Ahhhhh…… A visitor from the East….. The East….the landofmystery and intrigue. The land from whence inscrutable characters move about shrouded in mystery…. and conspiracies abound…. Who was this man who was about to emerge from the shadows of the desert and descend on my peaceful townhouse…..Darrah Tower….in Topeka, Kansas.

Never fear….. My visitor was Sultan. He came to spend yet another summer with me….and to bring some sunshine, happiness and excitement into my life….and also to impose his unique quality of mayhem, pandemonium and chaos on my otherwise predictable, orderly, well-oiled routine….. There is never a dull moment when Sultan is present.

It was an event that I had anticipated and planned on for almost a year…. And, I hope the same was true of him. Having Sultan here is always a good thing.

The only dark spot about this year’s visit was that he was able to stay for only six weeks. He had to return to Saudi Arabia for a summer class. But, six weeks is better than no weeks.

His visit got off to a shaky start…..

I had known for a couple weeks that he would be arriving on May 1…..that was a Wednesday…..around 7:00 in the evening. That, actually, was an ideal time. My afternoon schedule….such as it was….would not be seriously interrupted. There was still an abundance of daylight left, so that meant that I would not have to drive at night. Rush hour traffic would largely be winding down. And, even then, a vast majority of the traffic would be outbound traffic…in the other lanes, going in the opposite direction. And, Sultan could easily handle the trip back home. In fact, I didn’t even plan to stop at Subway for a sandwich, as we usually do. We would have plenty of time to go somewhere in Topeka after we got home.

All was going well. I arrived at Kansas City International Airport around 6:30….even found a parking space on the front row next to the crosswalk. I was feeling lucky. I walked across the street to the airline terminal. Yeah… His flight was on time. Things really were going well. OK…. A stop at the restroom….and then just sit down and wait for a few minutes….. Greet Sultan….. And head back to the townhouse…. Darrah Tower….as it now called. Sultan would be part of my family again….and we could take up again where we left off last year.

Well….maybe not quite. When he left last year, we were bogged down with the task of moving…..buried under an avalanche of stuff, all of which had to be transferred from the old house in Ozawkie. We were doing the job….but things were not going well. I had already spent weeks sorting out everything from kitchen pans to old, out-grown clothing, from books to tools…. I had already thrown away more unwanted stuff than most people even own. Stuff that had been collecting in the house, in the garage, in the storage shed, and the yard for almost fifty years

I had not even made a good size dent. But, we soldiered on. We got the moving process underway. We were not helped by the fact that I had (unknowingly) hired an inept, unprofessional, highly unqualified moving company to take on the task of moving the stuff to Topeka (See previous blog). Although the process was far from complete, we had largely conquered the situation before Sultan had to leave go return to Saudi Arabia…..a good month and a half before he originally planned to leave….

Nevertheless….. I was preparing to sit down for a few minutes to wait for Sultan’s flight to arrive when I got a message on my cell phone. I was expecting a cheery message something to the effect, “I am about to land…. See you in a few minutes….”

Unfortunately, the content of the text couldn’t have been more different. Believe me….. I had to sit down…. Not to wait for a few minutes…..but to wait for about Five and a Half Hours! Sultan had missed his fight in Chicago….and the next flight….the flight he would be on….would not be arriving until almost midnight!

To say that I was shocked…..to say that I was discouraged…..to say that I was feeling completely defeated…. Those probably do not even begin to describe the news…. I had brought nothing to read. All of the news stands and vendors were closed…. I did not have a charger for my cell phone….. Terminal C cleared out quickly after the 7:00 flight arrived…. The ticket windows were even closed…. All the security people seem to disappear… Terminal C was a silent, eerie, spooky place, seemingly devoid of humanity.

Let me tell you: Five and a half hours is a LONG time….and even longer if you have nothing to do….nowhere to go….nobody to talk to…..nothing to look it…..AND, it was approaching the middle of the night! And, don’t tell me that I could have slept. Have you ever been to an airport? Did you ever fall asleep easily and for a long period of time? Did you ever make the remark, “Man, these seats are so comfortable that I wish I had some at home to sleep in.” If you did…. You need to seek some sort of professional help immediately.

Needless to say, the time eventually passed. Five and a half hours seemed more like fifteen and a half hours…. I wanted to take a picture of Sultan as he came out the door into the waiting area. But, due to some misinformation by one of the glorified airline security people, I was directed to the wrong gate where I stood and waited. I began to wonder if he had also missed that flight…. After I was about to give up….Here he came, walking down the concourse, smiling, but muttering something like, “Where have you been? Why weren’t you there to meet me?”

Sultan was sleep deprived, too…..and after a more than normal harrowing drive back to the townhouse, Sultan had finally arrived to spend six weeks.

With little or no fanfare, we were off and running…..almost like he had never left. Thursday was devoted largely to taking care of little details…. Things like reactivating his bank account….like creating a Cricket account for his cell phone. (Oh, Wow! We certainly would not want to be stranded with no cell phone…would we?) Sultan is a big boy now, so I waited in the car while he took care of his business. In past years, I would have accompanied him….just to make sure that everything was progressing properly. Now, his English is fluent….and his knowledge of what he wants is developed…..so I opted to simply stay in the car and wait for him…..with the sun bearing down, and the inside of the car starting to heat up to a roasting temperature. After some abnormally prolonged waits….and after wondering if I should go rescue him….he always returned. And, he always accomplished his mission. And, I had always lost a few pounds, due to excessive sweating.

Fortunately, several entertainment options were available in the first couple weeks after Sultan’s arrival. These events helped ease us back into a familiar and comfortable routine for the remainder of his visit.

The first of these events was the First Friday Art Walk, a monthly event hosted by the art community and the merchants of North Topeka. This event had been on my list of things to do, for ….. Well, as long as it had been in existence…..the past several years. And, for those past several years, there was always some reason….and probably a good reason….why I had never attended. First and foremost, it is held on a Friday night….and I no longer drive at night. At other times, we never had the time, or we felt that we could not take the time, to attend. Sometimes…and this happened more often than I like to admit….we simply forgot about it. On the infrequent occasions when Fayez would come to visit, either he arrived too late for us to attend…..or he was not interested in the event.

Luck was with us this year. We made a special point of attending the North Topeka (NOTO) First Friday Art Walk. And…..sorry to say….. It was really nothing special. I am not sure what I was expecting after all the years of hearing it hyped on TV and in the newspaper. I am not going to discredit it in any way….. There were a lot of people there….enjoying themselves; there were several original art exhibits on display; there were local artists working on their projects and demonstrating various art techniques; there were cafes serving food……and a beer garden, which was doing a thriving business. All in all, a festive mood prevailed as the people milled up and down the two or thee blocks of the NOTO district….and the people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I wish I could describe to you some of the notable highlights….but, unfortunately, none stand out in my memory. There seemed to be a preponderance of pottery and ceramics…..and not much emphasis on painting or abstract art. The only time we stopped to linger for any length of time was to watch a young black man spray layers of paint on what appeared to be a sheet of plywood…..and then somehow scrape off the paint to reveal some rather stunning cityscapes. But…. That was much too involved an operation for me…..and, even working outside, he wore a protective mask to keep from inhaling the paint fumes…..and presumably the paint, too.

The evening was far from wasted, however. It is encouraging to see that the city of Topeka…..at least, the art community of Topeka….is actively promoting the arts. And it is equally reassuring that the citizens of Topeka seemed to be actively and enthusiastically supporting their efforts.

Sultan and I both like good art. We enjoying looking at it, and any time we have an opportunity, this is high on our agenda. In most cases we are not disappointed. There are exceptions, of course. Our visit to the Mulvane Art Gallery on the campus of Washburn University may have been one of those unfortunate occasions. I have lived in this area for fifty years, and over the years I have dropped by the Mulvane Art Gallery to check out their exhibits. By and large, my memories are good. I have seen some really good exhibits.

It has been several years since the last time I stopped at the gallery….maybe even a couple decades. Nevertheless, I was eager to show the gallery to Sultan. I remembered the gallery as being small….no more than two rooms….but with interesting and pleasing displays of pictures….with the emphasis being on local and regional artists, which is certainly OK with me. There are some very creative and talented artists who live in Topeka and the surrounding area….and hopefully, one day I will be one of them! On the afternoon we chose to go, the “pickin’s were rather slim”, as they say. First of all…. The gallery was far from being as large as I remembered it. Of course, that is no doubt due to my advanced age (some people would say) and my rather cloudy and fading memory. The entire exhibit

consisted of some illustrations for a couple or three books….none of which I had heard of….let alone had read. There is no doubt that the illustrations were authentic….and probably held a lot more meaning to the people who may have actually read the books. The young lady who explained the exhibit to us seemed appropriately enthusiast….but somehow her enthusiasm did not rub off on us. On the bright side, however….. The Mulvane Art Gallery is free…. It didn’t cost us anything. So… in that regard, I guess we got our money’s worth.

