by Ava Mallory
I answered as I watched Barney become suddenly awake and animated. He devoured the contents of the bowl and even let Mack pet him like they were old pals.
“We're heading to Nebraska to locate a friend.” I explained.
Mack and Jimbo exchanged glances. Mack asked, “In this? You should have checked the weather before you left home. Where is home for you?”
“California. I live in a little sleepy town named Lake Villa, where everyone practically knows everyone else in town, except for the few people that live in the mega mansions on the outskirts of town. Very few of us ever get to mingle with the likes of them, unless we're employed by them in some capacity.” I just loved my little town, so much so that I could talk about it forever.
Mack didn't seem so amused. He turned his head back to the television as I spoke.
I looked up at the screen to see what was so interesting. “Are you watching the weather report?” I asked.
Mack turned up the volume. “That and all the other stuff going on around here.”
I looked up at the screen again. The reporter finished her report, stating that the station would keep viewers updated.
“What is she talking about?” I asked.
Mack bent down to pet Mack again. “People have gone crazy. Storms will make you do desperate things, I guess, but I've never been that desperate. Thank the stars.”
I still didn't understand. “What are people doing that has the local media riled up?” I asked.
Jimbo came out of the kitchen again with a platter of food for me. I almost cried at the sight of it. Completing forgetting my manners, I grabbed a fork and started eating. I didn't even bother to sit down. I needed food.
Mack and Jimbo both took a seat at the counter while I ate.
Mack said, “There's bank robbers running loose. The news claims that they kidnapped some old guy and are heading our way, but I don't see that as a wise plan. We have all this flooding and Nebraska, where they are supposedly coming from, got hit with a major snowstorm yesterday. Plus, there's some report about the coyotes going wild. It's that time of year for them. They start acting up every year this time.”
I swallowed a mouthful of food, without bothering to chew it. Did he say that the bank robbers kidnapped an old man?
“What were you saying about bank robbers?” I pretended like I hadn't heard him correctly.
Mack and Jimbo exchanged glances again.
Jimbo shrugged, then Mack spoke. “Some fellows with guns, robbed a bank and who knows what other damage they did, then they took off, right in the middle of that snowstorm. The police out that way are few and far between, so that and the fact that the roads are probably a mess, made it difficult for anyone to catch up to them. I guess some farmer claimed to have seen them near his farm and said that they were dragging a man into their getaway car.”
I started to shake. “Nubbin,” I whimpered.
Jimbo said, “Yeah, that's what the reporter was saying. Something about some old guy by the name of Nubbin, who went missing from an old folk's home. The sheriff over there thinks it was him that they kidnapped. Did you hear about that too?”
I dropped my fork on the floor. “Did they say the name Nubbin?” I asked, my voice shaking with fear. I moved only inches from Jimbo's face, the pungent smell of grease and cigars nearly overcoming me. “Where did you hear that name?”
He backed away, surprised by my reaction. “Uh, they said it on the news. How else would I know that name? Why? Do you know him?”
My chest heaved. My breathing more labored than I'd ever remembered it to be. “That's who I'm looking for. I used to... I know him. He's not in good health. That's why I risked driving out here from California. I need to find him before something horrible happens.”
Mack spoke. “You drove all the way from California to help find this man? Is he family to you?”
I didn't hesitate to answer. “Yes, yes, he is family. I need to find him. Did they say that these bank robbers kidnapped him? How do they know? Were there witnesses?” My hands began to shake frantically. I couldn't eat anymore. I couldn't concentrate.
Barney started barking for the first time since he'd been escorted into the diner. He must have sensed my fear. He may be lazy, but at least his senses were alert.
“Looks like Barney misses your friend too.” Mack said, reaching down to pet Barney again.
“Yeah, he knows Nubbin better than I do. He lived with him for a while before he came to live with me.” I explained.
“It is pretty sad to hear that your friend felt the need to run away from the home. Do you know why he would have done that?” Jimbo asked.
I didn't have a clue. The last I knew, Nubbin was mad at me for no reason whatsoever, but as I learned the hard way, he didn't necessarily need a reason to be upset. It was just part of his personality. He liked being mad. Not that he was ever really mad. He just liked to pretend that he was upset. He got a real kick out of it and, truth be told, I got a kick out of it too.
Living in a nursing home wasn't exactly the ideal destination for anyone, including him. I honestly didn't know much about Nubbin beyond the few days I'd spent with him... Well, I spent three months getting to know him, but I don't recall one single time when any family had bothered to pay him a visit or call to check on him, as far I could remember.
Mack watched me with concern in his eyes. He said, “You're not going to finish that, are you? If you're planning to get back on the road, you're going to need an emergency kit. I don't suppose you bothered to pack one of those before you left California, did you?”
He was absolutely right. I hadn't. I shook my head in response.
