GRILL! Read online

  I can still see and hear my sister when I was preparing to leave for this road trip. My mobile home was empty except for the large pile of items in the center of the living room ready to go into the car. I drove to her mobile home, four spaces down, with some yard tools and assorted house wares that I no longer needed in the large trunk of my new Suzuki Aerio, a gift from my two well-grounded real estate broker sons. “Denise, you can’t do this! What are you thinking? Do you really think someone’s going to just hire you on the spot? Where are you going? How will we reach you? You’re fifty-one years old for God’s sake!” Lori was crying hysterically at this point and threw the rake back into the trunk scratching the paint on my new car. Perhaps I was being a bit too casual about my decision to travel the national parks of northern California with a tent, $400, and two Chihuahuas in search of a fun summer job.

  “I promise I’ll call you every day.” I lied in all sincerity. My hope was to calm her down a notch. In truth I could never call every day. I have no cell phone and I might not be near a phone booth at all times. Maybe this is a major part of her concern, but Lori did not have to work for pompous pricks. Lori was a retired postal worker, who is now on disability for all the surgeries and damage done to her body from carrying around fifty pounds of junk mail for seventeen years. I guess I’m trying to avoid physical and mental damage to myself at this late stage of the game.

  Lori and I have always been very close. We have so much in common, our likes and dislikes in things to do, places to be or see, same tastes in food. I will miss our friendship, but I can’t expect her to take me on as a dependent.

  I want to call Lori and tell her that I have a job and a place to live. I also need to call mom and dad and my two sons. I now understand their fear for me. I want to gleefully brag that I knew all would be well and put their doubts to rest. I look back at my car that seems too low to the ground. I hope all the weight inside is not going to hurt the suspension. Bonita and Bandito are watching my every move. It’s already getting hot and I’m very tired from last night’s ordeal.

  Since I was truly stuck between a rock and an RV park, I knew that I would take the job. I really had no choice. I picked up the phone before I could talk myself out of it.

  “Hi Lori! This is Denise! I got a job and a place to live!”

  “You’re lying! It’s only 9:30.” She still sounds pissed off at me.

  “I swear! I’m at Bud’s Creek at an RV park and this wonderful lady named Billy was so excited to meet me. She couldn’t believe her good fortune that I came in when I did. She wants me to be her chef here at her restaurant. Well, maybe not a chef as we know it, but her cook. Then, you won’t believe this; she said I could live in this empty fifth wheel behind the restaurant!” I’ve always over-dramatized things in my favor.

  “Oh my gawd!” Lori screamed.

  “Lori, it’s so beautiful here! They have a lake with ducks and the fifth wheel is practically new!”

  “I’m so relieved! How did all this happen? I’m sorry I didn’t have any faith in you.” She sounds genuinely sincere, so I open up as well.

  “I know. I’m sorry that I made you so nervous. You know me after all these years. I guess I follow a different path that even I don’t understand.”

  I call my sons and mom and dad, making it brief, and finish the chore of comforting the family fears.

  As I hang up the phone, I feel a tingling sensation on the back of my neck. Reaching back to rub the spot, I feel moisture on my fingers. I turn my hand to look at my fingers and am startled to see a few drops of blood. What in the hell? At closer inspection of my fingers I notice the teeny tiny body parts of a mosquito. I do hope this is not an indication of a mosquito problem. Mosquitoes absolutely love me! I don’t just get an irritation from them, I get a violent reaction. I’m sure the pond has a lot to do with that.

  My need to use a restroom at the moment leads me to explore my new surroundings for a few minutes before I leave to the motel. As I drive slowly toward the bathroom building, I notice a tan chunky gal with a bit of a biker look to her, moving sprinklers around the park. She sets one with a spray of at least fifty feet right in the direction of a family’s beautiful recreational vehicle parked and set up for their visit. I watch it blast the RV’s outer patio wall, spraying the table set-up, chairs, and ice chests. She hops in her golf cart and rides away, chugging the last few sips of a beer. The only remains of her is the thump, thump, thump of the sprinklers against the RV, breaking the silence of the morning.

