Story Edie (Complete)

Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
_______________

Chapter 54​


Teena was getting sleepy, finally, and just laid in my arms since she’d worn herself out and the teething medicine had kicked in. Fifteen minutes later Winn got into the Tahoe we’d been using to pull his trailer where he’d cleaned up a work-site and was hauling off what had been left over.

“Stay down,” he said as he got in. “It might not be safe, so hold on to Teena and I’ll try and not bounce you around too much. Dammit here he comes, and I don’t want him looking inside.”

“Let me know when I can ask what in the world is going on,” I said with as much patience as I had left.

“I’m gonna act like I’m talking hands-free. Gimme a sec to make sure the bastard isn’t going to try and follow me or have someone else … yep … stay down, they think they are just so smart.” I heard him dialing and then saying, “Gunner, I’m in a Tahoe pulling my trailer. Are you at the speed trap? Man, I don’t care if you ticket all the tourists that come to town, I just need you to put your lights on a Lincoln that is following me. Edie was helping me on a job … watch it, she ain’t 18 and I ain’t in the market for silver handcuffs. We both need the work, and she don’t ask for more than what she’s due. Yeah. Tell Cindy to stick her nose in someone else’s business. Anyway, about the Lincoln? Yeah. Edie was helping me and the baby started yodeling so I told her I’d get her mail same time I was getting mine. I swear I stuck the key in her PO Box and some jackass starts in on some legal mumbo jumbo. The mother of the guy that … you know the story since Mom has a big mouth. Yeah. Well the woman has some legal beagle terrorizing Edie and now they are laying in wait for her at the post office … Chatter on the other end … I know it. But just because the post office is a public place doesn’t mean they should be able to do that to a minor whether they are emancipated or not. I read some of them letters they been sending her, and they are full of lies and threats. She’s sending copies of them to the Judge that presided over the criminal trial where all them people were found guilty and the parental rights were stripped from the guy who was the on … Chatter on the other end … yeah. Yeah exactly. … more chatter … What?! A little warning for poor Edie would not have been remiss you know. Poor girl shouldn’t have to take that. … chatter … Yeah, just get the Lincoln off me long enough to lose them. They don’t know where she lives, and any man of conscience would want to keep it that way. … chatter … Yeah. Thanks.”

I was seething as I’d put two and two together as he’d talked. “Winn …”

“Just hang on Edie. And stay down.”

I recognize where we were from the trees I could see, a place I was also very careful on Winn’s advice to drive the speed limit and a mile or two below it for good measure. We were through the bottleneck you must take to get from the US highway to the State highway and I hear the distinct whoop-whoop of the state troopers’ cars that use that little spot as their own, private trap to remind stupid kids and crazy tourists that the speed signs are not to be ignored. The spot used to be one of the most deadly in the tri-county area.

A giant snark attack was bubbling up and I guess Winn could sense it because he said, “I know Edie. As soon as I get on the other side of Munson’s Bridge I’ll pull over and you can put her back in the car seat and get up here so you can blow off some of the steam I see rising in the rearview mirror.”

Too irritated to be pacified I told him, “It’s not funny Winn.”

He sighed in resignation. “No. No it isn’t. And I’m glad you are finished going to that box and you have the other one at a different post office.”

What he would have continued on saying was interrupted by a call. “Gunner?” There was some talk and then Winn said, “I owe you. Yeah, yeah and thanks for that too. Every little bit of support she can get will hopefully make her feel better. Them peoples is nuts.”

It wasn’t but a few more minutes that Winn pulled over. I popped Teena in her car seat and thankfully she didn’t wake up. She was getting her first molars a little early and wasn’t too happy about it. Trust me, I wasn’t exactly feeling the love for the little shark’s mouth full of teeth either. Nursing was getting challenging to say the least which meant she was getting close to weaning even though she was still shy of her first birthday. I was going to keep my milk supply going by pumping until I was sure she wasn’t going to react to regular milk just in case.

I clicked my seatbelt shut and said, “Now will you tell me?”

He sighed. “You heard me explain it to Gunner.”

“Gunner Dunn. I’ve heard the name. Isn’t he the husband of the woman I met at the food truck at the strawberry farm? The one that seemed to know me even though we’d never met before that day?”

“Yep. And try and just ignore that stuff if you can. If people didn’t talk the sky over Dunnville would fall.”

