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THE SUMMER I MET MY BEST FRIEND
The ancient house with the wildly overgrown garden is silent and secretive. It has been over fifty years since I lived in this town. I lived on Fellowship Road. My backyard faced Wilke’s backyard.
Old House
I can’t believe that this house is still standing, mostly intact. As I peruse my childhood memories from the early 1950s, I remember Wilke’s house looked decrepit then. I simply can not understand how it still exists. Everything around it has changed. Almost all the homes on Poplar Avenue have either been replaced by newer homes or updated and look unrecognizable.
I have such wonderful memories of sitting under our Willow tree on a hot Summer’s day and reading a Nancy Drew mystery. Dreaming about my distant future when I, too, could become a famous female detective and solve crimes.
Occasionally while I was reading, Mrs. Wilkes would beckon me from her yard. There was shrubbery between Wilke’s backyard and ours that served as a fence that divided the two properties. But I could hear her calling out my name, “Sandy come over here. I have something to give you.”
And I would jump up and run over to the bushes. And she would be standing there with her toothless smile and her shining, green eyes. Her long gray hair would be braided and wrapped around her head. Sometimes she would braid a blue ribbon in her braid. Occasionally she would add a rose or daisy from the garden she had in her backyard. I thought she was beautiful.
On this particular afternoon, she said to me, “Sandy would you do me a favor and taste this chocolate cookie for me? I have trouble chewing them. And I want to make sure they taste good. My grandson, Francis, is coming to stay with us for the summer.”
“Sure, I would be happy to taste it.” She held out a cookie to me in her crooked and gnarled hand. I took a huge bite. “I think this is the best cookie I’ve ever had. Francis will like it. I can’t wait to meet Francis.”
I love looking at Mrs. Wilke’s backyard. The Wilkes spend almost all their free time working outside in the garden whenever the weather is warm. On the other side of the hedges, they planted a rose garden that follows a winding path throughout their back yard and continues into their front yard. There are over fifty different kinds and colors of roses. I know because one day, Mrs. Wilkes asked me if I would like to come into her backyard and smell all her beautiful roses. The aroma was overwhelming. And bees and butterflies are always visiting her garden.
On her side of the bushes, there are morning glories that bloom all summer. Early in the morning, I would run out to the bushes in the backyard to see what color the morning glories were that day. And I would pick one and give it to my mother.
My mother would put it in a glass of water and place it on the kitchen window windowsill. They are my favorite flowers. But the most beautiful thing in her garden was an ancient Weeping Willow tree that stood twenty feet taller than their old house. Mrs. Wilkes told me that it was planted by Mr. Wilkes’s grandfather, and it was the oldest tree in our town.
I love visiting Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes because they always had time to listen to me. They would sit quietly while I told them one of my stories. The summer that their grandson Francis spent there was one of the greatest summers I ever had. Francis was about ten years old, and he had bright red hair with freckles sprinkled across his face. His ears stuck out on either side, and the other kids used to make fun of him. He had the same beautiful green eyes that his grandmother had.
I spent the entire morning that Francis was supposed to arrive sitting in my backyard and reading a book. Somehow I know that Francis is going to become my best friend. I keep looking up from my book. it’s a Nancy Drew book called The Clue From The Old Wall. And it was really exciting. Nancy was protecting a treasure that was hidden in an old wall from thieves. I love reading Nancy Drew’s books because girls are hardly ever portrayed as heroes in all the books I read.
I’m having a hard time concentrating because I keep looking over at the Wilke’s to see if their decrepit old pickup truck is pulling into their dirt driveway. Their truck is so old that all the paint had been worn off by the rain, snow, and wind. But somehow, I believe it is the most beautiful truck I’ve ever seen.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, I hear them coming down Poplar Avenue. I know it’s them because I could hear their truck before I see it. It backfires every couple of minutes. It sounds like it is on its last legs, but somehow it keeps going just like the Wilkes. They pull into their driveway and slowly descend from their seats. I see a red-headed boy jumping down out of the bed of the truck with a small suitcase. That is being held closed by what looks like an old belt.
I practically jump over the bushes and manage to get scratched from head to toe. But I don’t care. I run through their backyard and up to the front. I’m yelling at the top of my voice, “Francis, your here, your here.” He looks over at me with a surprised look on his face. Because he doesn’t know who I am and how I know his name. I see the Wilke’s beautiful, wrinkled face transformed by their ear-to-ear smiles. I run over to Francis and give him a squeeze around his waist. His face turns red, but he is still smiling.
Mrs. Wilkes says, “Francis, meet your new best friend, Sandy. She lives on the other side of our backyard, and she has been waiting impatiently for you to arrive. Francis looks at me with a shy grin on his face and says,” Hi, Sandy. I’m happy to meet you.”
I look at him and say,” we’re going to have so much fun this summer. We can go swimming at the pond, ride bikes and go downtown to the shops. Especially the bakery. I just love donuts, do you? And we can roller skate on the sidewalk. And we can go to the clay pits and dig for fossils. You’ll love it here. I can hardly wait for the 4th of July. We can go downtown and ride our bikes behind the band and throw candy at everyone along Main Street. And you can meet all my other friends that live on Fellowship Road. Not to mention all my friends from school. This is going to be a great summer, you’ll see. I said this all in one breath without stopping. Francis had a huge smile on his face now, and so did the Wilkes. Oh, I almost forgot we can go to Schucks to buy penny candy. I love candy so much. And they have a jute box in there. And we can watch all the teenagers dancing. Oh, I almost forgot, on Saturdays we can go to the movies at the Roxy theater. It’s right on Main Street. It only cost a quarter. I bring my lunch with me, Lebanon Bologna and cheese. I’ll bring two, one for me and one for you.
Mrs. Wilkes laughs out loud and say’s,” doesn’t that sound great, Francis?”
“Oh, I almost forgot, there is also a bus that picks kids up at the front of the police station and takes us to the Riverside skating rink. You can rent skates if you don’t have any and skate all day for fifty cents. I always fall down about a million times. But I don’t care. It’s fun.”
Francis looks at me and then turns around and looks at his grandparents his eyes are as big as saucers, and his smile is from ear to ear. He says, ‘can we go downtown? I would love to see it. I live out in the country, and there isn’t much to see there except blueberry farms.”
“How about bringing your suitcase into the house and getting settled and having something for lunch? I made homemade chicken noodle soup, and I can make grilled cheese sandwiches. You’re invited to Sandy, but go ask your mother first?”
“Oh, I’m sure she won’t care.”
“Go ask first. All the same, Sandy.”
“Alright, I’ll go ask. I’ll be right back.”
And in less than five minutes, I was knocking at their back door. I had never been inside their house before. My house was about fifteen years old. But their house was old, really old. They used to have a farm, but they sold the land to the church when they stopped farming. The church made the land into a parking lot.
And that day was the beginning of the best summer of my whole childhood. Francis and I became best friends. And we kept in touch for many years. And then, in 1969, Francis got drafted into the army, and he was sent to Viet Nam. It was one of the saddest days of my life when I heard he got killed there. His grandparents had passed away years before that. I was always glad they didn’t have to face the loss. After that first summer, he spent every summer until he was about sixteen when the Wilkes passed away, one right after the other.
And now, here I am, visiting my old neighborhood, and I swear I can see Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes smiling out at me from their porch. I feel tears pooling up and running down my cheeks. I smile back at them, and they wave goodbye to me, and then they’re gone. I turn away and walk past the house where I lived my entire childhood and where strangers live now. And I think I was the luckiest kid in the world. I had a wonderful childhood, especially after Francis and I became best friends. The Wilkes and Francis will always live in my heart and my memory.
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THE SUMMER I MET MY BEST FRIEND
The ancient house with the wildly overgrown garden is silent and secretive. It has been over fifty years since I lived in this town. I lived on Fellowship Road. My backyard faced Wilke’s backyard.
