Lost Chance (4) “It’s getting deep. Glad I’ve got my boots on,” said Calvin. Chris was quiet and looking squirrelly. “Isn’t pot considered a gateway drug?” asked Laura. “Isn’t there some concern that people will try harder drugs?” “Alcohol and tobacco are the biggest gateway drugs there are,” said Spike. “The Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food and Drug Administration are like that line in the Mel Books movie Blazing Saddles where they say, ‘Gentlemen, we’ve got to save our phony baloney jobs’. So they keep cannabis classified as a narcotic when scientifically speaking it is not. They deny any science that says pot is safe and effective and bolster their arguments with any phony or negative science they can find. It is obvious their agenda is based on prejudicial politics and not on the health, welfare or pursuit of happiness of the people. Meanwhile the FDA approves poorly tested drugs that are pushed by the major drug companies with bribes and then they have to recall them when the side effects are shown to be dangerous. It’s obvious that the whole system is totally corrupt.” “I tried to grow some but the deer ate mine,” said Calvin. “The deer ate your grass?” Laura asked, sounding sympathetic and surprised. “Yeah deer love it, they ate my entire crop this year, can’t keep em away. I figure if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me.” “So why is it illegal anyway?” Chris managed to ask. Spike continued enthusiastically, “It opens up your eyes and your mind, the man doesn’t like that. That’s why it’s illegal.” Calvin rolled his eyes and said, “He means it makes him paranoid. Well, we know what he’s been smoking, I guess I’ll be shoveling off,” said Calvin. Chris and Laura said their good byes and Laura thanked Catty for the cake and Catty gave them some to take with them. “Remember if reality all seems wrong to you then you’re probably beginning to glimpse the truth,” said Spike by way of a good bye. On the way back to the hotel Laura asked Chris, “Are you tired?” “Not really.” “Want to walk to the schoolhouse?” “Ok.” The streets were lit by a couple of street lights. They walked toward the hotel and took the little road to the right up to the schoolhouse. Laura sat on a swing facing the white building and Chris sat on a swing next to her. “Can you imagine generations of children learning English and math here?” Laura said. “Yeah, I can imagine it. I guess their choices were pretty limited.” They decided to walk to the bridge. Once they were out of town it was so dark that they could barely tell if they were on the road or not. Only the sound and feeling of their shoes hitting the pavement told them that they were on the pavement, one stoned step at a time. His wet pant cuffs were making him cold. They found their way to the bridge and there was a little more light since it was not surrounded by tall trees. The constant flow of the water made a dull roar. Chris looked up into the black sky and could not remember seeing so many stars. They saw small shooting stars and a satellite steadily crossed the sky. He could see the Milky Way crossing the entire sky and the thought crossed his mind that there were so few times in his life that he had seen it. “Aren’t the stars beautiful,” said Laura. “You have to admit it has been an interesting day.” “How do I get into these things?” Chris yelled as he raised his arms to the stars and Laura laughed. “Do you think there is life on other planets?” Laura asked. “Well it seems obvious that since there are so many stars there has to life on some planets. If life could happen on this planet it could happen anywhere.” “What do you think they’re like?” “Some aliens may give you the secrets of the universe, some might take you apart to see how you work. I wouldn’t recommend getting into just any old flying saucer that comes by.” They stood on the bridge and kissed and hugged in the darkness. They walked back to the hotel holding hands. Back at the hotel, the taste of the spices from his dinner stayed with him all of the night. He wanted a mint really bad but he knew he would not be able to get one. He thought about getting up and searching the car to see if there was a tin of mints somewhere. His mind raced and he kept thinking obsessively about his predicament while Laura snored softly. Sunday AM Sunday morning as they lay in bed. Laura said, “You’re my cuddle bunny. Give me a big hug.” He wrapped his arms around her supple and warm body smelling of sleep and caressed her a little. She had that look on her face that told Chris he could do anything he wanted. The look on her face clouded over and she said, “I guess we should get up now.” She threw back the covers and got out of bed. Chris felt abandoned and bereft momentarily but he soon got out of bed. They had breakfast at the hotel again and he pocketed