Chapter 9- Forgiveness!

Chapter 9- Forgiveness!

I was so very tired after that day with the bikers, helping Mr. Papino, doing the Bike Parade, the sales booth and having all that fun.   Peppy was pretty beat up to, and Mr. Papino allowed him to do a sleep over with me.  My folks said it was okay, "Just tonight!" they warned me, so Peppy and I snuggled and cuddled under the covers.  I was so happy just laying there with my puppy, thinking about that day, all that went on, all the people, the motorcycles, the old car show, the sales booth, the "C-note"!.... everything keep going on in my head.  Although I was super-tired.... I was also super excited... and with Peppy at my side... I was super happy, content and at peace.  We both slept well that night!

I was woken up by the sound of my mother calling up the stairs, "Kyle..Kyle...wake up!  Mr. Papino just called and said that today is the last day at the Apple Orchard before they close for the winter.  If you want some donuts, you better get dressed because he is leaving soon to go visit the horse!"

"Oh boy!" I sprung up from my bed but I forgot that Peppy was in bed with me, and with that- Peppy kind of went flying when I sprung up!

I then grabbed my little buddy who had just experienced a totally rude-awakening, cradled him in my arms kissing him and petting him, "I'm so sorry little buddy...are you okay?" I ask him in my puppy-dog tone of voice.

He was fine, and now we were going to the Orchard!  It would be the last time of the year that we could get some donuts, and- in the back of my mind I kept asking myself, "Is Mr. Papino gonna make me ride Happy the horse today?"

I had been avoiding the horse since he bought him weeks back.  He went to the orchard almost every day, and I knew it, and I always avoided him in a sense, because I was still uncomfortable around horses, but I knew that today I had to confront my fear... that is, if I wanted a chance at some more of those delicious apple cider donuts and freshly squeezed apple cider juice!  I was hungry, and I was willing to take that chance... once the orchard closes for the season- that's it!

I also was wondering if they were also closing the horse farm for the season... just like the orchard?

  By now, Mr. Papino was honking the horn of his Ford Pickup truck, waiting for Peppy and I to emerge.... so, we ran outside, jumped into the truck and off we went!

"Did you guys sleep well?" Mr. Papino asked!  

"Boy did we sleep great, once I was able to sleep!" I replied and went on...

"Yesterday was a great day, I had so much fun and so did Peppy!.... thank you Mr. Papino, and thank you for that "C-note!" I gave it to my folks... you know...easy-come easy-go!"

With that he broke out laughing and then he replied, "Well it wasn't that easy!" .... "I don't want you to not appreciate the value of money and of a hard day's work!" he replied with a little concern in his voice.

I could tell that he was a wee bit concerned that maybe he had said an expression to me that he wishes he hadn't.  All the talk about "The c-note" and "Easy come easy go" were two expressions I never used before, and that I learned from him.  There were a lot of expressions I never heard before meeting Mr. Papino.

"So," he said and then hesitated, "You think you're up to ride Happy for the first time today?".... "It may be your last opportunity!"

"What do you mean?" I exclaimed loudly, are they closing the farm for the winter too?

For a minute I got my answer; the whole orchard and farm would be closed for the winter.... but I was wrong... way-wrong!

"Oh no!" he replied.... the horse stable is open all year long.  People go riding all the time.... it's just that, like Mike-The-Bike, I am also a horse-trader; I buy and sell horses all the time!"

"Ohhhh" I said, now thinking about what he said, "So your going to sell Happy too?"

Part of me was kind of disappointed because I thought that Happy was part mine.... I mean, not that I really cared that much about the horse, but I would have thought that Mr. Papino would have mentioned this to me when he first told me that it was "our" horse!

Then he replied, "Well Kyle, to be honest with you, I didn't think that you really cared that much for Happy... if you did, you would have visited her with me more often.  The only reason your with me now is for some donuts and cider.... I actually think you cared less about Happy.  If you want me to keep her, we don't have to sell her... but if you let me sell her, we can always buy another one... just like the motorcycle!"

He went on to tell me about how all his life, how "He never falls in love with a thing"... such as car, a bike, a horse or something he makes out of leather.  He said that "He never gets attached to a thing!"

"Your not going to sell Peppy....are you?" I asked him, with concern in my mind and heart.....

With that he again laughed, rubbed my hair in a mess and reassured me that that WAS NOT going to happen...that Peppy was "Family!"

He did however go on and on to express the fact that he has made money selling puppies in the past.  If Peppy was a girl-dog, and if Peppy had a litter of puppies; those he would sell without a doubt!... but Peppy was a boy so there would be no puppies for sale "Any time soon" he expressed....

So now I got it; Mr. Papino buys an old motorcycle, fixes it up in the winter, customizes it with his leather goods, and then sells it after it is fixed and ready!  In the process, he gets to go for a ride whenever he can... so just like the bike, Mr. Papino buys a horse, gets to ride it and then sells it at a profit!  I get it now.... that's pretty cool!

With that, I put a little "Spin" on my situation with riding horses.  "A spin" is when you kind of twist the truth to fit the situation, I learned....

So he wanted to know if I wanted to ride Happy before he sold her, and I replied, "Well... not really, I don't want to ride her and then get attached; especially since you have her sold" I said.  With that I kind of felt bad because it was kind of a lie... just kind of.... it was more of a bad-excuse than a lie... but now it was out there- I said it!

Mr. Papino knew that I just lied or put a "Spin" on the truth, and I could tell that it bothered him a little bit.

"You know Kyle, you don't have to lie to me about your fear of horses.... and I don't blame you for fearing horses... I too hated horses at one time; that was until my father got me to ride one and- 'the rest is history'!"

..... another expression I picked up from Mr. Papino.....

So now Mr. Papino had caught me in a lie.  He called it a lie, I called it a spin, but... it was a lie....

With that, I couldn't say anything.... I just sat there quietly while we continued driving toward the Stables.  My arms were crossed and folded on my chest.... I was gripped with shame and anger at the same time.  Mr. Papino practically called me "A liar!"

Silence filled the truck and now Peppy was noticing a change in my demeanor....

He stood up on my lap, jumped on my chest and began moaning and licking my face.... he was trying to cheer-me-up!

I started to cry, and then I started to ball my eyes out.  I lost it.....

"I'm sorry Mr. Papino... I didn't mean to lie.... it's just...it's just..." I started choking on my words and on my tears... boy was I a mess!

He pulled the truck over to the side of the road, grabbed me in his arms, hugged me tightly, mess up my hair and then, choking on his own tears he said, "I'm sorry Kyle, I didn't mean to call you a liar, please forgive me....."

Then he took out a handkerchief to dry up his tears, while I used my sleeves to dry up my own.  Peppy looked confused and just sat there watching all of this go down.

"It's true Mr. Papino.... I did lie.... I am the one that should be sorry" I expressed back.... "I am the one who should be asking for forgiveness!"

With that he kind of laughed in between tears, and said, "You're forgiven my friend... you're forgiven!" 

Chapter 8: The "C-note!"

Chapter 8 The "C-note"!

Now we were all set for Turkey Festival!  The day would start with us in the big parade of bikes.  About 1000 Motorcycle-Bikers line up and drive into town to end up at the big park where all the activities take place.  A lot of the bikers dress up in different outfits, adorning their motorcycles with lights, silly things like mannequins, blow-up dolls, teddy-bears and some things that I was told that are "Not proper" for children.  Although the bikers kind of look all mean and ugly, for the most part, they're just old and silly.

