Plink, plink, plink. I woke and looked at the clock. Five forty-five. Plink, plink. What the heck is that? I looked out the window at the golf cart and the top was covered with bits of green acorns. The squirrels were feasting in the oak tree overhead. I'd have to feed them something else so they would leave.
I jumped up, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and put on socks and tennis shoes. After taking my morning pills and sipping a microwaved cup of coffee, I took off on my morning walk. I walked up past the recreation center and looked at the trailers just past there. One had tricycles and large toys in a little fenced in area at the rear of where the kitchen would be. That was probably the Mexican lady's place. As I walked out past what was known as the cypress swamp or the lake, I noticed that this area was newer and the lots over by the fence were all for double-wides. This was a big place. Charlie and Matty had their hands full keeping up with a place like this.
On my way back, I met Betty who was walking and carrying two small weights to build up muscle, I guessed. Since she was on her way back, we walked together. When she stopped at the mailbox building to check for mail, I checked my box for the first time. There were only a couple flyers, but at least I knew the combination worked.
I wished Betty a good day then did my morning three S stuff and dressed for work. Steve had said the group gathered for breakfast and I was welcome, so I figured I would check it out. Taking the cart over there is kind of cheating as I could easily walk just about everywhere, including to the R&D building.
The patio was wild as there had to be over fifty people having coffee, juice, and/or milk. Kids were eating cereal, moms were fussing over kids, and the guys were eating pastries and breakfast sandwiches while drinking coffee. A lady in a sheriff deputy's uniform was saying goodbye to everyone as she left. This place was really something. The lady that was with Tiny all the time was still in some kind of nightie and robe. She was showing a lot of cleavage and you could see a lot, since the robe was not very heavy. There were two small redheads that had oversized T-shirts on. One of the T-shirts looked like it had gotten too close to battery acid, and when she moved, her small breasts would move and a nipple would try to peek out the hole. The shock came when she put a foot up on her chair, showing the world she was a true redhead.
I looked around quickly to see if anyone else noticed so they could yell to remind her she was showing. I almost did, but stopped when the big guy sitting with her reached over and pulled one of her pubes. She squealed and swatted him, saying, "Stop it, Charlie, keep that up and you won't get any tonight."
Must be the hubby. Kids were coming up to them to talk then running back into the house to be with the other kids. I finally got a mug of coffee and took a biscuit sandwich. This was a fun way to have breakfast. Mercy came over to me and said, "Sit at the big table unless you're like me and just enjoy watching people."
"This place is fascinating, Ma'am. I just love it. Ah, what do I do about paying a share for eating over here like this? I even had lunch here yesterday."
"If you're working with Dennis, then you'll probably come for lunch again. Just come to eat. From what I hear, you're trying to help others and this is our way of saying thanks. All of these people think helping others is the best thing in the world. Steve and Sue are constantly involved in new ways to help people. Just keep doing what you're doing and eat with us every meal. Enjoy your new family."
"Thank you, Mercy. It is like a huge family, isn't it?"
She just smiled and gave me an arm hug, how sweet. All these people were so nice.
It was getting to be about seven forty-five, so I took off for the R&D building. The door was open and Crystal was bent over a microscope, looking at some of the metal filings we shaved off yesterday. She looked up and asked, "Do you think this part is stainless?"
"I don't think so, since the melting point was so low when we tested it yesterday. The steel isn't even tempered well. That means that when the rods were made by the steel company, they were not reheated and pounded sufficiently. We've done about half of the product as far as analyzing the depth of the threads and found they are not to spec on either the bolt or in the nut. It's like the machine that was cutting the thread was dirty or didn't use the correct blade when they were machined. Hopefully, you have recourse because if you've been using these to make your carts, you're going to have a lot of recalls and warranty problems."
"My thought exactly. I've already started calling the manufacturer. We've got a bid out for some emergency supplies right now. I stopped the line yesterday when you brought these up. The "Nut House," or what some call the "House of Bolts," is bringing us a couple thousand sets, but that's going to screw up our cost. We need them to keep the line going though. We also ordered five hundred sets for the warranty trucks and the shop. That should hold us until we get the correct spec product. I don't see how we could get this bad a batch as the bid price wasn't that good on the product. The manufacturers all thought our specs were over the top. We build quality products and that takes quality hardware."
