Just an Average Boy
Growing up, Carl Bell seemed to be average enough. At least that’s how he had described himself to me the day I met him. It was a term he said was used by his parents when describing Carl to their friends. “He’s just an average boy” they would say. He said it was also used by the family Doctor in examining him that time he got sick after eating some mushrooms. “Mrs. Bell” the Doctor said to his Mother, “your son seems average to me” when she pressed him about the physical condition of Carl.
Yessiree, Carl Bell was average. About as average as anyone could be. Except for a couple of things he could do that few knew about. Come to think of it, I’m not sure anyone else knew about his abilities but his folks before my own discovery that day we met. I know I could never forget that day though.
I was reminded of Carl this morning when my old Buick wouldn’t start. Hadn’t thought about him lately. Carl grew up on a farm outside of our little town. I knew the area, and most of us considered that part of our County to be as remote as you could get. Not sure they had anything other than well water way out there. You know, so far back in the woods they had to pipe in sunshine? Anyway, his speech and the way he talked reflected that he must have grown up in a ‘back woods’ kind of way, without a formal education.
Carl was a just a teenager when he stopped by my small auto repair shop that summer day in the late sixties. Or at least he looked like he was a teenager. Thinking back I’m not sure how old he was, really. Anyway, seems his truck had developed a noise he couldn’t identify, and he wanted to see if I could locate it and repair it. It was an older Chevy truck, a ’55 model I think, in average condition. Seems even his possessions were average too, but I digress.
My mechanic helper Sammy had run into the next town over to pick up some parts and was going to be gone a while, so I walked outside wiping my greasy hands as best I could and extended a handshake while introducing myself. “I’m Jerry, how can we help you?” I asked as Carl emerged from the truck. He told me his name and shook my hand firmly. He then told me of a noise his truck was making, even trying to mimic it for me. Either he failed to do it correctly, or I failed to diagnose it correctly, but I couldn’t really tell what the noise was, and asked him to pull his truck into the first bay and we’d have a look under the hood.
After pulling it in, Carl shut the truck off and climbed out to join me and look on. After opening the hood I checked for loose belts, and jiggled the generator bearing looking for the obvious. I then asked Carl to start up the truck. To my amazement, that old truck burst to life with Carl standing beside me. Now mind you, this was around ‘73 I believe, and remote starts for engines had yet to be invented that I was aware of. Even more baffling was the fact this was the basic model truck, and a very plainly equipped old farm truck at that. It looked completely stock under the hood, with no extra wires or parts mounted anywhere. Furthermore, Carl had not moved his hands at all which were in his jeans pockets.
Shocked, I blurted out “How did you do that?”
“What, start the truck?’ he answered, rather embarrassed.
“Yes” I repeated, “how did you do that? How did you start this truck?”
Looking at me in a sheepish way, he responded with “I just started it, you know, by thinkin’ about it. I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to do that around others.”
“What??” I exclaimed! “You just thought about it?” I repeated in disbelief.
“Yeah, you know, I just thought it and it happened, just like always”.
“Whoa” I said as I shook my head. “You know, I’m having a really hard time believing you just thought of it, and it hit. This has gotta’ be some kind of prank” I smirked, looking around.
“Well, I’m not sure what you mean, but I’ve always started things this way” Carl stated. “I just think about what I’m trying to start and they come to life. My Daddy’s tractor was the hardest ‘cuz you had to choke it in your mind while she turned over, but I can start about anything.”
He continued on, as I stood there while my mouth was open in amazement I’m sure. “My Momma’ and Daddy was always getting me to start stuff for them around the farm. Daddy said he didn’t know how I did it, but he was glad I could, and figured it had to do with how they found me.”
“Wait, what do you mean how they found you? I asked.
“Well” Carl drawled on, “I really wasn’t born to them. I know that sounds kinda’ weird, but they sorta’ found me in their hay field early one morning. They had been in the kitchen cleanin’ up right after breakfast and there was a flash, sorta’ like a bolt of lightning, out in the field west of the house ‘cept there wasn’t no storm around, and the sun was shinin’. So Daddy goes outside to see what was goin’ on, and he sees me sittin’ out there in the field. So he and Momma’ run out there, and they seen that I was crying. They said I wasn’t hurt or nothing, just crying like I was scared. They thought maybe I was about three or four years old and said I couldn’t speak English. They really didn’t know what language I was speaking, but it wasn’t anything they’d heard before. They checked the newspaper that day for any missin’ kids and even called the Sheriff to see if anyone had reported a missin’ kid, but didn’t tell ‘em about me. They kept me hidden from others for several days to see if anyone showed up asking questions. The truth is, they couldn’t have kids of their own and had always wanted one, and they fell in love with me, as they told it, and after no one came alookin’ they decided to raise me as their own. They taught me to speak themselves, and always kept me at home. They said they loved me like their own child and couldn’t stand the thought of losing me.”