"Mr. Papino, Mr. Papino", I yelled out as I ran into his house that morning, all dressed up in my leather jacket, chaps and blue jeans.

"Good Morning" he yelled out from the kitchen.  Are you hungry?" he asked, as if he had something to offer me.

"Well," I began to say, "I just had breakfast, but what are you cooking?"

"Cooking," he said as he laughed joyfully, "I can do better than that, I got some of those fresh apple cider donuts you love so much from the Orchard after visiting with Happy the horse this morning!"

"Oh boy!" I exclaimed as I ran into the kitchen to meet him.  "There's always room in my tummy for Apple Cider Donuts!"

As I began to gobble one down, here came Peppy to join in.  I tore off a little piece of my donut and offered it to Peppy.  He gobbled it down in one piece, then he looked at me as if he was demanding more.

"Go ahead," Mr. Papino begain, "Let him have a whole one of his own!"

With that, I grabbed one from the box and put it on the floor for Peppy, as I continued my savage feast.

"Ummmm!" I moaned as I demolished one after another....

"Wow boy... slow down!" Mr. Papino insisted.... "They're not going anywhere... take your time, chew, swallow, repeat....!"

"Mr. Papino!," I chimed in, "Is there anything around here I can do right now to earn some extra money so that I could have some money for the Turkey Festival?" I asked- now lowering my voice softly, giving him that look I give when I want something.

With that, Mr. Papino replied, "Well Mr. Kyle, the truth is that YES- I do have some things for you to do."

He began to pull of up a chair and turn it around and sit on it in reverse, with his chest pushed up to the back of the chair while he folded his arms around the top of the back.  I knew I was in for a story!

"Kyle," he said softly and sternly, "I am going to need your help today." he went on..., "Today is a pretty big day for me.... we have the parade, and then we have to go open up the stand.  I need your help carrying things, setting up things, and even selling things!"

By now I got the clue that today was going to be a work-day, not a fun-day... but Mr. Papino assured me that we would have a lot of fun in the process!

"So... eat up while I get Peppy ready, and then its show-time!"

I just loved the side car for me and Peppy.  I felt safe in the side car, instead of having to hang on from the back seat of the bike.  It was like me and Peppy's own little world that little side car.  I could sit and relax, wave at people and Peppy just sat there on my lap; and together- boy, we were quite a site with our matching leather jackets, and Peppy's goggles and leather cap!  I wore my chaps which are leather front leg coverings, but they were a bit uncomfortable and as soon as the ride was over, I took them off.

We weren't the only ones in the parade and bike show that looked this way.  Other bikers brought their bikes with their kids or grand kids and their side-cars with their dogs and such.  Actually, there were probably about 10 other doggies there, and Peppy had the time of His life playing with them and hanging out with the people and other pets.  Eventually he grew tired of the jacket and hat and goggles... it was cool and cute at first, but then it just became a pain.

So no, we didn't win the contest... but that was okay.  Some biker had turned his bike into a parade float with wires, Christmas lights, and he turned his bike into Santa's sleigh.  The biker played Santa and his doggie had antlers on his head.  They looked so cool and the dog was so cute, and the biker did look like Santa, with his big belly, his white beard and white hair.

That day I noticed something interesting that I never noticed before.  Most of these bikers were kind of old... not very old, but kind of old; about the same age as Mr. Papino!

They also all kind of looked the same; old, with a belly, bearded, white or grey hair; just like Mr. Papino.... and just like Santa Claus.

After a while, they actually all looked alike, dressed in leather, and most of them had beards and beer in their hands!  The bikers liked their beers.

Most of them had tattoos, except Mr. Papino.....

"Do you have a tattoo Mr. Papino?" I asked

"I do" he replied, "I have one for you!"

I didn't quite understand what that meant?

"A tattoo for me?" I remarked with a questioning tone in my voice.

One of the venders at the event was selling temporary stick on tattoos for kids.  Mr. Papino bought a couple for me and him.
"They would come off with soap and water," he reassured me, because I didn't want to get in trouble with my parents, coming home with a tattoo... but this would be fun!

I kind of licked my arm to moisten it up, and then I stuck the patch to my arm, rubbed it for a few moments, and then carefully pulled it off my arm.  On my arm now was a tattoo of a Superhero with a cape; kind of like my Halloween costume!  I liked that!

So by now the day had warmed up a bit.  The jacket and chaps came off, Peppy was now out of costume, and I kind of rolled up my sleeve like the other bikers, to show off my new tattoo!

The bike show was awesome!  Mr. Papino's bike was a hit!  He didn't win any prizes, but some rich guy did pay him thirty-thousand dollars for his designer customized Harley Davidson!  ....30,000 dollars....WOW!  I had no idea that bikes were worth so much money....no idea!

So he was very happy... and, all day long we sold his leather items at our booth, under the canopy.  The bikers stood in line to get some of those weird turkey parts that were breaded and deep fried.  They use the weird parts, gizzards, livers and other weird turkey parts.  They kind of looked like breaded mushrooms; and I hate mushrooms so I did not try any of the weird food.... Mr. Papino told me that it was more for "An adult pallet", whatever that meant.....

There was a line at our table and booth for several hours.  I was happy when we sold out the last item because it was hard work.  A couple of people were talking to Mr. Papino like he was famous; and he even signed a couple autographs for them.  That was weird; it was like he was somebody.... somebody famous our something.

Mr. Papino looked a little concerned, as we were taking down the canopy that covered our booth.  He waved me over to himself, because the music was so loud.  I approached him and he bent down to say something in my ear....

"You see that policeman over there", he said into my ear?  I shook my head up and down - yes.  "Can you run over to him and ask him if he would come over here, that I want to talk to him".

So I ran over to the policeman, and he too had to bend down and lend me his ear because the music was so loud.  

"Yes son", he said to me, "My friend Mr. Papino over there needs your help or something" I shouted into the policeman's ear!

The policeman looked up to where I was pointing, and started to proceed towards the table and booth where we were set up.

"I could see them talking closely to one another, mouth-to-ear.  The music was so loud I couldn't hear what they were saying.  Then Mr. Papino and the officer started walking together away from the festival and he called to me, shouted and motioned, "Stay here.... I'll be right back!"

What they were doing was a mystery to me... but I stuck around and eventually Mr. Papino came back, joined me, and we began to walk around enjoying the festival.  He bought me some cotton candy, and then pulled me aside.  By now it was getting a little chilly out and I had my leather coat on, but Peppy didn't want to wear his any more.

We went to a park bench, by now we were far from the band and the loudspeakers, and we could finally talk without shouting in one another's ear!

"You did very well today Kyle," he started to say, "Thank you for all your help, we had a very good-day!" 

With that, he secretly handed me a crispy one-hundred-dollar-bill!

"What?" I said as I looked at him in amazement!  "A hundred dollars for me?"

He replied, "It's called a "C-Note".....

I was in disbelief, and although I knew I worked hard, I didn't work that hard!

I felt bad....  deep-down, I knew that I didn't deserve 100 dollars.... I was thinking more like 20 bucks... I would have been happy with twenty.

Why was he being so generous to me?  Instead of me being happy- I felt guilty... I don't know why.