All was not lost, though. We encountered a little more success and satisfaction at a couple summer art fairs….if only marginally. However, with a lot of time on our hands….and very little to lose….the time was more or less well spent.

Shortly after Sultan arrived… In fact, the first Sunday…. we attended “Art in the Park” in Lawrence…..but not before we ate lunch at the Aladdin Restaurant, our favorite eating place in Lawrence. Aladdin Restaurant is a Lebanese restaurant on Massachusetts Avenue, which serves an all-you-can-eat buffet style lunch on Sunday. Fayez and I first discovered this place shortly after he first arrived in 2012. Actually, we were looking for a place for Fayez to smoke hookah, so its discovery was quite accidental. Chances are we would have found it eventually as both Fayez, and later Sultan, searched for Arab restaurants in Lawrence. But, luckily, due to Fayez’s unsavory desire for hookah, we found it sooner than later. Whatever…. Aladdin has been a regular eating place since we discovered it… It is certainly worth considering, if you like tasty, exotic Middle Eastern food.

Following lunch, we walked a block to a city park where “Art in the Park” was being displayed. Since this was Lawrence….which we like to think is the center of culture in the state of Kansas….the park was packed with visitors….people milling around, looking at the displays….talking to friends (in the middle of the sidewalk, of course)…..walking their dogs….jogging (showing off, basically)…. A few people may have even bought something along the way.

The Lawrence “Art in the Park” was somewhat extensive in that it covered a large part of the park. There were rows of arts and crafts booths…..with the emphasis on the “crafts”. As you can see maybe see in the pictures, ceramics is a big deal….along with photography. Jewelry making was also well represented….along with some types of decorative wood work. I would have enjoyed the art fair much more if there had been more paintings displayed…..and specifically, some abstract art. Well…. This is the Midwest….Kansas, to be specific…..and maybe this was too much to ask. I cannot prove it….but somehow I doubt if people who vote for Trump have a lot of cultural interest in such things as abstract paintings…..even though Lawrence is probably one of the most liberal towns in the state.

The general impression that Sultan and I gained was that this was more of a social event….an entertainment pasttime…..than it was a cultural event. Somewhere to go….something to do….on a Sunday afternoon. But…. Who are we to complain! That is exactly what we were doing….although we did not have any dogs.

The Mulvane Art Fair, held on the lawn at Washburn University a couple weeks later, was somewhat smaller in scope and area….even though the intent and the content were much the same as in Lawrence. One thing stood out immediately….to me at least. People were actually looking at the displays….as opposed to strolling, visiting, dog walking and jogging. They seemed to be more active in interacting with the vendors….asking questions, making comments, paying complements…. The environment seemed more relaxed…informal….friendlier. More like a “Fair” should be.

Working in its favor, too, was a wonderful display of stained glass. I don’t know if this was merely the vendor’s hobby….or if it was a vocation. Either way, the artist excelled in the task of creating some unique, well-crafted and awesome stained glass. If this is a full time job….I hope the artist is making a fortune selling the outstanding works of art. Creating stained glass is an art form that requires great skill, creativity, imagination….and patience. Just for the fun of it…. Compare two works of stained glass….and see if you can tell you made them: Me or the stained glass artist. (Not that I am not a stained glass artist, of course.)

One more thing that the Mulvane Art Fair had going for it was live music performance. Sultan and I took time out to sit and listen to a rhythm and blues performance….or maybe it was jazz. It was one of those. The two genres sort of overlap sometimes….especially to those like Sultan and me who really didn’t care. We just wanted an opportunity to sit and rest for a few minutes.

This was the second time that Sultan and I have gone to the Mulvane Art Fair. The first time we were there, we saw Laura Kelly. I nudged Sultan and said, “She is running for governor…..and I am going to vote for her.” This year…. Guess what?” We saw her again. This time, I was happy to say, “Hey, look. There’s Laura Kelly. She’s our governor.” It is good to know that our governor supports the arts. And, it is good to know that we have a governor who actually knows there is such a thing as “Art”.

Perhaps the main thing I gained from our visits to the art exhibitions this year was the desire….actually the determination….to take a couple classes in ceramics or pottery. Who knows? Maybe I will like it. Maybe I will be good at it. Or…. Maybe I won’t like it. Maybe I will find I have no talent or aptitude for it at all. There is only one way to find out: Just do it! My last….and only….attempt at making pottery ended rather abruptly. Several years ago, I made a futile attempt to learn. About halfway through the session of struggling to make a little pot or cup or bowl…. I would have been happy if it had turned out to be either of those….my instructor said, “You a big K.U. fan, aren’t you? Why don’t you just make the letters ‘K..and U…’ and let it go at that.” That is what I did….and I am still the proud owner of a ceramic “KU” which sits in a place of honor here in my townhouse.

Please don’t think that Sultan and I spent the entire six weeks roaming around from art fair to art fair…trying to reinforce our already rather extensive store of culture. (We had two more such experiences…..but I will get to them later…..) No, we were involved in a rather varied web of activities and conspiracies.

One rainy morning we decided to take off for Kansas City….. Our general goal was to visit the Harry S. Truman Museum in Independence, Missouri. Of course, Sultan had no idea who Harry Truman was. Don’t hold that against him! After all, he is from Saudi Arabia. With all the general ignorance that prevails in the USA today, I can imagine that 90% of our citizens also have no idea who he was! Even the ones who have lived here all their lives. At least, Sultan was interested….and he was willing to learn who he was.

For those of you who fit the description above: Harry Truman was the 33^rd President of the USA. He was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice president. When FDR died in April in 1945, Truman became president and served until 1953. Truman had been kept almost totally in the dark concerning most of the important details of World War II (which was being fought at the time) as well as most other important events that were taking place at the time.

Harry Truman, who was much vilified by Republicans….partly because of his Midwest origin….and partly because he was scrupulously honest and played things straight….later became to be regarded as one of the better presidents our nation has had. For example, he knew nothing about the development of the atomic bomb, which, in itself would be shocking and scandalous today. (Although today the military would probably try to keep such a secret from our president….and the vice president!) He was a remarkable student and learned quickly. He elected to drop two atomic bombs on Japan….one at Nagasaki and one at Hiroshima. Although there was a terrific loss of Japanese lives, the war soon came to an abrupt end.

Truman can also be credited with successfully rebuilding Europe and its economic system through the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which included the fantastically successful Berlin Air Lift…..not to mention the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The museum has an impressive collection of artifacts and memorabilia from from his personal life, his political life and from the World War II Era….and concludes with his years in the White House….and also included displays dealing with his family life. The excursion through the museum is well planned….and moves smoothly through the various phases of Truman’s life in a logical chronological order.

For those of us who lived through the “Truman Era” and observed the constant vilification directed against him by the Republican Party, it is gratifying to know that it was his policies and his leadership that not only saved the continent of Europe and enabled them to become strong democratic nations….but that he also presided over the successful domestic transition from a war time economy to that of a healthy peace time economy.

Even though he was completely unaware of who Harry Truman was prior to this visit, Sultan left the museum impressed with not only Truman’s remarkable life and achievements…..but also with the museum and the story it tells. I am not certain, however….and I didn’t ask him…..how he felt about the fact that President Truman presided over the establishment of Israel as a permanent Jewish nation.

I think Sultan and I were the last two individuals to leave the museum that afternoon….our visit being terminated by an announcement that it was closing time.

Before we made our rather forced exit, we walked out into a large courtyard to look at the President’s grave, where he is buried along side his wife, Bess Truman. They were married in 1919, and they remained happily married until Truman died in 1972. Nearby, their daughter, Margaret Truman Daniels, is also buried.

One of the first projects we undertook after Sultan’s arrival was the construction of a large bookcase to replace two smaller, mismatched book cases. Aside from the chairs and the TV, almost everything in my house is pretty much home made….or purchased for a very few dollars at the ReStore….operated by Habitat for Humanity. The ReStore was the origin of the two mismatched book cases we wanted to replace. Not only were they mismatched….but they were different sizes….and sitting on top of each other. I had endured them for a year. After all, they were better than nothing at all.

The weekend after Sultan arrived, we wasted no getting started. Being a self-styled efficiency expert, I determined that they best way to proceed would be to have all the lumber pre-cut. Sure, it was going to cost a couple dollars more, but knowing our skill level when it came to cutting things…. Well, spending those few dollars were well worth it. So…..accordingly, I called Sutherlands on a Friday morning to order the lumber. It was not the simple task that I had envisioned. Somehow I was under the silly illusion that since this was their job….what they deal with every day, day in and day out….it would be quick, routine phone call. Wrong! I had a heck of a time ordering the lumber. Whomever I was talking to… Well, she acted like it was the first time she had ever taken an order for lumber….and maybe it was her first time. After several minutes…lots of repeating….lots of explaining….I finally thought that she and I were on the same page….and the order had been duly placed.

