Rick has always told such great stories of the Scots and Canadians and his past and heritage, that I thought it time to pass on a story that brings tears to my eyes with every telling. My great-great grandfather came to America in the 1880's from a small village in the Mexico highlands. As a young lad, Pepe worked every odd job that could be found with a smile, a handshake and what would become his signature, "thank you." Pepe would send home several dollars each week to his parents and 5 siblings. At the turn of the century, a great friendship was forged between Pepe and his new boss, Royal Helzer, an immigrant from Romania. Royal had a construction company that did steel and concrete work in the great lakes area and forged a nation with the help of people like grandpa Pepe. The two men toiled for years together and when Royal could no longer do the daily grunt work, he moved to the office chair and delegated all the work through Pepe. Pepe worked for Helzer Structures for 50 years. It was 1949 and Pepe said he was done. Pepe said he wanted to spend the rest of his days with his family who had carved out a comfortable living in Lincoln, Nebraska. At Pepe's retirement party every employee, past and present came to bid farewell to Pepe, the man who had worked with everyone in attendance. Later in the evening while enjoying a cigar and a glass of whiskey, Royal put his massive arm around Pepe's shoulders and told him, "I couldn't have done all this without you." Pepe was speechless. Royal continued as the two strolled along the balcony, "Pepe, I've watched you for 50 years of hard work. I've seen the joy you brought to work each day. But, I've also noticed that each Friday you leave the construction site with a wheelbarrow. Look Pepe, I'm not mad, I'm curious, What were you taking out each Friday?" Pepe looked directly into Royals deep blue eyes and said, "wheelbarrows."Pepe went on to become a lawn and garden tycoon. His great grandson still works in the landscaping business today.
Somebody give me a tissue.
A truer story was never told. His heir (Vance) shared the wealth early on in our friendship.
ReplyDeleteI still have a half-dozen of these "Pepe-Barrows" as they came to be known. They're just cluttering up the place, though, the larger ones have worked well as beds for my children. I throw a blanket in the back, load the kids, and roll the whole mess of them into the garage for the evening to keep them safe from coyotes.