“Ha. Ha.” Winn finally accepted I was going to be like a dog with a bone and carried on. “Gunner is a good guy. Has to put up with a lot of crap as you can imagine. Local PD and Local Sheriffs don’t give him a hard time but the ones in Overton and Youngtown act all offended if they have to work with the troopers. Anyway, the guy in the Lincoln has some unpaid tickets so he’s getting arrested and is going to the hoosegow in Overton.”

“Not Dunville?”

“Nope. You don’t have to worry about that. If Overton is full, they’ll take him to Youngstown which is a real possibility because Overton’s jail is in the middle of some renovations and clean up after all that damage happened during the riot.”

“What riot?”

Winn just looked at me and said, “We have got to get you listening to the news better.” He shook his head. “A couple of weeks ago there was a riot at the Overton jail. Buncha inmates got hurt and a couple of the guards will likely be on disability for the rest of their lives.”

“Oh. I … I …” Winn had probably felt it more sharply than most folks because of how he got injured in a riot.

“You scared? Because it is over and there were no escapees.”

I suddenly felt like crying. I was so tired of it all and now it seemed like I was failing in other areas too. Worse was now Winn’s life was being impacted.

“Let’s … let’s just take the trailer to where you are staying and I’ll drive home from there.”

“No. Not until we talk,” He said like he was reading my mind. “And it isn’t going to be you trying to tell me that I don’t need to come around and you crawling in a hole and pulling it in after you. Just because I might wish I could hide you away on the mountain and tell everyone else to go to hades, it doesn’t mean I can have my way. And you aren’t going to push me away. Not for this.”

I sighed and felt like crying even more.

# # # # #

I sniffed back another tear. No matter what I tried they kept coming back. “I was supposed to cook for you tonight.”

“You cook for me all the time. And good thing too or I’d have to put another notch in my belt. My clothes finally fit like they used to.”

“Winn …”

“If I’m lying I’m dying. You heard Cindy. Just because she thinks it’s from all the work and fresh air doesn’t mean I don’t know it’s your cooking. Here, use this napkin before your eyes overflow again. You don’t need to cry, it’s just fried chicken.”

“Will you stop being so nice.”

He said, “Nope. Now eat. Or at least eat a couple more bites. Them people are not worth what you are letting them do to you.”

Upset all over again I told him, “I don’t care what they do to me … I mean not beyond what they’re trying to do by saying they are going to take Teena. I’m upset that they tried to get to you. They’re going to run you off and … oh … I mean …”

He reached over and patted my hand. “They aren’t going to run me off Edie. That’s the last thing they are capable of doing. But it looks like we are going to have to take it to the next level. First guy made the mistake of giving me his business card. I do believe I am going to make a complaint with the State Bar.”

And my upset turned back to worry just that fast. “Winn don’t get involved. You see the kind of trouble they are willing to make. I’ve already had to deal with my online stores and get the host to clean up the complaints after finding they all came from the same IP, them refusing to respond to inquiries, and not being a verified customer on top of being caught in a few lies because they claimed to be a customer from over a year before I opened my store. I’m praying they don’t find out who you are and start doing the same thing to you.”

“And that’s just one of the reasons why I don’t advertise online. Same for the work we do together. I only run things by word-of-mouth. As for the other you aren’t mentioning, Cindy took care of it with her supervisors. I’m glad you called her asking for advice before they started that crap. Her DCFS people weren’t too happy to find out your worries had basis.”

“She and that supervisor of hers still did a pop inspection.”

“Which you passed with flying colors, cymbals, and a grand piano thrown in.”

I shrugged. I was still embarrassed. It had been cleaning day and I was cleaning the floor around where Teena’s high chair was normally parked. She was in the play pen and I had the windows open but because Teena was being a pistol I hadn’t heard anyone pull up.

“You know, daughter o’ mine, that I love you to the moon and back. But if you peg me with one of those blocks one more time, I’m going to take them and put them away until you learn better manners.”

“Uh uh.”

“Uh huh I will.”

“No.”

“Try me Princess Poot.”

She flopped down in disgust and knocked the blocks into the corner of the play pen. “An kee-kee boo.”

“You want the kitty book what?”

With all of the snark an 11-month-old is capable of Teena said, “An kee-kee boo peez.”