a paper towel. On his way to the shower he brought another can of cat food. He dropped by Moran’s house but the car was still in the yard minus the right axel and no one was home. He felt unsure and did not know what to do. Chris put a handful of black berries in his paper towel this time. He decided that his Lost Chance name could be Dusty Berries. The shower coin box he had used the day before was still jammed so he used the other shower. Half way through he managed to jam that coin box too. He didn't think the coin boxes had been emptied for a long time and now they were both full. He did not know what he would do for a shower tomorrow if that should come up. Maybe he would have to find the campground manager. He started to think of the place as the Faulty River Campground. He looked for the cat to feed it again but did not see the animal. He hoped someone had taken it in. Sunday PM Coming back from his shower he ran into Laura who was sitting at the picnic table in the grassy triangle. She sat with her back to the table and her legs stretched out. He walked over toward her, she patted the seat next to her as an invitation. He sat on the table with his feet on the bench. They looked over toward the cemetery. “Did you walk through it?” asked Laura. “No, I looked over the fence at some of the tombstones. The dates are all pretty old, I don’t think they use it any more.” “I like towns like that.” “Why?” “It shows a history, it shows people have lived and died here. You could live your whole life here and little would change. It’s comforting to think that kind of stability still exists in this day and age.” It scared him that she seemed to feel that she had found something here when he felt that they were being sucked into this hick whirlpool. “Don’t know that I would like to live my whole life here, seems like it could get pretty boring. They don’t care about what’s going on in the outside world. Small towns give me claustrophobia. Everyone knows everyone else’s business,” Chris complained. “And the food is killing me, I could hardly sleep last night from indigestion. Everyone here has gold fever, but none of em look like they are getting rich. Everything is a joke to these people. Like how ‘golden pines’ equals dead trees. The trees are dying, what do they care. Well the climate is changing, hasn’t anyone noticed?” “They can’t help it if the climate is changing, they just live here and try to make the best of it. The climate is changing in Seattle too, you know it’s becoming warmer and drier. We don’t really have to move south to California, its moving north to us,” said Laura. “We got here Friday night, we were here all day Saturday and now it looks like we will be here all day today and who knows how long we’ll be here tomorrow. Three days we’ve been stuck in this hole, and I feel like I have been trapped here all my life.” "Chris it’s not so bad here, but we'll get out soon and then we'll go home to Seattle, so just try to enjoy it," Laura said patiently. “That Spike is like from another planet,” said Chris. “Oh I don’t think so, they’re all just people like you and me,” Laura said patiently. “Whatever, hope I don’t become like him when I get old,” said Chris. “Things seem to die of neglect here. It bothers me that I can’t take a shower or make a phone call because somebody couldn’t be bothered to empty the coin box. What else do they have to do here? Anyway we’re already too late for work on Monday,” Chris said. “We can stand to miss a day of work,” Laura said lightly. “Yeah, I guess. It’s kinda hot, feel like having a soda?” “Ok.” They walked over to the store and got a soft drink. Cathy’s car was in front of the store and she sat on the bench talking to some kids. “Hi,” said Laura. “Hi,” said Cathy back. “Just going in for a soda, can I get you anything?” “No thanks.” He opened the old wooden door and they walked into the store. “Hey,” said Ken from behind the counter. “You’re still here!” “Still waiting for the car to be fixed,” moaned Chris. They bought their drinks and went back out onto the porch and sat on the bench. Ken came out onto the porch. “So how are you two doing?” Ken asked Chris and Laura. “All right,” they answered. “Where did that Acacia tree come from?” asked Laura. “The Chinese planted it,” said Ken. “There was a Chinese cabin behind the store a long time ago.” “It looks like it’s going to be another hot day,” said Laura. “Why don’t you two go swimming,” suggested Cathy. She gave the keys to Laura. “No I couldn’t,” said Laura. “Yes you can. No offense but I want you to drive,” Cathy gave Chris a significant look. “Won’t you need the car?” asked Laura. “No I have to work,” Cathy answered. “Ok, thanks.” Chris and Laura drove down to the hotel and Chris put his shower stuff away and they picked up a few towels. Laura drove off to the picnic ground