After we had eaten lunch with our friend, Sam, we proceeded to drive to Sutherlands to pick up the pre-cut lumber. Sam had generously offered to haul the lumber to our townhouse in the back of his pickup. Expectantly…and innocently….I approached the customer service desk and announced that I was there to pick up the lumber.

The woman acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. She picked up her telephone…..and from what I could gather, there was a sort of chain reaction…. “Do you know anything about an order for someone named Darrah?….. For the next 5 or 10 minutes, this phrase seemed to reverberate throughout the store…..much like dominoes falling in succession. In the end, it seems that nobody had cut the lumber….the blame being passed from one poor employee to the next.

“OK…. What shall I do?” I asked, already becoming discouraged and annoyed.

“Go down to the lumber department and ask for somebody to cut it,” I was advised. I am not sure why they asked ME to do it. I had already given them the order….and the order had not changed.

I approached the counter in the lumber department and asked the woman behind the counter if she could find somebody to cut the lumber I had ordered. She seemed totally disinterested and continued with whatever it was she was doing. “I don’t have time right now. Ask the girl at the checkout.”

“Whhhaaaatttt?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This is why they are in business. To sell lumber! I thought back to the days I worked at Dillons….or in Yellowstone….or in Big Bend…. If I had said that to a customer, I would have been fired on the spot. I would have been unceremoniously booted out the door.

So…. We asked the checker if she could help us… “I’ve never done that before….”

Sultan and I looked at each other… “Come on. Let’s go to Home Depot.”

Sutherlands is FOURTH in Topeka…. Behind Menards, Lowes and Home Depot. Maybe there is a reason for that!

So…. We headed back across town to Home Depot.

The next day, a Saturday, we began construction on the book case. I have built in excess of twenty five book cases in my life time…. No problem. I know how to build a bookcase. The problem: I am getting a little older now, and I am reluctant to be handling such things as electric saws. Plus the fact, for some reason, I am not as strong as I once was….let’s say, thirty years ago. Like I say, though: I will furnish the brains….. Sultan can furnish the brawn. It is a good combination.

The lumber was already cut to the correct size. For the most part, surprisingly, the dimensions were basically correct. Our first task was to stain each board. The task was made easy, however, because I wanted the finish to be dark walnut. So, staining was simply a matter of “painting” the stain on…..and waiting for it to dry. This task was accomplished on the picnic table in the back patio…..just as it had been at the Oawakie house. With both Sultan and I busily engaged in the staining process, we made steady progress. Steady progress….until we ran out of stain. Work came to a rather abrupt halt. That was OK…. It was getting later on in the afternoon, and we had other things to do. Sultan leaned all of the stained boards against something to dry…. The fence, the picnic table, the chairs, the little shed…. We were off to a good start. We would finish the staining the first part of the week when we were able to buy more stain….and when we had more time on the following Monday.

That was also the weekend we went to Kansas City to the Harry Truman Museum. It had poured down rain while we were in Kansas City. Fortunately, when we got back home, we found that there had been no rain in Topeka. We breathed a sigh of relief. And, fortunately, there was only a slight chance of rain that night. We discussed whether we should bring all the lumber inside and stack it on the dining room floor.

“No….,” we decided, “There is only a slight chance of rain.” Usually when a meteorologist says that, it means, “Forget about the rain. It is not going to happen.”

When we woke up on Monday morning, we found that it had indeed happened…. Not a lot of rain. Just a sprinkling. “No harm done,” we hoped….. Wishful thinking. Late in the morning, after we had awakened, drank a cup of coffee, and finally became motivated, we decided to proceed with building the bookcase. We stained the final few pieces of lumber, and began carrying those already stained inside. The best place to assemble the bookcase was on the living room floor. Since the lumber had already been stained, the chance of getting a lot of saw dust on the floor was minimal.

We were not far into the assembly phase of the project when it became apparent that we had made a rather major mistake. Indeed “just a sprinkling” of rain had made a huge difference in the lumber…. Well, maybe not a huge difference…..but enough that most of the pre-cut lumber we had stained a couple days ago had become ever so slightly warped! It was not what we were expecting. It was not something we had planned on….or for. We should have brought the lumber inside and stacked it in the dining room, like we had considered. The wood was pine….and probably the cheapest grade we could buy. Even a small amount of moisture would have caused it to warp. I should have know better. It was too late to do anything about it. I mean…. The wood was not completely bent out of shape. But, neither was it the flat.

There was not much we could do except proceed the best we could. Don’t get me wrong. The boards were not warped into the shape of a “U” or an “S”. They were definitely not straight, though….maybe off by a half inch or an inch. Instead of simply slapping them together, like I had planned, now each board had to be coaxed into fitting. This process slowed us down considerably. I am not sure it doubled the time it took to assemble the book case….but, it was not the easy job that I had envisioned….or had encountered on most of my “bookcase projects”. While I applied pressure to each pre-cut shelf to push it down and to make sure all the edges were flush, Sultan used the drill and one inch screws to fasten them securely into place. It was a more time consuming process…..but I had nobody to blame but myself. I had simply been too lazy to bring the boards inside the night before.

At last, in a moment of triumph, we finished attaching the final shelf. Not bad. It looked like a book shelf. The next job was to spray the bookcase with lacquer to give it a “finished” look….and make it easier to dust. As undesirable as it was….and knowing that we would have to live with the consequences for a few days to come….there was only one place where we could apply the lacquer: And, that was in the front room….where had assembled it. The bookcase was far too heavy to carry outside where it should have been done. So…. We opened the doors (the windows do not open)….got the large tarp from the basement….and started spraying. Yes…. It was every bit as bad as we had imagined it to be….and probably just as unhealthy. We sprayed as quickly as we could. I am not sure spraying fast helps, but we figured it certainly couldn’t do any harm.

With our lungs filled with lacquer fumes and the smell of lacquer filling every corner of the downstairs, our bookcase was finally complete. It was time to take a break….get out of the house….get some fresh air into our lungs….let the house air out for a while…and let the lacquer fumes disperse. We didn’t dare leave the front door open. Probably nothing at all would have happened. But, that was out of the question, considering the reputation of our neighborhood. (And, nothing bad has EVER happened around here since I have lived here.) However, we did leave the door leading to the back patio open while we vacated the townhouse for a while.

When we returned, the odor of the lacquer fumes were still there…and would be for a week or ten days to come…. But, so was the beautiful bookcase….lying here in all its beauty….just waiting to be placed in its place of honor….and filled with collected books and other treasures.

Sultan and I speculated on how much we would have to pay for a comparable bookcase, if we had bought it in a furniture store or an office supply store…. We were not sure. But…. We were sure of one thing: Ours was worth more than anything we could have bought…..because we made it….with our own four hands! (Everything has a price! Make an offer….and we will see what we can negotiate. Just don’t tell Sultan…)

If there was a contest to find the least mechanical person in the world…..If I didn’t win First Prize, there is no doubt I would place somewhere near the top. My lack of mechanical expertise does not mean that I do not like to look at cars….especially “vintage” cars. Those cars from a bygone era…cars from my youth…. Cars built back when every car had either six cylinders or eight cylinders….

These were from back when almost every car could be a “hot” car….with a little bit of tinkering and maybe a few modifications. Personally, I never owned one of these so-called hot cars…or muscle cars, as we call them today. My main cars growing up high school and in college were a 1947 Chevy and a 1951 Ford. Or I drove my brother’s car, when he was so inclined to let me.

My first car was a 1947 Chevrolet. Yes….. That’s it. A Chevy. Not a Sonic…or a Malibu….or a Camero….or an Impala…. And, later, I owned a Ford. Not a Fiesta…or a Focus….or a Galaxy…..or a Fairlane…. It was a Ford!

Back in my youth….maybe up until the time I graduated from college, there was only one model (at least that I was aware of)…. A Ford…or a Buick….or a Plymouth….or a Dodge….or a Chevy…..or a Lincoln…. And, I knew every car by sight. I certainly did not own them…..but I instantly recognized them. Dinah Shore sang, “See the USA… in your Chevrolet….” NOT, “See the USA in your Impala….or your Malibu….”

And, I am proud to say: I knew every car that existed. Not only their name, but also the year. Remember… There was only one name….one year. I was sad to see various cars disappear in the rear view mirror….and drop out of sight. The Hudson…the Nash….the Packard….the Oldsmobile…..the Mercury….the Pontiac….the Plymouth…. I am pretty sure that Sultan is too young to recall such cars….or to mourn their loss. A vintage car to him is probably one manufactured sometime around 2010!