  I park next to the restroom and walk toward the door. There is a table next to the entry that has an ashtray with a cigarette burning, two open beers, and an empty one lying on its side about to roll off the table that is piled with various cleaning supplies. I hear two female voices from inside a doorway marked supplies. I proceed to enter the restroom door and find it locked. A sign on the door reads, “Please keep restroom door shut. For guests of Hacienda ONLY!” At this point, one of the voices startles me.

  “You furget yur key?” She has the cigarette now and is holding the beer. She looks to be in her early thirties and has the worn out look of one who has been drunk all her life. “No. I actually don’t have a key just yet. I was just talking to Billy about a job for the summer.” I answer.

  “Cool! Doin’ what?” She seems to be a harmless, happy drunk.

  “She said she needs a cook.”

  At this point the other gal comes out of the supply room. She seems more normal, but is not interested in who I might be.

  “What’s yur name?” The gal with the beer asks.

  “Denise.”

  “I’m Ruby and this is Brenda. Sit down. Ya want a beer?” Ruby is so excited that she accidentally bangs her shin on the bench, but did not seem to notice or feel any pain.

  “No thanks, it’s kind of early for me.”

  “It’s twenty-four seven for me. Billy could really use a new cook. She’s getting pretty tired. Been doin’ this fur far too long. She’s got Bubba but he can’t keep doin’ all three shifts. He’s still got all the trash to haul and mowin’ the grass. Terry, his girlfriend, has been doin’ all the watering even though she doesn’t really work here. And Ray isn’t too well. Here, let me open the door fur ya. We have to keep it locked cause so many travelers and campers think they can just pull in here and use our restrooms then leave.”

  Brenda doesn’t say anything, and seems like she just wants to finish up her job and get going.

  Ruby opens the door and follows me in. The restroom has five large shower stalls and four toilet areas. They must have just finished cleaning because it smells like Pine-Sol. I decide on the first stall.

  “So ya gonna take the job?” Ruby’s voice echoes loudly against the walls.

  “I think so. I’m going to stay in Brandon tonight to think about it.”

  “God, I hope ya take the job. You seem like a really cool person. Ya gonna stay in the fifth wheel?”

  “Billy offered it to me.”

  “Cool! Billy is really a neat lady. She offered this job to me. I’ve been here on and off for a couple of years. Billy has really saved my butt many times.”

  “Well, I better get on the road. Hopefully I’ll see you later.” I say as I exit the stall.

  Ruby follows me to my car. Bonita and Bandito start barking at the approaching stranger.

  “Cool! You got puppies!” Ruby is at the car window rubbing Bonita’s head. Bandito has jumped into the back and is barking angrily, as if he was insulted.

  “They’re not really puppies. They’re actually about ten years old, just Chihuahua mixes.”

  “I love dogs! Have a new one-year old Shepherd mix. Maybe after you start working here you can come out to my place and we’ll let the dogs play together. I’m just down the road ‘bout ten miles. My cabin sits right next to Bud’s Creek.”

  “That sounds fun. We’ll see how it goes. By the way, where is Bud’s Creek?” I ask.

  “What do ya mean? This is Bud’s creek. Oh
, I get it. Ya mean where is the creek itself.”

  “Yeh, the creek itself. How do I get to it?”

  “Any side dirt road ya see off the highway. It runs ‘long side it for miles.”

  “Great! I’ll have to stop and check it out on my way to Brandon. Thanks and nice meeting you. Bye Ruby. Bye Brenda!” I had to shout to Brenda. She was standing by the restroom wall watching us. She waves back lazily. As I get in the car the musty odor makes me aware of all the damp camping items that need to be air-dried. Perhaps I can do this on the picnic tables when I return tomorrow.

  It’s about 10:30 and the dogs need to get out for a while, so I decide to find a dirt road off the highway on my way to a motel in Brandon and check out Bud’s Creek. I hadn’t really noticed all the campsite turnoffs before on my way to and from Hacienda. I guess I had a lot on my mind. I pick a turn off after about five miles and pull into the dirt entry. I see one car in the dirt lot, but no one is around. The dogs are excited and know they are about to get out of the car. I leash them up with their extending leashes that give them sixteen feet to explore and feel like wild animals. I can hear the creek roaring beyond the tree line and we walk towards it.

