Farewell From the Freedom Cruisers...

Our dear friends, the Freedom Cruisers Riding Club Chapter 20, (FCRC) threw us a lovely farewell party at Logans Steakhouse. We were presented with an incredible collage of memorabilia, framed and ready to hang in our new office. It was a stunning momento and I could begin to feel panicky inside...the precursor to the deluge? Each member hugged us and had such kind words of encouragement, I was nearly losing it until my hero, "Loudy" showed up and wrapped me into her bear-like hug, popping my eyes and squeezing me 'til I squeaked. Then she shoved me back to give me the dead-on gaze of hers (and she has beautiful eyes that take you prisoner) and told me how happy she was for us, and how we would always be family. I felt the hurt rising inside of me and I said, "Please, dont make me cry." Turning on a dime, she had me busting out laughing in ten seconds. I wish someone could harness all the talent in that woman. She'd be a bobillionaire. I will miss every fiber in her, and her sister, "Scissors" who made the collage for us.

Then came the roasting, and lemme tell ya, they were merciless. "Crew-Cut" had the group laughing about how we'd all met long ago on Harsen's Island. Hub and I had just purchased our bikes and had ridden out to the Island , stopping to admire the bay. While we were standing there, a group of leather-clad bikers rode up and stopped behind us. Hub figured we were about to be jumped, but I put on my best Howdy-Doody smile and went to greet them. Soon we were all yapping and Hub and I were invited to join the group. Afterward, they were trying to assist us in finding our way back to the ferry, but being unfamiliar with standard hand-signals for riding in groups, Hub and I turned off, when all they were doing was pointing to a road hazard to the right. We didnt know if we had been ditched or ? so we stopped for ice cream and found our own way back to the ferry. That same week, I showed up alone at the meet-n-greet dinner and was treated like I was already family. That was nearly three years ago and we have enjoyed the best family that friends can possibly conjure. Crew-Cut then announced that I am forming my own chapter of the FCRC, which is the Bentonville Arkansas chapter 52, and I am the new president, which drew a round of applause as I took a deep bow. Of course along with the good, comes the bad and I had to give up my officers position with Chapter 20. I congratulated the new Safety Officer, Roosky Bear, and said I would call him during the week to get him up to speed. Roosky Bear smiled, in his quiet, warm way and said he looked forward to it. He was the very last to leave.

Then the roasting began, full force. Comments were made on how we were going to the land where family trees are actually wreaths, where the difference between rednecks and hillbillies are two: Rednecks wear shoes and are rednecks by choice. Poor Hillbillies. That soon we would be saying, "y'all" and "purteneer" (pretty near), and having to make judgment calls that pertain to "If I divorce my wife, is she still my sister?" It was almost non-stop. I couldnt sit down. I knew to order small, so my dinner consisted of a side-salad and sweet potato, and of course, Newcastle Brown Ale. I choked down about half of the food and gave up. It was hard to stand and eat, and I found sitting unbearable. So I wandered about, beer in hand, hugging and slapping leather vests, laughing, joking and taking a good ribbing. I sat for a few moments with "'Bacco", one of the younger members of the group with whom I'd formed a closer friendship. He had no mush, no well-wishes, no questions. He lisped with his pierced tongue, about every day things while his big gray eyes took a walk all over my face. My throat began to hurt and I knew if I sat much longer with him, I'd be face-planting into his smoky teeshirt, balling my eyes out and begging for mercy. Loudy, assessing the situation, redirected me away from 'Bacco and soon had me wheezing with laughter again. Lawd I am gonna miss these folks. Crusty, surviving renal cancer and a bike crash last year, Cardy and Li'l Bit with their new babies, and big ol' Cookie, who sent me a hug via his mom, Back-Talk, the prettiest and sweetest woman in the group.

We'd brought Jimmy Henry with us, and as we got back home, Jimmy came in the house. He plopped down on the sofa and I knew I had to boot his butt outta here. "Jimmy, I said, "you have to go. Its 9:45 and I want to go to bed." He slowly made his way to the door, taking way too much time with his coat and effects. I told Hub to lock the front door, as Jimmy always tried to come back in. I was here at the puter and Hub was reading a newspaper when the doorbell rang. Jimmy said, "Sorry I have to go to the bathroom!" darting past us and slamming the bathroom door. Hub and I exchanged glances. 20 minutes later he re-emerged, and said goodbye. Hub re-latched the deadbolt. Thirty seconds later the doorbell rang again. I rolled my eyes as Hub got up again to see what Jimmy wanted. He poked his head in the door and said, "Be careful, its starting to freeze-up out here," (as if we were planning on going out again) then he was gone. Or so we thought. "Hub, lock that door!" About 5 minutes later, Jimmy returned for the gloves that he'd left behind, pausing to engage us in conversation for another ten minutes. I had to practically push him out the front door again. I was losing patience with Jimmy. I hadnt shut the foyer door yet when the front door popped open again and Jimmy said, "Dont forget to lock your door." My demons were stirring and this time I shoved it closed with a resounding slam and loudly set the deadbolt. I am sure all the neighbors heard it echo. I returned to the puter and saw Jimmy's sunglasses, obviously sending out homing beeps to him, laying on the table.

It was after 11 pm before we were fairly sure Jimmy wasnt coming back...