Crystal said, "Finish the test batch; we have to have the hundred in the event we have to sue those suckers. Stop by the warranty bench to see if there is anything there before you go play your "Mr. Do good" act over in the park. That was smart of you to pass on the job and recommend Kevin. He is best suited for the job and it showed Steve and me that you're observant. You hit it on the head though, and that's good. You're my kind of guy to have around. I'll leave you alone so you can finish."
I was working and tagging nuts when Dennis came in. He said, "We really don't start over here until eight thirty. Early is good, but I wanted to let you know the hours. Trust me, when things get hectic, we'll be here in the wee hours trying to make something work. When those times come, they bring us stuff to eat so we can keep on working."
At five after eight, I called Sarah. I said, "I have a couple of things. One, can I go get a bank account so I can get Social Security to deposit my check into the new account, instead of the old account I can't get into? Two, to get an account I need an address. Should I get a P.O. Box? I have to give a regular street address to get one. Three, I forgot about my VA pension. I get two seventy a month for getting hurt and from exposure to Agent Orange while I was in the service. That's also direct deposited, so I need the bank account for that. Four, Judy e-mailed me again about Friday and my daughter has even asked me to come. I think I'd like to go, warily, but I think I should."
Sarah said, "Last first. I think you should go too, only I'm going with you. Call her, using someone else's phone or a throwaway phone, and get the particulars. Call me and I'll meet you. We'll go together. I'll be your special friend, also your attorney. She will have been served by then. Go to one of those UPS mailbox stores. Rent a box there then go to a different bank than where your current account is and get a checking account. You'll have to fight with Social Security and the VA yourself. Good luck getting that done fast. The only thing about any of the money you have coming in right now is that it's directed to an account you don't have access to. We can ask her about that Friday, how is she going to get your money to you until it can be re-directed to your new account. I found out you have, or had, two credit cards in your name. Both have been canceled and both have only about four or five hundred against them. I've paid them off so you owe me for that. I think the total is about nine hundred and ten bucks. As you get some money, pay me. I won't hold you up. You had a big credit limit on them so you could have been burned. I filed a counter-divorce as she's already filed against you and I saw where it is recorded that you have been served. If that can be proven as false, her divorce action is moot and yours will take precedence. She was served as she went into work today. I've found out a lot about her and the guy who's the cause of all this. He has some warrants out for him and he has a record of both abuse and assault. If he's there Friday, he'll probably try something. Not to worry, Sarah can defend you. I think that's all of it for right now. Take this number down and dictate a statement to this lady. She's a court reporter and your statement will be sort of legal. It will work in divorce court. Just tell her that you have not been served yet. That's probably why Judy was disappointed you weren't home Tuesday night. Call me with the details of the party tomorrow night. Later."
That lady can talk fast. We just covered a dozen topics in less than five minutes, actually less time than that. I will go down to the convenience store and pick up another cheap cell phone with only an hour's worth of minutes. That will be my emergency phone.
It took me until ten fifteen to write up the last nut and bolt. Dennis said, "The intern will put all these you've done in proof bags. From what I heard, you have several things to do. You might check up at the rec center. There is a lady there every morning that helps people with their Social Security and stuff."
I buzzed over to the rec building and no one was talking with a lady sitting at a desk in the big room. I explained everything to her and she said, "I have enough information to see if you qualify for food stamps. You qualify today, but if you start making money out here, you probably won't. Go get your bank account and come back, I'll get the changes on your social security and your VA done for you. I send my request direct to D.C. and your banking information will be changed later today. Your check is deposited about the twentieth of every month, so you'll have plenty of time. Go take care of that."
I went for the Bronco and drove down Dale Mabry to a Mail Box Unlimited location. It wasn't that cheap, but I paid for six months. My key worked in the box when I checked and I was out of there, headed for the bank in the little Publix plaza on the other side of the park. It took me twenty-five minutes to open an account with the check I had from the storage place, and the thousand that I still had that Judy had given me. I still had cash for stuff, so I was fine for right now. I got a debit card with unlimited transactions, which is better than checks, and ordered the minimum amount of checks. They gave me a senior account that gave me twenty free checks each month, and that was free as long as I didn't overdraft or do something else stupid. They had me secretly enter my new password, "FREE," for the debit account, so I was fixed. I thanked them and headed back to the park. I stopped and picked up a sixty minute throwaway cell phone, then drove straight to the rec center.