"This is too much money" I said to him, handing it back to him in protest.  I just didn't feel right taking all that money.... and, I was also wondering about why he left with the policeman.  I had too many questions on my mind, and instead of me being grateful and joyful, instead I was suspicious, and I just simply didn't feel right.

Mr. Papino was now looking sad or not right.  His smile turned into a frown, and this great day was now turning into something weird.

"Where did you go with the policeman?" I then asked him, trying to figure all this out.

"Kyle," he said to me, now opening my zipper on the front of my leather jacket, placing the bill in my pocket and zipping it up, "When you go home, give this to your parents and they can save it for you so some day you can buy something or spend it however you want!  You deserve this, 'We had a good day!'"

"Do you know why I left with the policeman?" he then asked me.

"No" I replied, "Why?"

He replied, "Because we took in over $40,000 dollars today.  Thirty-thousand was a check for the bike, but we sold over $10,000 dollars worth of product today, and I had $10,000 dollars cash on me, and I didn't want to get robbed... so- I asked the policeman to escort me out of there so I could go put the money in a safe place!  Kyle, we had a very good day today!"  Then he said something I never heard before: He said after a big-wink in-his-eye, "Easy come, easy go!"

With this I began to feel good again.  Now I knew why he left with the policeman, now I didn't feel bad about taking the $100 dollar bill, and now things began to make sense!  I really was a big help today, helping Mr. Papino set up the booth, carry the stuff, sell the items, collect the cash, watch Peppy, and hang out with him all day!

By now I was beat, it was a long day and I actually worked and got paid for my efforts.... WOW!

The sun started setting, the people started leaving, the festival was over, but- WOW- what a day!

When we got home, I was so excited to tell my folks about all that happened that day... from the Parade to the carnival to the bike show and then the sales booth.  From the weird turkey parts to the big day Mr. Papino and I had.  I showed them my tattoo and then.... I unzipped my leather front pocket, and pulled out the $100 dollar bill, and with a big smile on my face I said handing them the bill, "And this is for you... I earned it, but I want you to have it!"   

With that, my parents replied, "This is a lot of money for one day's work, are you sure you want us to keep this?"

I turned and looked back at them and replied with a big-wink in-my-eye; "Hey, it's just a C-note,,,,, easy come- easy go!"

Chapter 7: Peppy & the Gang-of-Three!

Chapter 7 in a Series: My Puppy Peppy Papino

This weekend was going to be fun!  Mr. Papino rented a booth at the Turkey Festival in town, and the entire weekend was going to be all about the big parade, Motorcycle Bike Shows, Car shows and Bike races at our local drag-strip, carnival rides, cotton candy, live bands, thousands of bikers and tourists, action everywhere you turn!

As for us; we had a booth which consisted of a canopy tent, a table, and lots of leather-made products that Mr. Papino had made throughout the year in his workshop.  I had no clue that he was making all these things every day.... I thought he was retired!

He had horse-saddles, motorcycle seats, leather jackets, head-bands, leather chaps, leather belts, leather side-bags for motorcycles, and other leather items; all with the insignia "by J.P." on them... the same as the logo on my new leather coat... and boy, did I love my leather coat!

On Friday morning, on my way to school, Mr. Papino waved at me from his front porch and said, "Hey, stop by after school, I have something to show you"... here we go again....you know the routine.

So all day long I wondered "What now", and when I did get home and go next door, boy- this man still knows how to surprise me.

"Hey Mr. Papino", I said as I walked into his busy shop.  He was still sewing on this noisy sewing machine, and when he saw me enter, he finished his stitching and greeted me with a smile.

"Hey Mr. Kyle, how was school today?" he asked.

"It was okay, I wore my jacket again... my friends just love it.  Carolyn Simmons said that 'I look cute in it'; I think she likes me!"
I replied with a big smile on my face. " I think she is pretty cute too, and if that was a way for telling me that she likes me... well... maybe some day she can be my girlfriend."

"Oh" he replied, "You have the attention of the ladies I see!"

"Everyone likes the coat Mr. Papino, and I just love it... thank you very much!" I gratefully thanked him.

"Well" he said with a sort of down-tone, "Truth-be-told, you're going to outgrow that coat in about a year!  Then.... Lord-willing, I'll make you a new one, and you can sell that one at the festival next year; you'll probably snatch a pretty-penny for it!"

That thought never crossed my mind for a second.  I was growing, and I would probably hopefully outgrow that mini-leather coat... but now he put the idea in my head that I could put some money in my pocket and with that, I exclaimed loudly, "Really... how much money?"

He laughed a slow hard laugh, "Well hehehehe..... probably about a two-hundred-dollars or so!"...

"Two-hundred dollars" I replied loudly..."Really?''.... "Seriously"....

"Oh yea, ... seriously"..... he restated.

"Let me explain something to you my little friend", he spoke as he began to pull out a chair and take a seat in effort to tell me a story.  Whenever he tells me a story, he usually starts out by pulling up a chair, wiping his face from his sweat, and settling into his chair to share a story with me.  I could tell that I was going to hear a story from Mr. Papino....

"Everything today is modern" he went on saying... "Barely anything is home made.  Most things are from China or somewhere overseas made in factories, quickly and cheaply.  Most items are made from cheap fabrics and inferior quality animal skins.  My leather products are from the best cows and bulls imported from Spain!  They are still produced the old fashioned way, and the quality of my leather is the best in the world!  There are not a lot of guys like me left on this planet anymore... guys who make things with their own two hands, slowly, with quality stitching, the best leather, and made slowly instead of mass production.  You my friend own a genuine "J.P.!"  

The more he talked, the more I felt bad... now I didn't feel bad bad, I just felt kind of awkward.  I never considered how much time, effort and money that went into my leather jacket... I mean, I kind of knew, but I hadn't really ever given it much thought or appreciation.

Here it was, I owned a genuine "J.P.", and didn't even realize what that meant.

Then he said, "Actually young man, if you hang on to that jacket, someday after I'm gone, it may be worth 1000 dollars".... "You may want to keep it to pass it down to your son some day."

This took me to a place I had never been before.... my mind was spinning.... there were many things going through my head.

I replied, "Where are you going.... are you leaving here some day?"

"Why we are all leaving here someday young man... none of us live forever!" he calmly replied....

"What do you mean," I asked, "Where are you going and when are you leaving?"

I could see that in the look of his eyes, that he now knew or realized that I didn't really have a concept of death yet.  Sure, I knew that people and things die; I just had not ever given a second thought to the fact that he would someday die, or that I would someday die; I just never gave it a second-thought until now!

With all of this, he could see that I became a little uneasy with this subject.  I kind of shrunk back and lost my cheerful mindset.  One minute we're talking about making money, the next moment we are discussing his death.

He grabbed me softly but firmly by the wrists, looked into my tear-filled eyes, and said, "Don't worry little man; I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon!"

With that I felt a little better, but then there were the other things he said that sparked my imagination; the thought that some day I would be a father, and have a son to pass down that jacket to... WOW... I had never given that a thought as well!

After Mr. Papino finished his story about china, factories, the quality of leather, mass production versus one-of-a-kind; with all of this, my mind was overwhelmed.  You know, its amazing how a little story can change your life in a moment.  Until now, I never really appreciated what I had.  I never had a concept of quality, craftsmanship, art, one-of-a-kind things, arts and designer clothing... it just never crossed my mind.  This conversation really changed my whole outlook on life!

