FOND MEMORIES

Socks, underwear, perhaps new PJs from Aunt Gertie — they’re practical presents that frequently show up under the Christmas tree, but the gifts that really score big are the toys. The taste in “toys” changes as one ages, and instead of the electric train I got as a kid, these days I’d prefer something bigger — like the amazing Corvette Grand Sport Anniversary Edition convertible. What a machine. Certainly not practical, but definitely something I could have a lot of fun with for a very long time. But I also covet that Vette for the special moments it provided — a snippet of time that can never be repeated but will be remembered forever.

My wife and I picked the car up from the GM office in Oshawa and decided before making the drive home, we’d make a side trip. It was a gorgeous fall day, the kind that begs you to go for a drive. My sister’s husband David was fighting cancer and since they lived just a short sprint away, we decided we’d drop in for a visit. Dave heard the car roll up and, despite his weakness from radiation and chemo treatments, managed to get to the front porch. While golf was his passion, he also had a soft spot for neat cars, too — and this one sure qualified. To my surprise, he asked if I was going to take him for a ride. His wife bundled him up and off we went. He lasted about 30 minutes before fatigue overwhelmed him, but the huge grin on his face as we returned home spoke volumes. He bubbled with excitement, recounting to our wives how he’d helped me to avoid grabbing the attention of a local cop and then the rush when I let the Vette “do its thing” as the patrol car disappeared in the opposite direction. Two weeks later, we watched David slip into eternity, but memories of the smile he flashed in the car that day will be with me forever. I just wish Big Dave and I could take one more ride in that Corvette.

Clare Dear, National Post