“Very good. Very, very good.” I said getting up off my knees to get the book just to prove that if you behave and follow the rules you can actually get what you want as a result.

I handed her the book and oh my gosh, she bugled from the end Robbie would sometimes gross me out doing. Only I think Teena might be louder.

“Ew. I knew it was a mistake to let you try smashed up pinto beans last night.”

Teena laughed but then became engrossed in the “kee-kee boo.” And I became distracted by laughter coming from the front porch.

Winn interrupted the memory with, “You okay?”

“Thanks.”

“Huh?” My non sequitur confused him.

“I … I guess I was just having a Midol Moment.”

“Er …”

“I know Mr. Gibson warned me they might try and pull stuff, but I never thought they’d call the school board and now try to draw you into this. I …” I didn’t know how to say what I felt and could only sigh. “Winn, it will cause problems on so many levels if they start doing what they can do next.”

“You let me worry about what you are worrying about.”

“I’m not going to let you take it on all on your own. And not because I don’t think you look good in a cape and spandex.”

“Hold the spandex”

I finally found a small grin to give him. “You know what I mean. I have got to be able to stand on my own.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” I asked, confused.

“Why do you think you have to do everything on your own. God didn’t think that was a good idea and He’s the one that started all this stuff with Adam and Eve.”
 
O

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
In this scenario? Time to go over the Tahoe and trailer bottom to top for air tags and the like. Check electronics for spyware?

Grandma better watch out. If your character Edie really is as good with research as she presents? Old families can have dirt going back generations. The older the family the more dirt? Some might be real surprised how much is on line or can be found if one is willing to spend some time digging thru court house records.

Family trees can get real interesting....
 
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Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
_______________

Chapter 55​


I’d been invested in the idea that I was going to have to do everything for Teena and I alone for long enough that I’d convinced myself that’s the way it was supposed to be, that I wanted it to be that way. And with just that one question Winn had me backing up and wondering if what I thought was an evidence proven theory was actually just a hypothesis I hadn’t even really tried to prove yet. Proof, what is proof? There’s always two sides to every story. I realized I was dealing with self-imposed boundaries not absolutes.

Winn must have thought he’d made his point enough that he didn’t need to push. I’m pretty sure if he had pushed all I would have done was “turn mule” and tried to prove it anyway. Instead, Winn is one of those people that asks questions that make you think. I’m coming to understand why I used to drive people crazy with my questions. People used to say it made them think too hard. I never meant any harm by it, I just need information to input so I can stay on task and stay sane. Winn … he already had answers, he was just asking me why I thought the way I did and how I had arrived at my own answers. Made for long conversations with lots of what Aunt Nita used to call rabbit trails but that was okay too. It was a bit like getting to know Winn, and him me, in a whole new way. I think I talked to Winn about my feelings on various subjects more than I had ever talked about them to all the people I used to think were my friends and Aunt Nita combined. It was weird how easy it was to do.

Don’t get me wrong, the conversations weren’t always comfortable, and were sometimes aggravating. For both of us. We talked about when we were kids and all the things that happened. We talked about our traumas. We talked about how we felt about things like religion and politics. He tried to understand why I just didn’t want to try with people too much. I tried to understand why he would with the way they treated him. We learned what made each other angry and we learned what just didn’t faze us at all. We learned what subjects we each considered taboo and then learned sometimes it was good to go tipping over sacred cows. We laughed a lot and I cried over things that I hadn’t dared to. Winn shared a few tears that he learned didn’t make me respect him any less, especially the day he got a call letting him know that one of his buddies from the riot decided they couldn’t live with the memories and scars anymore and walked into the ocean down in Ft. Lauderdale and just kept walking.

With how busy May was you wouldn’t have thought there would have been much time for that kind of talking. We had three clean outs of foreclosed houses where people just walked away, seemingly trying to walk away from everything that had been a part of the mess they were in. I was bringing in so much to Dotty’s and her husband’s furniture consignment store they had to ask me to slow down a bit as the other vendors were starting to complain. As a result, I opened a large booth in a big thrift store between Overton and Youngstown. They were only open four days a week – Friday through Monday – and once a month on Mondays was Seniors Day and everything was 50% off for anyone 60+ on that day. I had to price that in but it was worth it. I liked the owners and the managers there because they were strict on security and required all the vendors to keep things neat and tags to be on things the right way. Having cut my eye teeth at Vintiques and Dad’s inventory control system, after a couple of weeks I was making more money at Wanda’s Warehouse than I was at Dotty’s Attic. When the antique furniture sold, that still was the best but the expensive pieces were slim to find during May.