Old House
I can’t believe that this house is still standing, mostly intact. As I peruse my childhood memories from the early 1950’s, I remember Wilke’s house looked decrepit then. I simply can not understand how it still exists. Everything around it has changed. Almost all the homes on Poplar Avenue have either been replaced by newer homes or updated and look unrecognizable.
I have such wonderful memories of sitting under our Willow tree on a hot Summer’s day reading a Nancy Drew mystery. Dreaming about my distant future when I too could become a famous female detective and solve crimes.
Occasionally while I was reading, Mrs. Wilkes would beckon me from her yard. There was shrubbery between Wilke’s backyard and ours that served as a fence that divided the two properties. But I could hear her calling out my name, “Sandy come over here. I have something to give you.”
And I would jump up and run over up to the bushes. And she would be standing there with her toothless smile and her shining, green eyes. Her long gray hair would be braided and wrapped around her head. Sometimes she would braid a blue ribbon in her braid. Occasionally she would add a rose or daisy from the garden she had in her backyard. I thought she was beautiful.
On this particular afternoon, she said to me, “Sandy would you do me a favor and taste this chocolate cookie for me? I have trouble chewing them. And I want to make sure they taste good. My grandson, Francis is coming to stay with us for the summer.”
“Sure, I would be happy to taste it.” She held out a cookie to me in her crooked and gnarled hand. I took a huge bite. “I think this is the best cookie I’ve ever had. Francis will like it. I can’t wait to meet Francis.”
I love looking at Mrs. Wilke’s backyard. The Wilkes spend almost all their free time working outside in the garden whenever the weather is warm. On the other side of the hedges, they planted a rose garden that follows a winding path throughout their back yard and continues into their front yard. There are over fifty different kinds and colors of roses. I know because one day, Mrs. Wilkes asked me if I would like to come into her backyard and smell all her beautiful roses. The aroma was overwhelming. And bees and butterflies are always visiting her garden.
On her side of the bushes, there are morning glories that bloom all summer. Early in the morning, I would run out to the bushes in the backyard to see what color the morning glories were that day. And I would pick one and give it to my mother.
My mother would put it in a glass of water and place it on the kitchen window windowsill. They are my favorite flowers. But the most beautiful thing in her garden was an ancient Weeping Willow tree that stood twenty feet taller than their old house. Mrs. Wilkes told me that it was planted by Mr. Wilkes’s grandfather, and it was the oldest tree in our town.
I love visiting Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes because they always had time to listen to me. They would sit quietly while I told them one of my stories. The summer that their grandson Francis spent there was one of the greatest summers I ever had. Francis was about ten years old, and he had bright red hair with freckles sprinkled across his face. His ears stuck out on either side, and the other kids used to make fun of him. He had the same beautiful green eyes that his grandmother had.
I spent the entire morning that Francis was supposed to arrive sitting in my backyard and reading a book. Somehow I know that Francis is going to become my best friend. I keep looking up from my book. it’s a Nancy Drew book called The Clue From The Old Wall. And it was really exciting. Nancy was protecting a treasure that was hidden in an old wall from thieves. I love reading Nancy Drew’s books because girls are hardly ever portrayed as heroes in all the books I read.
I’m having a hard time concentrating because I keep looking over at the Wilke’s to see if their decrepit old pickup truck is pulling into their dirt driveway. Their truck is so old that all the paint had been worn off by the rain, snow, and wind. But somehow I believe it is the most beautiful truck I’ve ever seen.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, I hear them coming down Poplar Avenue. I know it’s them because I could hear their truck before I see it. It backfires every couple of minutes. It sounds like it is on its last legs, but somehow it keeps going just like the Wilkes. They pull into their driveway and slowly descend from their seats. I see a red-headed boy jumping down out of the bed of the truck with a small suitcase. That is being held closed by what looks like an old belt.
I practically jump over the bushes and manage to get scratched from head to toe. But I don’t care. I run through their backyard and up to the front. I’m yelling at the top of my voice, “Francis, your here, your here.” He looks over at me with a surprised look on his face. Because he doesn’t know who I am and how I know his name. I see the Wilke’s beautiful, wrinkled face transformed by their ear-to-ear smiles. I run over to Francis and give him a squeeze around his waist. His face turns red, but he is still smiling.
Mrs. Wilkes says, “Francis, meet your new best friend, Sandy. She lives on the other side of our backyard, and she has been waiting impatiently for you to arrive. Francis looks at me with a shy grin on his face and says,” Hi Sandy, I’m happy to meet you.”
I look at him and say,” we’re going to have so much fun this summer. We can go swimming at the pond, ride bikes and go downtown to the shops. Especially the bakery. I just love donuts, do you? And we can roller skate on the sidewalk. And we can go to the clay pits and dig for fossils. You’ll love it here. I can hardly wait for the 4th of July. We can go downtown and ride our bikes behind the band and throw candy at everyone along Main Street. And you can meet all my other friends that live on Fellowship Road. Not to mention all my friends from school. This is going to be a great summer, you’ll see. I said this all in one breath without stopping. Francis had a huge smile on his face now, and so did the Wilkes. Oh, I almost forgot we can go to Schucks to buy penny candy. I love candy so much. And they have a jute box in there. And we can watch all the teenagers dancing. Oh, I almost forgot, on Saturdays we can go to the movies at the Roxy theater. It’s right on Main Street. It only cost a quarter. I bring my lunch with me, Lebanon Bologna and cheese. I’ll bring two, one for me and one for you.
Mrs. Wilkes laughs out loud and say’s,” doesn’t that sound great, Francis?”
“Oh, I almost forgot, there is also a bus that picks kids up at the front of the police station and takes us to the Riverside skating rink. You can rent skates if you don’t have any and skate all day for fifty cents. I always fall down about a million times. But I don’t care. It’s fun.”
Francis looks at me and then turns around and looks at his grandparents and his eyes are as big as saucers, and his smile is from ear to ear. He says, ‘can we go downtown I would love to see it. I live out in the country, and there isn’t much to see there except blueberry farms.”
“How about bringing your suitcase into the house and getting settled and having something for lunch? I made homemade chicken noodle soup, and I can make grilled cheese sandwiches. You’re invited to Sandy, but go ask your mother first?”
“Oh, I’m sure she won’t care.”
“Go ask first. All the same, Sandy.”
“Alright, I’ll go ask. I’ll be right back.”
And in less than five minutes, I was knocking at their back door. I had never been inside their house before. My house was about fifteen years old. But their house was old, really old. They used to have a farm, but they sold the land to the church when they stopped farming. The church made the land into a parking lot.
And that day was the beginning of the best summer of my whole childhood. Francis and I became best friends. And we kept in touch for many years. And then, in 1969, Francis got drafted into the army, and he was sent to Viet Nam. It was one of the saddest days of my life when I heard he got killed there. His grandparents had passed away years before that. I was always glad they didn’t have to face the loss. After that first summer, he spent every summer until he was about sixteen when the Wilkes passed away one right after the other.
And now, here I am, visiting my old neighborhood, and I swear I can see Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes smiling out at me from their porch. I feel tears pooling up and running down my cheeks. I smile back at them and they wave goodbye to me, and then they’re gone. I turn away and walk past the house where I lived my entire childhood and where strangers live now. And I think I was the luckiest kid in the world. I had a wonderful childhood, especially after Francis and I became best friends. The Wilkes and Francis will always live in my heart and my memory.
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Dream Vacation – Day ONE-Glamping in Cape May
This is my first vacation in ten years. I have been counting the days for the last six months. Kind of like when I was a kid when I used to count the days until Christmas. As “The” Day comes closer my excitement and anticipation are so great I feel as if my head or my heart might explode.
Little House
I‘m having a difficult time deciding on a vacation location. There are so many to choose from, literally thousands. The last time I went on vacation was to Atlantic City. I had to attend a work convention there. So, it wasn’t strictly a vacation since I had to attend meetings five out of seven days that I was there. But the added benefit was that I could spend almost every evening in the Casinos.