  The water is running strong and clear from the winter snow melt off. As I stare at it, it washes away my stress and worries. It is quite beautiful and peaceful. I see a man some hundred yards down the creek fishing. Two empty ‘Bud’ cans float near the shore. An empty pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a worm container sit near a rock a few feet away. I laugh to myself thinking about the true meaning of Bud’s Creek. I pick up the trash and put it in the plastic poop bags I always carry on walks. We wander the creek’s edge for about half an hour. I fill up a second poop bag.

  “You must be fishing for mountain lion,” a deep voice says. The man I had seen fishing was now approaching us. The sudden sound of his voice startles me.

  “Oh, fishing for mountain lion?” I question.

  “That’s a good idea using Chihuahuas as bait. I really like your fishing reels.” Bonita and Bandito were currently deep under a bush looking for a lizard. All that was visible were the two thin black lines from their retractable leashes. We both start laughing and end up chatting for a few minutes until he wanders up the creek in search of a better fishing spot.

  Suddenly I become aware of a burning pain on the back of my neck. I reach back to feel the tender hard lump of the mosquito bite. I remember I have some tea tree oil somewhere in the car and am happy to know my favorite ‘cure-all’ will come in handy.

  We hop in the car to head for Brandon to find a place to stay and replenish the supplies—ice, juice, fruit, and a can of chicken for the dogs. I just ran out of the boiled chicken and brown rice mixture I have prepared for them for ten years.

  All routines that I have created for at least the past ten years have been broken the moment I got in the car and left Ashland.

  Chapter Two

  The town of Brandon is more substantial in size than anything I have seen since leaving Ashland. I drive the entire length of it just to see what would be available to me thirty miles away from my new job. The mile-long strip of commercial buildings seems to have all the regular places to fulfill my needs—Safeway, Rite Aid, hardware store, motels, restaurants, thrift store, and drive-through coffee. I run into Safeway to get the few things I need at the moment, then head back to the motel called White Fences that I had spotted at the beginning of town, with a sign below that said, “Small pets welcome”.

  It took me awhile to get to, and unload the few things I would want for the night. I find my tea tree oil and dab it on my neck, which really hurts. I feed the dogs and take them for a long walk through town. The sun is setting as I put the dogs back into the room and walk across the street to a restaurant for a nice dinner.

  Upon returning to my room, I sit and count the money I have left from my original $400, which is $180. This is only my second night on the road! I’d never last! Let me think: gas—$80, campsite—$20, breakfast—$10, this room—$65, dinner—$20, Safeway—$25.

  I pick up the phone to call Billy.

  “Hi Billy, this is Denise. I’ve decided to take you up on the job offer.”

  “Of course you have! I never thought that ya wouldn’t.” Billy replied matter-of-factly.

  “Listen, Billy, I’m really just on a working vacation, so to speak. I can only promise you that I’ll stay for the summer. I’m headed south after that to be near my parents and family.”

  “I understand and that’s fine. You just stay long enough so that Ray and I can take a vacation for the first time in seven years and we’ll all be happy.”

  “Billy? There are only two things that could make me leave, because I am a woman of my word and a darn good hard worker. First, if my parents, who are in their eighties, get ill and need my help; and secondly, if I am no longer happy there. You see Billy; I really need to be happy right now.” I’m surprised at how easy the truth comes out of me when speaking to Billy.

  “Oh you’ll be happy, I’ll see to it! You just come on by in the morning. I’ll give ya the keys—one to the fifth wheel, and one to the restroom. Even though the fifth wheel has a bathroom, we need to straighten out a few things in there first; it’s been sittin’ empty for a spell, so ya might need to use the facilities in the park for a day or so. You just get yourself settled in for the day and we’ll start to work day after tomorrow.” We each hang up the phone relieved.