Friday through Monday I’d drive in to town, drop off anything that I sold online – becoming a hit or miss proposition that was starting not to be worth putting a lot of time into – on Friday and Saturday I’d clean and organize my booths at Dotty’s and make sure the display windows at the furniture consignment store were staged attractively. Dotty’s places were closed on Sunday and Monday like the rest of the antique malls in the area so at least I got some relief. Then on Friday and Saturday I’d also go to the thrift store and clean, organize, inventory, and sometimes mark down items that weren’t moving. On Sunday and Monday I’d do the same thing. Then I’d hit any store sales that usually started on Thursday and were already in raincheck land by Monday. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays I tried to keep open for full day clean outs and any barter workdays Winn set me up with.

I was getting so busy that I was struggling with school. Not my grades as the high school stuff was all repetition, but in having the time to get ahead. It became so noticeable that one of the proctors asked if everything was all right.

“College is kicking my butt. It isn’t the work, I can do that, it is how fast they are throwing it at me during the summer semesters. Semester A is only ten weeks long and Semesters B and C are only six weeks each. And they overlap.”

“I remember those days. Want some advice?”

“Give it to me,” I said.

“Stay hydrated. Stay away from junk food and the high-carb kind of foods that may fill you up but they’ll also put you to sleep. And try and get at least six hours of sleep a night. It says you work, and I know you have a child, just don’t forget to breathe in there. And if you need a gap semester in the fall you should take it. You’ll be graduating early but you don’t need to put yourself in the hospital.”

I took a deep breath. “I’ll take it under advisement. The diet stuff I try and do anyway because I’m still nursing. But … yeah, I’ll be glad for the summer to be over.”

She laughed and I smiled on the outside while on the inside all I wanted to do was snap, “You aren’t walking in my shoes.”

Even Winn noticed.

“Mom didn’t mean anything by what she said, you know that right?”

I snorted. “She was just pointing out the obvious. My hair is a rat’s nest. I’ve just given up on having time to use a flat iron and this morning I overslept on top of it. If I had known your mom was going to show up I would have tried to look less like a ‘ragamuffin’ and more presentable. I had two exams last night and a pop quiz I hadn’t been expecting. Who gives a pop quiz on bookkeeping?!”

“Let me guess, you scored 100%.”

“That’s not the point.”

He just chuckled and shook his head. What I wasn’t about to admit was that I’d grown tired of Layton’s family and their threats. Not only that, I’d grown tired of them trying to revictimize me and Teena by getting some of the other “perpetrators” involved in a civil lawsuit. They didn’t have a prayer of winning, but they might not be trying to. It was more about bankrupting me to get some of their own back. They were that kind of people.

They were doing just like Mr. Gibson had warned and were starting to make some noise about “out of court settlements to avoid unpleasant facts coming to light.” I decided to see if I could give them some unpleasant facts. I felt stupid that I hadn’t thought of it before. I felt even dumber that it took a high school civics assignment to jog me back into Research Girl mode.

The assignment was on what records are kept in the public domain and how far back they went. Uh huh. Let’s just say Layton’s great grandparents’ and grandparents’ generation was all kind of interesting in ways Layton’s parents and Layton … or Laura as he had started to call himself … regretted. They say hindsight is 20/20. They also say lay down with dogs wake up with fleas. And if they were going to try that “where there is smoke there must be fire” crap, turnabout it fair play. Lawfare me into the poorhouse? I don’t think so. I packaged up all that information I found in different ways depending on who I was sending it to. I was careful where I mailed the manilla envelopes from. Some came from Overton, some from Youngstown, some came from my old hometown. Even if they came from the same city, they didn’t come from the same post office.

While it may make me sound demented, I used an old laser printer I picked up at a yard sale. The toner cartridge cost an arm and a leg but better than paying a lawyer by the hour. The paper came from yet another yard sale as did the envelopes. I wore latex gloves while I was using the printer, paper, envelopes and I took them to different post offices and used the after-hours package machine to send them off from. Normally I did it early in the morning though there was one night I had to cancel dinner with Winn because I got lost coming back from Youngstown when it was dark. That was a song and dance I tell you. Winn is not stupid regardless of what other people might think. Had I been standing in front of him he would have seen through my subterfuge. But a cell phone and bad connection kept him from seeing what I was really up to. As it was he was waiting on me when I got home.