The convention was being held at the Borgata Casino and Hotel. The first night I won $900.00 on the roulette wheel, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because I was hooked once I won that $900.00 And every chance I had I was spinning that wheel of fortune. And the only time I saw the ocean was when I took a tram or walked the boardwalk to the next casino. I didn’t even come home with even a hint of a tan. What I did come back to was an empty bank account and maxed out all t my credit card cash advances. It took me three years to pay down the debt.
I’m having a hard time deciding what to do and where to go. I only have a week off so it can’t be too far away and my budget limits me as well. And I want to do something totally out of my comfort zone. I finally decide to go camping in the woods by myself. I live in New Jersey and I’ve decided to camp in Cape May, which is the southernmost point of New Jersey. I found the perfect place to camp. The newest trend in camping is called glamping at a location not so cleverly named GLAMPING-CAMPING in Cape May.
Bear in a Tree
Glamping is camping only with creature comforts. Each brand-new Tent or little house features a queen-size bed and ceiling fans and an air conditioner or a heater if you go during the cold months. It’s not unlike a hotel room, each tent or house has a small refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave. Outside, there is a small deck, grill, picnic table, and chairs.
I want to experience the great outdoors for sure, but let’s not get carried away. I hate mosquitoes, so I want no part of them. I’m not big on showering in a big room with strangers. So, I’ll be showering in a single shower that provides all the creature comforts like, soap, hot water, towels, mirrors, and toilets with privacy. I’m not much for letting it all hangout. If you catch my drift.
Anyway, I’m really jazzed about the whole trip, a change of scenery, the ocean, the beach, the ocean breeze, the sunrise over the ocean. I dig it all, can’t wait. It’s going to be a blast. As long as there aren’t any horse flies or mosquitoes. I detest biting insects.
So, in ten days I’ll be there not only in my imagination but for reals, people, for reals.
Oh, I have to find someone to take care of my fish. I better put that down on my “to-do list” right now before I forget. I don’t want to come home to find my beautiful fish floating upside down. That would be a tragedy I might not survive intact.
Today is the day, I’m so excited I wasn’t able to sleep all last night. Everything is packed in the trunk of my car. I checked and rechecked my whole list. I don’t want any unpleasant surprises. As soon as I shower and get dressed, I’ll be on my way to Cape May.
Oh, that reminds me of something that happened to me one time when I went shopping at the craft store. When I got in line to pay the cashier, I heard someone singing really loud “On the way to Cape May, I fell in love with you.” As I got closer to the front of the line, I realized it was the cashier. She was singing,” On the way to Cape May, I fell in love with you”. She wasn’t humming it. She was singing it out loud with facial expressions, and swaying back and forth, and doing a little two-stepping too. It was weird, but somehow everyone that was in her line left smiling and in a better mood. The cashier seemed to be totally unaware that she was doing anything unusual.
In honor of that singing cashier, I sang, “On the Way to Cape May, I fell in love with you”, for a good hour. I’m really jazzed. I absolutely, positively know this is going to be an experience I’ll never forget. It is about an hour and a half drive from where I live to Cape May. All I see for miles and miles on Route 9 are trees and the occasional pick-up truck zooming by me at the speed of light.
According to my GPS, Glamping Camping is only minutes away. Seven days of fresh air, sunshine, and solitude. Hiking, swimming, and canoeing at a lake within walking distance to the Tiny House I rented for the week.
And finally, here I am at Glamping Camping. I pull in through the front entrance and park outside of the main office. As I enter the office, I see a man in his mid-fifties standing behind the desk. “Hello, can I help you?”
“Yes, my name is Katherine O’Connor I have a reservation for a week in one of your tiny houses. I can’t tell you how much I have been looking forward to this vacation. I just know it’s going to give me a new lease on life. I haven’t had a vacation in ten years. I’m so looking forward to the quiet, the solitude, the fresh air, the water, the ocean. Just all of it. Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on.”
“No problem we have been looking forward to your arrival today, and you should find everything in the house that you need. My name is Bill Anderson, I’m the manager. Here is a pamphlet with a list and schedule of all the activities available at Glamping Camping. Here is some information regarding local food stores, pharmacies if needed, and directions to the Cape May area and all the activities available there. If you’ve never been there before you will be more than pleased, I know. Here’s your key to the house, if there are any problems just pick up the phone and call the office. Someone is here twenty-four seven.”
“Thank you, I look forward to a wonderful stay here. I think I’ll unload my car and take a walk around the grounds and maybe take a swim in the lake later this afternoon.”
I drive my car a short distance to the area where the tiny houses are located. I’ve seen pictures of them but I’ve never seen one in person. And it is tiny but more than enough room for me. The bed is queen size and there is a tiny bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower, and towel rack. The kitchen is in the same room it consists of a sink, two cabinets, and a microwave, and a small refrigerator.
I step out the front door and I see seating for two and a table with a sun umbrella. Around the back of the house, there is a barbeque. It looks clean as a whistle. I don’t see many people around they must be out enjoying the woods, or the lake, or maybe they drove to Cape May to eat lunch or go to the beach. I can’t wait to do the same. So far, I’m impressed.
I decide to get my suitcase and supplies and put them in the house and put on some more suitable clothing for a hike in the woods. It is such a beautiful day sunny and warm with a slight breeze, perfection really. After I put my things away, I look at the pamphlet to see the best area to start hiking within the camp. I see it is only a short distance away. I put on sunscreen and spray myself with bug spray. One thing I know for sure if you’re going in the woods be prepared for biting insects.
I start walking down a path that has an arrow pointing to it. I walk for about fifteen minutes without meeting anyone along the way, but I can hear some voices in the distance. But I don’t see anyone. It’s absolutely wonderful here, quiet, except for the birds singing in the trees above me. And somewhere not too far away I hear water so there must be a stream or perhaps a lake nearby. I decide to head that way. Now I wish I had worn my bathing suit under my clothes.
I keep heading in the direction of the sound of water. I walk about another thirty minutes. The terrain is getting more challenging. I am getting a little out of breath. I realize that I can’t hear the water any longer. I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. I feel a little nervous. I don’t have a great sense of direction. I decide to turn back in the direction I came from before I really get lost.
I hike for another half hour or so, I’m really tired. I have to admit I’m out of shape. My job is sedentary. And I avoid the gym like the plague. But I do love to walk and hike whenever I can. I see a clearing ahead. I hope I find some fellow glampers. I know I must be headed in the right direction if other people are there.
Finally, I hear some noise up ahead and I run in that direction. I’m not sure why I’m running. And then I arrive and I still hear a kind of rustling noise. But I don’t see anyone. I do see a large lake and in the distance on the other side of the lake, I see some people paddling a canoe. I wave like crazy at them. They see me and wave back.
I hear the rustling noise again it seems to be coming from a tree up ahead. I can’t imagine what it could be. I don’t hear any talking. It sounds something like branches being moved. Maybe someone is gathering wood to start a campfire? I keep walking towards the sound. I’m now standing directly under the tree. I hear the noise. I step back to see if there is anything up there.
And low and behold there is a bear up in the tree. And I’m not talking teddy bears here, it is a giant bear at least a hundred and fifty pounds or more. I yell at the top of my lungs,” holy crap.” And then I clap my hands over my mouth the bear is now looking directly at me. Dear god, I think, my first vacation in then years I’m going to get mauled and eaten by a bear on my first day. I don’t know what I should do, run like hell, or slowly back away or wait and see if the bear is going to get down the tree and go on his merry way.
I decide to watch him for a minute or so and see if he is going to descend the tree. I stare up there until I start getting a crick in my neck. The bear is stretching out and making himself comfortable up there. I decide my best course of action is to back away quietly until I’m out of his range of sight. I back away and back away some more. I don’t see or hear the bear running after me. So, I start walking faster and faster until I am full out running and I don’t stop until I feel I left him far behind me.
I’m so exhausted I decide I need to rest for a few minutes. And I think, why oh why didn’t I bring some water with me. I keep moving forward, but every once in a while I turn and look back. And then I hear some voices ahead of me. I head toward the comforting sound of human voices.
Suddenly, I hear someone say, “Hey, was that you yelling a few minutes ago? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m alright. I just had a somewhat disturbing experience that’s all.”