One Saturday afternoon there was a vintage automobile show in downtown Topeka on Kansas Avenue. Four or five blocks were cordoned off to make room for the cars. I like to look at old cars….and I thought perhaps Sultan would enjoy them, too. I was hoping that we would see examples of the old cars that I used to drive…..both my own cars…and also my brother’s cars. A little bit of nostalgia….and a little bit of history.

We leisurely walked up and down Kansas Avenue looking at each car along the way. Most of the “vintage” cars were actually from the 1960’s and 1970’s. And, as one would expect, I suppose….they were mostly “muscle” cars. Even though we did not see any of the cars that I drove as a teenager, we did see a lot of old cars. Sultan was impressed to see how “simple” the cars were. And they were simple. Actually, I think most of them were made intentionally simple so the average “shade tree mechanic” could repair his own automobile. (Well, that and the fact they did not possess present day technology.) And…. Many, many of them did. These cars were constructed back in the days before a computer replaced the wrench as the primary mechanic’s tool.

It was a couple hours well spent, I suppose. Like I said…. A little bit of nostalgia for me. A little bit of history for Sultan.

There is one thing that is going to happen when Sultan comes to spend some time. And, it is something that I do not have to plan. Actually, it is somewhat beyond my control. And, maybe it is a good thing it is not within my control, or it could possibly never happen. I am not saying it would not happen…. But, I am saying that there is a better than fifty/fifty chance it would not happen. So, this is something that I will readily give the credit to Sultan…. And say that is Sultan’s “thing”.

And, that “thing” is working out. No matter how long Sultan stays…..one day or three months….he goes running. That is great. He normally and regularly runs somewhere between three and five miles each time. I have no problem with it whatsoever. In fact, I rather enjoy taking him. And, I enjoy taking pictures of him while he is running….as much as he like to have his picture taken. So, it all works out well.

In the past, when we lived in the Ozawkie house, the first place where Sultan started running was on the Ferguson Road. The Ferguson Road was convenient. That was the big advantage. It was easy to get to….and close. The Ferguson Road has an abundance of places where I can pull in, stop, take pictures….and be close at hand, just in case anything might happen. Nothing ever did. But, it is always good to be prepared.

We decided to change gears. From the first time Sultan ran at Paradise Point, the abandoned state park south or our house, he was hooked. There was no turning back….. Sultan said basically the same thing that Brigham Young said: “This is the place!” And, so it was.

Sultan immediately recognized the Paradise Point as a runner’s paradise. This became his preferred running site. Just like I had done back when I was coaching cross country, we marked off a course for him to follow…..designating each mile, drawing arrows to direct his route….although I was always in front of him with the car. We marked off a six mile course. The six miles was merely a contingency plan….one of those “just in case” things. Normally, Sultan ran four miles….more than sufficient for his purposes. Depending on the temperature, some days he might run slightly less than four miles….but not often. And, some days when it was cool and the humidity was low he would run even more. Sultan came to love Paradise Point…. Not only its challenge, but also it beauty and peacefulness and serenity.

But…. As they say, “Alas!” Those days are over. The Ozawkie house is history….and Topeka and Darrah Tower are the present….and the future.

Here in Topeka, the only suitable place we know to run…and be safe while running….is Lake Shawnee. Lake Shawnee has been one of my regular destinations for several years. Years before I moved to Topeka, I would regularly drive down to Topeka just so I could go walking there. Lake Shawnee is not a shabby place! In fact, it is a rather beautiful setting…..the lake, tall trees, plenty of grass, playgrounds for children, abundant picnic areas….usually too close to the sidewalk, though….

My time for walking was in the afternoon….a time when most people were obviously at work. But, there are always people there: people walking, people jogging, people riding their bicycles, people on skateboards (young people, mostly….), people walking their dog(s), people pushing baby strollers…. The sidewalk as busy….everybody sharing it; everybody doing his own thing…. And, let us not forget the picnickers, the people fishing or the people sitting in their cars reading….or spying or stalking. Who knows what they were doing…. Not to mention the golf course, the baseball diamonds, the campground…..

Lake Shawnee seemed to offer something for everybody in its expansive green spaces bordering the blue lake covering several hundred acres of the 1100 acre park. The main attraction for me, of course, was…and is….the paved trail that completely circles the lake. The trail winds 7.33 miles around the lake. Back in the “old days”, I would walk 2 or 3 miles along the lake…..starting at the marina.

The only fault I could find with walking at Lake Shawnee was the ducks and geese. There were hundreds of them….all answering the call of the low-life idiots who parked their cars along the lake and coaxed the birds with bread and other various foods. I suppose to ignorant people who have nothing better to do, this probably seemed like a fun thing to do….maybe even a type of “welfare” for the ducks and geese. Actually, their unthinking actions made the birds dependent on handouts….and not on their own instinct to locate their own source of food, of which there are many. There is nothing like the site of a bunch of idle hicks getting their kicks by tempting a flock of birds by throwing them bread….. It is sort of like throwing candy to poor urchins.

Well….. The problem, as maybe you can imagine, was not only that geese are stubborn creatures, and they are not about to move aside for a mere human being when there is the possibility of a free handout (Sort of like some humans…don’t you think?). In fact, when provoked, geese can become somewhat aggressive…..and hundreds of geese can prove to be a rather intimidating barrier to the casual human walker. And…. Just as important: Stop and think. Geese have very bad bathroom habits!! They are not very discerning where they “Go”. It can become a very messy and treacherous situation….if you catch what I am driving at. (The Topeka city council has recently made feeding the geese and ducks illegal, and now levies a large fine on those doing it. The situation has greatly improved!)

All that aside, Lake Shawnee seemed like the most natural place for Sultan to run after I moved to Topeka. Actually, I don’t think I had ever been to Lake Shawnee after maybe 3:00 in the afternoon….and it was fairly peaceful, except for the geese and the geese-feeders… Even on the weekend, I got down there early….went walking, did my shopping….and went back home.

Sultan did his running in the evening….always after 7:00…and usually later. He was in the midst of Ramadan and therefore, could not eat between the hours of sunrise and sunset. So…. He would prepare our evening meal….put in on the stove….on LOW, of course, And then we would take off for Lake Shawnee. Just like me, he would start at the marina….run two miles to the south….and then back to the marina. I would follow along, pulling into parking spaces along the way….to take pictures, and also be there if he happened to need me. (He didn’t.)

Man…. If I ever thought that the traffic on the Ferguson Road was bad…. Wow… It was nothing compared to the traffic and the congestion at Lake Shawnee. When the sun starts to set….people obviously start coming out of nowhere and head to the lake. Little League baseball games….people having picnics….hoards of people walking, biking, jogging….just messing around in general. Everybody was driving somewhere….and driving slowly…. Sultan had the easy job: Running. I had the hard job: Trying to accidentally avoid killing or injuring somebody with my car…..or intentionally, because they were constantly interrupting my camera shots.

The moral of the story: Lake Shawnee is a great place to run…..but a terrible place to take pictures of somebody running (at least, in the evening…..) All my problems aside…. Lake Shawnee was a good dependable place for Sultan to run….and safe, too. In a normal week, he would run maybe three times a week…..and then we would go to the fitness center maybe three times a week.

Shortly after Sultan arrived, he wanted to join a fitness center for the summer. The guy to whom I talked at Great Life Fitness Center told me that Sultan could get a basic membership for the summer. But when we went to sign him up and pay the fee. Guess what? The guy had given us erroneous information. It was NOT possible. I didn’t quite understand why….and neither did Sultan. But, it was a battle we were not going to win. So we left.

For several months…actually since I first moved to Topeka….I had considered joining a fitness center at 29^th and Croco Road…..about 3 miles from my house. I had sort of ruled it out, though, because I already had a membership to Great Life, and the two fitness centers were about the same distance from my townhouse. However, the run-around I got when trying to enroll Sultan at Great Life…..the obvious untruth that they told, or at best, the lack of coordination and honesty they displayed….sort sealed the fate, insofar as I was concerned.

We drove over to Anytime Fitness Center….the facility at 29^th and Croco….and talked to the young manager (or maybe he is the owner….). He said that if I enrolled in a fitness contract, Sultan could come there and work out for free for the remainder of the five weeks he would be staying at my house. That was good enough for me. I became a member of Anytime Fitness.

The Anytime Fitness Center at 29^th and Croco is a smaller facility….maybe a little bigger than the fitness center we had gone to in Meriden. One advantage it had….actually two advantages…. First, the machines in Meriden were packed very closely together….like sardines in a can. It was difficult to maneuver through them….and awkward and uncomfortable when there were strangers there working out. Anytime Fitness is much more spacious. The other advantage is that Anytime Fitness has a larger variety of machines. Since Sultan strives to strengthen almost muscle in his body, he appreciated the machines which targeted all the various muscle groups: legs, arms, back, thigh, upper body….all that kind of stuff. There are also individual weights. For me: I no longer have any interest in developing into body builder or a muscle man. (Yeah…. Right!) I am content with their aerobic equipment… the treadmills, the stationary bicycles…stuff like that. I also spend some time on arm and shoulder machines…..and the single machine that tends to stretch my lower back muscle. Like I told Sultan: If the fitness center has a weak point, it is the fact that there is a lack of machines to strengthen back muscles. Over all, though, there is an adequate number of opportunities to strengthen almost every part of the body. This didn’t make so much difference to me. But, for Sultan, it was a definite selling point.