I never thought about one day, being married and being a father and having a son or daughter of my own.  I had never thought of the fact that one day, Mr. Papino, my folks or even myself might die.

I was deeply moved by our little conversation, and I could tell that he was concerned that maybe his conversation was a bit too adult for me; so I wanted to reassure him that I was old enough for this discussion.

"Well" I replied, "We don't live forever... so let's make the best of things right now while we can...."

I didn't know where that came from, and now I was trying to cheer him up; but still... deep down, I was just faking it.

"Mr. Papino" I asked, in a low and somber voice, "Will Peppy die someday too?"

"Son" he said to me, holding my wrists and looking me in the eyes, "We will all die some day, but we cannot fear death.  God has a way of making us old... slowing us down... making us ready to someday want to go be with him.  We get old... we get tired... and sometimes death is something we can look forward to!"

"So," I said, with a teardrop in my eye, "How long do you think Peppy will be with us?"

For the first time in my life, I realized the concept that we don't live forever; here on earth anyways.....  For the first time, I had to look down the timeline of life, considering death for not only me, my parents and Mr. Papino; but for Peppy.  I couldn't imagine Peppy dying... and the thought of it made me sick.

"Someday" he said, "We will all be together in Heaven, so don't you worry about a thing young man!"

With that, I began to be restored again.  My heart filled with joy and excitement again and now we were back to the reason I was there to begin with.

"So... what do you want to show me?" I exclaimed with eagerness;

"Well" he said, now standing up and moving to the corner of the garage where the motorcycle stood covered by the tarp, "If we're going to be in a parade, we need a place for Peppy to ride".

With that, he unveiled the bike again, but this time there was the coolest little side-car attached to the bike; big enough for me and Peppy to ride in safely!

"Wow!" I exclaimed, climbing into the side car.  "Wow wee!"

With that, Peppy lifted his head from the nap he was taking in the corner, and came running.  Peppy leaped into my lap in the side-car, and sat on my lap, smiling away, as excited as I was to be able to participate in the parade... in top fashion!

Then Mr. Papino held up a little leather jacket for Peppy, with some leather type flying goggles that fit perfectly onto Peppy's head and over his eyes!

Between the three of us on this deluxe leather bike, with deluxe designer leathers, with a side car and a puppy all dressed up; we were certain to be the hit of the parade!  We were so cool!  Now I really liked the bike, because I felt safe in the side car, and the ability to be able to take Peppy with us on the ride and in the parade just made my day!  Once again, there we were, all three of us, laughing, smiling, carrying on like the little motorcycle gang that we were... all dressed in leather like the real bikers!  But more than that- we were-  a gang-of-three!

Chapter 6 Peppy, Happy & Mike The Bike!

Chapter 6  Peppy, Happy & Mike the Bike; part of a series of chapters in the making of the book: My Pet Puppy Peppy Papino

The ride on the motorcycle to school was fun.  We passed by some school buses that a lot of my buddies were on, and as we passed, they stuck their heads out of their windows, waved, shouted and smiled at us as we drove by.  Once we got to school, all the kids came running up to us as I was getting off the bike.

"This is my best friend Mr. Papino" I shouted, introducing the crowd to Jose.

"Hello kids," he shouted over the sound of the bike as he began to turn it off and take off his helmet.

All the kids wanted to touch the bike... all over the place.  It was like they never seen a bike up close like that.  One thing for sure, they never seen a bike like this before!

"Wow" the kids said, stroking the long leather seat, side bags and all.... "Can we go for a ride" they all started chanting while jumping up and down anxiously....

"Well.... sorry kids, I don't know if your folks would go for that, and there are so many of you".... "Maybe someday...." he inserted as he handed me my book bag from the leather side-bags.

We both knew that I was the only boy privileged to ride on that bike, and that the bike was soon to be sold anyways.  We were well into autumn, Halloween had passed, we did the orchard thing, and now, once we do the bike show at Turkey Fest, the bike is sure to go.... so, I would have to enjoy it while I could!

Like I said before; this festival is usually the last one of the season for the bikers since it starts to get cold heading into thanksgiving.  This festival is like the year-end party, because after this, the bikers usually put their bikes away for the winter.  The festival was coming up that weekend, and after that... down hill all the way into winter.... uggh.... I hate winter!

"Stop by after school," he whispered to me as I was getting ready to head to class.  The first bell rang and that meant I had to get going.  "Stop by.... I have something to show you!"  ....and here we go again!

Now I had to suffer all day in class, wondering what it was this time?

As soon as the 3:30 bell rang-out... I was outta-there!  I ran home and went straight into his house, crying out, "Mr. Papino... Mr. Panino....!"

"Out here!".... he called out from the back yard.  I flew down the stairs and went out back to the workshop where, once again, he was at his sewing machine, working on some leather.

"What do you think?" he asked me, now holding up a leather item.

"What is it?" I replied....

"Well come here it check it out...try it on..." he said with an anxious look and smile....

It was a miniature leather jacket, just like the one he wears!  It was beautiful.... wow....very, very cool....

"Go ahead, let's see if it fits you", he said.

So I eagerly tried it on and it fit well for the most part, but I was a little disappointed when the sleeves were way to long.  At the time, I didn't understand that he was a Taylor, and that this was an easy fix....

So he then rolled up the sleeves that had encompassed my hands by several inches.  He rolled up my sleeves, took out a marking pencil and drew a slash where the sleeves should end up....

"Not a problem" he said confidently...  We always go long until we can get your measurements.  I'll have it finished before the weekend party.  We can ride in the parade together, matching outfits and all.  Then you can help me at the booth I am renting.  Then we are going to enter the contest or bike-show and try to take home a trophy, some cash prizes, and hopefully a check somebody may write me to buy ole Mike."

"Ole-Mike?" I replied in a questioning tone...

"Ole-Mike the Bike" he retorted.

So now we had Peppy the Puppy, Happy the Horse and Mike the Bike....WOW!

On his leather bike seat I saw the initials, "by J.P."; J.P. stood for Jose Papino; his trademark....

I noticed the same insignia on my new leather jacket.... then he informed me that it was "A designer jacket"; and that he was the designer!

Not only was the leather jacket hand-made, home-made and custom made to fit me; but it was also made by a serious craftsman who in his own little realm was kind of a famous designer!

"Okay, he said... take it off and I'll get you straightened out".  As he began to help with take off this bulky coat with over sized long sleeves, my hands kind of got caught up in the leather.  He began to help me pull my hands through, and once they were free, they flung around his neck and gripped him firmly.  Once again, there we stood, hugging, laughing, crying and carrying on.... and...once again, here came running Peppy the Puppy, jumping into our arms to get some loving too.  There the three of us huddled, laughed and smiled.... we were a little family!

Chapter 4 Peppy The Puppy & Happy The Horse!

Chapter 4  Peppy Papino's New Friend

So now we had two pets we shared, Mr. Papino and I had Peppy the Puppy, and now Happy the Horse! WOW!!!!

Another good thing about having a horse is that we really didn't have to take care of it.  Happy would stay at the Orchard Ranch, and we could visit him and the other horses anytime we wanted to!

Now, when Mr. Papino told me that he had bought Happy the Horse, and that we could share him, in the back of my mind I wasn't really overjoyed.  I still had a fear of horses, and now I knew that Mr. Papino wanted me to overcome that fear... and... actually ride a horse!

