The Bill Alexander Story – Bill’s People

Bill and Margarete had been driving for hours. Their destination was Banff, Alberta. The Volkswagen’s tank of gas was nearing empty again. They came to the entrance of Kootenay National Park. This was the last obstacle between Bill and Margarete and their home. Bill had $1.50 in his pocket, just enough for some coffee and sandwiches.

The Ranger and the Cleaning Lady

The sign at the entrance of the park read “Park Visitors. Fee $2.50.”

The ranger came up to Bill and tipped his hat. Bill said, “Look, I’m really sorry, but I don’t have enough money for the fee. What can we do?”

The ranger responded, “It’ll cost you two-fifty.”

Bill pleaded with him, but the ranger just wouldn’t budge without the fee. Then, he went into his office and got a map. He showed Bill a way around the park. The route was twice as long and Bill didn’t have enough gas. He was getting angry.

Bill said, “I don’t have any gas. I don’t have any money. What if I send you the money? I’ll send you double the money.” Bill even offered his wristwatch as collateral.

Nothing Bill said would move the ranger – rules, after all, are rules.

Exasperated, Bill told the ranger if he wouldn’t let them through, Bill was just going to remain at the entrance of the park.

Just then an older woman came out of the ranger station. She was the cleaning lady, and she had overheard the argument. She came right up to Bill and gave him $2.50.

Embarrassed, Bill got her address and told her he would send her $5.00. She wouldn’t hear of it.

“Can’t I help somebody in trouble?” she asked. Bill figured that two dollars and fifty cents was most likely as much as she made for a couple of hours of work.

When Bill returned home, he sent her five dollars. She returned two dollars and fifty cents to him. In exchange, for Christmas, Bill created a happy little painting and sent it to her in a nice frame. She was so nice, she wrote him a thank you letter in return.

People were always extending their hands to Bill and Margaret, and Bill always had the chance to share a painting with them. Painting kept them going during their travels in the United States and Canada.

Junkyard

Despondent, Bill felt like he was at the end of his rope. The clutch in his Volkswagen had broken again. Stranded in Sault Ste. Marie on the Great Lakes, it was Friday and the sign on the garage read “Closed for the Weekend”. The mechanic, though, told Bill he could park his Volkswagen on the lot and remain there over the weekend. He pushed Bill’s bus to a spot in the big junkyard where many of the broken-down cars parked. He moved Bill and Margaret into a cozy corner of the yard, and they prepared to bunk down for the weekend. Bill took out his easel and set it up among all the junked cars. He began to paint so he could earn some money to pay for the repair.

Later that night, the owner of the junkyard arrived and noticed Bill and Margaret camping there.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” he yelled at them.

Bill tried to explain that they had to wait two or three days to get their car fixed. The owner just kept shaking his head. He seemed like he was trying to figure out whether Bill and Margaret were a couple of crazy people or whether he should call the police.

Then he noticed the painting Bill was doing. It was a forest scene with birch trees.

“You’re a pretty good artist,” he said, calming down a bit.

“Well, some people think I make pretty good paintings,” Bill said with a smile.

“Tell you what,” he said. “You’ve got some time. If you think you could do a painting for me, I’ll give you a car and the keys to my summer cottage. There’s a grove of birch trees up there, with a view of the lake. If you can paint that for me, you can stay up in the lodge until we get to your bus on Monday.”

Two days for one painting! That was a vacation for Bill. The owner’s cottage was beautiful with a delightful view of the lake. The cottage had a wonderful stove, a comfortable bed, and plenty of food. Bill set up his easel, painted a few strokes, picked up his fishing rod, and headed for the lake.

The next day, Mr. Johnson, the owner of the garage, came out to the cottage. He took a look at the painting, and said, ”Well, it looks like it’s coming along.”

“Just four or five more hours,” Bill replied.

Bill, though, began feeling guilty, so he created another painting for him. When Bill and Margaret saw the owner on Monday, Bill had two groves of birches for him to hang in his house. The owner was so pleased, he did not charge Bill for the repair.

Traveling across the country was both an adventure and a joy for Bill and Margarete, but the real joy was the people.

Chapter Twelve: Building an Art Colony