Prior to joining, I was a little concerned about safety…..most especially at night. It is located in a small shopping center, rather isolated from both 29^th Street and Croco Road. Except for a couple exceptions, all the businesses closed early. A Mexican restaurant remained open until 9:30 P.M., and a liquor store was open until 11:00 P. M. And that was it…..

Sultan and I normally did not go to the fitness center until around 10:30 at night. We were surprised to find that there were actually other people who worked out that late at night, too. Not many….. But, almost always there was another person or two there. Sometimes even a female. We soon became comfortable working out that late at night. In fact, we usually were happy if the other people left….and we had the fitness center to ourselves. Strangely enough, we often had the feeling that other people actually sat in their car waiting for US to leave! ….apparently so they could also work out alone. It was also comforting to know that the fitness center provided little alarms that we could carry with us. If we felt we needed help….or that we were in any sort of danger….all we had to do was press a button and the police would be summoned. (Probably a couple hours later…. But, it was a nice gesture!)

Just as he did when we used to go to Great Life Fitness Center in Meriden, Sultan always had a plan for his workout…. And, he stuck to his plan. I encouraged him to limit has plan to about one hour. I mean…. The workout was for physical fitness….not to become a body builder! And, Sultan simply does not have the physique to become a body builder!

As Sultan methodically went about fulfilling his plan for the night, I also went about concentrating on accomplishing my goals. My goals were usually to get out of there as quickly as possible. It will not come as a surprise that I usually….no, always….finished before he did…..and sat and waited until he finished. I would give him encouraging glances… Well, more like impatient stares….to help him stay on schedule.

The past couple years that Sultan spent the summers at my house were….well, at best, shall we say “busy”. As previously chronicled, the first summer I was constantly assaulted by a series of unfortunate physical problems….uncontrolled nose bleeds, dizziness and fainting….three trips to the emergency room. Lots of fun! The second summer we spent three weeks traveling…..and the remainder of the summer immersed in the torturous process of moving from Ozawkie to Topeka. It was a summer that we both would probably like to simply forget. In fact…. We would like to forget about both summers. Needless to say, there was very little time for anything else either of those summers.

This past summer…..the summer of 2019….was somewhat more leisurely and carefree. We had long ago decided that this summer Sultan would participate in a road race. We had discussed it in the previous years, but, like I said, there were too many other thing going on, and it simply was not possible. So…. This is the year! (I don’t know if Brigham Young said that…or not.) Knowing that he was going to run in a race somewhere provided some additional motivation for Sultan as he went on his nightly runs. It was the goal he was working toward…. A point of focus for him. He faithfully kept track of his distances….and his times….for each run. And, I kept faithfully snapping pictures of him!

Really, there was only one problem. As I may have mentioned earlier, Sultan was in the midst of observing Ramadan….which meant that he could not eat between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Not only could he not eat… He could not drink, either. In the summer months, especially, this could present some serious problems of possible dehydration….maybe even of heat exhaustion or other heat related incidents. This is basically why Sultan did all of his running in the evening. He could run when the temperature was not so hot…..and as soon as he got back home, he could take a shower. And…. After we got back home, it was only a matter of minutes before he could both eat and drink. Running in the evening was more of an inconvenience than it was a problem. Since he started running so late in the day, his runs were limited to around 4 miles….a safe and manageable distance. This was not really a “problem”. It did make a big difference in what kind of race he would be able to run, however. He would be limited to running in a shorter race….and in the case of the standard race, this meant he would have to run in a 5K (kilometer) race….about 3.1 miles.

Another detail we had to consider was that whatever race he chose would have to be after Ramadan was over. Races are almost always held early in the morning to avoid the midday heat. The time limitation narrowed our time frame down to two weekends! Not a very wide selection of weekends…..or races.

We checked all the races available on the two possible weekends….his last two weekends at my house. There were several races available in the area….most of them in the Kansas City area. Races in Kansas City for some reason seem to be more complicated….not to mention more crowded. A race in Tongonoxie stood out. Tongonoxie is a small town….with somewhat over 5000 residents. Not a village, at least by Kansas standards…and certainly not a city. The race is an annual event held to raise money for their public library….a worthy cause. After some consideration, this is race we chose. Well….I chose it. Sultan really didn’t care which race he ran in. Another reason I thought would be the best race was the fact that Sultan probably had far better odds of winning….or at least placing….than he did in a race in Kansas City, just because of the probable number of runners in each race.

For a week we debated the merits of staying in Tongonoxie the Friday night before the race…..or staying at home and getting up early and driving to Tongonoxie early the morning of the race. Finally we made our decision. We would find a hotel in Tongonoxie and stay there on Friday night. We would not have to wake up quite as early in the morning, and hopefully, Sultan would be wide awake and ready to run a good race. On Wednesday evening I logged on to the computer to find a motel and make a reservation. Well…. You guessed it! (or maybe you didn’t….. I certainly didn’t!), Tongonoxie does not have a motel….. Not even one! So much for staying in Tongonoxie. The decision was made for us: We would stay at home…get up early…and drive to the race.

We were eager little beavers. We were the first people there early that Saturday morning, June 8, 2019. They were just starting to set things up. The fire department was erecting the start and finish line….a large air-inflated canopy. The registration people were setting up their tables. The sound people were checking the volume. It was a little lonely….at first. “Oh, wow,” I was thinking, “I hope somebody else shows up!” Well…. On the bright side, if nobody else showed up, Sultan would be sure to win first place! As race time….7:30 A.M….got nearer, more and more people began to show up. No…. Sultan would not be running by himself. By the time the race time approached, there were at least a hundred people….probably more….waiting at the starting line.

There were actually two races….a 5K (3.1 miles) and a 10K (6.2 miles) race. Sultan was participating in the 5K race. After the race started and the runners were on their way, there was little for me to do….except wait. I wandered up to their main street. What luck! There were friendly benches placed at intervals along the sidewalk. Sultan would not come back into sight for at least 18 or 19 minutes, I figured. So….I sat down and waited. Actually, there wasn’t much to do except sit. I could have gone and sat in the car, I suppose, but it was a nice, clear, quiet morning…..and I had never had the opportunity to sit on a bench in downtown Tongonoxie. So… I jumped at the chance.

Just to be safe, I headed back to the finish line after about fifteen minutes. I wanted to be sure I was there when the first person crossed the finish line. And, I was hoping it would be Sultan. But….sadly, it was not. A local guy finished far ahead of all the other runners. I don’t remember his time, although I think it was somewhere in the 18 minute range…. The guy was a crowd favorite…and had apparently won the race for the past two or three years. He was greeted with major enthusiasm by his friends and the spectators.

The second place runner also came sailing in perhaps a minute later….also pretty much uncontested. The the third place finisher….the first place woman…..

Now…. The minute I had been waiting for. Down the street came Sultan…wearing his signature ugly green camouflage shirt. Yeah…. It is an ugly shirt (in my opinion)….but I like it….a lot. When he wears it, it is easy for me to pick him out of a crowd. Absolutely nobody else has a shirt like it. It is one of a kind. When I see that shirt, I know it has to be Sultan. In fact, when it finally wears out…..I am going to buy him another shirt just like it.

Yes…. Here came Sultan. In 4^th place…. He was also a crowd favorite. As he came running toward the finish line, he had his trademark smile on his face. He was waving to the crowd. The announcer loved it. The crowd loved it…. I loved it! Sultan loved it.

We learned a couple things from the race, too. First and foremost…. Next year we have to find a better place for him to train. Even with all its beauty…its trees…the water….the serene setting…. Lake Shawnee is not a good place to train for a race. It is a great place to go for recreational running….to stay in shape….for relax and have fun. But…as a training setting? No. Sultan found that he needs a more challenging place to train. A place with more hills, something more rugged, a course that is more difficult and more taxing.

The race course in Tongonoxie had difficult and challenging hills. This year, he simply was not ready for that kind of course. Last year when he ran at Paradise Point, he would have been in better shape and more fully prepared. That is the kind of course that Paradise Point offered….the steep hills, long hills, straightaways, curves….all the features that make a good training course….and will prepare a runner for almost any kind of race he encounters.

But…. Like I said, Sultan was happy. He had fun. He made some friends (whom he will never see again…). He got some recognition. He completed his first race (in the USA, at least) and he got a first place medal. He couldn’t do much better than that.