“Figures. That's why I always told my girls to think ahead. I made sure they knew how to change a tire and how to change the oil. Now, they are doing everything for themselves, but that has more to do with the fact that they didn't listen when I told them not to marry that trio of no good sorry excuses for men, but that's a whole other story.” He shrugged.
I couldn't help him there. My parents loved my ex-husband, almost more than I did.
Jimbo got up and asked me to follow him to the back. If I wasn't so worried about Nubbin, I would have refused to follow him to the other room. After all, I didn't know him. He could have been some kind of set up guy in a kidnapping ring. For all I knew, I would have ended up chained up in a basement, waiting for someone to pay my ransom. Yeah, good luck with that, Mercy, I thought to myself.
“I'll grab some supplies for you. The roads are treacherous. You might need some flare lights, a blanket, among a whole lot of other stuff, if you intend to make it through alive.”
I cringed when he said that, but he didn't seem to notice. If he did, he didn't say anything about it. His word choice couldn't be helped.
“I really appreciate this.” I said as he gathered the supplies he thought Barney and I would need, but all the while, I kept my eye on the clock. The more time I spent here, the more time Nubbin was in danger. I had to get to Nebraska soon.
“You might want to charge your cell phone too. You can plug it in over there, if you want to. I'm sure Mack would be good with that.” Jimbo said.
Oh, I forgot about my cell phone problem. I also forgot that I'd promised everyone that I'd keep in touch with them as often as I could. I could just imagine how mad they were that I hadn't called any of them. Knowing my daughter, she would have called in the cavalry to search for me or at the very least trace my phone to see if I'd made any calls.
“I lost my cell phone somewhere along the road. In fact, if you could believe this, I lost it at the first place I stopped in California. I was only a couple of hours from home and my cell phone went missing.” I smiled as if that was no big deal.
He shook his head. Behind us, Mack walked into the back room.
“You drove all the way from California without any way to contact anyone?” He sounded just as upset as I imagined my loved ones would be as soon as they heard about what happened.
&n
bsp; “Yes,” I meant to sound confident like all was well, but my answer came out sounding more like a question and not a statement.
Mack sighed in frustration. “I can't let you leave,” he said, yanking a drawer open. I swear, my life flashed before my eyes at that moment and it wasn't pretty.
“What... What are you going to do to me?” I was on the verge of tears.
He pulled an old cell phone out of the drawer. One of those phones we used to carry around and show off to our friends, when cell phones were still new and grossly overpriced.
“Take this. I keep it for emergencies and this sure looks like an emergency to me.” He said, handing it to me.
I sighed heavily, relieved that this wasn't the end for me. I needed to stop watching true crime shows or I'd never be able to function like a normal person in society. At this rate, I was already not quite normal – whatever that was – anyway.
Jimbo snickered at the expression on my face. “What did you think he was going to do – rob you?”
Well, yeah! Wouldn't you?
I shook my head. “No, of course not. I guess with the weather and my friend's situation, I'm just a little on edge. I'm sorry. I would never assume that you were involved with organized crime.”
Mack laughed a deep, throaty laugh. “Organized crime? Who said anything about that?” Mack held his stomach as he laughed at the notion.
I kept my voice even, hoping that would hide my embarrassment. “I do a lot and say a lot of things that would make you scratch your head. If I wasn't in such a big hurry, I'd stick around and prove that to you, but maybe next time.” I winked to show that things were fine. I'd let go of my tendency to over think and look for the doom and gloom in every interaction. I guess, if you'd lived the last few months that I had, you'd fear strangers too and probably some people you thought you knew well, but I digress...
Jimbo checked his watch. “I can't believe I'm going to say this to you, but if you plan on trying to find your friend, you might want to get on the road now. The last thing you want is to be driving in the dark in the snow. Those hills in Wyoming aren't big, but they're big enough to cause you plenty of trouble. Safe travels. I need to get ready for the dinner rush.”
I hadn't felt nervous about making the trip until he said that. My whole focus had been on just getting halfway across the country before Nubbin got hurt. Not even the torrential rains gave me much pause beyond minor irritation.
I followed Mack back into the dining room. As expected, Barney was fast asleep on the floor. He was the only dog I knew that could fall asleep absolutely anywhere.
“I like your dog.” Mack said. “He reminds me of my mother-in-law.”
I figured Mack for about seventy-years-old, so if his mother-in-law was still alive, she'd have to be in her nineties, easily.
Mack seemed to know what I was thinking. “Yeah, evil doesn't die. Trust me, I know.”
I had to laugh. I'd heard that said over the years and thought that of certain people more times than I cared to admit. I liked Mack and Jimbo. They were my kind of crowd. In another time, under different circumstances, I'd sit and chat for a spell longer, but I had pressing matters to attend to and those had to come first.