The lady was sitting there patiently with Mrs. Henderson. They were just chatting. Since it was just eleven thirty, I wasn't keeping her. I said hi to Mrs. Henderson and she was pleased that I remembered her name. I wrote down my new address and the bank account number and the lady finished filling out the forms. She told me to watch my balance after the twentieth to see if it was switched. I thanked the lady profusely and she said, "Hilly told me all about how you're helping people out here. Just keep doing that. I'm here to help others in a different way. If you find someone that needs help such as food stamps, let me know. Those are the people the program is designed for. I hope you make enough so you won't have to use them long."
I asked Mrs. Henderson, "Do you know which trailer has the young Mexican lady with the three kids? She has a car problem and I might be able to help."
The old lady grinned real big and waved a long thin finger in the direction of the rear of the rec center. "It's right there. You can't miss it. She has a little fence in the back where the kids play. She's probably at work though. If you want the key for it, run over and ask at the main desk where Maria Hernandez is working. They are real nice as long as you don't make a pest out of yourself."
It was getting close to lunch time, but I wanted to try anyway. I went to the big building and parked in front where other carts were and went to the main desk in front of a big, open office. I asked the lady about Maria Hernandez and she said it would be easier to page her as she was probably in the process of clocking out for lunch. She paged using the phone.
I was waiting there when Sue came up to me and said, "Aren't you coming for lunch?"
"I want to see if I can get the key to a car Charlie said needed some help, one of your people."
"Oh, that's nice of you. Well, get the key and come have lunch. Hurry so the soup doesn't get cold."
I watched Sue leave, thinking she was really something. Running this place, being a mom to four kids, kind of spearheading everything at the patio meeting place, and keeping watch on the pulse of the community.
A tiny Latin lady came to the desk and the receptionist pointed at me. The little lady came to me hesitantly, so I asked, "Are you Maria Hernandez?"
She nodded her head.
"I'm Mark Robins. I like to help people with broken cars. If you'll give me the keys to it, I'll see what I can do for it."
Maria's face lit up. She said, "Oh, Senor, I hear of you and was pray that you find me. If you can help me that would be so good. The keys are in the car. I forgot and lock them inside. It don't matter, the car won't start anyway."
"I'll take a look at it after lunch, Maria. I may take it to my trailer where my tools are, so don't panic if it's not there when you get home."
"I will be grateful. So many look and they do nothing. I have to do favors for them to even look at it."
"Go eat lunch, Maria, I'll make sure to see you this afternoon."
"I work two hours overtime every day. They need help so I stay extra. Don't look for me until after five thirty. We walk so it might be closer to six if the kids wander around."
"Go, go eat lunch."
She left and I marveled at the delicate little girl who had three kids. I was going to enjoy fixing this one.
I was at the patio by twelve twenty, in time for the soup to still be warm. Today was some kind of tomato vegetable that was very good. I made a big sandwich and ate quickly as I had something I wanted to get done. The conversation was light, fun, and warm. I told Martin where I was going and said, "I'll finish that, then work on yours. Hopefully, I can get everything taken care of for her."
Martin frowned and followed me outside the patio, he said, "I heard several men have said they would help her, but ended up just getting a blowjob or a quick screw from her and said they looked but couldn't fix it. I told her a month ago not to be doing that as men were taking advantage of her. She said she needed her car and was willing to do that for her kids. She should have just sold herself and used the money to get it fixed. You don't take advantage of her, hear?"
"Don't worry, Martin, with the heart medicine I take, I wouldn't know what to do with her if I had the chance."
He laughed and slapped me on the back.
She said the keys were in the car, so needing my slim-Jim, I drove to the trailer to get my thin lock popper out of my toolbox and drove back over to Maria's trailer. She had one of those Dodge mini-vans parked next to the trailer. I looked inside and the keys were in the ignition. The back had toys in it, so this had to be the car. These were easy as you just pushed the slim-Jim down by the window, pulled it back until it stopped, pulled up, and pop, the door will open. I had to push the seat back as it was up too close. Crap, they were electric seats so they wouldn't go back at all. This looked like a fairly new car so I opened the glove box to see if there was something to tell me the year. The registration was in there and it said the car was only five years old.
