by Holly Smith
“On Christmas Day? No you’re not; you’re coming over to our house. Go get ready; I’ll call Gertie and tell her,” Petal ordered.
“Fine then, but I don’t want to impose, Petal.”
“You’re not. We’re just hanging out too. A couple of Byron’s friends and their wives might stop over later for a quick drink but come be with me. I’m setting out a bunch of finger foods and we’re going to exchange gifts. You do have a gift for me, right?” Petal inquired with a teasing smile.
“Yeah,” Nelise said and chuckled halfheartedly.
“C’mon then, I’ll make coffee and call Gertie.”
Nelise spent the day with Petal recuperating from her hangover. It was pleasant except for the appearance of Vince’s startled expression at the reception flashing like a neon sign in the back of her mind every now and then.
That evening, she was calmer and went to Garden.
“Nelise, dear, how are you? I’m glad to see you on Christmas Day,” Esleen said lovingly. “Do you want the body shop?”
“I’m glad to be here, Esleen. Yeah, I do need the mirrors. Somehow, I’ve made a mess of things.”
When Nelise left the body shop, she felt somewhat better. The body shop was kind to me, she thought, looking at how the mirror presented her in black slacks, small heels, and a royal blue jacket with matching top.
“When exactly ‘is’ that shift thing settling down, Esleen?” she asked. “I’ve got to know!”
“It will settle down after the holidays when people’s thoughts fall back into old patterns,” Esleen said. “Too bad; it would be more exciting if they didn’t. Please keep coming here, Nelise. There is a lot of good coming your way and we want to enjoy its arrival with you. So now, what would you like to do on this visit, dear?”
“A lot of good coming my way? Ha! I guess you didn’t hear me. I’m messed up.”
“Nelise, you are in Garden and you’re never messed up here so you cannot be messed up anywhere else,” Esleen said with an understanding smile.
Nelise went silent for a moment.
“Esleen, I think I just realized something.”
“What’s that?”
“When I come to Garden, I am my best self, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, when I bought the book to become my best self, I became my best self the first time I arrived here, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, now I’m working to become my best self ‘out there,’ is that it?”
“Not working; practicing letting ‘in here’ be ‘out there’.”
“That sounds simple but it’s hard to simply ‘let.’”
“Yes, it takes trust, which increases with every visit you make to Garden.”
“I love you, Esleen,” Nelise said with tears trickling out of the corners of her eyes.
“We, in Garden, always love you, Nelise,” Esleen said, sending expanding waves of light around Nelise like a globe of whirling crystal snowflakes as she drifted off into a deep sleep.
Nelise had taken time off work from Christmas to the week after New Year’s, so she now had time to ponder her situation with Vince and realized she’d better make a move. With Loyle out of the picture, she decided to pursue Vince seriously. What can I do to assure him of my commitment?
First thing the next morning, she made a call.
“Rockin Motorcycles, this is Jona; can I help you?”
“Um, yes. Do you give motorcycle riding classes?”
“Yes we do, ma’am. Classes will resume the weekend after New Year’s.”
“Oh no, really?”
There was a pause, then Nelise heard the man clear his throat.
“Do you drive?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“If you’re in a rush, I can give you personal lessons in the next couple of days which will cost you more. I’m teaching my buddy’s wife and you can join her if you like. Are you interested?”
“Oh yes, please; I would appreciate it,” Nelise said gratefully.
After Nelise registered for the class, she called Petal.
“Nelise? Why the heck are you calling me at work? You should be out doing holiday fun stuff.”
“I know. I just signed up for a motorcycle riding class. Do you want to join me? There is one more spot open,” she said, assuming Jona might not mind the extra money.
“Uh, no, not really. Besides, I can’t take time off work this late. Frankly, I can’t believe you are doing that right now. What has gotten into you?” Petal asked.
“Well, I want to make a strong impression on Vince when I accept his proposal. Don’t you dare breathe a word of it!”
“Oh. I think your acceptance would be enough but OK, I promise. I’m glad to hear of your decision, Nelise, because every time he has made a delivery here, Jaelynn has been all over him. She tries to have conversations, flirts beyond decency with him, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has asked him out,” Petal reported.
“How do you know all that?”
“I’ve heard bits of conversation about it but nobody knows what I know. So far, I’ve heard nothing about him responding to her attentions.
“Thanks, Petal, that’s good to know. So, no way I can convince you to go with me? Pleeeze? I don’t want to go alone.”
“I’m sure you won’t be alone, Nelise. I’m sorry, you know I can’t,” Petal said.
“Yeah, I know. I’ll let you get back to work then.”
“Gee thanks, girlfriend,” Petal said and they laughed.
That evening Nelise went to her aunt’s for supper.
“Hi, Nelise; come on in. Everything’s almost ready,” Gertie said. “I hope you don’t mind but a friend of Stanley’s is joining us.”
“Not at all, Auntie.”
Afterward, Nelise helped Gertie with the dishes, then they brought coffee to the den.
“So, what’s going on with you these days, Nelise?” Stanley asked.
“I’m taking motorcycle riding lessons.”
