The wife bought me a thermos at a garage sale a few weeks back.

Not sure if I'll forgive her.

I've been using my Aladdin widemouth for a lot of years. Too many, really. Lost the big red cup many years back, and the handle broke off years ago, too. This left a hole through the plastic, to the glass liner. It occasionally fills up with dish water, making a mess when you try to pour.

The glass liner is the biggest problem with this thermos. Shatters easily with a simple drop to the floor. I'm probably on my third or fourth liner in my old thermos, and they're hard to find now. Tried to make do by stuffing the insides with styrofoam popcorn once, but it didn't work.

But this thermos is perfect for cafe mocha. A wide top, easy to fill, to stir and to clean. Every long trip to the field I fill my travel mug with poor man's cappuccino. Then also the wide thermos. This gives me a second mug along the way, no mess, no fuss.

The thermos the wife bought is an exact match to the one I have worn out, except it is in perfect condition. It was just a little dirty.

Finally cleaned it up on Monday, to use during the elk opener. Be nice to have a thermos with a handle on it again. As I washed it, I found the previous owner's name written on the bottom in Magic Marker.

It couldn't be him?

Thought about the name every time I used it, and early each morning as I filled it up, wondering if this thermos used to be his. But I couldn't wake the wife to ask her then.

When we got home last night, I followed the heelers sisters into the bedroom to find their Alpha. And remembered the thermos, still in my hand.

Asked her where she bought it.

From a woman we know, a widow who was clearing out a bunch of stuff.

His grandmother.

I showed her the name.

So this was his?

"Yeah. Why?"

She was here then. I'm surprised she didn't remember. Maybe she never knew.

It didn't happen in our community.

The tragedy that took the life of a teenager. And his father.

So this was his.

I told my wife the story. The one that cannot be repeated here, lest anyone involved ever finds this place. With my own interpretation of the facts.

Her eyes started to tear up, as did mine.

So this was his.