Take off your hat, I want to stand up.

Chapter 27: Rex

Chapter 27 Rex.

Rex, really?

Our father passed away in June of ' 75. This left our mother, Ev as the President of her own company. My dad had accumulated several rental properties. Grandad Blair always said, land did not go out of fashion.

That is how she had some low cost houses to rent. Usually we rented to people who needed good, reasonable value, for the money accommodation. It was my job in the mix to renovate, paint and spruce up the properties when one renter moved and a new tenant took possession.

The places were normally small, two bedroom, one bathroom. The properties were in good locations, close to bus stops and corner shops. Our renters were sometimes down on their luck and needed a break. Rex, was one of our tenants. He had been in prison. He was an alcohol dependent person. Normally he would have half a jag on at any given time of the day, time had no meaning.

He wore shoulder strapped t-shirts, white in places, half tucked into a pair of tightly belted pants. His face peered out from behind a scattering of pale white whiskers. When he banished a smile a tooth gap or two pronounced he did not mind getting into a quick dust up with anyone so foolish as to cross him. He did not feel people should bother him, he carried himself like a wrecker yard Shepard. He prowled when he walked. Scowled when he thought. He was just plain one of those disagreeable people. People who believed everyone else was at fault. He thought everyone else was to blame for their low status in life.

They are too close to themselves to witness, they are the issue, they are the problem. We come across this personality type all the time. People who rush in to take the credit without the work effort. People who judge others. People of shallow means rest here in the glory of self justification and condensation toward others. They would pass the buck, take no responsibility, but hunger for the quick glory or easy money. Rex walked in these shoes, he would swat anyone who bothered him and his correct thinking sensibilities.

Ev was the landlord, now that our father had passed. Rex was behind on rent. Jackie the rents are over due on the Pasqua street house. Phone him, I said. She did. Rex, she talked in a direct manner, I need you to pay me the rent.

Rex said, there are too many things wrong with this house, I ain't paying you nothing.

Ev calmly said to Rex, I am coming to pick up the rent you best have it ready. In fact I am leaving right now.

When you get here, I have a shotgun and I know how to use it, you better not come. Rex squared off at the direct opposite end of common sense. Things looked bleak.

This was a challenge to my mom. Jackie get in the car. We are going now to get the rent because if we do not he is going to drink it all by tomorrow. We drove the ten minutes to the property on Pasqua Street. It was two doors down from the land location where I was born and learned to ride my pedal bike. We did not stop right away we only slowed to have a look see. She thought she saw some movement in the window, he was home.

Wait in the car she directed. Good I will stand guard, should I keep the motor running I asked? No, she said I will be no more than five minutes. I was truly worried about Ev, so I said, when you knock stand to the side a bit, he may be locked and loaded, you never know.

Twenty minutes came and went, thirty minutes slid by, I heard no shots, perhaps I should go and see what was what. I opened the Caddie's curb-side door and as quiet as I could be, shut it after myself. While I was crossing the intersection the familiar neighbourhood brought a level of tranquil peace to mind, my breathing picked up its pace when the latch on the spring gate squeaked open. I closed the gate behind as proper courtesy and stepped to the back porch.

Before I knocked on the weathered blue faced backdoor I held my breath to listen. The wind carried a rustle, the street widened with traffic, but not a sound could be heard behind the door. I wrapped tenderly, waited, then hit it again. Rex appeared out of the silence. He scared me. I did not expect to see him. I really thought Ev would answer.

Rex, smiled, his wet tongue could be seen in his upper bicuspid space. Jackie, he said, come in, come in, your ma and me are just catching up on old times. Unbelievable, Ev was sitting at the table holding a plastic cup of rum and coke, Rex spotted back to his spot and slurped the heavenly brew back down his throat.

Well we should be going, I did not mean to over stay my welcome she said. No, no, no, you are always welcome Ev, always, Rex exhorted. We rose to leave, Ev curled up the rent money, all in small bills, folded the cash into her bra strap.

Thanks for the rum Ev, Rex shyly responded, I was feeling poorly before, now I am getting more of a level stand with your gift of a bottle rum under my belt. See you again. We left, he closed the door and inspected the remaining level in the bottle, he grinned one last time.

We walked back to the car. Let's go to the A&W, I could use a momma burger with sliced raw onions and a root beer float, she smiled, as she patted her money stash. Daddy would be proud of me she nodded. You have sand lady, I sure would not have gone into the house to face Rex, no way.

She said, he just needed somebody to listen to his life situation. I have nothing but time, she added as she put the gear shift into drive.