A man and woman in their late thirties walk toward me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something, what happened?”
“Well, I was hiking and I got a little turned around and ended up near a big lake and there was a huge, absolutely huge black bear in the tree up ahead of me. I didn’t know what to do. The only wild animals I’ve seen before were squirrels and an occasional bunny. It was a shocking experience.”
“You saw a black bear, wow you are lucky. I had heard that there was an increasing number of bears in the area especially since it is Summer. What did you do?”
“Well, as you heard I screamed like a banshee first and then I calmed down and slowly backed away. The bear saw me but just continued to lie up in that tree. And I backed away slowly until I put some distance between us, and then I ran like a bat out of hell. I was terrified.”
The two of them laugh and then I laugh. “Well, all things considered, it was an exciting beginning to my vacation and it will be a great story to tell everyone when I get back home.”
“You’re right, it will be. All the same, I think I would avoid going back there in the near future you don’t want to test your luck. By the way, what’s your name? Our names are Joe and Freida Melony. We just got here today. We’re staying for the week. “
“My name is Katherine O’Connor. But everyone calls me Kathie. I’m here for the week too.”
“Well, Kathie O’Connor I’m glad to meet you. Why don’t you walk back with us, do you have any plans for dinner tonight? We were thinking of heading into Cape May and going out to dinner, would you like to join us?”
“You know I would like to join you that sounds like fun.”
“So, Kathie while we walk back to the campgrounds why don’t you tell us about yourself.”
“Really, well this is the first vacation I’ve taken in ten years. So, it looks like it’s taken off with a bang. I expect this vacation is going to be a whole lot of fun and unexpected surprises.”
“Yes, it does, doesn’t it? Continue while we walk, look out ahead the path is a little bumpy up ahead. Wouldn’t want you to take a fall.”
“Thanks, from now on I’ll keep my eyes wide open.”
PART 2- NEXT WEDNESDAY
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Part Two-WHAT HAPPENS IF A DREAM VACATION BECOMES A NIGHTMARE?
PART TWO
I have mixed emotions as I drive back to the breath-taking Crepe Myrtle Lodge. And by breath-taking, I mean you have to hold your breath the whole time you’re there. See I’m already trying to maintain my sense of humor in spite of the pit I’m going to spend the next one or two days in bored out of my mind in. OK, so I need more practice in keeping my sense of humor. I guess I’ll have to work on that for more than the next two days.
Non-poisonous snake
I arrive at the “hotel” and I” m once again hit with an overwhelming feeling of “what the hell?” And I head towards my “room.” Maybe I’ll be lucky, and the hotel staff will have come in and given the place the once over. While I was out hiking and getting attacked by a vicious beast. But no such luck, as I get out of the car and hop on one foot up to the door I peek in the room and see there hasn’t been any miraculous do-over since I last laid my eyes on it. In fact, it looks even messier, if that’s possible. I jam the key into the lock and the door swings open before I turn the key. So, either I forgot to lock it, or someone has been in here for some unknown reason. And then I think maybe I’m at the wrong door. So, I check the room number. But no, it’s the right room. I step in and slam the door shut behind me.
My ankle is throbbing a bit but nothing too terrible. I decide to take a nap since it has been a somewhat difficult day and a long one. Between traveling and ending up at the Bates Hotel. And then the snake bite and the doctor’s visit. On the plus side, I met a beautiful young lady and plan on having a great dinner and interesting conversation. I consider taking a shower but decide to forego it until after my nap since I’m knackered. I pull off my hiking boots and socks, shirt and pants, and flop down on the bed.
And in that horrible moment, I realize that I’m not alone in the bed. I scream an expletive and jump out of the lumpy bed. I yank the blanket and sheet off the bed. And lying before me is a naked man. A disgustingly filthy, nasty, wrinkled, old man lies there. I give him a mighty shake. Nothing. Dear god, did he stumble into my room by mistake and die? Why, why, why did he have to die in my bed? I shake him again, nothing. I turn him over with my eyes closed and pull the blanket up to his chest. I put my face as close to his nose and mouth as I can possibly tolerate. Nothing, Nada, zilch. The guy is dead as a doorknob, stiff as a plank, kicked the bucket, his ticket was punched for the last time.
The stench emanating from his mouth and unbelievably filthy body are almost overwhelming. I grab the phone next to the bed and push the button that says, “OFFICE.” Nothing happens, no one answers, no voice message comes on, nothing. If my leg weren’t killing me, I would jump up and down and have a full-out adult tantrum. But really, I’m not surprised in the least.
I head out the door towards the office. I feel kind of sick to my stomach and yet I’m mad as hell at the same time. Inside my head, I keep saying, “shit, shit, shit.” I arrive at the office door and yank on it hard. And surprise, surprise, it’s locked, and the lights are out. The sign on the door says, “CLOSED.”
Once again, I have the overwhelming desire to start jumping up and down and screaming at the top of my lungs. And I would but my ankle is throbbing like a you know what. I take out my cell phone and dial 911. “Hello, this is Joe Wadsworth. I’m staying at the Crepe Myrtle Hotel. I came back from hiking to find a dead body in my room. The hotel manager is nowhere to be found. The reception on my phone out here is horrible? Did you just ask me if I’m sure he’s dead?”
“Yes, I’m sure he’s dead. I know dead when I see it. Can you please come out here so I can get some peace? I’ve had a horrible day.”
“What, did you just say? “Not as bad as the dead guy’s day? What the hell is wrong with the people around here. This isn’t a joke, get out here and take this corpse out of my room, PLEASE. I’m begging you. “Yes, I’ll be standing outside the room.”
About 25 minutes later a police car and an ambulance shows up at the hotel. Joe decides to stand in front of the OFFICE door since he realizes he didn’t tell them his hotel room number. In fact, he can’t even remember if there was a number on his door. It seems as if was an eon ago that he arrived at this sorry excuse for a vacation hotel. It’s more like he was living an episode of the Twilight Zone. The one where the day never ends it just keeps going on and on and on. And you can’t find any way out.
Two uniformed police officers walk over to him in no particular hurry. It occurs to Joe that finding a corpse in a hotel room in this area must not be an unexpected event. Maybe it happens every day. Who the hell knows?
“Are you the complainant?”
“Complainant? Well, that’s one way of putting it. Yes, or you could say I’m a fellow victim of this god-forsaken place. My name is Joe Wadsworth. I’m the one that hasn’t been murdered yet. On the other hand, the day is young yet. I might possibly die yet from the snake bite that I experienced earlier today or who knows food poisoning at the restaurant that I have a reservation at later this evening. Don’t give up hope.”
“All right sir, you need to calm down. It’s not helpful to lose control of yourself in this type of situation.”
“Really, really? What kind of situation is that? The one where I came here to find some peace and possibly a moment of happiness in my life. An escape from the daily grind of the monotonous grind of my soul-killing job. That kind of situation?”
“Alright sir, take a couple of deep breaths and calm down before we have to cuff you and put you in the back of the squad car for your own good.”
Joe stares at the two of them and considers if it would be worth it to just punch them both in the face, just to feel some kind of satisfaction or a moment of reprieve in this nightmare of a day. He decides he doesn’t want to sit in a jail cell or be cuffed in the back seat of these country bumpkins in police uniforms. “Yes, your right I need to take a couple of breaths and calm down.” He does just that, and he waits for them to continue the conversation.
“Alright sir, now let’s start from the beginning.”
“The beginning, well I’m assuming you mean from when I arrived at this hotel?”
“No, explain how you found a dead body in your room?” I arrived this morning and decided to go hiking, When I came back from hiking, I was exhausted and decided to take a nap. I noticed my bed was messier than when I left to go hiking earlier this morning. But as you can see this isn’t the Four Seasons Hotel. So, I just flopped down on the top of the bed and that is when I realized that I was not alone. There was someone under the covers.