The horse seemed smaller than the others too.... I didn't know if it was like a puppy or young horse; or- if the horse was just a small bread or stature.  I liked the idea that it was smaller than the others, because I was pretty small myself.  Some people even called me "Shorty", which did bother me.

"So", Mr. Papino started to say, "Ready for a ride?"

I was definitely NOT ready for a ride.  I was still trying to get over the fact that Mr. Papino just laid down a thousand dollars; and I was hoping that he didn't do it for me!  I knew that Mr. Papino had a love for horses, but buying one was something I didn't see coming.  Deep down, I was also hoping that he wasn't trying to buy my love; I loved him like a grandpa, and I didn't need a horse, a pony or even a puppy to bond us together... we were friends; best friends... horse or no horse; puppy or no puppy.

So now there was a question that deserved an answer; "Was I ready for a ride?".... and the answer that came from my mouth was, "No!"

There... I said it... I was NOT ready to ride a horse just then and there.  The truth was, I really did not like horses at all... I mean, their nice to look at and feed an apple to, but- did I want one?... did I want to ride one... and the answer again was "No".

Mr. Papino didn't look surprised or disappointed in my response.  He kind of knew that I still was uncomfortable with these huge beasts; even though Happy was of a smaller size.  Still, I really, really, really actually just wanted to get some more of those apple cider donuts; but I didn't have any money- and I was hungry

"Well Mr. Papino," I replied, "I really need to get back home, get some breakfast in me and do some chores for my folks".  

"Oh" he said, "Okay, that's okay, we'll do it another time".
"Let's at least visit Happy and I'll show you how to groom her while we're here... it won't take long and then we'll head on back".

So he had brought some horse stuff like a blanket, some brushes and some tools to dig out the horses shoes.  Happy seemed happy to see me, and now for the first time, I was at the other side of the fence, in the horse pen, with the horses, acting like I was okay with that... but I wasn't.  I wasn't comfortable at all with these huge beasts all around me, able to kill me or crush me.

So he handed me a brush and said, "Be gentle and stroke only in one direction." as he put his hand over mine, showing me how to brush her so lightly, and how to talk to her while doing so.

"Nice Happy... nice Happy", he said softly to her, while helping me stroke or brush her.  

Happy whinnied a bit, her head bopping up and down, and she shuffled her feet a bit as if she too was a little uncomfortable... and she was....

Happy had only just met us the day before, and now we owned her, and we were treating her like we owned her; but she hardly knew us, and I also think that she knew that I was a bit frightened by all of this; so- she in response seemed a little uneasy too....

Even though Mr. Papino had a knack for horses, it didn't guarantee that the horses would automatically adjust to him.  Mr. Papino then grabbed Happy by the ropes around her head and petted her, patted her and stroked her long neck.  She liked that, and she kind of used her head to nudge him.... they were bonding....

We left Peppy in the truck however.  Mr. Papino didn't want the puppy to get in the way of our bonding process I guess.  At this time, I could see little Peppy's head over the dash board as he watched us brushing, petting and stroking our new friend.  When I made eye-contact with him, he barked!  YEP, he barked, like a dog, not a puppy and not a yelp, but a real, short, precise, bark, "BARK!"

I knew what he was trying to say, Peppy was trying to say, "Hey, what about me?"  "Hello....hello....!"

So by now my stomach was growling and I really wanted a donut; but I had no money and since I rushed out of the house that morning, I didn't even grab a banana or anything to shove in my mouth.

Although me and Mr. Papino were pretty tight, I really wasn't too comfortable with him regarding money... but I had no money and now I was hungry.  I either needed a donut, or I needed to go back home where the food was.... I actually really just wanted to leave; I wanted to get back to the truck, hang out with my puppy, love him, pet him, make him feel loved instead of jealous... and I really wanted a donut!

"Should we buy some more donuts" Mr. Papino broke in?

I replied, "I forgot to ask my mom for money", I said timidly, then looking down at the ground.

"Oh, don't worry" he stated, "Let's go in and get a dozen... I'll pay, I got money".

With that things seemed to get better.  So I ran to the truck to get Peppy, and he finished up with Happy, put the items back in his truck, and we went into the barn where they were making and selling all their apple products.

He got me some more cider, and he got himself some adult-cider, and we got a dozen donuts to go!  

I popped one into my mouth and oh-my-God, it was warm still...warm, juicy and delicious!  It was the best donut ever!

I tore another one into bite size pieces for Peppy, and he gobbled it up as well.  I was happy now, and deep down I was happy to get out of that horse pen.  I really hoped that he didn't buy Happy the horse for me.  The reason I thought that he did is because Happy the horse was kind of a midget horse or runt; she wasn't as big as the other horses, and quite frankly I wondered if she was big enough for an adult to ride her like Mr. Papino!

"Will Happy ever get big like the other horses" I asked Mr. Papino.

"Well" he replied while licking his fingers, "Maybe a little bigger, but not much.  She is what we call the runt of the litter".

"Am I a runt" I asked him?

He laughed and replied, "Why would you ask that?"

"Because I am one of the shortest kids in my class" I said....

"Oh, don't worry" he remarked, "You're just a late bloomer".

I had no idea what a "Late bloomer" was, and then he mentioned something about puberty; another subject that I didn't know what he was talking about.... so I just went with it.

"Is Happy big enough for an adult to ride?" I asked him, now licking my own fingers....

"Sure she is, I can't wait to ride her"... "How about you?  Do you want to ride her?" he asked.

I replied, "Maybe someday, but not today!"

"That's reasonable" he stated, "At least you are keeping an open-mind", "I had my doubts".....

Now he had my mind spinning; why did "He have his doubts".  Did I look that scared or petrified?  The truth was that I did looked scared and petrified... because I was scared and petrified!  I was actually more uneasy with the other huge horses... it wasn't Happy that scared me; it was the other horses that were so big and scary.  Actually, I guess I did bond with Happy, because on the way out as we were driving away, I caught myself waving to her and shouting, "Bye... we'll be back!"

Pepe Papino Goes To The Orchard

Chapter 3

The day after Halloween is also one of my favorite days, because every year that I could remember, we go to the Apple Orchard outside of town.  There they have rows and rows of Apple trees, pumpkin patches and they even have a corn maze!  Last year I really got lost in it, but eventually I found my way.

There's nothing like the smell of the apple donuts, apple cider and apple pies baking away in the barn they converted to a big market place.  There we get to go on hay rides, sit by a fire, eat, drink apple cider and take in the smells of autumn!  This year, I went with Mr. Papino, and our course- Peppy!

Peppy really enjoyed the Halloween Party where he was certainly the star!  The people just loved his outfit, and mine of course; but they really loved Peppy the puppy!  He was still quite young enough to be called a Puppy, and boy- did he carry on like one!
All the people with their ewwws and their little cute statements.  All night long he drew compliments, cute little remarks, and it does seem like everybody has what I now call, "The puppy voice"!  You know, that tone people take at the sight of a puppy, or kitten or human baby.  Sometimes you hear the weirdest things come out of the mouths of some people.  There was this big fat dude there that just melted when he saw Peppy there in his cape and superhero outfit!  His voice shrunk up into this weird high-pitch sound, as the large man reached down, scooped up Peppy, and started kissing him while of course- Peppy kissing back.  My first reaction was that of a little jealousy, you know like, "Who said you could pick up my dog!".... but that emotion quickly faded as I could see how much joy Peppy brought to this large older man.  Everybody loved Peppy! ... and, once again, everybody loved our outfits together.

