"Emery, ju need some boots!"...

[CM Sackett]

"MISTYBOOTS"

During the mid to late 50's my dad was living one of his dreams... living in far South Tejas (between Harlingen and Brownsville) and spending every free moment with his new bride exploring the Texas Gulf coast, South Padre Island ~ and his beloved Matamoros (I have tons of images of Mom standing at various points of the Plaza, especially the fountain area...).

...remember, this was Mexico in the 50's ~ and my dad was one of the brute bad boys of WWII and the Depression (I took after Mom's side of the family, when it comes to build... tall and lanky. But I did get Dad's 'sweet' disposition, lol!)

Anyway, for work, he ran a body shop (in Harlingen, I think... it's been a long time since he was around to retell the stories of his life. I miss that more and more, and more than I have words to describe). One of his good friends, who was a phenomenal painter (he taught my dad how to paint cars), was a fine young fella named ELI RIOS.

[CM Sackett]

Dad really liked Eli and his brother, and knew that they made boots... but had NO desire to wear boots.

Eli and his brother liked Dad, and REALLY liked his beautiful, classy bride... and just KNEW that they needed boots.

Conversations would regularly turn this way, during the week.

"Emery".

"Yes Eli?"

"Emery, ju need some boots."

"Eli, we've been through this... I DON'T WEAR BOOTS".

"But Emery, your wife would look very pretty in a pair of my boots".

"Eli... she looks good without them."

"Yes, she does."

...and so it would go.

[CM Sackett]

After quite some time, Mom finally got through to Dad ~ "Honey, this is a matter of friendship, not your 'tastes' in footwear."

Ohh.

So, using cardboard from a windshield box and packing string, Eli took detailed measurements of Dad AND Mom's feet, ankles, calves.

[Mayhem]

them be fancy

[Cam-Mac]

Nice!

[Ricky T]

Looks like Mom won out.

[Matador]

People pay a lot of money for boots like that nowadays! Cool Story

[Ron]

Great story, as always Sackett.

[Legdog]

I believe this is the plaza of which you speak.



Same Rios?

[CM Sackett]

Legdog... same Rios.


Someone made the comment that folks pay a lot of money for boots like these TODAY. They did back then, as well.

When Dad asked how much, Eli simply smiled... and said, "Emery, you pay for the leather. That will do."

Dad started to protest, but Mom broke in gently "That's very kind of you, Eli. Would you accept dinner as well?"

"Oh yes Ma'am! That would be excellent!"

And so, a few weeks later, two matched pair of FRIENDSHIP showed up at the door of the house, with two smiling artists/friends right behind them.




__________________________________________________ __

[CM Sackett]

Dad wore this pair exactly twice. Once that day, and the next/last time was in Matamoros, where a tourist inadvertently stepped back and onto the side of one of them. Dad took them off soon after, and never put them on again (this was 1957-8).

Mom wore hers once (she just wasn't a blue jeans kind of woman... far more like Audrey Hepburn).

As I was growing up, Dad would tell the story while we were at the shop. Then, once we were home, and Walter Cronkite had finished with "And that's the way it was, on...", I would pester him till he not-too-reluctantly went to the bedroom, pulled the RIOS BOOTS boxes out from under the bed, and simply lay them on the coffee table for me to reverently open, unwrap and oooh-n-ahhh over these physical representations of something far more precious.




__________________________________________________ __

[CM Sackett]

The last time I saw the boxes or boots was 1973 ~ until shortly before Dad went Home, in 1995. He and his wife (Mom crossed the River August 17, 1967... just as I came in late from playing. Life happens...) came to N.W. Arkansas where I lived at the time to see the boys, and, I think, to say goodbye.

He brought them from the car after dinner, and simply laid them on the coffee table, just like the last time.




__________________________________________________ _

[CM Sackett]

As I began my protest (in my family, you didn't 'inherit' things... you got a job and bought them. Cut down on bickering, quite a bit), he smiled and said "I waited till your feet got too big to be tempted with trying 'em on... on purpose."

We both laughed.

"Fair enough."

[coon007]

Nice boot's , nicer story

[TB80]

Very cool boots. Very touching story.