I would be lying if I told you I was surprised because I wasn’t. I thought. Someone has wandered into my room by mistake and fell asleep or was dead drunk in my bed. Unfortunately, he turns out to be just dead. When I checked his breathing, he wasn’t breathing at all. And it was clear that the dirty, old man was dead, dead, dead. This is my room right here maybe you should have a look for yourself. And then Joe takes a deep breath and sighs. He could not imagine anything more horrific happening than already happened.
“Alright sir, please wait outside while we investigate the situation. Do not leave the scene of the crime.”
“Scene of the crime? How do you know there was a crime? The dead guy is old as dirt. And unfortunately for me, he wandered into my room and croaked in my bed.”
“Ok, sir we’ll be out of here as soon as we can. Wait here.”
“I will. I’m going to wait.”
After about twenty minutes the officers come out and close the hotel door behind them. The one who been doing all the talking before, says, ”so there seems to have been some kind of altercation in the room. Could you explain what happened?”
There hasn’t been any kind of altercation in the room, that’s how it looked when I arrived. In fact, this room is ten times better than the first room the “manager” showed me. The only difference is the addition of a crusty, old dead guy in the bed. And he arrived sometime after I went hiking and was bitten by a snake and went to the emergency room and came back here to the Third Circle of Hell.”
“We are going to have the detectives come in and investigate, look for any evidence of foul play. We will have to get your fingerprints to rule you out. And we will need all your contact information in case we need to ask you any further questions. I don’t know how long it will take, but you are going to have to get another room.”
“Another room, good grief. The stupid manager is never in his office. Well, if he doesn’t show up before you guys leave then I’m just going to have to see if there is another empty room and has an unlocked door.”
“Sorry, but you’re not going to be able to go into the room until I’m finished in there. The coroner will be here soon to take the body out. And then we will be looking for any signs of a struggle. If there isn’t any, we won’t be that long. Find a place to wait.”
Well, I guess I’ll try and take a nap, not much else to do since my ankle is killing me. Joe decides to call Emily and tell her the latest development. She will probably think he has lost his mind altogether. He takes out his cell phone and punches in Emily’s phone number. It rings a few times, but she doesn’t pick up. He leaves a short message. “Hello Emily, it’s me, Joe. I just wanted to let you know that due to an unexpected event I’ve had to move to another room. I’ll give you a call later Joe.’
Joe wanders up and down the path in the immediate area checking doorknobs to see if any of them are unlocked with no sign of the room is empty. He shutters to think what he may discover in one of the unoccupied rooms. After finding the first three rooms locked. He is ready to give up and sleep in his car. But decides to try one more door. And voila it is unlocked. He gingerly opens the door and looks straight ahead and then left to right. He calls out. “hello, is anybody in here?”
No one answers the door, so Joe turns the knob, and the door swings open. He takes a deep breath and enters the room with trepidation. Who knows what he may find in here? He looks from right to left and takes several steps forward. There is a single bed, that doesn’t have any sheets, blankets, or bedspread. He decides to venture closer to inspect the mattress. It has several suspicious stains, but no blood stains or signs of bedbugs. So that is a step up. And he did buy sheets and pillows and towels when he was out before this whole day from hell started.
He saw a small round table and a chair and behind that a counter with a coffee pot and upon closer inspection a dirty cup. He picks up the cup and takes it in the direction he imagines the bathroom is in. He shoves the door open with his foot and looks at the bathroom. There is a dirty sink and a dirty standing shower, no towels. The floor is dry, so he imagines no one has stayed here in the last twenty-four hours.
The mirror over the sink reflects a somewhat distorted image of himself. He has bags under his eyes, and his eyes look back at him as if he were a stranger. He goes back to the living area and decides that this room will do. As he leaves the room, he notes that on the outside of the door is the legend A 27. The 7 is hanging cockeyed because one of the screws is missing and when he closes the door behind him the seven falls to the ground. He lets out an ironic laugh. And heads back to his short-lived former room.
Joe sees a man who he suspects is the coroner and his assistant taking out the body of the unknown, old and crusty man. He wishes he could summon up some pity for this man, but he simply cannot. His last thought about the deceased is why the hell did he have to stumble into my room, my bed, and croak? He knows he shouldn’t feel this way, but he does. And he feels justified in his feelings and ashamed at the same time.
He watches the guys in white lift the gurney into the ambulance. And wishes the old man a Bon Voyage. And then lets out a laugh of sorts. He peeks into the room and calls out “ Can I please for the love of god, take my stuff out of the room? I found an empty room four doors down. He waits and finally, he sees the detective coming toward him. “Alright, come in. Don’t touch anything. Start getting your belongings, do not touch anything else. Nothing. Do you understand?”
“Yes, only take my own belongings, nothing else. I sent my contact information to you and my home phone number as well. Barring some other calamity, I’ll be here until the end of the week, I’m four doors down. I will be in the room the rest of the day. But hopefully, I’ll be up and around by tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow night I have a date, please, please do not call me then. Can I go now?”
“Yes, but first let me say this. The Coroner believes that no foul play was involved, no sign of bloodshed or possible mayhem. It seems as if the old man was inebriated and possibly hit his head at some point, came into your room and passed out, or even had a heart attack or stroke. So, it looks like you’re in the clear. I will get in touch if I need any further information. Good luck I hope the rest of your vacation is an improvement over today. Take your stuff, nothing else and I’ll be in contact at some point if necessary.”
“Thanks, nothing personal, but I hope we don’t have to meet again or even speak, I plan on blocking this day from my memory. I can only hope the next days are an improvement. I can’t imagine what worse thing could happen.”
“Well, let’s hope that’s true. But probably I’m the last one you should ask because that’s all I ever see, the worse of mankind. Good Luck all the same.”
Joe walks over to his car and decides that although it isn’t parked that far from his “new” room he will drive it down and park it out front of the room. Otherwise, he’ll have to cart all his hiking equipment, camera equipment stuff from this room to the next. And why the hell would he want to do that on his one good foot?
After Joe parks his car, and slowly carries in all his equipment, and the sheets and towels, and supplies he needed he is tuckered out and decides to take a quick shower and take a nap. Today has been an unbelievably long day. He carries the towels and his personal bag into the bathroom and turns on the shower. There is a weird creaking noise and then a loud whining and a kind of a big bang. The water comes out in spurts, it is an odd color like rust or dried blood. “Holy Crap, will this never end?” He shouts.” And then it sounds like the pipes are vibrating he’s afraid they will burst and then there is a sudden silence, the water stops and starts a few times. And then the water comes out in a tremendous rush. Joe sticks his hand under the spray to gauge the temperature and it is ice cold. “Shit,” he says. And then undresses and grabs a plastic bag that the new towels came in and puts it on his injured ankle and ties it as far up as the bag will go.
He puts his good leg and then his bad leg in the shower and endures the coldest shower he has ever taken. It feels as if he is taking a shower outside at the North Pole. He soaps up and then hops on one foot, directly under the spray, and rinses off. His ankle doesn’t throb anymore at the moment since it feels like it’s frozen all the way through. “Dear god, I don’t think I can take one more moment. Will this ever end?”
Joe turns off the shower and grabs the new towel and puts his good leg out followed by the bad leg. He leans against the outside of the shower and dries himself as well as he can. And puts on his jockeys and sits on the toilet, he takes a look at his ankle and surprisingly doesn’t look that bad. The swelling has lessened, and it doesn’t look like the angry red that it previously exhibited. He disinfects the injury and wraps the Ace bandage around it. And then hops over to the bed on his good leg and flops on the bed and falls instantly asleep.
Joe is in the middle of a nightmare where he is in a pit filled with Copperhead snakes that are surrounding him and about to be attacked when he is awakened by his cell phone ringing. He is somewhat dazed and confused. He looks around the room and isn’t quite sure where or even when it is. He stares at the phone and doesn’t recognize the number, so he lets it go to voice mail.
