An Extra Hand

T.C. takes the boys back to Coffman Beach Resort at the end of a tow rope. Jack Floyd and Mitchell’s father are waiting on the dock. They’ve had plenty of time to imagine what might have happened. Dudley still has a few things to tell T.C. about the lake. The fathers have questions of their own. You may remember the boys’ return. This time, see it from the boat that brought them home. Enjoying Five Minutes in America? Upgrade to a paid subscription to hear the whole week of stories early and help me keep writing and producing a new story every weekday. Thanks for helping keep these stories coming. Today’s Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com.

T.C. hasn’t caught a fish. Around the next point, he finds two boys whose afternoon hasn’t gone according to plan either. Dudley and Mitchell have tried fishing. They’ve tried rowing. Now they’re mostly sitting. T.C. remembers the telephone call at the Minnow Bucket and the two men waiting on the resort dock. He brings his boat alongside and gets out a rope. An afternoon to himself has become something else. Enjoying Five Minutes in America? Upgrade to a paid subscription to hear the whole week of stories early and help me keep writing and producing a new story every weekday. Thanks for helping keep these stories coming. Today’s Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com.

At Bell’s Marina, T.C. leaves the truck behind and takes his boat out onto the Lake of the Ozarks. He doesn’t consider himself much of a fisherman. Catching something would be fine, but a quiet cove and a little time to think would suit him just as well. On his way past Coffman Beach Resort, he notices Jack Floyd and Mitchell’s father standing on the dock. He keeps going. But he remembers what he saw. Enjoying Five Minutes in America? Upgrade to a paid subscription to hear the whole week of stories early and help me keep writing and producing a new story every weekday. Thanks for helping keep these stories coming. Today’s Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com.

T.C. Redford has a boat waiting at Bell’s Marina and an afternoon he hopes to spend fishing—or at least doing something that looks like fishing. First comes a stop at the Minnow Bucket, where Vern Pruitt sells the supplies, Rusty knows the lake, and nobody charges extra for an opinion. Then the telephone rings. We’ve seen what happened when Mitchell and Dudley took a boat out. This week, come along with T.C. and discover how he became part of their afternoon. Enjoying Five Minutes in America? Upgrade to a paid subscription to hear the whole week of stories early and help me keep writing and producing a new story every weekday. Thanks for helping keep these stories coming. Today’s Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com.

T.C. has a wrench to return and three friends he wants Cecil Boone to meet. Blue has a haircut in mind and a throttle that gets the introductions started. You may remember this arrival from Mitchell and Dudley’s side of the street. This time, stand beside T.C. as a familiar afternoon unfolds. There’s a customer waiting, a doorway that needs clearing, and a barber holding scissors. Enjoying Five Minutes in America? Upgrade to a paid subscription to hear the whole week of stories early and help me keep writing and producing a new story every weekday. Thanks for helping keep these stories coming. Today’s Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com.