By now I had to sit down in a chair, shaking my head in disbelief. Carl leaned up against the fender of his truck as he talked on. If I hadn’t seen him start up the truck, I wouldn’t have believed any of what I was hearing!
“How in the world do others not know about this?” I asked incredulously.
“Well I reckon its ‘cuz I never really been around a lot of other folks” Carl answered. “I never went to school. Momma’ said she’d teach me what I needed to know. They told me not to tell others about how they found me that day, and I don’t remember it anyway. Daddy didn’t want the Government coming around ‘cuz he didn’t trust them at all, and said if they found out I was different and wasn’t theirs they might take me away from them, so I just stayed on the farm and helped Daddy with stuff. Daddy got sick and died ‘bout two years ago, and Momma’ said I was the man of the house now, and she taught me how to drive this here truck of Daddy’s” as he banged on the fender.
He continued on without my prompting him. “She said that way I would be able to pull the trailer around the farm, and help with the other chores that needed the truck. Anyway, she took a bus a couple of days ago to see about her sister Vera in St. Louis who is sick, and she told me to stay home. I hadn’t left the house till this morning, when I moved the truck to get the trailer hitched up and heard that funny noise. I come into town and seen your sign and I thought I’d see if you could make sure there’s nothin’ wrong with it. I didn’t want Momma mad at me if I’d done somethin’ to it.”
“So” I asked, almost afraid of his answer, “Is there other stuff you can do too with just using your mind?
“Well”, Carl answered as he looked off and thought for a minute. “I can move stuff if I need too.”
“Stuff? What kind of stuff?” I queried.
“Well I guess I can move different things” he responded.
“Once Daddy had a tree he’d cut down, and part of it ended up leaning against a fence and was gonna’ hurt the fence, so he said ‘Carl, can you get the tree off that fence?’ and I thought right at it, and it raised up so’s he could cut the branches off.”
By now I was getting dizzy, and thought I might need a drink before Carl told me much more. I mean, how much can a person absorb that he’s never heard before?
“So Carl” I asked at one point, “Where do you think you came from? Do you think you came from another planet?”
“Well” he says, “I ain’t real sure where…..but I do feel kinda’ odd sometimes when I look at stars at night. I feel like maybe I belong somewheres else, but it’s just a feelin’. I don’t think about it much. I mean, I love my Momma’ and being on the farm. And I’ve gotta’ take care of Momma’ now that Daddy is gone. The animals we have love me and I love them, and I seen other people’s lives on TV, and I wouldn’t wanna’ trade with them”.
Thankfully Sammy hadn’t returned yet, so as sort of a joke I says “Can you pick me up?” laughing as I asked. Before you know it, he closed his eyes, and I started rising up out of the chair! “OK, I exclaimed, “I’m good now! Put me down, PUT ME DOWN” I shouted! He laughed and said “I ain’t never tried a person before. I tried a cow once but she was too heavy. I guess you weigh less than a cow” he chuckled. I was still shaking a bit and having trouble processing all that had gone on. One of my earlier thoughts had been to call some buddies, and then have Carl start their cars and watch their response! But in the back of my mind I knew it wouldn’t be right. He wasn’t a freak, but I wasn’t sure what he was. To be honest, I felt a little afraid now, thinking maybe if he got angry at me, he’d lift me up and throw me against a wall.
I eventually told Carl I couldn’t really hear the noise he was hearing, and I wouldn’t worry too much about it, as the truck seemed to be running pretty good. Honestly I didn’t know what else to do at the moment. I was still rather in a state of shock. I told him there was no charge, and to just drive the truck, and if the noise persisted to come on back.
I had to process all that I had just happened that day, and really I just wanted to get alone with my thoughts and try to rationalize everything. I wasn’t sure I could even tell my wife what happened. I doubted she’d believe me anyway. I wouldn’t believe me either, honestly! Anyway, Carl drove off that day in that average Chevy truck containing a really above average human. Or whatever he was. But that was the last time I saw him.
I closed the Shop down a few years back and retired. I never shared what happened that day, and without him around as proof, nobody was going to believe me anyway. Oh, many a time I drove around to the farms in the County, looking for that old rusty truck, or any sign of Carl. But, I came up empty every time. I even searched the County property records for a Bell farm but never located it.
I hesitate sharing my story now, knowing I sound like an old fool. The only reason I finally did decide to tell the story now is I figure people already think I’m an old fool anyway, so not much to lose there in the way of reputation.
But these days I look up at the stars and just wonder what’s out there. I know now we’re not alone. I know there’s more. I’m pretty sure there’s a whole bunch of Carl’s out there. There has to be! I do wonder where Carl is today, and if he’s even alive? I wonder if he went back to his home out there, wherever? I could use his help with my car today, but I’ll just wait a bit and try it again. Who knows, maybe I will just “think” about it starting up and see what happens.
The End