He thinks I don’t even want to know why anyone is calling me. I can not take one bit of bad news. I’ve had enough. As he lies there, he considers becoming a monk who has taken a vow of silence and daily prayer who lives in a cave on some isolated island somewhere. He has all but lost his faith in humanity. He reflects on the unbelievably awful events of the last twenty-four hours. He can not imagine a worse vacation than this one. But then he pictures Emily’s beautiful face with her big blue eyes and rosy cheeks and her long red hair. And thinks, maybe it’s all worth it. Fate meant for us to meet, perhaps she is the one.
He groggily gets out of bed and looks at the clock it is almost six o’clock. For some reason he thinks, six o’clock, six o’clock I’m supposed to be doing something at 6 o’clock. And then his stomach growls and he remembers Chinese Food. He rolls to the side of the bed and carefully places both feet on the cold, wood floor. His ankle is still throbbing slightly, but he considers the alternative. It would be so much worse if he couldn’t feel his ankle or foot and then what amputation? He leans over and examines his ankle, still red, somewhat puffy, but not too terrible. He felt himself relax somewhat.
His stomach gives one final loud growl to remind him that he was starving. “Ok, Ok I’m going to get the food, calm down. It was a weird habit of his to talk t his stomach as if it were a separate entity from him. Joe pulls on clean socks and his underwear and pants and grabs a shirt from his suitcase and throws it on. As he was about to go out the door, he realizes he’s forgotten his wallet. He goes back to the chair where he threw his pants he wore earlier and retrieves his wallet and keys. Then he leaves to go and pick up the take-out Chinese food.
He gets in his car without incident and drives the ten minutes to the restaurant with no problems. His ankle still hurts when he presses the brake pedal. But he thinks considering everything that happened today, he can live with it. He has his fingers crossed that by tomorrow he would be much better, and he can continue hiking without any further incidents. Joe pulls into a parking space near the front entrance of the restaurant which is called Number One Chinese. He walks through the door that jingles as he opens it and when he closes it.
The same smiling man is standing at the counter as he was earlier in the day. He looks at him, and says, “Yes, can I help you?”
“Yes, thank you. My name is Joe Wadsworth. I placed an order this morning for take-out at 6 PM. I’m sorry I’m a little late, but I took a nap and just woke up.”
The smiling man says, “No problem sorry, it is ready. We kept it in the warmer, would you like anything to drink?”
“You know, would it be alright to eat here, rather than take out, my hotel room has a lot to be desired including a table and chair. And you know I would really like a tall glass of beer. “Saison, if you have it?”
“Of course, please have a seat and we will bring your dinner to the table along with the Saison. Anything else?”
“No, that sounds great, thank you so much. You are a breath of fresh air.”
The smiling man looks at him somewhat strangely and says, “of course, sir.”
Joe looks around and there is only one other table occupied. A couple is sitting there leaning in towards one another as if no other people existed. He looks at them someone enviously. And then sits at a table next to the wall opposite them.
As he’s waiting for his food and beer, he takes his cell phone out of his pocket to check for any further calls. Just the one call, with the name and a number he doesn’t recognize. He wasn’t surprised because he left a message on his phone that he was on vacation for the next week and would not be available. “Good.” he thinks.
As he sits there waiting for his food, he looks around the restaurant. It looks like the same as every other Chinese take-out joint, he has frequented over the years. Even has a small Koi pond next to the back wall near the table where the couple is sitting. He decides to hobble over there and take a look while he is waiting.
He glances at the young couple as he passes them and thinks for some reason the woman looks familiar, but that can’t be since he didn’t know anyone in this area at all. As he looks at the enormous Koi swimming gracefully around the pond. He begins to relax a little. He hears the couple whispering to one another. And he thinks, that’s so weird, her voice sounds so familiar. He decides to take a better look at her as he walks back to his table.
He turns towards them and he notices that the young woman sitting at the table has long red hair. He thinks, red hair, that’s weird that he would see two redheads I one day. And that is when it hits him. The voice of the young woman is familiar. It wasn’t just any redhead. It was “his redhead.”
He considers just passing them by and going out to his car. He just can’t take one more disappointment today, he just couldn’t. And then he thinks but maybe they are just friends, or maybe they just decided to share the table since they were the only two people eating in, stranger things have happened, haven’t they?
So, he walks straight over to the table and says,” Emily, is that you?”
She looks up and him. She smiles at him and then her expression changes dramatically when she recognizes him. Her smile disappears and her face becomes pale than red as a beet. “Oh, what a surprise to see you here. What are the chances that we would both end up eating at the same take-out?”
“Honey, this is the man I was telling you about earlier that I met while hiking. You know the guy that got bitten by a snake. Your name is Joe, right? Joe, this is my husband Thomas, he just arrived he had to catch up on some work before he met me at our hotel. Her face is looking pale again. I look at her, she looks back with kind of a pleading look in her eyes.
I said, “oh, yes of course. Nice to meet you.” And at that moment I heard the smiling man call out Joe Wadsworth, your dinner is ready”. You know I think I’ll take that out after all if you could just put that all in a box to go, I would appreciate it. Thanks.”
“Well, nice seeing you again, have a nice time.” And then I turn away from them and head up to the counter to pick up my food, and I think. If I had a gun, I might just shoot myself. Luckily, I didn’t so I just grab my take-out and pay off the smiling man and walk out the door without looking back.
As I get in my car I think, things can only go up from here. They just can not get worse. And that is when I notice my left, rear tire is flat.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A DREAM VACATION BECOMES A NIGHTMARE?
PART 1, part 2 will be posted next Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
The Mile HIgh Swinging Bridge – NC
Life has been particularly difficult and stressful in the last year. I’m completely swamped at work. My boss keeps assigning more and more work for me to complete in an already impossibly overcrowded schedule in my working twelve-hour days. And then I go home with two to three more hours of work to do. And forget about weekends, they ceased to have any meaning a long time ago.
I would have gone completely off the deep end except for the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a vacation coming up in one week, seven more days. And the best news of all is that I got a terrific deal on both the hotel and air costs.
Each day of the last week before my vacation I check off my calendar. And finally, tomorrow is the day I leave for my vacation. I’m so excited that my heart is beating faster because of the adrenalin rush. I went to bed early the night tonight before my trip but I can’t fall asleep I’m so excited. I packed my bags a week ago. I check and rechecked them to make sure I didn’t forget anything.
Mile-high swinging bridge- Grandfather Mountain
I arrive at the airport three hours early for my check-in. It’s a long wait for my plane to arrive for take-off. I drink so much coffee I have trouble sitting still. By the time the plane lands and was getting refueled and checked out, I was so high on caffeine I could probably fly without the plane by flapping my arms up and down,
It’s less than a two-hour flight. I’m jazzed when we arrive. I rented a car in advance and once we deplane, I pick up the keys. And I’m on my way to the Crepe Myrtle Lodge. It’s located outside the Boone, NC area in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are breathtakingly beautiful, the air is cool and invigorating. I can feel my mind and body start to relax. It takes me about three hours to drive to the hotel. I feel like a new man by the time I arrive there.
As I pull into the hotel parking lot, I realize that there aren’t any cars in sight. Oh well, I think everyone is probably up and about hiking and enjoying the beautiful landscape. The hotel advertises that the area has tons of activities like trout fishing, horseback riding, golf, and whitewater rafting. And it’s within minutes’ drive to Grandfather Mountain, Blowing Rock, and Caverns. And of course, the biggest draw, the lowest hotel rates in the area.
I rented a small studio since it was just me and I plan on spending most of my time hiking, and fishing, and investigating as much of the area I could in one week’s time. I get out of my compact car and walk towards a sign that says OFFICE. I yank on the door and find to my dismay that the door is locked. “Well, that’s weird,” I say out loud. I decide I’ll walk around the buildings and see if I can find the manager in one of the rooms or cabins.
No luck, I can see that some of the rooms or cabins are occupied because their curtains are closed. But, many of the rooms and small cabins aren’t occupied at all. And that’s strange because this is the time of the year when people come to this area in droves.
