Andy Had A Farm

My mom came down to visit for a couple of days so we went to the Zoo. We were there first thing in the morning to try to catch the animals unaware in the cooler weather. We found ourselves at the farm because we had to the see the pygmy goats. (my mom is trying to talk my dad into letting her have some at home.) While we were watching our pygmy goats a Zoo volunteer came up to us. He was wearing blue and white pinstriped denim bib-overalls over his green volunteer t-shirt and a straw hat over his gray hair. He was about 5'5" and thin. His name was Andy, he was born in 1919. His lovely wife died eight years ago. She played the tuba in an Army polka band. She was sent overseas with her band shortly after they started seeing each other. He thought he wouldn't see her again. The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy with eleven others. After a couple of years he started receiving letters from his girl just out of the blue. They continued to write each other through out the war and were married after. They remained together for 53 years until she died. He spoke with amusement in his voice and a smile on his face, but you could tell he deeply loved his wife and misses her still. The first question my mom asked him, before we knew all this, was if he had goats on his farm. He laughed and said in his quiet raspy voice "and I'll tell you why. My dad had just gotten a brand new car..." (this was long before the war) His dad had driven the new car over to the neighbors to give them a hand (to do what I am not sure.) . "This was a time when people still helped each other..." While the car was parked a goat had jumped in and proceeded to destroy the interior. After that his dad swore they would never have goats and if he ever saw one he would shoot it.