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The fourth chapter in a seven part series.

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Gilbert and Patsy Runnels lived on the corner, right as Phase II wound around past the park area and became Phase III of RoadRunner Estates.  They bought the Number 8208 plan, a split level.  They were somewhat hesitant at first, what with that many stairs and all, but Rod Hardin told them the single car garage down below the bedroom wing would add resale value to the house whenever it came time to sell.  That argument clinched it for Gil.  Rod’s smile, that many women compared to that of a game show host, clinched it for Patsy.  The very first time Gil was in the spare bedroom and happened to glance down at Sheila Sherman sunbathing in the backyard next door he stopped off at the model home and gave Rod a carton of Chesterfields as a “thank-you” gift.  Rod just winked.

The Runnels’ split level was painted pink with gold accents outside, which somehow made sense in 1957.   It was certainly the only one like it in Phase II.  But that wasn’t all that was unique about Gil and Patsy.  They didn’t have any offspring yet, despite being married for six years and doing all they could to produce progeny.  The doctor said, “Give it time,” and that’s about all they could do.  In the meantime Patsy sought employment as a teacher, another oddity for a young married woman at the time.

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“There’s no point in staying home and baking cookies,” she told neighbors at the cookout.  “Once I get pregnant I’ll quit teaching and stay home, like ya’ll do.”  It was obvious she was anxious for that time to happen, but untill then she took comfort in teaching Junior English at Jim Bowie High School, “Home of the Fighting’ Knives”.  It also gave her something to do when Gil traveled, as he was on the road with his job a good bit.

Gil was the Regional Sales Manager for Big Tex Asbestos and was on the road for about two weeks out of every four.  He covered Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Delaware.  Of course, the three big states in his territory made sense.  The Delaware area was tagged on after the General Manager’s brother-in-law got into some trouble in the state.  The job required that the Big Tex sales rep call on every dealer location, and several of them were within 1,000 yards of a school.  As a result, Gil had to cover that area.  It never made sense to him how an entire state could be half the size of Pecos county, but Gil took it in stride, like he did most things.

Gil had gone to work at Big Tex Asbestos right out of college, graduating from Gulf Coast Texas Baptist – Galveston with a degree in Humanities and a minor in Chemistry.  He was recruited heavily by Big Tex.  He met Patsy at a bar on The Strand on his last night in town.  She was there, celebrating her own graduation with girlfriends, from Hill Country Baptist Teachers College outside Austin.  They continued to write after that first meeting and then married six months later.  

Gil and Patsy travelled to Dallas where Gil trained for six months and then relocated to Fort Stockton.  Gil hated working in the plant those six months, but management felt it was important the sales people all understood all aspects of the product.  Fort Stockton seemed to be the logical choice for them to relocate to in order for Gil to travel to each of his states, except for Delaware of course.  It was certainly a welcome relief after Dallas.

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The couple moved into the Alamo Arms Apartments while they got a lay of the land and were sure Fort Stockton was where they wanted to put down roots.  Between the welcoming and enthusiastic crowd at Second Baptist, the friendly merchants around the courthouse square, and the buffet line at the K-Bob’s, they each knew they’d made the right choice.  After the six month lease was up on their studio at the Alamo Arms, they made their way out to RoadRunner Estates and began the process of picking the lot and plan.

They hit it off with Rod Hardin right off the bat.  They knew he was someone they could trust.  “I travel a lot for my job,” Gil told Rod one afternoon at the model home when they were picking out their colors and finishes.  “Maybe I could get you to check in on Patsy every now and again while I’m gone.”  Rod indicated that wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Plan 8208 had 1,275 square feet, which seemed like more than they would ever need, but Rod assured them they would grow into it once they had kids.  Gil took him at his word.  Because it was a split-level design, a lot of fill-dirt had to be brought in.  Luckily, being as close as they were to the playground, a lot of the dirt from that area was just trucked over to the Runnels’ lot.

Upon completion, the Runnels moved in and instantly felt at home in Phase II.  The Yoakums and Shermans were most welcoming.  From the living room Patsy could see the small children playing at the community park.  Upstairs, Gil had his own views of the yard next door that he was drawn to on a nearly daily basis.  Despite Patsy’s strong desire to bear children and Gil’s suddenly elevated sex drive, the couple still had not conceived.

“I’m not sure what else we should be doing,” Patsy told Anita Yoakum over coffee one Saturday morning.  “We do the dirty deed and then I immediately stand on my head for twenty minutes in the corner.  Don’t even pee first!”  Anita sent the kids outside to play in the backyard, put on a fresh pot of coffee, and did all she could to get that mental image out of her mind.

A year after moving into RoadRunner Estates, Gil was traveling more than ever.  Asbestos was taking off in the marketplace as Big Tex continued to find more and more products it could be used in.  Of course it was being used as insulation and sound deadening in schools and office buildings all over the country.  It had made its way into consumer goods, particularly Christmas decorations.  Research & Development at Big Tex had big plans for expansion into other new and exciting markets.

After a particularly long road trip Gil got back into Fort Stockton just in time for a cookout over at the Sherman’s place next door.  As he was changing into his bermuda shorts from his khakis, Patsy noticed he was wearing boxer shorts she‘d never seen before.  “What are those?  They’re kind of sexy,” she noted.

Gil looked down.  “What?  These?”  He grinned.  “All the sales reps are wearing these.  Product testing, I suppose.  I normally always wear them on the road when I’m traveling.  They’re bamboo fibers, rayon, and asbestos.”  Gill looked down again, pulled the waistband out and let it snap back, making a popping noise as it his his bare flesh.  Patsy found that kind of sexy.  “They keep everything comfortable and cool, no matter how steamy it is outside.  I think they’ll sell like hot cakes.”

Before they knew it, Patsy was standing on her head in the corner and they were late for the cookout.

Gil’s new asbestos boxer shorts weren’t even the biggest news he brought home.  As they were walking across the lawn to the Sherman’s back yard, Patsy noticed a brand new 1957 Dodge Royal Custom Sedan in the driveway.  Turquoise and Jewel Black, the sedan featured dramatic fins at the back, a heavy chrome multi-piece bumper in the front, and what appeared to be quad headlights, something most unusual in 1957.

“Did you get a new car?” Patsy shrieked.

“New company car,” Gil revealed.  Pickled it up in Amarillo on my way back through West Texas.  It’s a special test model built in cooperation with Chrysler and Big Tex.  The entire interior is made with asbestos.  Headliner, foam seat cushions, upholstery.”  Gil seemed proud.  “Only the VPs were supposed to get one, but because of the whole Delaware fiasco, the General Manager made sure I got one too.  And his brother-in-law.  Anyway, we both get to keep them till the ’59 models come out and these are sent back for testing and evaluation.”

“It’s gorgeous.  I can’t wait to go for a drive in it!”  Patsy seemed really excited about the car, but it might have just been the remaining lightheadedness.

At the party, the whole crowd left the backyard, drinks in hand, to go out and admire the new Dodge Royal sedan.  Wendell and Anita crawled into the front seat and ran their hands all over the upholstery, commenting on how soft and supple it was.  Milt and Sheila Sherman questioned whether or not they should have made a trek over to the Dodge dealer before rushing out and buying the Bel Air.  Virgil Winkler, already three sheets to the wind, cursed the gold Plymouth Belvedere in his driveway that he still had 35 payments left on.  

Vernon and Louise Panola, from down at the end of the block, looked at each other and nodded.  They’d been talking about a new car.  Now they knew it was time to make the leap.

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