I can’t help but notice that the whole place is in disrepair. I have to say it a mess, trash on the grounds and spilling out of the trash bins. Some of the curtains on the hotel rooms are missing curtains or the curtains are hanging askew. There are cigarette butts everywhere. The more I look around the more anxious I become. I walk back over to the Office and yank on the doorknob, it’s still locked. I walk over to my car and prepare to wait for someone to show up. So I can check-in, unpack and unwind from my long ride and flight.
Two hours later I see a pick-up truck pulling into the parking spot in front of the Office. “Finally,’ I say out loud. I give him a minute or two to get into the office, turn on the lights. And then I walk over and yank on the door, and nearly dislocate my shoulder I pull it so hard. Unbelievably, the door is still locked. I yell out an expletive and start banging on the door when I realize no one is sitting at the desk. I keep banging until I see a middle-aged guy wearing a faded flannel shirt and beat-up jeans hanging in tatters coming to the door.
He looks at me through the window of the door. I try yelling, “My name is Joe Wadsworth. I have a reservation. He glares out at me, and finally opens the door. “What’s the problem, hold your horses already?”
“I have been waiting in my car for two hours to check-in. I confirmed my reservation and arrival time yesterday. I’m tired, I had a two-hour flight and drove three hours to get here.”
“There was a problem at one of the cabins, it was an emergency.”
“You have my cell phone number why didn’t you text me and let me know you weren’t going to be here?”
“As I said, it was an emergency. I didn’t have time to do that. Why don’t you calm down and come in and register?”
“Ok, fine, let’s do that. I’d like to take a shower and then get outside and start exploring the area. I don’t want to waste any more time. I’m only here for the week.”
He tosses the room key across the counter. I catch it before it flies off the counter. I stand there thinking, this guy is a complete ass. But I say, “thanks, is the room ready?” Do I need to get towels from you before I go to the room?
“Everything is ready, no problems, call the desk if you need anything.” Then the phone rings and he turns away from me. So, I walk back to my car and drive around looking for the studio. Which was supposed to be a small cabin with a kitchen and dining area and sleeping area. And have a couch and chair and working TV, and a bathroom with a shower.
After driving around in circles for several minutes I finally find my “studio.” I back my car up and park and start taking out my suitcase and fishing equipment and my hiking equipment, and jacket and my camera equipment. I grab my camera and take a picture of the studio. I’m dreading going in there because I just know that it will probably be disgustingly dirty.
It turns out that disgustingly dirty would be a step up from this dump. I unlock the door I realize that one of the door hinges is missing and the door is only attached by the bottom hinge. So, I quickly shove my suitcase up against the door so it doesn’t become detached altogether and fall on me. I pick up my gear and bring it into the studio.
And that is when the stench hit me full-force. It smells if a giant ashtray has been dumped multiple times in the space. I mean it absolutely reeks. I go over to the front wall to open the windows. As I pull the dingy curtains aside, I realize there are only about three curtain hooks holding it up. I try to carefully push it to the side and I realize there’s a huge hole in the curtain from what looks like a burn of some kind. As if someone put a cigarette to the curtain and burned it intentionally. I’m flabbergasted.
Only half of the glass panes in the windows have glass in them. And the ones that do have glass are cracked. Well, I say to myself at least I can air the room out. I look around the room and low and behold I see the kitchen area. I walk over there trying to keep my eyes straight ahead. I can’t take everything in at once or I will probably have a mental meltdown.
The kitchen area consists of a counter complete with cigarette burns and a dirty electric coffee pot. And one cracked coffee cup with a cigarette butt floating in the bottom in whatever liquid used to reside in the cup. I sniff it and if my nose is telling me the truth it’s piss.
There is a plate, a glass, and a set of plastic knives, and forks and spoons available, pre-used. I see a hot plate, I plug it in, the rings start getting how and then smoke appears. I unplug it. Then I see the “refrigerator.” I open it up. It isn’t cold and only big enough to put a hamburger and a coke in there. That is if it were working. Which it’s not.
There is a small table and chair. The chair only has three legs. So that should be challenging to sit on. I’m somewhat reluctant to look into the bathroom. I push forward because I have never been afraid to face anything. But even I must admit there’s a limit to the horror that I can take in one day.
There is a standing shower. It looks like a coffin standing on end. Its shower curtain is only wide enough to cover one-half of the entrance of the shower. And it has a tear running across the middle horizontally. There are no words to describe the condition of the bottom of the shower. It would be best if I describe it as beyond filthy and it smells like someone recently took a dump in it and vomited simultaneously. I’m serious.
I step backward out of the shower coffin area and back towards the open space to look at the sleeping area. I bravely move forward. I have to admit this has now become morbid curiosity at this point. I can not imagine worse than I have already witnessed.
The bed is actually a folding cot circa WWII. I kid you not. I know because when I was a kid my great grandfather passed away. And my grandfather took me to his father’s house to help clean it out and possibly take away a souvenir if I found something I liked. My grandfather was something of a collector of sorts. Other people might call him a hoarder.
Suffice it to say that my grandfather never threw anything out. And while I was rooting through his attic, I found his folding cot from WWII. And the cot I was looking in this moment bears a striking resemblance to my grandfather’s. On top of the “bed” is a pillow so flat it no longer fits the description of pillow. And there’s a blanket that probably was the original blanket from the WWII cot. I let out another expletive. I didn’t have the courage or the fortitude to look any further.
I double-time it to the door and as I was departing, I slam the door so hard that it falls off its’ hinge. I don’t even look back. I march up to the office door and find it’s once again locked. I start hammering on the door with closed fists. I can not recall ever being this angry in my life. I know I’m out of control but feel it’s righteous anger. I also know if I don’t calm down I will either kill the owner or have a heart attack right here at the door of this shitty hotel. I ask myself, “is this where you want to die?” And I say to myself, “it might be worth it.”
After about three minutes the sleazy low-life manager comes to the door. “What do you want now?’
“What do I want? What do I want? I want a clean room with a door with two hinges and intact windows and curtains. And if it’s not too much to ask, a real bed, a clean bathroom with a clean shower and toilet. And a room that doesn’t smell like someone died there after a prolonged illness. Can I get that buddy?”
He gives me a long, long look and say’s, “So, you’re saying you’ re dissatisfied with your accommodations. Is that it?”
I think for a moment that my head might actually explode. I stand there with my mouth hanging open. I take a deep breath and spit out. “Yes, and that is the understatement of a lifetime. I want I different, better room or I want a complete refund for my money and my deposit. Right now, not in five minutes, right now this second.”
It‘s at that moment that I realize this guy is chewing tobacco, as a brown liquid comes oozing out of his food encrusted lips and over his dark brown teeth. I feel my stomach lurch.
“OK, here are the keys to a room with a bathroom with a shower, and tub, single bed, table and chair and TV but we don’t get cable so it has limited channels but no kitchen area.”
“Is it clean? Does it have curtains and intact windows? Does it smell like an ashtray?”
“It was cleaned yesterday, new curtains and all windows intact and it is a non-smoking room. But it will cost you $10.00 more each day.”
My first impulse was to punch him right in his ugly kisser, but I control myself. “OK, if everything is as you described, I’ll take it. If you lied, I will come back here with a bad attitude and kick your ass. Do you understand buddy?”
He works his jaw and another line of tobacco juice escape between his missing teeth. He wipes the back of his left hand across his mouth and swallows. He hands me the key, and says, “it’s on the other side of the building and then he walks away and spits on the floor. I hear him plop in a chair and turn up his TV.
As I leave the office, I contemplate how such a being exists in the world. And then I realize there are thousands, if not millions of bottom feeders such as this guy. I shake my head and look for the room. This whole place is an absolute maze with no rhyme or reason to how the it’s organized. After about ten minutes of walking around the maze of rooms, cabins, and even a few broken down trailers I find it. It’s at the end of a long line of rooms. I consider the horror I might encounter and take a deep, deep breath of fresh air and unlock the door. The door creaks as it opens, but on the plus side it doesn’t fall off the hinges.