Why do people always rub my head?  It's like they actually are rubbing my hair, messing it up!  I have to comb it all the time!  I guess that's what happens when you are as cute as I was!... and the pictures...wow!... everybody wanted to take a picture with Peppy but the poor puppy was so manhandled that day that by the time we came home; Peppy was wiped out and ready for bed!

So off to the orchard we went, Mr. Papino drove us in his Ford Pickup truck.  Peppy still wanted to at least wear the cape, and since it was a little nippy, Mr. Papino allowed him to keep it on... and yes, here we go again!

Sometimes I felt invisible around Peppy because he drew all the attention.  It's not that I wanted attention, but people just seem to gravitate towards my puppy, and it does bother me a bit when they pick him up without even asking me!  The older he got, however, that eventually stopped.  People don't scoop up mature dogs like they will a cute puppy or kitten.  So, once again, Peppy got all the attention at the apple orchard, and that was okay; and of course, everybody was taking snapshots and selfies with him.  I wish I had a dollar for everybody that loved Peppy or that rubbed my head and messed up my hair.  After a while, I stopped combing and just went with the look.  Why do people do that?  They mess up my hair and go, "What's up buddy", or "Little buddy?"  I was twelve... I wasn't that little anymore!

So Peppy enjoyed his massive attention once again, and Mr. Papino enjoyed how much the people over there admired his little cape.  There's something about a home-made item that brings joy to the maker or artist.  Mr. Papino was truly an artist of a different type.

Mr. Papino had never been to the Apple Orchard before, and with the orchard came the barn, the farm, and of course- horses!  When we arrived, he almost shouted for joy, something like, "Wow, you didn't tell me they had horses!"

And yes they did... and they had a bunch of them standing around, chewing hay, and of course- gladly receiving donations of apples from whoever had some to offer them.  It's kind of like going to a petting zoo; you buy some food and they allow you to feed the animals, goats, or whatever... here, it was horses!

Horses love apples, and people love watching horses eat the apples that they give them.  For me, horses always scared me or intimidated me because they are so huge; with their huge heads and such.  Mr. Papino could see that I was NOT as fond of horses as he; and boy- was he fond of horses.... and, as it seemed- they were fond of him!

Mr. Papino had a natural draw for horses!  They just seemed to sense his spirit and walk right up to him as though they already knew him or something?  It was weird... very weird... it's like he had a horse spirit or something.....

So the first thing Mr. Papino wanted to do was to visit the horses, but I told him that we needed some apples first- to feed the horses, so we went into the barn store and as we did, the smells filled the air and my senses brought back memories of years past, visiting the orchard every year after Halloween.  I got some apple cider that was sweet, but Mr. Papino got some that was warm; it was called, "Hard-cider"... but at the time, I didn't know what that meant.  For me, it meant weird tasting; for Mr. Papino- it meant grown-up cider, and he did enjoy his grown-up cider!

Mr. Papino was eager to get back to the horses; and he was even more eager to share his love for horses with me... because, like I said; "I really didn't like horses that much!"

So we bought some apples that were cheaper because they were soft and maybe a little bruised.... "These are perfect for the horses" said Mr. Papino... and off we went!

The horses had their own area with a white fence all around it.  Like I said, as soon as we showed up, they all came running... well, maybe not running, but there was something about Mr. Papino's spirit that drew them naturally to him... and here they came.

I shrunk back a little as they approached the fence where Mr. Papino stood with his arms outstretched, apple in hand!  The first horse that was all brown with a beautiful main came up to him and took the apple from his hand with his mouth.  The horse was so cute, chewing the apple and showing its big teeth... and they were big.  Mr. Papino placed an apple in my hand and told me, "Go ahead, they won't bite!", but- when I held one out to the next horse standing there, it bit me!  Well... it didn't bite me, but my finger got in the way when I held up the apple.  I guess you have to know how to hold it and when to let go!  So, my finger got nibbled on, and Mr. Papino... all he could do is laugh and laugh.  At first I didn't think it was funny at all, especially since he told me, "They won't bite!", but, after a few seconds, all I could do was laugh and laugh, along with Mr. Papino!  Once again, we stood there laughing together, and then Mr. Papino rubbed my head, messed up my hair and patted me on the back.

Peppy seemed to like the horses too!  He quickly went right under the pen fence  and entered into the area where the horses were.  At first I freaked out because I thought he was in danger!

"Peppy!" I cried out, as the dog slipped under the fence.  "Peppy- come back here!" I screamed in terror.  

Now you have to remember, Peppy is small, I am small, the horses are big, and now Peppy is on the other side of the fence just waiting to be trampled on.  

"Oh my God...Mr. Papino, what are we going to do?" I exclaimed with fear in my voice!

Well Mr. Papino wasn't even moved by what I considered to be a major crisis!  He just watched and smiled and said, "He'll be alright...don't worry."

...and with that, I looked again to see Peppy, walking around the horse pen, sniffing the horses feet, and the horses didn't mind him at all.  It seemed very natural, normal, as if they all knew each other... you know, the horses, Peppy and Mr. Papino; it was like they knew each other already; and- that was kind of weird.

There was a kind of smaller horse that began to kind of play with Peppy.  It kind of nudged Peppy and then puppy nudged back.  Peppy began barking at the small horse and it whinnied back.  It was like they were talking with one another; having a conversation or something?

The barn hand was now in the horse pen, spreading out some hay.  He came over to us.

"I see your doggy has made a new friend?" he stated while resting one of his legs on the fence, taking off his baseball cap and wiping the sweat off his face with a bandanna.   "That's our newest member of the family, her name is Happy the horse... because she's always happy" he said with a smile, still wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Mr. Papino replied, "Well my name is Jose, this here is Kyle, and that our friend is Peppy... because he's always peppy!"

Then he replied, "Glad to meet you guys, my name is Namor"... then he rubbed my hair and patted me on the head.... uh!

Peppy came back from the horse pen and as I was attending to Peppy, Mr. Papino, or I guess I could say, "Jose", Jose was busy talking with the farm hand. 

I started to wander around while Jose got into a deep discussion with Namor.  I guess they both found something in common and of mutual interest which was- horses.  They were probably about the same age too.  They just stood their at the fence line for a long time, while I took in the sights, the sounds and the smells or my favorite time of year- the fall, or autumn time.

I wanted to go on a hay ride, pick some apples, eat some donuts, drink some more cider, and get some donuts to take home to my mom and pa; but Mr. Papino or Jose just stood there gabbing away...so, Peppy and I started wandering around. 

I didn't have any money on me since Jose said that "It was his treat"... but I was too shy to interrupt those two now new friends.

We eventually had to pull Jose away to get on with the business at hand.  I could see the two exchanging information or something as we re-approached the horse pen.

"Oh...I'm so sorry Kyle, here I am gabbing away", Mr. Papino apologized.  

The farm hand Namor then also excused himself as he went back to work, pitching hay around.

Peppy then scooted under the fence again to go visit his new buddy or pony-friend "Happy!"  Those two hit it off and seemed happy to know one another.  Then Happy approached the fence line where I stood watching, and nudged me with a friendly nudge, almost insisting that I pet her or stroke her.  