“Thank you for your hospitality. After I find my friend and get him back where he belongs, I'll stop by again and return all your things.” I signaled for Barney to follow me out the door, but as usual, he looked at me and closed his eyes, apparently opting to stay in Colorado and relax from his ultra exhausting trip.
“You need some help with the dog?” Mack asked, reaching down to hoist my chubby dog in his arms.
I nodded, explaining, “We're still getting used to each other. He hasn't really learned to follow commands yet.”
“He probably thinks the same thing about you,” Mack grumbled. “You can't teach an old dog new tricks. You see, we are the ones that taught all the younger ones how to get by, so you're just going to have to learn how to appeal to him the way he's used to it. Do as he wants you to do or at least let him think that you're listening to him. I don't care what anyone says, all dogs are males in spirit. You gotta treat him like you'd treat your husband. Make him think he's smart, even when you both know he's not.” Mack chuckled.
I opened the cage for him to put Barney in and turned to shake his hand. Mack shook his head. “Nope. Give me a hug. Let me send you off properly. I don't want to live with any regrets, if something goes wrong on the roads. Be well. Be safe and, if the roads get too bad, get off of them.” He hugged me in a grandfatherly kind of way. I almost cried at the kind gesture. I needed that hug.
Jimbo stood in the doorway, holding the door open, looking up at the gray skies. “More rain is coming. Be safe, little lady. We'll see you on your way back.” He waved.
I didn't hesitate. I started the engine and backed out of the parking lot, ready for the next leg of my trip.
“Okay, Barney, here we go again. You keep me awake and I promise to not drive off the road and kill us both.” I said, hoping that my words weren't going to come back to haunt me.
*
The last thing I expected when I left the diner was to still be on the road four hours later, but as luck would have it, that's where I was, driving at a snail's pace somewhere between nowhere and nothing on a snow-covered highway in Nebraska, I think. You see, I don't really know where I was because the last time I could actually make out any words on a highway sign was just about the same time that I left the diner. No one ever said I was the smartest cookie in the world, but I'm sure more people than just myself would agree that my quest to find a man, who by all accounts, didn't really want to be found, wasn't the brightest idea. What did I know about driving in a blizzard anyway? Just because I happened to drive in one once before and survive, didn't mean that I was going to survive this time around.
"Sorry, Barney," I said for the thousandth time after swerving dangerously close to the drop off on the side of the road. Snow tires or not, my car wasn't equipped to deal with inclement weather - yet another very important reason that I had no business trekking on these roads.
Keep it steady, Mercy, I thought to myself. At the rate I was going, I figured, we'd arrive at our destination somewhere around menopause or thereafter. Why couldn't Nubbin have taken off when spring actually arrived and not now that a new era of winter was to begin?
"I think we need some music, don't you," I asked my sleeping dog. Combined, he'd probably slept for more than twenty-four hours over the course of the last day and a half. Part of me was upset; the other part of me was so jealous. Sleep sounded so enticing.
I turned the radio on, completing forgetting that Western Nebraska radio stations only offered two types of music: country and western. Get it? Not country and western, but a country station and a western station. Who knew they were two different things?
In between the strumming of the guitars and the foot tapping 'make you wish you'd never fallen in love' playlist, an announcer came on and spoke in his low monotone voice, nearly lulling me to sleep as soon as he began, and filled in his listeners about current hog reports and soybean reports. Yep, this wasn't Califiornia anymore and I wasn't sitting in my nice, warm house, watching a movie while I caught up with all the Hollywood gossip in the magazines I had stacked up in my living room.
"We have breaking news, folks," the announcer said.
I scoffed, believing that he was about to enlighten the masses with another round of hog reports, but he didn't.
After a round of rather nasty coughing and an apology or two, he said, "The news conference is about to begin. Scottsbluff County Sheriff Charlie Wagner will update us with the latest."
The latest? Charlie? Now, he had my attention.
The snow continued to pelt down as I drove. Another round of yellow flashing lights was outside my window. There had been warnings about continuing with caution, but I saw absolutely no reason to stop yet. I was a woman on a mission and I hoped that whatever this news conference was about would valid
ate why it was so important to me to keep pushing forward, despite my questionable driving my skills and my tendency to forget that I was driving - snow or no snow.
"Well?" The radio station went quiet. "That's all we get?"
I turned my head for just a split second to see if my companion was paying any attention to me at all and the next thing I know the car began to spin out of control and I'm held on to the steering wheel for dear life.
We made three revolutions, by my estimation, and landed facing the wrong way in a ditch run off to the side of Highway 71. My chest tightened, the death grip on the steering wheel still intact, I looked back at Barney again. His carrier had been secured correctly, so it didn't budge, but he sure did. He barked loudly, looking around the car and at me.
"Sorry, buddy. I don't know what happened." I said, rubbing my neck.