Take off your hat, I want to stand up.

Chapter 29: The Spudman.

Chapter 29: Spud.

There was Spud.

Ev said she was far too young to be a widow at 47. She decided she would go looking for a man. She found Spud. We all liked Spud. They started to date, like pubescent teenagers.

Spud, was either bullied as a child growing up, or he was the bully. In Spud's nature there were no half measures. He was larger than life to me.

Spud was a carney guy. He was a big, bold, brash barker, a shouting salesman. He wanted to be noticed all of the time. He carried himself as if he was going to be murdered or arrested at any point in time. When you talked to him he was always checking the crowd around you or in the distance behind your back. He never seemed to stand still or plant himself in one spot for any length of time. He thought it was best to keep moving, shuffle the feet move from on foot to the next, balance then turn on the balls of his feet. Now that I think about the person he was simply looking for the next sale, peering into the crowd to see who would buy his product. He was the carney guy.

Spud sold everything that was bad for you. Although, people craved their dedicated delights, he sold freshly roasted, salted peanuts from Minnesota, the world's finest. No doubt they were excellent, after one you looked into the bag to find only crumbs. With a wet finger we would attract the last few salty bits like a magnet. A brief look around the arena you could see a host of adults sucking on a finger or two.

The ball games, such as regular Riders football, Regina Red Sox, the Regina Pats, and especially the once a year events like the Regina Exhibition, circus or down fairs would see Spud crawling through the crowd. Up and down the aisles. Tossing bags of peanuts out into space, to be snatched by the buyer, the money handed down the aisle. Spud pushing on looking into the distance calling out, fresh salted Minnesota's finest peanut, peanuts here, yes sir, how many? He was the best by far. He went to every game and did not have a clue about who was playing or what the score happened to be, he worked the crowd.

I can vividly remember him searching the aisles in the old Regina hockey rink while we were watching the Golden Jet, Fran Huck and the Regina Pats play their dreaded rival, Saskatoon Blades. Spud took two steps in the aisle, he spotted my dad. I was sitting on the corner seat, I wanted to hail him down to buy some of his peanuts. Even though I would need a cool, thirst quenching drink afterwards. I pushed my need for a drink away and focused on Spud.

He twisted this way and that, hailing into the faceless fan pool. All the fans eyes craned on the hockey action in the intense second half of the second period. Huck was a crowd pleaser and possessed unparalleled talent. Often he would gather the puck from Ernie Hickie slide behind the net minder, pump hard on his blades, once over his blue line he hit another gear. He blew by the power forwards, faked around the outside, went inside, balanced on one foot and picked the top shelf, goal. The crowd loved the team, they loved Franny, he was a Regina Pat. He was Mr. Hockey in our town. Spud was in tune to the crowd, he assumed it was a goal for our side. Onward he pressed, peanuts, get your peanuts here.

We stopped cheering , Spud shouted louder. This time he asked out loud, " is there a druggist in the crowd?" He continued, we have an emergency drug issue, people are in need of drugs. Once more, this time with more passion, is there a graduate druggist in the house?

My dad, the druggist slunked and slide into his seat trying to bury himself away from any form of Spuds antics. Spud was smiling like Tom Sawyer. The mischievous imp, who discovered a big, fat, round worm in the teacher's lunch pale. He tossed me my desired bag of Minnesota's salty peanuts. There is no doubt they are the best peanuts in the world. The bag landed in my lap, I paid him, he shoulder slapped my dad and moved on, peanuts, get your peanuts here.

The same Spud, who Ev choose to partner with shortly after our dad's untimely death. The very same Spud who was a great kisser. They would sit for hours in the alley behind the house necking. There would be clouds steaming up the cab windows until the dew left wet droplets wandering down the inside of the truck window.

Later on in life, he was an older gentleman with a degenerative brain disorder. He looked vacantly off in the distance, the last time I saw him. It was as if he were trying to spot a customer in the crowd. He had late stages of a brain disease. He held no facial recognition for those around him, Ev passed on by, hello Spud. No reply.

When mom related this story to me I thought this was an amazing life circle event. I walked down to visit Spud. I knew he was no longer there. Someone else had borrowed his likeness. Spud must be living else where. I recalled another good Spud story as I left, like Spud it was one of a kind.

At one point in time, Spud invited Ev to marry him. It was a valid proposal. She thought about the situation and as per usual responded in an emotional Evelyn like manner. There was a school girl twinkle in her eye as she asked me, what she should do? In my whole life I have given my mom the best, well reasoned, logic based, advice. She on the other hand would do an Ev decision. The Ev, action would be in no way predictable. Certainly not logically considered, she lived her life and made her life choices in the same way she bet on the ponies. My mom would let her gut decide.

She said no. When asked why. The answer made sense, totally it was the correct choice. You see the likeable, carnival barker with the long face and the humble heart, Spud, looked like her father, or daddy as she called him. Spud reminded her of Grandpa Blair.

The only exception, Grandad always wore a hat, Spud did not. Grandad was a bald man. Spud had a wavy full head of hair. They both wore suspenders to keep their trousers up over an ever expanding tummy. Grandpa, always wore a tie, even at home. Spud fancied a cowboy tie with a silver medal face featuring an eagle figure in full flight.

Grandad was so similar to Spud they certainly possessed some of the same qualities, I did not know him that well, but since Ev liked him, to compare him to Grandpa Blair was an honour.according to Ev he was not someone you could marry, good call. They remained friends for many years