“You okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I told you I figured out where I was and all the rest of it. You didn’t have to check up on me.”

“Whoa. Not what I’m doing Edie. Er … actually I was going to ask if I could crash on the trundle. The Property Management company gave me my walking papers today after paying me. For the last cabin. Coming up on the high season and renovated or not they are booked solid. Means I can start on that private job early where the owner wants the high-end additions and the porch railing re-built and a ramp put in. But, they are at the place for another week and if its okay I’ll just put the camper over on that level place and …”

“Can we just not fight about it? Pretend or whatever that you are staying in the camper but stay here,” I said finally getting the door open and hurrying over to slide Teena into her high chair and preparing for her to giver herself a facial and hair conditioning … otherwise known as mashing up some carrots and letting Teena try and feed herself. I needed to go to the bathroom and pump, in that order. My chest felt like it was about to explode but Teena hadn’t wanted to nurse, only gnaw on one of her dog biscuits.

“Can you watch her for a little bit? Please?”

“Er … sure. You’re looking kinda … uh …”

“Stop with the er and uh, I know I look like a blasted one-sided mushroom. I’m going to take care of it … just watch her so she doesn’t smear the carrots on the wall.”

He relaxed and said, “I brought a bucket and sides just like you like. Want me to plate you up some?”

I stopped mid-escape and turned to look. “Thank you. Yes please. I owe you roughly a gazillion something or others. I’ll pay up in August.”

“Edie!” he yelped when I hurried off to take care of my business.
 
L

larry_minn

Contributing Member
“I’ll pay up in August”. I think I would have to stay in the camper. I may have slept with a few gals with both of us *mostly* clothed. Thinking back it was the right choice. But many times I was tempted to go for more. And two of the gals made it very clear it was a option.
 
Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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Chapter 56​


It seemed to take forever to get some relief with the pump. When I was finished, I walked into the kitchen to put the milk in the freezer. It was also to find bits of carrots in a bowl in the sink and a bunch of rags with orange bits smashed into them. That told me Teena had played more than eat the carrots. What I didn’t find was Teena or Winn. Then I heard the dulcet tones of my daughter singing, “Kee kee and woo woo and kack kack and Weeeee E, E, E, O.”

I walked out into the living area to find Teena in the playpen and Winn on the floor beside her. Asleep. How did I know he was asleep? Because he was covered with most of the toys that were supposed to stay in the playpen. And he was singing his own dulcet tones in snores. Oh boy.

I’d learned you had to be careful waking Winn up when he was that tired. However, that time I didn’t have to risk life or limb because about the time I was going to call to him from a safe distance Teena proved yet again that baseball might be in her future by pitching a board book at him and it caught him against the bridge of his nose. Scars or no, Winn can move fast; including sitting up at the speed of sound and looking like he was holding a gun of some type with two hands with his back against the playpen.

“Winn! Wake up so I can make sure Teena didn’t give you a bloody nose.”

He blinked and then his eyes focused. “There’s a bear on the front porch.”

I thought he was still asleep until I heard something knock over the stack of big flower pots I was collecting to have a container garden when I found the time to actually do it. I slowly turned around and there was a bear-butt (not bare-butt but I suppose it was that too) pressed against the glass door Winn had helped me to install after the last one had the hinges rust out.

“Uh …”

“Any food out there or in the Tahoe?”

“No. You told me not to ever do that. I even brought in Teena’s diaper bag.”

“Good,” he said in approval. “It looks like a small adolescent. Probably just got set loose or run off by its mother so she could look after younger ones.”

“That’s small? It’s … it’s … uh … bear-sized.”

He got up off the floor and started to walk towards the door. I grabbed his shirt. He looked down in surprise and then said, “It’s all right Edie.”

“You are not going outside to confront that bear. It can have whatever it wants. Except you. You are staying inside with Teena and me.”

He chuckled and asked, “Do I look crazy?”

“Do not ask that question and expect a sensible response. My mouth has already overflowed once tonight and … and …”

“Hey, you are scared.”