Mr. Papino said softly, "I think she likes you!"  I had never really pet a horse before, and Mr. Papino showed me how to gently stroke her above the nose...ever so lightly!  I could tell that the horse liked that, but then all of a sudden Peppy started getting jealous, so Mr. Papino picked up Peppy, raised her to the top of the fence post, and we were all rubbing each other like a big happy family... then I got it!  Now I understood why people are always messing up my hair; they are petting me kind of!  So I, Jose, Peppy and Happy all stood around nudging, petting and patting each other on the head; what a sight!

So Jose made some new friends, I broke my fear of horses, Peppy made some friends and the whole bunch of us had a great time that day!

The next morning I was tired and it was the weekend.  I slept in and stayed in bed for the whole morning.  As I lay there, I could here Peppy barking or yelping I should say... he was still too little to actually bark.

I kind of raised my head from my pillow to pear out the window, and Peppy was next door, yelping at the window as to get my attention or something!  I quickly got up, threw on my pants and went outside to investigate.

As I came out the front door, Mr. Papino was busy loading up something in his pick up truck.

"Come on" he shouted as I made eye-contact with him; "Let's go for a ride; I want to show you something!"

As I began to get ready for this mysterious ride and whatever it was that "He wanted to show me".... my mind started dreaming again.  Like I said, everytime Mr. Papino says that, something neat happens!

My mother wanted to make me breakfast, but instead I grabbed a few of those wonderful apple-cider donuts we got from the orchard the day before.  One for me, one for Jose, and one for Peppy!

I jumped into the passenger side of his pickup truck and Peppy jumped on my lap... and- off we went!

"Where are we going?" I shouted out over the sound of the truck and the wind....

Jose replied loudly, "You'll see!"

We started driving out of town in the same direction we went the day before... towards the apple orchard.

"I want to get me some more of those donuts and cider" he exclaimed.  So off we went, again, to the orchard.

As we pulled in, Namor waved at us and approached the truck as we drew to a stop!

"She's already for you Mr. Papino" he shouted!

Mr. Papino got out of the truck, approached Namor, and handed him 10 one-hundred dollar bills!  I never saw such big money in my life!  He counted it out one by one as he handed it over to Namor; "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten!"

Namor closed his hand with the money in it and shook Mr. Papino's hand with the other, "Deal" he said- breaking the handshake.

What just happened here?  A thousand dollars for some apples and cider I thought?

No... Mr. Papino just bought Happy the Horse; the donut thing was a diversion!

"What do you think of our new buddy- Happy?" he asked me with a huge smile on my face!

"What" I replied with disbelief?

"Are you ready for a ride?" he asked.

"What... are you serious?", I said.
Like I said, Mr. Papino was raised around horses... he loved them.  His whole house and workshop was filled with horse related items. Since he moved into the town, he couldn't keep horses there, but I guess he made an arrangement to own a horse and keep it at the horse farm and Orchard!

"So this is your horse now" I asked him?

"No Kyle, this is our new horse now!"

WOW... so now we shared a dog and a horse, Happy and Peppy!

My Pet Puppy Peppy-Pepino!

Chapter One

Once upon a time lived a man named Jose Papino.  He moved into our town when he was about 60 years old.  We thought at the time that he was Mexican, but he was actually from Europe, he grew up in Spain and moved to America when he was about 20 years old.

Mr. Pepino was a widower, his wife had passed just prior to him moving to our small town in Illinois.  He had no children and he lived alone.  He spoke English well, and had a bit of an accent.  He was short, had thick grey-hair, he looked tan, and he was a very nice man.  

He would sit on his front porch each morning sipping coffee and reading the local newspaper.  He retired early but continued to work in his garage, making leather type stuff.  He made custom saddles for horses, leather boots and other custom made leather items.  I guess he was an artisan; he was good at his craft, and it seemed like he did well in his trade.  By the look of things, it appeared that he had some money.  He had nice things, he didn't have to work, and all his days were spent either on his front porch, or in his garage that he turned into a type of barn like stable-like workshop.  He did live in town so he couldn't keep horses, but the decor or theme of his home and outbuildings were all about horses.

My name is Kyle, his next door neighbor.  I was twelve years old when I met Mr. Pepino, and we quickly became best friends!   We hung out together all the time. 

Our favorite thing to do together is to hang out on his wrap-around covered front porch during rainy days, kicking back, sipping lemonade and listening to Mr. Pepino tell me stories about life in Spain, growing up on a ranch, and actually living like a cowboy... a Spanish cowboy.

A lot of kids would hang out on Mr. Pepino's front porch.  Sometimes we would hang out there even if he wasn't with us.  We kind of adopted him and his home as our neighborhood hangout, and he didn't mind it at all.  He was actually kind of lonely, and he liked our company.

One day Mr. Pepino told me that he had a surprise to show me.  He went inside his house while I waited on the porch.

"Hey Kyle," Mr. Pepino said, "I have something to show you, wait right here and I'll go and get it".

I was intrigued as to what this surprise was! I waited patiently on the old front porch while I could hear Mr. Pepino talking in the background; but I didn't know who he was talking to?

As he approach the front screen door, I could see he was holding a cardboard box, so I helped him by opening and holding open the door, while he brought his special package outside to show me.

"Go ahead and open it" he insisted.... so I got down on my knees, pulled on one of the flaps on the top of the box, and much to my surprise and amazement, out popped a puppy-dog!

"Oh boy" I exclaimed, "You got a new puppy!... awe" I said as the puppy was now licking my entire face and it appeared very happy to see me!  It kept making some grunting like sounds as it licked away at my face while enjoying my hugs, kisses and interaction.

The puppy was a mix breed, a little of this and a little of that; a mutt I was told.  Mr. Pepino saw an ad in the paper and decided that he wanted a full-time friend to call his buddy.  

He asked me, "What shall we call him?"  The dog was so active and peppy, so I said, "Let's call him Peppy"; and that was the name that stuck!  That was the day I met my pet puppy Peppy Papino.

Now it really wasn't my puppy at all; but it did appear that Mr. Pepino was more than willing to share him with me... because my folks wouldn't allow me to own or have a pet.  It was "Our dog" or puppy- Mr. Pepino insisted....

"Here's the deal", Mr. Pepino went on; "If you help me walk him and help me take care of him, we can share him and he will be our puppy dog!"

"Oh boy" I shouted while hugging my new pet!  I embraced that little puppy like it was a big-ole teddy bear!  What a deal, I get to have a puppy but I don't have to watch it all the time.  I could instead visit it as often as I wanted!

I didn't know it, but Mr. Papino thought that I named the puppy Peppy as in "Pe-pe"... a Spanish word... but I named him Peppy because he was so peppy!  It worked both ways, "Pe-pe', Peppy", same difference.....

So he called him "Pe-pe" and I called him "Peppy".

Chapter Two


So that summer flew by, and Peppy grew some, but not much.  It was easy to see that Pepe was going to be a small dog some day.  He seemed like a mix of a Chihuahua, a Boston or a Pug.  He had slick fur that was black and white, and a permanent smile on his face; he was always peppy and happy!

That Halloween, Mr. Pepino asked me, "What are you going to be for Halloween?"  I stopped to think about it and I said, "I don't know, maybe a Superhero?"

