Peet Terwilliger married Hedder Hoy on the 5th of August in 1999. You can probably guess what the theme for the reception was as both favored Prince at the time. Hedder wore a purple dress and Peet a purple velvet jacket and frilly shirt. Their spotlight slow dance was to Purple Rain and they left in Hedder's Uncle's van dedicated to Prince.
They drove pell mell into Wyoming, with reservations at the Buffalo Bill Super 8 in Cody. They were headed for the Bighorns and then on to Yellowstone. But something happened. The trip was cut short. Prince had left his record company and changed his name to The Artist. Peet was dissappointed, Hedder was intrigued. The Artist was traveling too, hitting swanky bars, playing country tunes at VFW's and Shriner events. He was in Rock River at Bill's Casino and Slots that Tuesday.
This was Hedder's chance. Catch The Artist while he's down, nurture and revive his musical soul. Drop Peet and move on. Right after the bond had been certified in the Lutheran tradition.
Peet could sense the tension. He couldn't keep his mind on the road. He couldn't stop wondering. At mile marker 116, Peet pulled the van over and ripped the neon guitar from the purple carpet wall of the customized van. He tossed the vintage 8 tracks onto the road. He pulled Hedder from the van. And gave her an ultimatum. I'm your Prince, he shouted, big rigs zooming past, smell of diesel and asphalt in the air. I'm will die for 4 u, he screamed, paraphrasing the title of another Prince hit.
Ms. Hedder laughed. A squeaky little erp of a laugh but just enough to set Peet off. Peet swung the neon guitar over her head and into the dry grassland adjacent. Another sqeak. Peet lost it. He stripped off his purple velvet jacket and frilly shirt and bolted into the roadway.
A Sweedish Hanna couldn't stop in time. The length of time to stop an eighteen wheeler is 40% greater than that of an automobile. Depending on the weight of their load, whether they are bobtailing, road conditions, and other factors. To be sure, it takes a much greater time to stop than an automobile… period. Pete met his fate on that lonesome Wyoming highway.
Asked later, Hedder refused to answer any questions and sat silently hurting.
For Peet's sake.
For Peet's sake.
That was a great one. Never understood the Prince appeal, but Vanity was another story...
ReplyDeleteI have a friend named Heather Hoeye in Rapid City, SD. She said "for peets sake" in a comment on A Facebook post. The misspelling caught my attention which spawned a story title. How Prince got in there is beyond me, it just happened. The customized "Prince" van actually exists too. It belongs to a friend's Uncle in Austin, MN. The carpet, the guitar, the eight tracks of early Prince are all real.
ReplyDeleteI guess sometimes a combination of things, laced together make for something interesting, if a bit odd!