Stanley and Gertie both looked at Nelise in stunned silence.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked nonchalantly, sipping her coffee.
“What brought this on?” Gertie asked.
“Oh, Gertie, don’t you see? Vince,” Stanley answered with a knowing expression.
“No, not because of Vince. I’ve always wanted to ride on my own,” Nelise stated firmly.
“Good for you, missy,” said Stanley’s friend, Joe, with a thumbs up and a laugh. “Do you have all your gear?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, don’t go shopping. My girlfriend took off and left all her stuff. I’m sure you can use some, if not all of it. You look about her size; size eight, right?” asked Joe.
“Yeah,” Nelise said unsurely. I’ll just take whatever he wants to give me and if they don’t fit, I’ll return them. He’s not doing anything with them anyway, she reasoned.
“There you go,” said Stanley. “What a coincidence, eh?”
“Yeah, that works out well,” agreed Gertie.
Nelise hoped Joe was not shopping for another girlfriend after hearing him talk about his past one.
Chapter 46
Joe proved sincere in wanting to give Nelise his ex-girlfriend’s things. To her surprise, the clothes fit well which meant she was now a size eight. Who knew? I’ve been so concerned with all the shifting that I lost track of my weight, she thought delightedly.
She arrived at the riding class and took a seat next to the other woman, who smiled at her and went back to reading the training booklet.
A tall, wiry man with a mustache and black hair in a ponytail came into the room and greeted them. He wore a cloth headband to keep the hair out of his face. He had the same eyes as Loyle which Nelise found endearing.
“Hi, Miss Nelise; I’m Jona Baker and this is Sammie. I’ll be taking you both through this course and by the end, you’ll be road ready. I’ve never had to fail anyone yet and I don’t plan to sta
rt now, so relax and have fun. If you don’t have fun, it’s not for you. First, let’s go through the booklet after which there’ll be a short quiz. Then I’ll take you out back to the bikes.”
At the end of the course, the women had passed and Jona invited them out for a celebratory drink.
Nelise went along politely, deciding to leave within the hour.
When she got up to leave, she thanked Jona profusely for his help and wished him a Happy New Year.
“Miss Nelise, practice those corners. You’re still a little stiff about it,” Jona said. “And don’t get on the road without your license and insurance.”
“Got it,” she said with a smile.
I wish I could tell Vince about my adventure but I really want to surprise him by riding up on my own bike. Is it possible to get one and insure it in the next couple of days?
She went shopping and bought a pair of riding boots she liked better than the ones Joe had given her. By the time she returned home, it was dark. I’m going to Garden right now.
“Hi, Nelise; you are quite exhilarated about something. What is it?” Esleen asked.
“I’m glad you asked, Esleen. I’m now able to ride a motorcycle by myself!”
“Very nice. You brought your Garden experience into your ‘out there’ world. Are you as happy as you were riding here?”
“I’m sure I will be soon, but this leads me to a question.”
“Oh?”
“Well, you were right that I shouldn’t judge, speculate, or jump to conclusions about people. I saw how those habits cost me the last relationship. Now, the man I’ve been dating proposed to me and at the time, I couldn’t say yes and wasn’t sure why.
“After I knew the last relationship was definitely over, I thought I would be free to accept this man’s proposal but I still feel unsure. He doesn’t want to hear from me unless I say yes. Is he the wrong one or is it that I’m afraid to make another mistake?”
“Nelise, what if there was no way you could make a mistake? What would you do right now, without stopping to think about it?”
“You mean, like riding over there and accepting his proposal?”
“Yes.”
“I would do it.”
“Now that you made up your mind, how do you feel about your decision?”
“I feel relieved!”
“There’s your answer.”
“Thank you, Esleen!”
Nelise saw the time: ten o’clock. It’s not too late to surprise him. He never goes to bed until after eleven!
She refreshed her makeup, threw on some casual clothes and excitedly headed out the door in pursuit of her new life with Vince. I suppose I’ll have to wait on the bike; it’s more important that he hears my decision. Like Petal said, I don’t want to lose him.
She arrived at Vince’s house and found it dark. His bike and truck were out of sight. Were they in the garage? Was he out? Do I sit and wait? What if he’s with someone else? No! I’m not supposed to speculate; I’ll call him. The call went to an automated voicemail. What happened to his own voicemail? She knocked on his door and there was no answer. Her stomach started churning. Is it this shift thing again like with Loyle? But wouldn’t Esleen have mentioned it? What the heck am I to do? She drove home and sat on her chair to go back to Garden but was too upset to get in.
All is well, she told herself. I’m sure Esleen would have told me if it wasn’t. I’ll just drop in on him tomorrow morning before he leaves for work. The phone rang.
“Hello?” Nelise answered instantly, hoping it was Vince.
“Hi, Nelise; have you contacted Vince yet?” Petal asked.
“No. Have you seen him around the office?”
“Not lately. Nobody has heard Jaelynn mention him either. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know yet. By the way, I passed the motorcycle course,” she announced proudly.
“Ha! Do I know you? You are not the woman I was working with over a year ago. First a tattoo and now a motorcycle license? I’m afraid to ask what’s next,” Petal teased.
