by A. J. Wells
Steve stays with me and we talk while I clean the exam rooms and the kennel room, preparing to close the office. Then Bob and Steve have to go, they’re on duty tonight. They invite us to stop by the station, as they’re leaving.
“That was nice of them. I thought it would just be us workin’ on this. I didn’t know there was that much goin’ on in this dinky town. Guess it’ll be a bigger job than I originally thought.” Not too big I hope.
Maria smiles, “These activities were sure kept quiet. We have seventeen calendars comin’, but some of the events are this weekend. How are we gonna get it done and out in one day?”
“This weekend may have to be skipped, but we can get out next week’s events.”
“Maybe what we need is an event newsletter posted at different places that covers a month. Then posters as reminders.”
“Maria, I think that’s genius. We’ll just need to design one heading for the newsletter then we’ll be free to design the posters as needed. I don’t believe posters are necessary for club meetings, do you?” She doesn’t either.
As we walk out, locking the front door of the clinic, five people are coming toward the door with their schedule of events. I take them home with me and start correlating them.
Wednesday, just after we open the office, the waiting room’s full. There’s only supposed to be three appointments today so I listen to the conversations. Maria’s talking to most of them about events, the response is amazing. Maria’s hands are full of calendars and there’s more being held out to her. She excuses herself to take care of our first appointment.
In the exam room, Mrs. Walters praises us for our help in getting the word out about the charity and club events. She’s here because Miss Minnie, her cat, has a little cough. I give her medicine and instructions and Mrs. Walters leaves a schedule for her Cat Lover’s Club. Maria puts it with the stack she’s already collected. Mrs. Walters can barely get to the door with Miss Minnie’s carrying case.
Bob comes in as Mrs. Walters is leaving. He asks what’s going on and when he hears the answer he starts collecting papers at the door, clearing the waiting room in about ten minutes. Maria and I can’t thank him enough. He’s off till five and thought he would check with us to see what kinda response we’d had. He hadn’t expected this, either. He says he’d be back about lunch time and wants to know what we do for lunch. One of us usually goes out to get lunch and brings it back, so he offers to bring us lunch, along with a box for the event schedules. He suggests the box sit outside the door to keep the clinic waiting room from being mobbed.
The rest of the morning is quieter, seems the rush is over. Everyone’s happy about the events newsletter and promise to look for it. They hope it’ll bring in more help with the charities and enlarge the clubs’ memberships. Maria and I hope we’ll get through the next few days and complete the work.
Steve and Bob, with a little white haired lady, brought in the box Bob had promised, and a sign that requests the schedules be placed in it with a contact person and phone number on them. The lady with them is Steve’s grandmother, Lili Williams. After lunch, Miss Lili and Steve leave for a while. They come back with four large dry eraser boards and begin to put tape on them to mark out the days of the month. When they finish, we each get a schedule and start to fill in the days. We get most of the schedules finished in the three hours we have to work on it. Miss Lili saved our lives and says she’d be glad to help out any time. We notice its time to close the office and they leave.
Maria and I clean the reception area and straighten the office before leaving for home. Bob and Steve are waiting outside when we come out. We talk for a few minutes then Maria has to get home to Shay. Steve and Bob have a briefing over at the station and I have a shower calling me, at home.
I stop to pick up a frozen pizza at the grocery store and run into Miss Lili. I ask her how she’s getting home. Steve’s going to pick her up after his meeting. We walk and shop together, even tho’ I’m through shopping and she only needed a few things, which she already seems to have. Just as we’re checking out, the fire alarm goes off at the station. We go outside to see the fire truck leaving with several private trucks behind it. I ask Miss Lili if I can take her home and she accepts.
I’m surprised when we get to her house. She lives in the Georgian house across from the city park, the founder’s house. I help her inside with her groceries and we talk a bit about the house and its history. I try to excuse myself, but Miss Lili won’t let me go without giving me a couple’a slices of lemon cake to take with me. I ask her for her phone number so I can check on her. She says she’ll be fine, but she’d enjoy talking to me. Her number in my pocket and my thawed pizza dripping on my seat, I drive home.
