Appearances and first impressions are not always right. BEST FRIEND
To help my readers understand how/why this came to be, some background information is in order. When I was much younger, I moved to a small town in Kentucky to start a business. I carefully picked a location halfway between two larger cities where property was less expensive and the building I needed was available. There was also little competition and large demand for my product.
The first time I saw Lester he was dressed in a snowmobile suite, holding a rifle by the barrel on his shoulder, walking in the middle of the street causing traffic to slow and swerve to avoid hitting him, while yelling, "Woooo, I'm wild, wooly, and full of fleas." When he got closer, and I could see him more clearly, I thought that might be a fair assessment. He was sporting a full-face beard that was, and obviously had long been, totally neglected. He was wearing a wide-brimmed brown leather floppy hat that did little to hide the unruly tangled hair that fell around his face. In the hand that wasn't holding onto the rifle, he had a cola can that he spat tobacco juice into.
When he left the street and turned toward me, I felt slightly apprehensive, or maybe out-gunned. I wasn't carrying much cash, so I had left my pistol inside. When he was within a few feet, none of the instinctive warning bells sounded in my head or red flags flashed before my eyes. I felt quite comfortable and at ease with the large man, and after introductions were out of the way, I asked him what kind of rifle he had.
"Rifle! What rifle? I'm a convicted felon---I can't have a rifle."
The glint in his eye, paired with the smirkish smile, spoke volumes so I played along.
"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but that thing you have on your shoulder is a rifle."
"Naw, that's a broom. I told my old lady that I was gonna go meet our new neighbors and she put this broom on my shoulder and told me to help you clean this place up. Bein' the good husband I am, I told the maggot, Yes Dear."
I quickly learned that he was an accomplished storyteller, and for the next several hours laughed more than in the previous several years. I also learned that looks and first impressions could be deceiving. Despite his unkempt rough appearance, he was always clean and had a heart as big as the great outdoors. We soon became best friends and remain so to this day, (thirty years later).