I didn't know it, but in addition to working with leather, Mr. Papino was also a type of Taylor.  He had an old sewing machine in his workshop and was very good at making things.  He asked me what type of Superhero I wanted to be, and I said, "I don't know, one that wears a cape and is able to fly I guess...."

Then he asked, "What are your Superhero powers?" I replied, "Well, besides being able to fly, I am super-strong, I have ex-ray vision, and I sing."  

He replied, "A singing super-hero....huh?"

I liked to sing a lot.  If I wasn't singing, I would be humming, humming a tune, a favorite song, or- or just humming along.

He had some material on a shelf that was shiny and smooth.  He asked me, "If you want, I could make you a cape and a little outfit for Halloween?"

I hadn't really given it much thought, but if he was willing, "Heck- why not" I answered....

We live in a nice neighborhood in a small town in Illinois called Byron.  It is a river town, and there are a lot of old houses along the river and in town.  During the fall season, our town is big on football, corn-mazes, October-fest, Fall-festivals, and a big one called "Turkey Testicle Festival".  We are famous for that one!

Since our town is on the river and since we have a lot of bars in town, motorcyclists or bikers often come through the town; and on Turkey Testicle Festival, thousands of bikers emerge on our small town.  Since it is in the fall, often, bikers look at this party or festival as the last one of the year before they put their bikes away for the winter.  Often it is cold, but they bundle up in their leather gear and come out anyways!

Since Mr. Papino is all about leather, he opens up his shop to the many bikers that come through the town on that day.  He actually sells a lot of leather goods that he makes throughout the year in his workshop.  He makes these leather chaps for the riders, custom leather coats and gear, and other custom leather products that the bikers just love!  That one day per year he probably brings in enough money to live through the next year.  Whatever he makes; they buy!  He sells out each year!  I guess he is kind of famous for such products; I never really knew that because I wasn't a biker; but the bikers knew him or knew of him; He was famous among the bikers!

So the day before Halloween of my twelfth year, as I was walking to school, Mr. Pepino shouted out to me, "Hey- stop on by when you have a moment; I have something to show you".  The last time he said that I got to meet Peppy!  What did he want to show me now?

All day long at school I wondered what it was that Mr. Pepino wanted to show me?  I kept day-dreaming about this now- new mystery.....

As soon as the school bell rang I dashed out of class and went straight to Mr. Pepino's house. I jumped three stairs and started pounding oh his door; "Mr. Pepino, Mr. Pepino" I called out while knocking or pounding in his screen door frame.  He didn't answer so I ran out back to the workshop where I found him working at the Old sewing machine.... the type you have to use your feet to make it work....

"Hey!" I shouted over the sound of the machine.  He looked up over the top of his bi-focal glasses and smiled and in return shouted back, "Hey you!...."

He took a few seconds to finish his stitching and then silence entered the shop as he stopped the sewing machine.

"So"... he stated while holding up an item, "What do you think?"

Much to my amazement, he had made me a Super-hero cape that was awesome.  It had fantastic colors and it had a string to tie it around my neck!  Then he showed me the rest of the outfit.  He made me super-hero pants and a super-hero mask out of the same material.  He made me a custom super-hero outfit that my folks told me must have cost a fortune.  Later I found out that he was such an artisan, that although the material didn't cost him much, his time and master-craftsmanship made this suit or outfit actually worth a lot of money had I had to pay somebody to make it.

I was so impressed that I started to cry and laugh at the same time!  I hugged him tightly while thanking him, and I couldn't wait to try it on!  He tied the cape around my neck and I ran off, with my arms outstretched as though I were flying!  The cape was very light weighted and that was perfect as the cape actually caught some air and added to the impression that I was really flying through the air!  
In my mind; I was flying.... I was soaring higher and higher, filled with glee, joy and imagination!  I was running around flying, humming my superhero theme song, "Da-dada-da-da", as Mr. Pepino looked upon this moment with true joy; Joy at his accomplishment as well as joy to how well received his gift was!  It brought a tear to his eyes I could tell... and a big huge smile; a vision I will never forget!   Peppy was sleeping in the corner, but now he was awake because I was making so much noise flying around, shouting, humming, laughing and thanking Mr. Pepino!  So now Peppy started running in circles around me!  I picked him up and spread out his legs and pretended that he was flying too!  We were both flying....flying high....so high that it truly was one of the best moments of my life!  Then, Mr. Pepino outstretched his arms, started running in circles, and joined in on the fun!  What a sight we must have been!.... laughing, humming, singing, flying and celebrating the accomplishment of this custom-made Halloween costume....WOW!

The costume fit me well, and eventually I came down from cloud-9, and returned back to reality!  I brought Peppy to a safe landing, and we all kind of just hugged together, Mr. Pepino, Peppy and I!  We continued laughing, hugging and crying- all at the same time.

The next day was Halloween!  I couldn't wait to get home from school to go out trick-or-treating.  I wore my costume to school and everybody was envious!  I had the nicest costume ever made!

That morning, on my way to school I stopped by Mr. Papino's to show him the entire outfit supplemented by a shirt my mom found that worked with the outfit, and my tennis shoes.  

Mr. Pepino said, "Wow, you really are a Super-hero", and boy did I feel like one!  I really felt that I could fly; and I was flying... still flying... flying high since the night before when we had all that fun... and the fun was just beginning!

Then he said to me, "Stop by before going trick-or-treating, I want to show you something!"  Here we go again!

Every time he says that, something big happens!  The first time it was the puppy, the next time it was the costume; what will it possibly be this time?

So of course, all day long, all I could think about was getting out of there, running home, stopping by Mr. Pepino's house, and seeing what this so-called surprise was going to be.  Now he didn't say that he had a surprise for me; but that is what usually happens when he says, "He wants to show me something".....

So, as soon as the school bell rang- I was out of there!

I ran as fast as I could to Mr. Pepino's house.  I flew up the stairs and didn't even knock on the door.  I ran inside the house trying to catch my breath as Mr. Pepino was starting to get up to greet me.  I was so excited about Halloween, Trick-or-treating, the nightly bonfire and Halloween party, my custom made costume and the likely-hood that I would win the best-costume contest; and... the prospect of seeing what it was that Mr. Pepino wanted to show me!

So I said, "Mr. Pepino, Mr. Pepino, I'm ready for my surprise!"  He laughed and patted me on my head, and gladly stated, "Well, what good is a Super-hero without a side-kick?"  I replied, "Do you want to be my side-kick?"....  He laughed again and replied, "Well that would be great, but you forgot your real side-kick!"

For a moment I stood there looking perplexed!  I didn't have a clue what his was pertaining to?

"Huh" I stated....

"Your real side-kick" he retorted!

I still didn't get it.....

"Well" he said, "You can't forget our little buddy Pe'pe?

All of a sudden, from the other room came running Peppy at the call of his name!  Here came Peppy running.... cape flying in the air behind him, all dressed up in the same outfit I was dressed up in!  Mr. Pepino made Pepe a matching super-hero outfit, and now we were truly a dynamic-duo!  Mr. Pepino is awesome, and so is his talent for making custom costumes!

Now we were truly ready for the night of trick-or-treating, having fun at the party in the park, the bonfire, the food, the candy... and- YES- of course, Peppy and I took home the trophy for the best costume at the event!  I took home the trophy, but instead of putting it on my shelf; I gave it to Mr. Pepino.  He deserved it, he made it.... it was his!  I was never more proud to pass up a trophy in my entire life!  That was the best day ever!