Meanwhile….. Back at Darrah Tower….. One of my plans to make the townhouse “mine”….to give it a distinctive, cared-for appearance. To…well….beautify it….was to construct a little garden in front of the house. Several of the other townhouses have very nice looking gardens….flower gardens. They are very instrumental in enhancing their appearance. After getting quick and enthusiastic approval from the office, I began to visualize what kind of garden I would….and could….build.

Sultan and I took some measurements….and then went looking for the appropriate stones to construct the border. We found some that met our approval…some red paving stones. This was before my decision not to patronize Home Depot any longer….and waited until we could get our friend, Sam, to pick them up for us and take them to the townhouse after lunch on Friday. We more or less just “unloaded” them that first day. On Saturday, we arranged them into what I thought was a rather artistic design….and I still do. One of the maintenance men saw what we had done, and, of course, suggested a “better way”…. HIS way. I certainly want to keep the maintenance personnel happy! They are very helpful…and useful…people to have on your side….as your friends. So… Yeah…. We changed the design. I mean, it was no big deal. I have probably already forgotten what was original design was anyway. And, there is a maintenance guy who thinks he gave us some wonderful and constructive advice.

The next step was to decide what to plant. For several months, my plan was to plant a variety of flowers…perennials, flowers that continue bloom every year… I was going to plant some flowers that bloom in the spring; some flowers that bloom in the summer; and some flowers that bloom in the fall. However, one day, I suddenly had the bright idea….like a message from On High…. Plant some shrubs. They will certainly grow each year; they require must less attention; they are always there…even if they are not always blooming….they are probably much more hardy than flowers….

Of course, I have never done anything like this in my life…. Never. Mother always wanted to plant flowers at the Ozawkie house….the Darrah Ranch. I always resisted….mostly because I did not want to have to take care of them….and also because when I mowed the grass….an acre and a fourth in that case….I did not want to have to slow down or stop for flowers. I simply wanted to mow….to get it done.

On Sunday afternoon, Sultan and I drove to Skinner’s Nursery on the northwest edge of Topeka to buy some shrubs….some bushes…. One thing I can say for sure: We went there with absolutely no expectations….no preconceived ideas….open to anything. We found a helpful employee who volunteered to help us make some sort of decision.

OK… We knew they will be exposed to the sun all day long, since they are on the south side of the townhouse. We had no idea about the soil. We assumed it was good because of the flowers and plants that our neighbors had planted seemed to be prospering. We need bushes that would not grow more than, let’s say, four feet tall, so they would not cover the windows. We wanted bushes that would have flowers on them at least part of the time. “Show us what you have.”

Like I said, Sultan and I had no preconceived notions…. Sultan, even less than I. I am not sure they even have flower bushes in Saudi Arabia! Maybe cactus. I think some of them may have flowers… don’t they? I think his main desire was to simply choose something….and get out of there. The lady led us off to the section where they kept the bushes….the flower bushes, presumably. Since neither of us had anything in mind, I think we were an easy sell.

She showed us some rose bushes….OK.. Rose are nice. They are pretty. They tend to have flowers for most of the summer. She showed us some spirea bushes. I remembered them from my childhood. Mother had lots of spirea bushes around the yard. They had pretty white flowers. They tended to spread….or at least, I think they did. Something that multiplies seemed good. That must mean they are a tough, hardy bush. Right? Well…. We will see. We bought two rose bushes and two spirea bushes. Mission accomplished.

We drove back to Skinner’s Nursery the following day with the pickup….a Monday, I think….picked them up. We took them home to plant them. There was, however, a problem. We had nothing with which to dig a hole. Kelly, the manager of the townhouse complex, loaned me some sort of shovel. When I first glanced at it, I knew it would be useless. And… It was. We could probably have used it to scoop wheat or something….but not to dig a hole. We ended up going to Walmart and buying a spade….or at least, it was a digging shovel. (This is another example of having to re-buy something that I left at the Ozawkie house because I thought I would never need it again….) Sultan dug the holes, planted the little bushes. About thirty minutes later…. Surprise! We had a flower garden….or at least some bushes in front of the townhouse. Mission accomplished. Another goal achieved. Check back in a blog from next summer and follow the drama. Did we buy the right bushes? Did the bushes live? Are the bushes growing? Or was all that work in vain? Stay tuned…..

In anticipation of Sultan’s visit, I planned an extensive trip through the Northeastern States. Actually, it was an awesome adventure through some of the most historic places in the USA, not to mention a lot of the top tourist destinations. The trip would have taken just one day shy of three weeks….a long trip, but with enough down time to keep it interesting and (semi) relaxed…..I hoped. One of my main goals in designing the trip….and one might say an ulterior motive….was to plan the route so we could stop and take pictures of me standing beside the state signs that we….Fayez and I missed….just drove right past them…. in a similar previous trip. This time Sultan and I would stop and take the pictures. And….Sultan would want them as much as I would.

This trip would be the first trip that would completely forsake campgrounds…..and we would spend every night in a motel or hotel. That would be a radical departure from our usual style of traveling. But…. It would be Oh, so much more pleasant and hassle free.

But….The trip did not happen. Sultan seemed reluctant. With only six weeks to spend at my home, he did not want to sacrifice three weeks on the road traveling. If I would have insisted….and he left it more or less up to me to make the final decision….he would have agreed, and we would have make the trip. But….He had a point. We would spend half our precious time on the road…spend a great deal of money….give up three weeks of leisurely time together here at Darrah Tower….and probably not get any of the projects completed.

We were busy enough. And, we didn’t spend the entire six weeks at home. I already talked about our trip Independence and to the Truman Museum. On Memorial Day we drove down to Hutchinson for the weekend. The main purpose was to place some flowers on the graves of family members. There was serious flooding all over the state of Kansas….and Central Kansas was not exempted. My niece, Wanita Johnson, had told me in a telephone conversation that most of the roads between Hutchinson and Lyons were closed….covered with flood water. However, one road was still accessible…and that is the route we used.

We picked up Wanita on Saturday and drove the one remaining road to Lyons. Our first stop was at the Lyons cemetery. We were able to locate all of the important grave sites….my brother, Arnold, Wanita’s dad. My mother and dad…. Wantia’s mother… We attempted to locate the graves of some other relatives, but Wanita had already told one of our cousins that we would stop by their house at a certain time….and that time was rapidly approaching.

If Sultan and I had been by ourselves, we would have spent more time searching for the graves….and we would have no doubt found them. But, it was OK. We accomplished the most important task. Next year we will search more thoroughly.

After visiting with one of our cousins, we took Wanita back to her home in Hutchinson. We had a nice visit. After Sultan and I ate supper at a Chinese buffet, we sat in a bar for a while and then went back to our motel.

Sunday…. Well, Sunday in Hutchinson is not very exciting, to say the least…..especially when we had already seen all of Hutchinson’s tourist attractions. There are exactly two of them: the museum at the salt mine and the Cosmosphere, the space museum. When you have seen them….you have seen it all. OK… There a couple minor attractions: The Reno County Historical Museum, for one. It was closed, of course. Who would want to go to a museum of their day off? The other possibility….and the better of the two choices….was the Hutchinson Art Guild. The exhibits change regularly. And, no more often that I go there, I was pretty sure there would be a new exhibition. It is open on Sunday afternoon, so that is where we headed. We were the only people there. But, maybe that would be the case no matter which day we went. Something tells me that Hutchinson is not one of the major art centers of the USA. The exhibits at the Hutch Art Guild are always interesting and worthwhile to visit. We walked leisurely through the space….actually stopping to look at the pictures. It was a worthwhile hour…. Well, it probably didn’t take us an hour.

We had told Fayez that we would go to Wichita to see him. So, later that same Sunday afternoon, we headed to Wichita. Aside from getting to see Fayez’s apartment…. He had moved since the last time I was there…. The only other things of substance we did were eat supper….go to the river front park….and go back to Hutchinson.

Quite frankly, I have no recollection of where we ate supper. It must have been a remarkable place. I do recall that we drove to a couple places….both of which were hosting private parties, to which we were not invited. Somehow I suspect we could have just gone on in….blended with the other guests…..and everything would have been fine. Of course, we had no idea about the purpose of either of the parties, so there could have been some awkward moments, depending on the nature of the party. So…. We looked for another place to eat. We must have found a place. I am sure we ate supper. I just have no idea where it was!

After supper, we went to a park along side the Arkansas River. Maybe it is called Riverside Park. It probably wasn’t….but it would be an appropriate name, nevertheless. The Arkansas River was a raging river….almost bank full from all the summer rain….the current would have swept anything in its way down river in an instant. Wild, out of control rivers are a little bit scary….especially to somebody like me who does not know how to swim.