I step into the room and to my utter surprise it isn’t the completely filthy pit I expected it too be. It’s not even close to neat and tidy either. I close the door behind me and walk over to the bed. It has a double bed which is miles ahead of a folding cot from WWII. It has two pillows, a sheet and a thin blanket. Someone else probably slept in by last week, but still, I’ll take it over the cot. I take a sniff of the air and the sheets, not too terrible.
I look under the bed, just dust. I walk across the room and open the bathroom door. There’s a shower and tub with a sliding glass door. I open the door, not clean but not filthy, no roaches running around in there. The toilet wasn’t flushed last couple of times it was used, so I close the lid and flush it.
The next time I go out I decide I’ll buy some clean sheets and some towels since the bathroom has no towels, soap and some room deodorizer and cleanser. It’s not the room I thought I would stay in for my one and only vacation this year. But I hope I ‘ll be spending most of my time in the great outdoors and not in this stinking want-a-be Bates Motel.
I head out to the car to get some supplies and something to eat. But first I change into my hiking boots and clothes. I should have broken the boots in before I got here. But I didn’t. I put on an extra pair of socks to protect my feet. I bring along an extra jacket just in case it’s colder than predicted.
Against my better judgement I go back to the hotel office to see if they have any pamphlets or handouts of any kind for local places to eat. Of course. When I get to office the door was locked again. I get back in my car and turn on my cellphone and ask google maps for local restaurants.
I end up buying lunch at a local take-out for Chinese food. It isn’t half bad. So, I tell the guy at the counter I’ll be back around 6PM to pick up dinner. He’s pleasant enough. They also have some pamphlets on a rack with local sites and activities which I appreciate. I should have planned what I was going to do at home before I got here. But I didn’t, that’s on me. I tend to be somewhat of a procrastinator that’s how I ended up at the hotel. I wait too long to make reservations and they were the only ones to have any openings. And now I know why. Live and learn, I guess. I stop at a nearby Dollar Store and buy my supplies plus a few snacks and a paperback novel to read since I just realized there wasn’t any TV in the room. Oh boy, that’s a real shocker. Yeah, right. And then I’m on my way.
I take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Grandfather Mountain. And I have to admit that this is some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen and I have traveled a lot over the years. Grandfather Mountain is my destination today because it’s only about ten minutes away. The speed limit is twenty-five miles per hour along the parkway so I have time to take in this magnificent area. I arrive and decide that I will park my car and hike the four-mile train to the top.
I have to admit I’m somewhat out of shape and the air becomes thinner the closer I get to the top. Still, I’m determined to do it. When I arrive, there’s quite a crowd because people took the shuttle up. As I stand there drinking in the view, I realize that I have forgotten my camera equipment. I could just kick myself. I consider hiking down and getting my camera gear and then coming back up. But I realize how tired I am after the plane ride, driving to the hotel and putting up with all the malarkey at the hotel.
I decide to look around the whole area and scope out where I’ll like to take my shots when I return here. Once again realizing how disorganized I am. I’m going to have to work on that. My next stop is the-Mile-High Swinging Bridge. The reason I chose this as one of my destinations is because one of my life-long fears has been bridges. You may be asking yourself the question than why go to the mountains and then cross a mile-high bridge. Well, the fact is I’m trying to overcome some of my fears and anxiety.
When I was a young child perhaps five years old, I was in a car going over The Ben Franklin Bridge from New Jersey to Philadelphia, Pa. I was sitting on my mother’s lap. I guess I was leaning against the door as we drove slowly across the bridge and the door wasn’t locked or closed properly. And then it suddenly flew open and I fell out of the car and onto the bridge. My father slammed the brakes and ran over and picked me up and put me in the back seat. Yelling the whole time at me, telling me how I almost killed myself. And since that day I have been fearful of heights and bridges. So, here I am thirty years later, on my way to cross the Mile-High- Swinging Bridge.
I see all kinds of people walking towards, and across the bridge, young and old. I take a deep, deep breath and start walking ever closer to it. And then I see the bridge is right in front of me. I walk onto the bridge. I grab ahold of the railing and I look down, down, down. My head is swimming, I hear ringing in my ears. For an awful moment I’m afraid I just might fall. And then I have a moment when I feel like launching myself off the bridge. My heart is beating like a drum and my pulse is rapid, I can’t catch my breathe. And then the moment passes. I had this feeling before and I know that it is a common experience. I step back and start laughing for a moment. I notice several people are staring at me. And inexplicably I say,” Don’t worry I’m not going to kill myself.” And then I laugh again. All but one of the people laugh uncomfortably and walk away from me. One woman says,” are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to freighted anyone. It was just a weird impulse. I’m working on overcoming my fear of heights.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, thank you I’m fine.” And she goes on her way and when she gets to the other side of the bridge. She looks back at me. She’s gesturing for me to come to the other side. I wave at her and start slowing walking to the other side. I stop in the middle of the bridge and look down. The view’s amazing. And then I continue to the other side and where she’s waiting for me.
“Congratulations you made it. Isn’t it beautiful here?”
“Yes, thank you. It’s stunning.” I smile from ear to ear. She smiles back, and that is when I notice that she’s beautiful with gorgeous red hair. I’ve always been a sucker for redheads. I decide to take a chance and ask her out. “Are you here by yourself?”
“Yes, and believe it or not this is the first vacation I’ve taken by myself. So, I guess I have something to prove as well. Are you here alone?”
“Yes, I’m sorry what’s your name?”
“My name is Joe Wadsworth. What’s your name?”
My name is Emily Van Patten. So, do you have any plans for dinner, Joe? Because I know of a fabulous restaurant nearby. If you would like to meet-up?” I hope that doesn’t sound too pushy?”
“No, not at all. That’s sounds great. What time would you like to meet?”
“How about around 6:30. It’s a casual place so no need to dress up. Here ‘is my cell phone number if something comes up and here is the address. I’ll see you at 6:30.”
I look at her and smile ear to ear and she smiles back. “Great, I’ll see you then.”
And she goes on her way. I stand at the end of the bridge and look at the beautiful valley below and think, maybe my luck is changing. I start walking forward on my trek. I start walking onward and upward as I admire the bounty of multi-colored Fall leaves. I have to admit Fall is my favorite season, the wonderful foliage, the cool, crisp weather.
And then as I’m contemplating all this beauty, I see something moving across the path or should I say slithering. I’m ashamed to say it, but I have a fear of snakes, I don’t know why since I never really encountered one or bitten. But still, I’m terrified of them. I decide to wait until it leaves the area. I hope it’s not a poisoness ’snake, that’s all I need. It looks like it could be a Copperhead, or possibly be a Corn Snake. Which can look similar if it flattens its head and then resembles a Copperhead. I wait and I wait some more. I can’t help but think maybe I shouldn’t have taken this trip alone. But here I am, and decide I’m going to make the best of it, instead of quitting as I usually do when I get frustrated.
The snake finally moves out of sight. And I continue you down the path. I take a couple of steps forward and then trip on my own shoe lace. It apparently came untied at some point. As I lean down to retire my hiking boot, I feel something latch onto my ankle. I look. And I see to my horror snake has its teeth firmly attached to my ankle and is trying to constrict around my ankle. Momentarily I feel as if I might faint. I try to relax since I read the worse thing you can do with a corn snake is try to pull it off since its teeth latch on and they are slanted backward.
I try to remember what I’m supposed to do. And then I remember you’re supposed to pour something ice cold on it and the snake will release its grip. I grab my backpack and look for my thermos that is filled with ice water. I calmly pour the ice water over the snake. In a few minutes that seem like a week to me the snake releases its grip and unwinds off my ankle and once again slithers away. I lean down and look at my ankle and I see the fang marks and a few drops of blood. I grab my pack and find my first aide supply kit. I disinfect it and slap a band aide on it. I promise myself I will be more aware of my surroundings. Still, I count myself lucky that it wasn’t a copperhead. I keep moving forward.
I keep following the trail for another half-hour. I stop and take a drink from my pack. And take another look all around me. I realize that I feel relaxed and happy, despite the snake bite. I lean down and take a look at my ankle and it’s a little sore, but I think its going to be alright. I was lucky, this time.
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