asked

“Sure do. Just fill out this registration form and let me see your driver's license. And I'll give you the key to room number one. Room number one is right next door. It's a nice cozy room with twin beds and a microwave.”

Emma walked to the window and looked out. She saw my SUV with the hazard warning lights on up against a tree.

Emma turned from the window and asked: “What do you want to do with your car mister?”

“Do you know someone who could help us out?” I answered.

“Yea, I'll call Al's Auto Service and see if he can come over and tow the car back to his shop. There isn't any cell phone service here in these mountains; I'll use my land line. His shop is about ten miles from here in Phoenicia.

So Emma called Al's Auto Service and made arrangements for Al to tow my SUV to his repair shop. Emma's behavior towards me started out unfriendly, but when she saw gramps and found out that he was single her behavior changed.

“Yea, Emma, my wife passed on about ten years ago from a stroke, and I will never find another wife like her She was kind, considerate, obedient, and most of all she was a good cook. My Carole was one of a kind,” gramps said while his eyes became misty.

“Here is your key. I'll be right here if you need me Augie,” Emma said while still flirting with Augie.

*************************************

The next morning grandpa and I woke up at sunrise. It was a clear, sunny, beautiful day. The temperature was still cold but the wind was tranquil. I opened the door to our motel and saw a buck munching on some bushes across the field.

“Hey grandpa! Look at that buck across the field. Isn't he majestic?” I said enthusiastically.

“Shut that God damn door, you want me to catch pneumonia,” grandpa replied grumpily.

It was a Tuesday morning so all of the businesses should be open, bright and early.

“You hungry gramps?”

What do you think sonny boy?”

I called the motel's office and a young lady answered: “Plattskill Motel, Debbie speaking, how may I help you?”

“Is Emma available?” I asked.

“Wait a second, I will get her,” she replied.

Emma picked up the phone: “This is Emma, how may I help you?

“This is Frankie Bass from the room next door. Where can we get something to eat?

“Why don't you come to the office, I am making breakfast. I have a small kitchenette in the back. We can chat. Don't forget to bring Augie.”

OK we'll be over in fifteen minutes.

Grandpa and I took quick showers, shaved and put on some fresh duds. Twenty minutes later we were inside the motel's office. The bacon smelled delicious.

“Good morning Augie,” Emma said lovingly. “And how did you guys sleep?”

“What's so good about it? My hip is paining me,” countered grandpa.

I wanted to find out about my car, so I asked Emma if Al's was open yet.

“He should be. He gets to the repair shop at sunrise,” she said.

I called Al's and he answered: “Al's...how can I help you?”

“Good morning Al, this is Frankie Bass, the owner of the 2017 Green Toyota SUV. Damaged in the front,” I said.

“Oh you. You need a radiator. Fifteen hundred bucks,” he snapped back at me.

“Fifteen hundred dollars for a radiator? That's insane,” I cried.

Augie snatched the phone from me and said to Al: “Listen here, we are not some hillbillies you can take advantage of. We are from New York. A radiator in New York would only cost about four hundred dollars.”

“Hey bub, I have the only radiator for your car for fifty miles around. Do you want the radiator or not? I'm a busy man.”

Grandpa hung up the phone and fumed.

Just then Emma chimed in: “Augie, the folks around here are not friendly to strangers, especially city folk. Let me talk to Al and see what I can do to lower the price. OK?”

“What ever,” Grandpa replied.

Emma picked up the phone and called Al. She told him that Augie reminded her of her late husband Sal. Emma pleaded with Al. She told them that they were good folk and planning to come back again soon for vacation. She pleaded and pleaded and then she hung up the phone.

“Well, six hundred was the lowest he was going to go on the price. And that price didn't include the broken grill. He couldn't find the grill anywhere.” she said while reaching for grandpa's hand.

Grandpa snatched his hand away and looked at me through the corners of his eyes. Grandpa had a smile on his face.

“We'll pay it. Thank you so much Emma'” I said

Grandpa inched his hand closer to Emma's and Emma reached over on the counter and held grandpa's hand. Grandpa's eyes watered.

“I saw your ski's Frankie. There's a ski resort about twenty miles west on 25. Would you like to go? Maybe you would like to take my grand-daughter Debbie with you,” Emma said while still holding grandpa's hand.

“Would you like to go with me skiing?” I asked the lovely, fair haired Debbie, who was standing next to her grand-mother behind the counter.

“It would be my pleasure,” said Debbie smiling.

The End.

I