I popped the hood to see what size battery it was. I almost laughed; the original equipment battery was still in the car. That was first and I could probably get one at the truck parts counter. With the few tools I brought with me, I pulled the battery out and went to the truck service center parts counter.
"Can you match this battery?"
"No sweat, Dude, sign this paper like Martin does. I'll be right back."
I signed the form and put the tenant's name where it asked who was being assisted. The parts guy came back and said, "This is a popular size and it's fully charged. We keep a couple of these filled and on the charge rack."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
It took five minutes to get the new battery into the car. I went to the front seat and had it go back all the way, and was going to get in. There were two used rubbers that had been pushed under the seat. I pulled a tissue from a box on the seat and picked them up to put them in a trashcan next to the trailer. I wondered if they were from Maria trying to get the van fixed.
Not my worry. I turned the key on and all of the instruments and lights acted like they wanted to work. I could hear the fuel pump fill the line and stop. I turned the key and surprise, the motor started. No, no way, it couldn't have been just a battery.
I let the van idle a little while before I moved the cart around to the front of the trailer and went back to test drive the van. I drove it around the business park and even tried the air. The car seemed to run well. I drove back to my trailer and parked it and popped the hood. I checked the oil and it was dirty. The air filter was filthy. The car only had seventy thousand miles on it so it probably had never been tuned. I pulled a plug and found original equipment plugs. While I was waiting for the radiator to cool, I jacked up the left front and checked the brakes. The rotor was clean but the pad was showing the sensor. I put a jack stand under it and jacked up the other side and found the same thing. At least she didn't have to have the rotors turned. I took the Bronco and drove next door to the parts store and ordered all my parts and some wheel bearing grease. I asked the man, "Does S&S have an account here or do they get a discount?"
"Yeah, they have an account. Give me your name and I'll call Crystal to see if you're on the list." He dialed, asked for Crystal and said, "Hey, Crystal, this is the parts store, do you know a Mark Robins and can he charge stuff here?" Pause. "Oh, he is, is he, that's neat. Okay thanks, Crystal." He hung up.
"You're good to go Mark. Crystal said you're running around helping people that need it. I'll give you an extra ten percent off for doing that. Are you some kind of independently wealthy guy?"
"No, just trying to pay back in life some of my good fortune. All I'm donating is my time."
"That's a lot. You're nice to do that. Just come get what you need."
I went back to the park and worked fast to do everything I needed to do. Brakes are so filthy because of the dust, but I had blown most of it off with my compressor. I repacked the front bearings and put the tires back on. She would need tires soon, but they were good enough. She had about thirty to forty percent left on them. I started the car and it sounded great. I guess the battery was the problem. I jacked up the back and checked the rear drum brakes. The shoes were fine. Hardly any wear at all. This job was done.
I took the car up to the gas station and filled it up and vacuumed it out. I brought it back and washed it and cleaned the windows. Done, and it was only three. I drove the car back to Maria's trailer and parked it.
The cart had me down at the patio in a couple of minutes. Glenda was on the patio, peeling potatoes with some other ladies. I asked her if she knew where Martin was and she said softly, "Taking a nap. Do you want him?"
"I want to work on your car. He wanted to do a few things before the paint job."
Glenda said, "I'll get you the keys. He needs to nap. He's okay, but he's not a spring chicken anymore. He wears himself out. You watch yourself. I saw your pacemaker. Don't do too much."
"I'll watch out, Glenda. This is good therapy for me though. Go get those keys and I'll get a running start on this thing."
Glenda brought me the keys and I took the car over to my driveway and jacked it up, putting chocks behind the rear wheels and good jack stands under it.
After pulling the front wheels, I pulled the first bearing set and it didn't look bad, just filthy with old grease. I poured some gas in a pan and soaked the bearing. I did the other side and it looked the same, so I got the bearing for that side soaking too.