  By this time, Bonita and Bandito are both cozy under the covers. I think I’ve stressed them out a bit. I climb into bed myself and fall sound asleep.

  After a nice long hot shower in the morning I pack up, walk the dogs, and head straight to the drive-thru coffee place to prepare for my drive back to Hacienda. With the pressure of being homeless lifted and the caffeine pumping through my veins, my eyes are opened and I am able to take in the beauty of the national park. “We’re going to have lots and lots of fun walks, you guys.” Bonita and Bandito are listening to every word. Bonita lets loose with a series of her loud piercing yelps that say, “We better, or I’ll make your life miserable!” She can be such a pushy little bitch at times. Bandito is ducking his head as if to say, “Please shut her up!”

  Along the way to Hacienda we stop at yet another day use area and breathe in the wonders of nature. I feel so in my element. How often I have wanted to live in a serene and peaceful environment, letting my dogs run free without something around their neck to hold them back, working in my garden, collecting wood for my fire, and living where I could catch glimpses of wildlife. I realize that at fifty-one years of age, it is rather late in my life, and I can’t regret the choices or mistakes that have made me a hostage to myself. For now, here I am, and I’m going to make the most of the moment. Whatever happens after this day, this place in time, is not a concern. I can always worry later. For today, maybe just for this hour, I have no past. I have no future. I am ageless and free.

  I carry this tranquil state of being as I get back on the highway towards Hacienda. The parking lot has several cars in front and three RVs have engines rumbling. Two are pulling out. I notice for the first time the billboard below the Hacienda sign, ‘Annual TRI-TIP dinner Friday 4PM.’ That’s tomorrow! Well, that blows my theory about an easy-going casual job. Am I cooking? Billy couldn’t really expect me to do that! There’s no way. I take a deep breath to stop my anxiety from ruining my morning of joy.

  I park and walk up the stone steps. It’s a warm cloudless morning and feels as if it could even turn hot. The RV spaces look half full of guests. I hear the golf cart off in the distance somewhere. The trashcan is worse than yesterday, and now has a bad odor. If that doesn’t get emptied soon, I will do it myself. It makes the place look so trashy. I can smell the pancakes and bacon from out here. There are five people in line at the cash register, which is also the RV registration counter. Someone other than Billy is working behind the register. She is showing someone a map of the premises and handing them a key. That same roaring male v
oice I heard yesterday is now laughing loudly at something. The restaurant is full, and a few people are shopping in the aisles for supplies. A small lady about my age scurries from the restaurant to the register with a worried look on her face. I have never seen anyone walk that fast. She rings up a breakfast customer while the other lady checks-in a guest and then scurries back to the restaurant. It’s almost as if she has roller skates on, but she doesn’t. She better slow down.

  I look over toward the kitchen and read Bubba’s special for the day: ‘DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS. BUT IT’S ALL GRILLED UP WITH MUSKRAT GRAVY.’ As I gag in disgust, I hear that booming male voice yelling, “BETTY! ORDER UP!” I see the very top of the head of the lady with roller skate feet, zoom behind the glass-fronted meat counter that separates the kitchen from the restaurant, and pick up the order.

  “Can I help you?” says the lady who was checking in the guest.

  “Oh yes, hello. My name is Denise. I spoke with Billy about a job, and she had told me to come and pick up the key to the fifth wheel and a key to the restroom today. Is she here?” I gaze toward the doorway where Ray was standing yesterday, but no one appears.

  “Yes, hello Denise. My name is Vi, and Billy told me all about you. Welcome! I’m kind of busy, but the keys are right here.”

  Vi hands me the keys and at that moment I hear and feel the heavy steps of someone on the wood plank floor approaching the counter. I assume its Bubba. I turn around and see a large man in his late thirties with short dark cropped hair. He looks really strong and has a large beer belly that looks as tight as his muscles seem to be. His navy blue shirt is splattered with grease. He also looks mean and intimidating. He pretends to ignore me, but I can tell he’s checking me out. He must have heard the conversation with Vi and myself, since the building is so large and every noise seems to echo.