The place where we went had an Indian….Native American….theme. I think it was called Keeper of the Plains….but I am not sure. There were a few monuments….a few displays….and some other miscellaneous information. There were dozens of people just milling around…doing nothing in particular. Maybe that was because there was really nothing in particular to do.

The route of a road race threaded its way through the park and along the river. There appeared to be hundreds of people in the race….judging by the time it took the runners to completely pass by. If Sultan and I had known in advance, maybe he could have also been in the race. But… We didn’t know. A missed opportunity.

We sat on a bench near the edge of the park for a while…. Fayez and Sultan looked at their cell phones. I simply sat and watched the runners as they passed. At this point in the race…It was approaching the end, I think….most of them were walking. Darkness was already beginning to descend over the park. It was apparent that Fayez was getting restless and was itching to get back to his apartment…..and to whatever was waiting for him there. Sultan and I needed to start back to Hutchinson. Fayez drove us back to his apartment where our car was parked…..and we went back to Hutchinson and the motel.

Our major trip of the summer lasted four days…. Doesn’t sound very major, does it? It is surprising how much a person can pack into four days….and we packed a lot. We really had no concrete objectives in mind, except to visit my cousin Dorothy Tener in Farmington, Arkansas. We told her she could expect us around 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, June 5. The rest of the trip was more or less improvised. As improvised as I ever get, at least. For some reason, sentimental, I suppose, we decided to spend the first night in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City is where Sultan spent a year studying English back in the very beginning. Other than the time he spends with me every summer, this was the only other place in the USA where he lived.

It was probably 2:00….or after….when we finally got everything into the car and drove away from the townhouse. We had to stop to fill up with gasoline and maybe even at Dollar General or Walmart…. By the time we were actually on the Kansas Turnpike heading south town Oklahoma City, it was at least 2:30….if not a little later. Yeah…. It was a sentimental trip. We had made this trip before, back in “the old days” when I made two or three trips down to either pick up Sultan and bring him to my house….or the time I drove to Oklahoma City to spend a few days visiting him.

By the time we arrived at our hotel, it was starting to get late…. Maybe 6:00 or after. The hotel we stay in looked ultra modern from the outside. Unfortunately it did not live up to our….more specifically, my….expectations once we got to our room. We were both tired. Instead of spending our time sightseeing, we opted for something more practical and immediate: We took a nap. We ate supper in an Indian restaurant….somewhere. It was an authentic Indian restaurant. It was not an all-you-can eat buffet. And… Sultan and I were certainly the only-non-Indian people in the restaurant that night. We ordered something….and it turned out to be good….actually something that we had already eaten before at the Indian buffet here in Topeka. That….believe it or not….was the highlight of our night in Oklahoma City.

The next morning we headed to Arkansas. What’s going on down there in Oklahoma? It seemed that every fifty miles, we had to stop and pay some sort of toll….and pay it in cash. We never did figure out the system. Here in Kansas, toll booths are located in two places: At the end of the turnpike….and at exits. And, the number of exits are very limited. Otherwise, we just keep driving. In Oklahoma, we never did figure out their system….or the inexplicable places the toll collection points were placed. And, we never did figure out why they caused thousands of drivers the inconvenience of having to pay in cash. We were about to run out of actual “money”….and we wondered what would happen if these collection booths continued….and we had no money to pay. Fortunately, between Sultan and me, we made it across Oklahoma….barely. What about those poor, unsuspecting people who were trapped with no money at all?

Our destination for the day was Fayeteville where we would spend the night at the Baymont Inn. We arrived in Bentonville….a few miles north of Fayeteville….in the early afternoon….still plenty of time before we needed to drive on down to the motel. Our plan was to visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art….founded by the Walton family. The museum, which is heavily promoted on radio and TV in Kansas….has an awesome permanent collection of American art spanning the history of art in the USA….from the colonial period to modern day, contemporary art.

As our luck would have it, the museum was closed to the public the very afternoon that we arrived. Walmart was in the midst of its annual shareholders’ meeting. The art museum was open only to them on that day. Not to be deterred, we went to the second place on our list of tourist attractions….a place called Amazeum. This, we assumed after reading a little about it, was primarily a “discovery”, hands-on science museum for school-age kids. It didn’t make a lot of difference. It was also closed. This venue was also founded in part of the Walton family….and the organization.

We didn’t see much point of pursuing another other museums in the town, especially with the expectation of meeting the same final result.

However, for some reason we decided to drive back downtown where we had seen several buses parked on a blocked-off street. We didn’t know what to expect….although I was pretty sure the buses were parked in front of the original Walton store. And…. I was right. The original Walton store is the home of The Walton Museum. The sidewalk and the street were crowded with people….presumably Walmart shareholders. We were not at all sure if we would be able to see anything….but, why not hang around and at least take some pictures?

We walked along the sidewalk for a few yards and came across a store front window with some contemporary art displayed. Assuming it was part of the Walton organization….and close to the public that afternoon….I asked if were were allowed to enter. “Sure…. Come on in.” So we did.

The gallery contained a remarkable collection of contemporary and abstract art. It was one of the best galleries I had been in for a while. Sultan and I assumed that it was part of the Walton museum complex….and these were paintings they had acquired. If so….They had better taste than I suspected them having. We finally figured out….and I am not sure how we did it….that this was a private gallery. The works of art were the product of the guy who told us to “Come on in.”….and was talking to and answering questions from other people who were also there to look. The pictures could have had prices on them, too. If so, that is usually a good sign that it is a commercial gallery. It didn’t make us any difference. We enjoyed walking through the rather large gallery and looking at the fantastic works of art the guy had created.

Located next door to the gallery….and this is what fooled us in the first place….was the Walton Museum. They were happy for us to go in and look around. And, apparently they were also happy for dozens of Japanese….shareholders, I suppose….to look around, also. The Japanese are ubiquitous….. They are everywhere….by the dozens…literally. When we go to Yellowstone. There they are….like little bugs swarming around….always walking in front of the camera when we are trying to take a picture….always trying to shoo you away when they are taking pictures…. Rude little people. They were at the Grand Canyon…. They were in Salt Lake City… They were in Rocky Mountain National Park…. They were at Mt. Rushmore….. And now, here they were at the Walton Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. Those little people really get around. And… They are always in groups…. They are always oblivious to anything, except what they are doing.

Fortunately, at the Walton Museum, they seemed to have little interest in the museum itself. They were far more interested in buying “souvenirs” from the gift shop. That seem to be what they came for. Luckily, we were not at all interested in buying Walmart trinkets….so we left the place to them, until we went back out on the sidewalk and had to push our way through them again.

As for the Walton Museum: Well, it is accurately named. That was what it was….a huge advertisement for Walmart. Except, instead of being on TV….there is was right there before us. There were lots of signs….timelines….pictures….and old advertisements. To be fair, the office of Sam Walton had been preserved and was on display to be observed, behind glass, of course. One of the guides immediately rushed up to Sultan and me and volunteered to take our picture standing in front of the office. Of course, we accepted his offer.

Sam’s old pickup….the one he used for his “humble, common man” image was on display. I am sure he kept his expensive latest model pickup at home in his garage. The barber chair he supposedly always sat in when he got his hair cut was there. At least, those artifacts were on display….maybe a couple more. But, mostly it was printed or reproduced material tracing the history and development of the Walmart company on its rise to being the largest retail organization in the world.

We spent a few minutes in a chocolate factory/retail store, too. It would have been nothing special, except that one of the female clerks had spent some time living and working in Jordan….a place where Sultan visits often. Sultan spent some time talking to her about her experiences there….also trying to find out exactly where she had worked. Before we left the store, I had bought five or six chocolate bars. The bars that I bought were not typical candy bars. They were 70% – 80% pure chocolate from exotic places…mostly African countries. It took over a month for me to eat them. Every time I ate one, I felt mildly nauseated… They may have had exciting, mysterious names, but I can assure you…..If you want to buy “pure dark chocolate”, just to to the grocery store…Walmart, for example… and buy a name brand. You are going to like it much better.

We spent the night in a Baymont Inn in Fayeteville. Nice looking on the outside….less than adequate on the inside. The story of the three motels we stayed in during the trip.

The most important event on our agenda for Wednesday…in fact, for the entire trip…. was our visit to my cousin, Dorothy Tener. Dorothy married my cousin Raymond….Oh, so many years ago. She was 16 when they were married. Sadly, Raymond died a few years ago. Dorothy is 94 years old this year (2019)…. And, take my word for it…. She still has the energy and outlook of a woman thirty or forty years younger. Her memory is phenomenal. It puts mine to shame. She has lived life to the fullest…..and has stories and anecdotes to illustrate.