in Catty’s bug. Cathy started walking to the hotel and she nodded to Moran as he turned onto the road going to his house. As Laura was driving down the bumpy dirt road she shifted and the gear shift came out. Chris started to panic and she offered him the gear shift lever. “Do you want to drive?” she asked pointedly. Laura showed Chris where the whackos were living near the picnic ground. She parked the car and led him to the beach and there were naked people on it. “What kind of place is this?” he asked. “A nice place,” she said. She took off her clothes and then he did too. They went into the cold water and then they lay on the beach. Across the river three women in bikinis showed up, he wondered where they had come from and how they knew about this place. He thought they had so little on that they would not take the bikinis off but then they stripped off and dove in. Lying on the beach he couldn’t believe it. Chris got back into the water and swam to the far end of the pool where the river poured in over the rocks and churned up the oxygen. He swam underwater and saw the trout resting in the oxygenated water. Laura was both relieved and disappointed that Moran wasn’t there. She rested in the sun with her eyes closed and listened to the sounds around her. “We’re in heaven,” one woman said to another. “Why can’t life be like this all the time?” Chris and Laura left the picnic ground after a few hours. On the way back to town Chris said, “The Fiesta is not going to be ready. All of these people are on small town time. Not only will we not make it to work Monday but Tuesday as well and only god knows how long it will take to get it fixed. We’ll never get home at this rate, maybe you should fly home and I’ll stay with the car. I’ll hitch hike to the city and come back in a tow truck, I should have done it yesterday, and when I come back I’m going to tell that Moran guy off.” Laura rolled her eyes and then said, “Well maybe you could wait until Monday.” When they got back to the hotel Laura’s rinsed off Fiesta was parked outside and Moran was sitting on the bench in front of the hotel with grease stained hands softly playing Red River Valley on an old Spanish guitar. He was singing, “from this valley they say you are going, we will miss you bright eyes and sweet smiles…” Chris could not believe how corny and outrageously forward this was but he could tell Laura was charmed. Lora kept looking between Moran and the car. “Is it working?” she asked Moran hopefully. He stopped playing. “Why shore little lady, what would make you think that it wouldn’t be,” he answered laconically. “How did you get it fixed on Sunday?” Laura asked Moran. “I know people who know how to do these things. You have to be self reliant to live here. Took off your axel yesterday. Got an axel for free in Grass Valley at a friend’s junk yard last night. Taking off your axel and the one off the junk car I figured out how to get the new one onto yours and I put it on today. Wasn’t that difficult, a little bit of welding and it was done.” Reaching for his wallet Chris asked sounding amazed “How much do we owe you?” “Oh nothing,” Moran said with a wave of his hand like he was shooing off a fly. Bret and Laura came up with a hundred dollars for his effort which Moran at first refused. Laura pressed it into his hand. “Well you can buy a couple of rounds of drinks if nothing else,” she said. They emptied their hotel room again. Cathy said, “Normally we would charge for another day cause it’s after check out time but seeing the trouble you had with the car we’ll let it slide.” Laura hugged Cathy and Moran good bye. Cathy wrote Just Married on the back window of the car with a thick black felt pen. Chris and Laura drove back up the steep grade which did not seem as formidable in the day light. Chris wished he had just come this way in the first place. Once they had made it back to the top of the ridge they turned right onto Highway 20 toward Nevada City and Grass Valley. “We can drive until late and then get a room.” Chris said while hoping that the next hotel had thicker walls. “Sounds like a plan.” “What do you want to do about work Monday?” Chris asked. “We can call in sick tomorrow morning,” Laura answered. “That Lost Chance was kind of an intriguing place.” “Never thought we’d get out of there that fast,” he replied. “Do you think we'll ever go back?” she asked him. “I don’t know,” he answered sincerely. “It does have some positive aspects but there’s nothing to do there but swim or hang out at the bar.” “You could read a book, or even strike it rich.” He gave her a look. “You’re always complaining that you don’t have time to read your pile of books. Might be a good place to spend a summer or retire to,” she ventured. “Not until I'm ready to become an alcoholic”, he answered.
Copyright © 2007 Michael Potter |