“It’s a freaking bear. And this isn’t a zoo. Although now that I’m thinking about it thick bars and a moat are sounding pretty good right now.”

I couldn’t turn loose of his shirt for some reason, and I pulled him backwards so I was within easy reach of Teena. What’s more he let me for some dumb reason and didn’t make fun of me either.

A few minutes later something must have scared the bear as it suddenly took off into the night at a fast trot. “Uh oh. That ain’t good.”

“The bear left. That’s good.”

“Turn loose Edie, I need to find out what made the bear run off like that.”

“Who cares?! It can be Godzilla just so the bear is gone.”

“Edie, turn loose. Stay here with the baby.”

Winn rarely uses that tone but when he does I take him seriously. He wasn’t outside but a second and came in pale. “There’s smoke on the wind. You have those binoculars handy?”

I ran upstairs to get them for him and then when I handed them to him he was on the phone. “Yes Sir. I’m going to stop by Edie Holtzinger’s place and make sure she knows and can get out if the fire turns. … chatter … Yes Sir, I’ll listen for the siren since the EAS system is down. … chatter … As far as I know she’s the only occupied cabin at her elevation. Two new ones were being built a little below her off Deckerman Landing but they’ve both been stopped until the construction meets the new State codes. … chatter … I will, and thanks for picking up as I know you gotta be busy.”

I didn’t have to ask Winn to explain. “That was Gilmore Dunn. My dad’s half-uncle. He’s in Forestry and usually helps coordinate with the fire departments when there’s a fire up on the mountains.”

“Fire?” I asked, trying not to sound like a complete weakling by whimpering.

“It’s two ridges over. Some tourist forgot to close the valve on their grill and … and it exploded. They’ve been trying to put it down for almost an hour. It’s 50% contained and running towards Dunn-Draven Park.”

“Oh no. Where we took Teena for a picnic and where the waterfall is?”

“I know, but that’s actually a good thing. There’s not full-time residents back in there and it stays wet all year round – even during all but the worst drought conditions – and it is a dead end. If it gets that far, yeah, it’s gonna be a mess but not as bad as if it was in an open valley with nothing to help stop it.”

“So it is going down, not up.”

“Correct. But Murphy is known to show up so … er … I wanna get some stuff together in case we have to evacuate. And if we don’t, I want to put some plans in place to create a fire break.”

That night sucked on top of all the other suckage but … I wasn’t alone. And as I thought about it in the days that followed, I’m pretty sure that the Creator was letting some of the suckage happen for a reason. It might have meant different reasons for different people but for me? It was to help me realize that I wasn’t alone and that it was a good thing not to be alone, not something I needed to be wary of, afraid of, nor was it something I should take for granted.
 
Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
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Chapter 57​


If this was some ridiculously unbelievable piece of young adult fiction, that night would have been called either The Night of the Bear or The Night of the Fire. Or The Night the Fraidy Bear Slept and Cried in the Tahoe Because of the Fire. No. I am not kidding. The bear fritzed around for about an hour, darting back and forth across the level clearing, and then came back crying for his momma. Winn thought maybe momma bear hadn’t kicked him out so much as he was in the come-and-go stage but now wanted his momma because he was scared and was too separated from her for her to hear him. Or maybe she was busy or something with her next Mr. Big Bear. I don’t know. I do know that I couldn’t decide whether I was more upset by the bear, or for it. Of course, it would be at that moment that I remembered I hadn’t locked the Tahoe because I’d needed the bathroom so bad. O.M.G.

Bears do not have opposable thumbs; they should not be able to open car doors. Tear them off sure, but not do what that bear-not-quite-cub did. Winn thinks its mother must have had a lot of practice getting into cars looking for something to eat and the bear-not-quite-cub learned at her hands … er, paws or whatever the heck is the right word for the things they walk around on and get into trouble with.

“Oh no,” I said when a weird thought hit me. “Bear you better not crap in my vehicle.” Teena’s poots were bad enough, I was struggling to imagine what a bear’s poots would do to the Tahoe’s seats.

Winn said, “We better hope he doesn’t take the inside apart with his claws. I’ve seen the damage a bear can do to a car.”

I turned slowly to look at him. “Thanks. That is a visual I did not need.”

In the mood to pay me back with his version of Smart Aleck Bombs he responded, “You’re welcome.”

