Winter of ’48. Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Snow was a part of everyday life.
Today’s story is from Lee Crist.
1936 Ford Coupe
My father, Charles Crist, was a fireman for the Pennsylvania Railroad. As a railroad employee, he was entitled to a “free pass” to anywhere on the ‘System.’ Over New Years, Mom and Dad decided to take the train to Baltimore to visit my older sister.
I had turned 16 the August before, and was a proud licensed driver. My family’s only form of transportation was a royal blue 1936 Ford Coupe with a rumble seat. Just before he left, my Dad instructed,
“If it snows, leave the car in the garage.”
Off they went. I had the car to myself. My buddies and I were going to have a blast.
The next morning, wouldn’t you know, I woke up to six inches of snow. There were very few snowplows in those days, so the roads stayed covered.
I had a decision to make…follow my father’s instructions or take a chance and hope I would never get caught. I picked up three of my buddies. One sat up front. Two in the rumble seat. We drove to the next town where the girls lived, slipping and sliding all the way.
Coming back later that day, the right front wheel suddenly slid off the road.
Lee Crist proud, licensed driver
We took out a mailbox and landed against a tree. We were shaken, not hurt. The car was another story. We’d hit the tree dead center. The bumper, grill, radiator, distributor, and water pump were toast!
What was I going to do? My dad would kill me, or worse. One of my buddies, Pody Waters, said he had a buddy who would tow us to his uncle’s welding shop. When Pody’s uncle saw that beat up car, he just shook his head.
I called my Uncle How’d and told him what happened. He said, “Whatever you do, you better get it done before your dad gets home. He’s NOT going to be happy.”
We toiled for two days with Pody’s uncle. We used a torch. It only got worse.
It was the eve of day two. We were still trying to put ‘Humpty Dumpty back together again’.
Suddenly, the old wooden garage door slowly opened and there stood Dad. (Uncle How’d had ratted on us!)
I was petrified. What would he do? A lickin’ was coming. I would be grounded for life.
Dad said not a word. He slowly walked around the car, stood still for a moment, looked up and paused. With a look of disappointment, he quietly said,
‘I told you to let the car in the garage if it snowed.’ He turned and walked out. My heart sunk. I had betrayed my dad’s trust.
To his dying day, my father never mentioned that car again. And to this day, I’ve never forgotten his silence or look of disappointment. It’s made a difference in how I’ve lived my life.
Lee Crist today
Lee is a retired sales executive, one heck of a golfer, and the best father-in-law a guy could ask for. He lives in Duncansville, Pennsylvania with his bride of 57 years, Barbara.