Maria calls as I’m getting the pizza out of the oven. We talk about the events of the day and Miss Lili. She’s surprised Miss Lili’s a descendent of the founding father of Granite Bluff. Ol’ what’s his name? I tell her there’d been a fire alarm and the whole volunteer force had gone out. She hopes, like all of us, the fire’s easily contained and doesn’t spread. A fire in this weather and drought can be devastating to everyone. We hang up and I call Miss Lili to see if she’d heard anything.
Bob and Steve are home, after putting out a barbecue fire. Miss Lili puts Steve on the phone as I’m telling her it isn’t necessary. He explains that when the fire hazard’s this high, every fireman’s required to respond. We speak for a few minutes then he has to shower. He and Bob and two others are the only full time firemen. He and Bob expect to be at the office after lunch tomorrow to help with the calendars.
I shower, watch the ten o’clock news, tho’ there’s nothing new, and go to bed.
Today’s easier, with the box collecting the schedules. I can’t believe there’s so much going on in town. Miss Lili is here with lunch for us and stays to help. When Steve and Bob come in about one thirty, things are coming together. Tomorrow the newsletter will be ready to print. Bob gives us a couple of letterheads he’d designed for it. We like them both and decide we’ll alternate them. Miss Lili asks if we’d heard from the senior citizens center. We haven’t, so she and Steve run down to get their schedule. Now we have something from every place any of us know of that has events and a dozen or so more that we knew nothing about. Now, we have to make good on our promise and get the calendars out. No posters are necessary this week.
We decide we’ll post the newsletters at stores around town and if they’ll let us, reminder posters will be stuck in one their windows when necessary. Steve and Miss Lili will take care of lining up the windows and stores. Maria thinks small collapsible A-frame stands for the flyers will cover parts of downtown and the park. We like the idea. Miss Lili says she’ll get a couple of friends at the senior center to make three or four. We want to make the flyers big event reminders and the newsletters will have to be bi-weekly because of the number of events that need to go on them. There’s more to do in this dinky town than is common knowledge. Maria and I decide we’ll work on the next calendar tomorrow. Since we’re not busy, she can bring Shay to the office.
We’ve worked most of the morning on the newsletter and are about to print them for the first two weeks, when Steve, Bob and Miss Lili come in. Shay takes off for Bob as soon as he sees him and Bob scoops him up mid stride, to say “hi”. Miss Lili is taken with Shay and offers to babysit anytime. The five of us get to work printing off two dozen calendars. Steve, Bob and Shay leave to distribute them. Bob brings Shay back after about an hour, seems he needs changed and they didn’t take anything to cover that “end” of things. Maria laughs and takes the toddler to the bathroom to remedy the problem. Steve arrives, having finished distributing the calendars. It’s three and we’re all tired and Bob and Steve have to go to work.
Miss Lili wants to get something to eat and the rest of us realize we’re hungry, too. Shay didn’t remind us of lunch time, as he usually does, and Maria’s curious about it. Bob has to admit he had gotten him a hot dog while they were out. “I d
idn’t see any mustard or ketchup on him when I changed him.” Maria says.
“Oh. Does he like mustard and ketchup on his hot dog? I didn’t know so I didn’t put any on it.”
“Did he eat it?” Bob admitted every bite was devoured. “By Shay?”
“Yeah. He’s a neat eater, didn’t drop a crumb.” Bob’s smiling with pride, like he’d accomplished the unheard of. Maria smiles back at him and we all see the instant Bob falls for her, it’s strong and obvious. Maria seems to be oblivious to it, as she turns to pick up Shay and get ready to go home. Bob opens the door for her and helps her get Shay in the car.
When he comes back in, Miss Lili asks “Did you get her phone number?”
