Buck, Just Another Loser on the Streets?

I’ve seen losers one after another calling Buck a liar and a cheat, but I have never seen Buck cheating. Being drunk, yes, cheating no. The first time I had seen him he was donating funds for Miss Wheelchair here in Washington State. That tells you something about Buck right away.

Seeing Buck in person puts you off a little bit, but with chips on the table you can watch each individual movement. His blue eyes look out through his Dollar Tree spectacles. He has quite a few he carries in his pockets . . . along with a candy bar or two.

My favorite Buck routine is him leaving Dollar Tree and just sitting in his wheelchair with a large cup. He kinda bends his head left or right, depending upon what he thinks might pay off best. Today was a beautiful fall day. It was after ten in the morning and I had seen eight people fill his cup. I walked over to talk. After about five minutes, Buck looked at me and said, “You’ve cost me a good twenty bucks. Get the hell out of here or give me a ride.” I gave him ten and got in my car after putting his wheelchair in the back seat. ”Where to?” I asked. Buck responded “Some place with people and money . . . old people and money.”

After a couple donuts and a few good looks on Buck’s heavily white bearded face, he spoke “Turn right on the corner and stop. Wait for me at the other end of the block. No matter what, do not drive away without me. Give me a good hour.”

An hour later, Buck was wheeling towards me with a kind smile on his face and a nice breeze playing with his white and lightly stained beard. Inside the car Buck gave me the blow-by-blow story. “The owner loves his flower garden, but he wasn’t up to going from flower to flower.” I don’t know how much Buck earned, but he gave me two twenties. That gives you a clue right there.

I think Buck’s money paid off well and included other locations. For a week we worked the North Tacoma roads and had quite a pile for both him and me. Thursday Buck said, “Friday is the big pay-off. Wind and rain coming Sunday.” Always believe a man with his hearing aid in his ear and listening to the weather reports.

I got a kick out of seeing Buck talk to people, wipe the sweat off his brow, do his excellent gardening skills, and know when it is time to leave . . . before any problems might arrive.

Buck told me to visit WinCo, the grocery store on Sixth Avenue. We picked up numerous foods that could last for days and headed for three different places. The places were just off the road a little bit. It was a little scary looking at the people in broken tents and old trailers. Those that had kids we gave a little extra . . . I never asked for my cut. Sometimes the children waved, sometimes the men had needles, and sometimes the women cried, but it was for the children that Buck had me drive. He snapped his suspenders on his overalls and said, “We had a nice week. We helped people . . . and especially their children. Damn those people who vote and force starving people into the woods.”