Grrrrrrr. And that was not the bear that growled at that moment. Of course Winn thought I was making a joke. Nope. But what was I going to do? Besides it was distracting him from the very real panic attack that seemed to be waiting in his mental corridors to trigger Winn’s brain to go into meltdown mode. Not that he wasn’t trying. He kept himself busy. The goof measured nearly every wall and cabinet and made copious notes (duplicating a lot I had already made but measure twice and cut once I guess). Calmed himself down by watching the fire from the various levels of the cabin using the binoculars as it moved away. Talked me nearly into a comma about things like bug out bags, bug out plans, but out maps, and generally just bugged me out. He also listened to radio and played target any time he stood still long enough for Teena to peg something at him.

“She’s getting good,” he said as he caught another plastic block that came at him with surprising strength. “You should consider getting her into sports as soon as she can actually walk more than a few steps without falling on her butt.”

“The falling on her butt is part of her schtick. I bet if I went with the less padded ones she wouldn't fall near as much.”

He just looked at me, this time not sure whether I was joking or not.

I sympathized. I did. But we coulda worked things in shifts but he didn’t think that was wise since we were able to keep each other awake better if we were both awake at the same time.

Neither Winn nor I got much sleep that night. The next morning wasn’t fun either. See, the bear getting in the Tahoe was a different issue from him getting out. Winn had finally fallen to sleep. He was physically (and emotionally) exhausted. I on the other hand had a daughter who was up and famished because she hadn’t eaten in three decades. And once again she wasn’t interested in nursing which I could have done in my sleep.

I’d just finished mopping up Hungry Hungry Holtzinger when I looked out the front window and … the bear’s face was plastered against the passenger window. It had the same look Teena did when she was thinking about filling her diaper. Oh heck no.

When Winn woke up an hour later …

“What are you doing?” he said coming into the kitchen to find me filling yet another bucket of water.

“Bear poots.”

“Bear …” He rushed to the front porch but came back looking puzzled. “Inside doesn’t look damaged. That’s a good thing. Did it take a dump in there?”

“No. I made him get out before he did his business, but he didn’t get far off into the woods before he dropped a load.”

There was silence, like he was still waking up. Then he jumped a bit and asked, “What do you mean you made him get out?”

“You know that face Teena makes right before I tell you I’m gonna need a few minutes to take care of her?”

“Yeah.”

“Well the bear was doing it and there was no way I was going to chance it.”

“You did not.”

“What was I supposed to do? He couldn’t get out and was getting kinda desperate from the way his face was pressed against the window.”

“Edie!”

“Apparently getting in was easier than getting out. Besides, his momma must have taught him some manners. He ran to the bushes before making his mess.”

“Edie!!”

Gradually Winn was able to see some humor in the situation … after he extracted a promise that I never ever ever do anything like that again. He agreed that getting the bear odor out of the Tahoe was going to be about like getting awful wet dog smell out of an old sofa. I did have a couple of puncture holes in the back seat, but I fixed them with a vinyl repair kit that I picked up at Wanda’s Warehouse a couple of aisles over from my own booth. I picked up the repair kit originally because Teena’s car seat was wearing a spot where it sat. She’s an energetic kid, a car seat wasn’t going to control that so bouncing created a wear spot. There are days Teena wears a spot in my brain as well. No repair kit for that.

I think Winn and I could have used such a repair kit that day. We both thought our day was going to be shot. Then he started getting calls. Boy did he start getting calls. I fixed some omelets from a jar of freeze dried eggs I kept in the kitchen for when I was up to eating my own experiments and brewed Winn some of the sludge he liked to drink by the bucket (the size of his favorite coffee mug). I watched him try and figure out how to tame the flying monkeys, before they started slinging their own poo, into something that would benefit us. And I do mean us. Because if the night of the fire and bear poots had done nothing else, it seemed to have solidified that there was an us. I don’t think we were ready to write in stone what “us” really meant, but there was now definitely an “us” whatever it would come to mean.
 
Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
_______________

Chapter 58​


Poor Winn had tried to take the same bite of omelet three times and each time his phone had rung. The fourth time I picked it up and in my best sing-songy receptionist voice I said, “Dunn and Holtzinger, Mr. Dunn isn’t available. Would you care to leave a message?”

The laughter on the other end startled me until I recognized Mrs. Willowdean. “I take it Winn’s phone has been ringing off the wall this morning.”