He looks a bit shocked, but answers a low “No.” And before any more comments can be made, asks Miss Lili where her bike is so he can put it in his truck to take home for her. Once she tells him, he’s gone. Steve and Miss Lili laugh at him, say goodbye and leave. I’m clueless, so I straighten up the office and the waiting room, lock up, closing an hour early, and leave, too.
Maria calls after Shay’s in bed. Bob comes up in our conversation. She says Bob’s nice and mentions Bob has become friends with Shay. She mentions Steve, but I haven’t really noticed anything about Steve so that topic’s short lived, too. The subject of Miss Lili takes over the conversation. After half an hour, she has to go, its late. I ask her about the three of us going out for supper tomorrow night and she agrees it’s too hot to cook.
Friday we have a few appointments and clean the clinic the rest of the day. We’ll start on the next event newsletter next week. I go home for a shower and fresh clothes before we go to and uneventful supper.
Saturday morning I ride Izzie, staying in the shade by the creek. I thought to put on my bathing suit so I could go for a swim. As I sit in the grass next to an Oak tree after my swim, I notice the creek is getting low. The swimming hole is still quite deep but the stream of water filling it is slow. I listen to the birds chirping in the branches and the trickling of the water. It’s very calming, relaxing me into a sleepy, not a care in the world attitude. Izzie neighs and brings me outta the feeling of floating on a cloud. My swim suit’s dry so I get dressed and we go home.
At home I have a sandwich, chips and potato salad for lunch. Then I do laundry at Mom’s and go home to put my laundry away. Thank goodness my place is small and I have a window air conditioner that works very well. From Mom’s to here I’ve began to sweat. I take another shower before going into town.
I call Maria about supper and pick them up at her house. We decide go to the truck stop on 281 for dinner. We’re waiting for our waitress when laughter, coming from the other side of the restaurant, gets our attention. A waitress is talking to a table with several couples at it. They’re getting up to leave when we see Bob and Steve with them. It looks like they’re out with some friends…girl type friends. They see us and stop by the table after they pay and the others have left. Bob pays a lot of attention to Shay, as usual, and Shay returns it. We have a short but pleasant talk and they leave.
Maria was talking with Bob. When they leave, the look on her face causes me to ask “What’s the problem? He’s available isn’t he?”
“I thought he was. I guess he just likes kids and I’m a little disappointed.” The waitress comes over to take our order and she brought up the subject of Bob and Steve. She wouldn’t mind it if either of them gave her a second look. Then she says the couple and their daughters are relatives. Seems Bob and Steve are cousins. Maria, after the waitress left with our order, is smiling again.
“That smile on your face says you’re interested. Guess what, it’s not a crime if you are. You need to decide if you are and what you want to do about it.”
“What about you and Steve? Are you interested in him? Don’t speak too soon. You haven’t dated much since that guy that was helping remodel the clinic two and half years ago and not at all in the last year. Consider your answer for a few days then think about it again. He’s nice, good lookin’, and seems to like ya, so take your time before ya write him off.”
“What makes you think he likes me? He’s never been anything but nice…friendly.”
“He didn’t have to come over to say “hi,” but he did, didn’t he? And you sat there like a bump on a log and hardly spoke to him. I didn’t see anything contagious about him, did you?”
“No. I’m uncomfortable around him and I don’t know why. And I’ve always been quiet in a group.” The waitress comes back with our supper. She has a few more words to say about Bob and Steve and then goes about her work, bringing Shay a cookie for dessert. We pay and talk a while as I take them home.
But that wasn’t the end of the conversation. Maria calls after Shay’s in bed. She isn’t giving up ‘til I agree to, at least, take a good look at Steve. And she’ll be over after lunch to do the books.
After church, I see Miss Lili and Steve walking home and take a good long look at him. He’s built nicely, broad shoulders, muscular chest, sandy colored hair, tall, nice butt, and gentle with Miss Lili. Actually, I noticed the butt second but thought it would be in bad taste to list it sooner, even to myself. Anybody can see he loves her and he lives with her, but why? I watch as they walk, speaking to the others on the sidewalk. I wonder how involved Miss Lili is in the town happenings. I’m too curious and I have to stop. I’m coming off as a busy body, even to myself. I start my truck and drive home to meet Maria.