“I feel good hearing that, Petal. How are things at work?”
“You know, not much going on during holiday time; mostly preparing for the New Year.”
“That’s good. Thanks for the call; I know it’s late.”
“Yeah, keep me posted, girlfriend,” Petal said.
“Yes, Petal dear, I will.”
Nelise woke up early the next morning and hurriedly dressed to bring Vince breakfast before work. She got there an hour before he usually left but there were no lights on and no vehicle out front ready to get to work.
She went to his place of employment. If he can come to mine, I can go to his, especially for something this important, she reasoned, trying to calm herself.
She went to the reception desk and asked for him.
“Sorry, he’s on vacation right now,” said the receptionist.
“He is? OK, thank you.”
Great. What do I do now? Why didn’t Esleen prepare me for this? How can I pursue him when I don’t know where he is? Is this going to be a Loyle repeat? All because of the dang shift? This is maddening!
She returned home and put some water in the microwave for tea. The phone rang and again, she jumped on it.
“Nelise?”
“Hi, Petal,” Nelise said disappointedly.
“Hey, I’m sorry that it’s me again but I do have some good news for you.”
“I could use some,” Nelise admitted.
“A coworker of Byron’s is selling his wife’s bike now that she’s pregnant. Are you interested in checking it out?”
“Absolutely!” Nelise exclaimed. This is a good sign! Thank you, Esleen. I’m beginning to see how this is working out!
“Be here at six o’clock tonight. Byron says the guy has a good reputation and he’s sure it’s a good deal.”
“OK. Thanks, Petal!”
“Sure, Biker Babe; stay for dinner,” she ordered in a humorously gruff voice and hung up.
By nine o’clock that night, Nelise had herself a bike.
“Does Vince know anything about this yet?” Petal asked.
“Nope. I haven’t been able to reach him. Byron, have you talked to him lately?” Nelise asked.
“No. I called a couple of times but the phone is no longer in service.”
“What?” Nelise asked, startled. She called Vince’s number and received the same out-of-service message. Oh no, this can’t be happening again! Wouldn’t Esleen have told me?
“What do you think is going on, Nelise? Did you guys have a fight?” Petal asked.
“No. He was upset that I didn’t accept his proposal but he gave me some time to think about it. I went to his workplace and they said he was on vacation so he’s still working there.”
“He proposed?” Byron asked, surprised.
Petal and Nelise looked at him curiously.
“Why is that surprising?” Nelise asked, now feeling more anxious than before.
“Yes, Byron, what’s wrong with you?” Petal asked, giving him a dirty look.
“Well, uh, I don’t know if I should say anything,” Byron said uncomfortably.
“Well, now you have to! Spit it out right now!” Petal demanded.
“The last time I spoke with him, he said he was selling his house and leaving town. Then his boss called, interrupting our conversation and I haven’t spoken to him since.”
“I wonder . . . ,” Nelise began and trailed off.
“Wonder what?” Petal asked.
“Maybe he had to give up his house to pay on his property,” she explained.
“Vince has property?” Byron asked.
“He doesn’t?” Nelise asked.
“Well, I guess if he told you he does, he does. He never talked to me about it,” Byron said.
“Do you think you and he are close enough friends that he would tell you?” Petal asked.
“Obviously not, go figure.”
“Well, I thin
k I’d better head out now; thank you, Byron, for the bike lead. Petal, I’ll call you tomorrow about picking it up if I can get insurance,” Nelise said.
“I’ll be out in the morning but I’ll be back at noon and will put the coffee on,” Petal said.
How can things seem to be working out so well one minute and then not the next? Is that about the shift again? I’ve got to go to Garden and get better answers. Don’t disappoint me, Esleen; I have come so far, Nelise thought as she settled into her chair.
“Nelise dear, hi,” Esleen said.
“Hi, indeed,” Nelise said, trying to keep her emotions in check.
“You are on the verge of strong emotion. What’s going on?”
Nelise took a few deep breaths and calmed herself. She did not want to be thrown out of Garden at this point.
“After our last talk, you told me to pursue my dream, did you not?”
“Yes, I did,” Esleen answered.
“I was in the process of doing just that when the man I was pursuing seems to have fallen off the face of this earth much like the last man I wanted,” Nelise said in a somewhat disgruntled tone.
“Why do you say that?” Esleen asked.
“He is no longer at his previous address and his phone is out of service.”
“Are you saying there is no way left to reach him?”
“I guess not quite; there is one more place I can look.”
“So, what is the problem?”
Nelise was so surprised at Esleen’s response that she was jolted out of Garden.
What the heck? Isshhh. I guess it doesn’t matter; Esleen is right. I haven’t checked all avenues. He’s probably in the process of preparing his property for building. I’m letting my emotions get control of me rather than going after him.
“That is going to change right now,” she announced intently.
Chapter 47
Although it was New Year’s Eve day, the insurance company was open until noon so Nelise was able to insure the bike.
“Nelise?”
“Hi, Petal; I’m on my way to get the bike!” Nelise said ecstatically.
“Oh, that’s great! Coffee’s waiting.”
Nelise arrived at Petal’s wearing her biker garb with helmet in hand.