My first car

I started working for Mrs. B when I was twelve. I wanted a car for my own some day. I would work at Mrs. Bruelbeck's at The Causeway Garden Motel every week till I was sixteen. I was a saver, I had goals,a car. Life was good for me as a teen, for I had work. Everyday I would Go to school, and work to save for a car. Being at the Causeway Garden Motel was a adventure, my boss always had stuff for me to do.

Mrs. B as I called her, was a immigrant from Germany and so was her Husband. She taught me how to work. When I would show up , I would have too knock on the back door. I smelled wonderful German Food cooking in the kitchen. Mrs. B would call me Antonioso, I think that German for Tony.

I had too eat a bag of salt to get her trust. Mrs. B was always a nice lady, but if you did the job wrong she would make you do it again, and again. I was a slow learner, but she had patience, I learned many tasks from that job. Julie was her name and she did not like to shop, so I did it for her. The Butcher Boy was across the street and she would send me over to get Veal, she loved Veal. I would purchase the expensive Veal, and proudly walk across the street and give it too her like a dog returns a paper. Mrs. B would say, their is too much fat on this veal, take it back. Walking across the street I would ponder at how I thought the prime cut of beef looked OK for me. I would have too argue with the Butcher Man who was insulted, by the stipulation he can't cut meat. I would return the meat to Mrs. B and she would tell me next time look at the meat before you bring it back.

The Causeway Garden was a Motel, I would mow the lawn, take trash out and all kinds of simple tasks. One day she let me into her house, the basement. I had to clean her basement. Their was all kinds of supplies,and wine. Oh my, I never seen a wine cellar. I would move boxes of wine from one end and sweep and wipe everything down. Mrs. B would go check on my work , and make me do it overt again, and again. I never had a boss, so I thought this was normal.

After I cleaned her basement, she would get me a sandwich from the Brownstone restaurant, they owned it. Mr B would get me coke Money from his pocket and I would feast on a wonderful baked German sandwich with a big pickle.I learned to do laundry and fold towels, and stock shelf's in the Motel lobby. Mr. B was a really nice man who would call me over without his wife seeing and tip me ten to twenty dollars in coins because his wife was so thrifty. I saw the game they played, it was wonderful.

The Motel was simple but it was always full, I think for many reasons. Mrs B always had a clean room, and she treated people as they were family. The office was attached to the Motel and the phone was always ringing, and thier was always something going on at the Motel. Mr. and Mrs. B were wonderful people. The day I quit to work for Mc Donalds was a sad day and a good day. The job at Mc Donalds payed twice as much, and I was gettting older. She taught me how to work and deal with different people.

The reason I wrote this was I saved for four years from working at the Motel, scrubbjng hair from the walls from her Beauty Shop, folding laundry, and returning many things back to the store she did not like. The day I drove too Fruitport and saw that Blue 1978 Datsun 210 Station wagon, it was all worth it. I understood hard work will get you things.

I paid my $1500 cash and drove my first car home. The car was a four speed and good on gas. I never was pulled over because I could never get to zero to fifty til eleven seconds. The four door wagon kept me out of trouble. The police were never going too pull over the family wagon. It also kept me from getting girls. I think that is a good thing now. A girl woud see my polished station wagon and never answer the phone when I called.

I folded many a towel, and took out a Ton of trash. I also ate a bag a salt one tablespoon at a time too get the trust of Mrs B. When I see this picture with my first car, the the journey too pay for it, is the best memory.