Maria’s here at two and as soon as Shay’s asleep we start on the books. This week went by, bookkeeping wise, in less than an hour. So we talk while we fix supper. Maria asks if I’d seen Steve and Miss Lili walking home today. I admit I had, since she’d seen them. “Well, did you take a long look? I thought he looked very nice today.”
“I looked and, yes, he’s a good lookin’ man, but that means nothin’ without attraction. I haven’t attracted a man or been attracted to a man since I came home from college. I had several boy friends and was engaged in college, but no one’s been interested past the sex. I’m not that young and stupid anymore.”
“We’re both that young, but not that stupid, I hope. That should mean we’d be able to recognize a good man, shouldn’t it?”
“I guess so, but when do I have time to look, and you have Shay to take care of. We hardly get time to do anything, much less, date. What would you do with Shay if you went out?”
“To tell you the truth, Mama’s been harpin’ at me to start goin’ out, with a man. She’s offered to keep Shay on Friday and Saturday nights, if I have a real date.”
“Maybe we can check the newsletter and see what’s happenin’ around town and attend some of the events to ‘check out the man action,’ see what we can find…that’s interesting. I don’t know how to do that anymore. Don’t you have cousins or somethin’ we can ask about how to meet people?”
Shay wakes up and that’s the end of the conversation. We go out to the barn for his ride on Izzie then come in to finish supper. After supper, its Shay’s bedtime, so they leave.
Chapter 2
Monday we’re busy with appointments and walk-ins. Steve and Bob don’t drop by ‘til we’re closing up. They’re working ‘til five this week. They ask if there’d been any comments about the calendar. There’ve been a few, all complimentary. The town’s pleased. Maria and I perused the events this afternoon to see if there’s anything we’re interested in going to this week.
We talk about some of the events and Steve and Bob get in on the conversation. Miss Lili hosts the Card Players Club on Saturday afternoon, Steve helps with it. It only meets bi-weekly, they bet pennies because it’s cheaper for the fixed income group. Steve says they’re a pretty spry group. They’re both involved in the VFW and they have dances twice a month that are open to everyone. There’s a live band, but Bob laughs and Steve snickers. The band is made up of older men and the beat’s sometimes off and…so are the tunes.
Eventually, Bob asks, “Why are y’all looking at the events? Are you plan
nin’ to attend some of them?” We admit we’re looking for something, once or twice a week that will get us out of the house for a while. That’s when they start telling us about the younger places to go and things to do. Sunday afternoon, once a month, there’s a mud rally down by the river. With this drought, they have to pump water from the river to make the big mud puddle, but it’s always held. They ask us if we’d like to go after church Sunday, and Shay can come. We decide it’s a beginning and agree to go. We’ll need to bring everyday clothes ‘cause it’s dirty out there. The guys have to get to a meeting saying we’ll talk about it later.
We close the office at five, but talking with Bob and Steve, have us leaving almost an hour late. Maria calls me later “Can you believe all the things the younger people do? How’d we not know about them?”
“I guess we’re just not in the right group of people, but since when have we been in the ‘cool crowd’.” The silence from Maria’s end of the phone is enough to tell me she doesn’t have an answer. “How do you feel about goin’ with the guys and takin’ Shay?”
“I’m okay with it, except Shay might miss his nap and the heat might be too much for him. If it’s very hot I might need to leave before the end of the race.”
“Maybe we oughta talk to the guys before we go with Shay. They may not want to leave early.” We talk a while longer before hanging up and going to bed.
The next day at work, Lili comes over after lunch to help with the flyers for the events this week. While we work she talks about Bob and Steve. Bob’s been married before but has no children. There was a conflict between his wife and Bob about where they would live. Bob wanted to live here and his wife, being from a big city, wanted to live there. Bob decided while he was in college he didn’t like the big city rat race and came home after his fire training.