I snorted. “Yes ma’am. He was actually able to get a swallow of coffee this time. I didn’t want him to strangle so I picked up for him.”

She laughed some more and then said, “I was calling to make sure someone had checked on you.”

I sighed dramatically. “Father Goose checked last night and first thing this morning. Like I told him, it was going the other direction. I’m more irritated by the bear smell in my car.” Which of course meant I had to explain the situation causing the old lady to really cackle.

“Child, poor Winn. He’s gonna wind up bald.” She chuckled some more and then said, “People that were supposed to come help today got burned out. Or at least the road back to their place did and they can’t get back in there until they make sure there are no widow makers are going to fall. I wasn’t expecting much help … they’re my youngest sister’s in-laws way on the other side … but I expected more than what they said they can give me now. You got time to come out today or tomorrow even if Winn doesn’t? We can work it out like always.”

I looked at Winn who seemed to be asking me to handle it ‘cause he couldn’t handle her today and then at Teena and the sky outside. “May I bring her playpen and set it up someplace close?”

“Don’t bother Honey. I found my grandkids’ old play yard. Knew there was a reason I kept it. We’ll throw a couple of quilts down and if you’re lucky she’ll wear herself out. Can ya come?”

“I’ll be there …,” I looked at my watch and then shrugged. “I’ll call when I get to the metal bridge to let you know how close I am. Do you need anything from the store before I get there?”

“Well aren’t you sweet. No Honey, I’m stocked up for the month. Went just yesterdee but if you have a drink you want in particular you might want to pick it up. I’ve got ice making though.”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll come as soon as I can.”

After ringing off I looked at Winn and said, “You better hope she doesn’t pull out anymore pictures since you’re not going to be there to object.”

He groaned but it was more in relief. “Look, I know that Aunt Willowdean can be … uh …”

“Oh, stop it. I like her. She reminds me of Aunt Nita in a way. And I like the way she barters. We both come out ahead. I figure I will get there about when the dew dries up and we’ll go straight into the garden. Anything else you think she’ll need?”

“Uh uh. And try not to let her give you a laundry list of things. Her grandson Doyle and I …”

“Doyle Dunn? The one you said just moved back to the area with a pregnant wife in tow?”

“Yeah,” he answered making a face. “He’s not my favorite person. Used to be a mean snot because my parents were divorced and his weren’t. Holier than thou. Stick up his … er … anyway, Mom says he isn’t like he used to be. And I hear his wife is nice.”

“But?”

He sighed. “Mom … er …”

I thought about it. “You know your mom loves you. And you also said she was guilt tripping.”

“Edie …”

“Neither one of us … I’m never going to be your mother’s first choice. I’ll never be anyone’s first choice. I actually get that even if … if I wish it could be some other way. But I’ve also accepted …”

“Edie. Please.”

“I’m not bad mouthing your mom.”

“I know that. Just … there’s … aw hell.”

“No matter what you’ll always be a better friend than I’ve ever had Winn. If that’s all I ever get to have? It’s still better than I’ve ever had.”

“Don’t.”

I shrugged. “I’m a realist Winn. I have to be. Fairytales are just … stupid. And fake. And nonexistent. But friends aren’t. You’re my friend and the last thing you are is fake. And I’m not 18 yet and friends are all we can be anyway right?”

“Er …”

“So let your mom be your mom. It’s a good thing to have one. I’ll be me. Maybe … maybe at some point … Anyway, I should have been thinking about that part instead of being stupid. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do while I’m out.”

He sighed. “Edie … I … I don’t have everything figured out.”

I snorted. “Good. It would be awful to be the only one that doesn’t have a clue. You already wear spandex and a cape. I’m not sure I could handle saintliness on top of that.”

“Saintly isn’t what I’m feeling,” he grumbled.

“Hold that thought. I’m not eighteen yet. Remember?”

He saw I wasn’t mad, and I refused to let him see I was sad, so he was able to laugh it off. I got going but laughing was the last thing I felt like doing as I drove. In all the stupid stories my so-called friends used to go goo-goo over, it was always the guy that the parents didn’t like, and who had to prove themselves to win the girl. My life would have to prove to be as contrary as it always was … the girl was going to have to prove herself to win the boy. Only Winn wasn’t a boy and I’m not sure I had qualified as a “girl” since my personal hell night.
 
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