We arrived at her house around 10:00 A.M., just as we had planned. This was the third time that Sultan had been there….and he always looks forward to seeing her again. We sat in her comfortable apartment and visited for maybe a couple hours. She was regaling Sultan with stories of her life….the places where they had lived and the things they had done. Sultan is always a willing listener….even though he had heard some of the stories on a previous visit. On this particular morning, she told some stories that even I had not heard before. It was a pleasant interlude, and the time passed by quickly, as it always does.

Around noon, she asked Sultan if he would help her get lunch on the table. Of course, Sultan was happy to help. As he helped her prepare the food for the table….Everything was cooked and ready to go…. I was relegated to the menial task of setting the table. I really do not remember what we ate for lunch that day. It was good. That I am sure of. Throughout lunch, Dorothy kept the conversation alive….asking Sultan about his life, his school…. Talking about family….asking about family…. Time seems to go by fast when we are at Dorothy’s house.

About midway through lunch, her daughter, Cheryl, who is my second cousin, came in with her husband. They have been married less than a year. She talked about him last year, but neither Sultan nor I had met him. Meeting him was an added treat for both of us. After some more conversation, we knew that the time was getting late….and it was time for us to leave. Leaving Dorothy’s house is always difficult. We would have liked to linger on…. Sultan and I always thoroughly enjoy our visits to see Dorothy…and Cheryl. Needless to say, it is always a highlight of our summer.

We drove immediately to Bentonville in anticipation of visiting Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art…..which was closed yesterday because, I suppose, of the shareholders’ meeting. Or. … Maybe that day was set aside for the Japanese, so they could scurry around and take pictures….and get it out of their system. Today, fortunately, it was open. The parking lot was almost full. This place was obviously a bigger deal that I had suspected. We did find a parking space, though, and proceeded to the impressive structure that housed the museum. To reach the actual museum, we took an elevator up one floor to what appeared to be the main level.

Crystal Bridges is a free museum….except for some special exhibits, which we did not see. We did have to get a ticket….and a little lapel pin, to show that we were only allowed in the “free” section, I suppose. Don’t let me mislead you. The free section contains an extensive, world class selection of American art. Among the artists represented in the museum are Normal Rockwell, Thomas Moran, John Singer Sargeant, Jamie Wyeth, Gilbert Stuart, Andy Warhol, Georgia O”Keeffe…… Hey! This not kindergarten art. These are some of the most famous artists in the world. Their art sells for literally millions of dollars.

Most of the artwork is traditional….paintings, portraits, landscapes….the usual subject matter. There is, however, a section devoted to abstract and contemporary art. Don’t miss it. It is also awesome….something a person would expect to see in New York City or Paris.

Sultan and I spent probably a couple hours in the museum. Time was a factor, and we had to keep moving. I think it fair to say (sadly) that we merely gave the museum a “once over”….slightly more than a cursory inspection. We plan to return. And, now that we know that this is truly a world class institution, we will be prepared to spend considerable more time. For a person with only an amateur interest in art, this is a place that should be high on your agenda. Who would expect? A truly first class art museum in the state of Arkansas? And…. Who would expect that Walmart….well, the Walton family….would be the ones responsible for bringing it into reality.

We saw only the “public” or free part of the museum. For an extra fee, there was even more. We were satisfied with what we saw….more than satisfied. Maybe surprised? Astonished? Thrilled? Elated? A little dazed? Quite frankly, in my opinion, it far surpasses anything Kansas City or St. Louis….or Lawrence, for that matter….has to offer.

There was an entire world of sculpture gardens outside that we did not have time to visit. But…. There will be another time….another opportunity. If you are traveling through Arkansas, it will be well worth your time to stop and see this amazing museum. It will be well worth your time to even make this your destination.

There was one other place that Sultan and I visited. Maybe it was not quite as important as some of the other venues….but it was certainly enjoyable….and delicious. Many years ago, one of my cousins told me about a place in Wamego called Friendship House. She insisted that it was a place where I must go. It is a well….a restaurant….and a bakery. It is located in a residential section of Wamego….in an ordinary, common house….a former residence.

A few years ago, Fayez and I drove over to Wamego and ate lunch at Friendship House. It every bit as good as my cousin had said it would be. The setting is quaint….I mean, an old remodeled house? And, the food was first class….affordable and plentiful. The day Fayez and I went there, we sat outside at a table under a shade tree. The day Sultan and I drove there to eat, it was too hot to sit outside. I told the guy who owns the place that we had sat outside the last time. “Go ahead,” he said, “if you want to get a sun burn.” He was right. The sun was beating down relentlessly. Even the shade tree would not offer much protection. We elected to sit inside with the rest of the sane people. The room where we sat was obviously the former living room. We could just as well have sat in the dining room….or one of the bedrooms, either downstairs or upstairs. About the only rooms we were unable to eat were the old kitchen…which had been converted into ….well, the kitchen….and into the reception, sales area….and, obviously, the restrooms.

It was approaching 2:00 P.M. when we arrived. Since it was well after the normal lunch hour, we expected to perhaps be dining alone. We would not have been overly shocked if we had arrived too late….and the place would be closed. We were wrong on both assumptions. The restaurant was open….and there were other people there dining. And, more people….mainly families….came in while we were there. By hearing little bit and pieces of their conversations, we concluded that most of them were from out of town….either people who were passing through or people who had driven from other towns just so they could eat at Friendship House.

As we were leaving and were paying our bill, the owner threw in a couple cookies….complements of the restaurant. This, I suppose, was our dessert. Any time you are thinking of an unusual, fun, and good place to eat lunch….and you have a little time….the trip to Wamego and Friendship House is well worth the drive.

Before Sultan had to leave and go back home to Saudi Arabia, one of the things that I wanted him to try….and he was eager to do it….was experiment with painting. We set aside an evening for that purpose. I was a little apprehensive. Sultan had never painted a picture. In fact, I don’t think he had ever done anything very “artistic”. Would he like painting? Would he get bored before he even gave it a chance? Would he become frustrated and give up?

I convinced him that abstract art is …. Well, abstract. Just start painting. It is very difficult to make a mistake. Who will ever know? Just say, “That is the way I wanted it.”…and nobody would ever know. I need not have worried. Sultan was an enthusiastic “artist” from the very beginning. His first paintings were on art paper. It is cheaper, for one thing. If he felt that he did not like painting and wanted to stop, all that had been wasted was a piece of paper (and a little bit of paint).

I should have already known that Sultan would like to paint, being the creative person that he is. Of course, his first question was, “How do I start?” That was my first question, too….except I had nobody to ask. “Just start,” I told him. “Just start painting. If you don’t like it, you can always paint over it.” With that bit of advice from a total amateur, Sultan began painting his first picture.

As for me, when I start a painting, I have a general idea of what I want to paint. The painting never….and I mean never….turns out anything remotely like my idea. But, that is OK…. Just as long as it “turns out”. Sultan, on the other hand, had a name for his paintings before he started. Names like “The Function of the Liver”, or “The Malfunctioning of the Pancreas”, or “The Death of Cells in the Large Intestine”…. You get the idea. Something related to the body or something he had studied in medical school. They didn’t mean much to me…..but, at long as they meant something to him…. He took those painting home with him….Thank Heavens! For me, I asked him to paint on canvas….so I could hang it on the wall in my living room. He painstakingly painted a picture….something to do with bile, I think….explaining every color as he painted. It was mostly green….with some yellow and light green mixed in…maybe some white…. Anyway, when he finished, he was proud of his painting as he signed it and presented it to me. It is hanging in a place of honor on my living wall…directly in front me me. Every time I look up…. There is Sultan’s painting….something green, with a little bit of yellow. Bile, I suppose. But, there it is….my favorite painting….whatever it it.

We celebrated an important milestone in Sultan’s life….. Normally, I do not like to celebrate birthdays either in advance….or in retrospect. A birthday is a birthday. If you were born on June 18…..then we celebrate your birthday on June 18, the day you were born. Otherwise…. Let’s go ahead and celebrate my birthday on April 10^th. It is not my birthday…. So, why would we do that? It does not mean anything. It is simply a fake celebration. That is the way I look at it…. If you don’t…. That is great. You can do whatever turns you on. In any event, I relented…. Sultan’s birthday is June 18. He would be back home by then…..due to no fault of his own, I suppose. I could not let his birthday pass by….even it would not occur until four days later….without some sort of recognition….and celebration. He would be 22 years old…. Over the hump, so to speak. A bona fide adult in the USA. I bought a cake….and a couple gifts….and we had a short….but raucous and happy….celebration.

While we were celebrating, Sultan got into the mood and also gave me a gift. A birthday gift? Or just a gift? It doesn’t make any difference. Any gift from Sultan is a treasure. The gift was a t-shirt. It was the wrong size. But… That is not important. It is the thought that counts!

The six weeks was over in what seemed to be less than a week! Dust in the wind! I had anticipated the trip for months…..and all of a sudden, almost like a mirage, it was over…at least for another year….when the Visitor from the East will return again.