Never Returned

One of the places we lived in Roanoke, Virginia was 515 Fugate Road. I remember numbers – it’s just one of my brain quirks. Actually it’s a family trait, but that’s not what I’m writing about. There were about 6 identical houses in a row with open common back yards. I now think of them as common yards due to the fact that every house in California has a 6-foot fence around the back yard that makes them private and I prefer that. We lived in the second house from the corner.

The Leonard family lived in the corner house. All the families that lived in these houses had numerous children – four seemed to be the minimum. So the backyards were more like a playground. In the summer there was almost always a badminton net set up and there were daily games of softball and touch football. I didn’t play any of these games because I was and still am athletically handicapped. I just plain suck!

Anyway the Leonard’s had an old black car parked between their house and ours. It was a really old car from the 30’s or 40’s. Budd may remember what kind it was, I don’t. I do remember that the back doors were suicide doors and there were pop up jump seats behind the front seat in addition to the back seat. There was a lot of room in the back seat! We played and had meetings in the car until the Leonard father forbid us to play in it anymore. And then one day the car was gone – never to return.

The McWilliams’ family lived on the other side of us. They had four preschool children that I babysat occasionally. The father, Bill McWilliams, took me to school each morning. I was in the 7th grade and the school I went to was downtown near his office, so it was convenient for both of us. Plus I didn’t have to get up as early to catch a bus – I am not now and never have been a morning person.

One day, Mr. McWilliams and I left for school/work as usual. Just another day. We talked about whatever we talked about and he dropped me off at school. I came home from school at my normal time. He did not come home from work at his normal time and he has never been seen or heard from again. He never returned.

The next few days must have been awful for his family. The police questioned me, but I knew nothing. There wasn’t anything unusual to tell them about our last morning’s trip to school. His car was found several weeks later at the Richmond airport, but no sign of him was ever found. It was speculated that he chose to disappear and had it all planned. His wife said they didn’t have marriage or financial problems. It was a great mystery. I’ve always wondered what really happened to him…he never returned, no he never returned and his fate is still unknown….