While the wheels were off, I checked the rotors, pads, and the tie rods. Everything looked good. I greased everything up and checked the oil and it looked clean. Actually, the whole engine compartment looked like someone had been scrubbing it weekly. The only thing I saw was that the belt for the alternator was frayed. The reason was because the belt was the wrong size and was shimmed out to make it fit. I checked the wheel bearings and they were still clogged up. Again, I drove the Cart next door to the parts store and picked up some solvent and the right size belt. Back at my trailer, I put the bearings in the solvent then worked on replacing the belt. I discovered why they used the too big belt. It was tough to get the belt on. I used a trick with a couple of screwdrivers and let the belt slide on, using a long thin screwdriver to guide it on without rolling it. The belt tightened up without the shims.
The solvent worked its magic and the bearings were clean. I blew out the excess solvent, and then played with the bearings, making sure none had any flat spots. After cleaning out the bearing housing, I packed the clean bearings with good grade grease, and then packed around them in position. I put everything back together, cleaned up the tools, and put everything away before looking at the time. Four thirty, this was perfect timing.
It didn't take me fifteen minutes to shave, shower, and dress. I carried my clothes over to Prissy. She saw me coming and handed me my clean clothes as I handed her my dirty ones. She said, "I want to take you down to Sears Roebuck to get you some of those coveralls that mechanics wear. They will last longer and you won't stain your good denims and everyday shirts. I got everything out this time, but you'll stain something soon that I can't fix."
"I'll ask about some coveralls, Prissy. Thank you very much, Ma'am. It's nice to have my clothes clean."
"You just bring 'em and I'll wash 'em."
I put the clothes away, then drove Martin's old Pontiac over to his house and parked it before walking over to the patio. Martin greeted me, saying, "You should have wakened me so I could have helped you. How much do you have to do yet?"
"It's all done, Martin. You keep that old sled in great shape. The bearings were fine; the grease had to be changed. I cleaned them real good with gas and solvent and repacked them. I cleaned the bearing seats out, too. The only other thing I saw was the frayed alternator belt. I put the right one on and pulled those washers off that were being used as spacers. The spacers were tilting the belt pulley and fraying the belt."
"You really are fast. Thank you so much. Were you able to find out what was wrong with Maria's van?"
"Actually, the only problem was the battery. The car needed a lot of miscellaneous stuff and front brakes, but the battery was what the starting problem was."
Martin shook his head, "You mean all those men who were telling her they couldn't figure it out were lying, taking advantage of that girl?"
"That they were, Martin. I'm going to drive the car over to her at five thirty. You can see her when she brings me back."
Glenda had heard me and said, "You make her bring her babies in here. We haven't had any little ones around for a year or so. I just love her little ones, and she is so sweet."
I didn't drink any beer, and when it neared five thirty, I walked up to Maria's house and took the van over to in front of the factory entrance. About five minutes later, Maria came out with her three kids, laughing, Maria was happy to be out of work and the kids were happy to be out of day care and be with their mother.
I got out of the car and opened the two sets of doors. Maria stopped and gasped, covering her mouth. "You have it running; you drove here in it, that's wonderful." She ran to me and hugged me. She actually pulled my head down and kissed me. She brought the kids and put them in their three seats and was going to get into the passenger seat. I said, "You drive, it's your car. Drive me to the patio, to Steve Sharp's home."
Maria was turning on the air, the radio, checking her turn signals, just playing with everything. She moved the seat up forward then raised it so she could see over the steering wheel. She smiled at me so beautifully.
We drove slowly to the patio where she parked to let me out. I said, "Glenda said I have to bring you and the babies in to see everyone. They haven't seen you in a while and need some babies to play with."
Maria looked hesitant, but she got out and I helped unbuckle the kids. They knew where they were as they ran for the door. Someone opened the door for them and you could hear them squeal as they were scooped up by the loving people inside.
I opened the door for Maria and Sue instantly hugged her, followed by Mercy and Juanita. Kathy wasn't around or I'm sure she would have as well. The girls were jabbering away as I slipped back and poured myself a frosty mug of beer.
"Feeling pretty good about that one, huh?"
I turned to find Charley, the park manager who was drinking a beer and observing the family being fawned over. "Yes Sir, it's good to help someone, especially when others were taking advantage of her."
Charley said, "She's a good lady. She pays me the lot rent before it's due and I heard she's paid off the trailer and that car. She's a good lady."
Watching Maria and her kids, I said, "If you know the low lifes that were taking advantage of her, show them to me. I think I need to take a wrench to their heads."
"They are low life people, that's for sure. Most have moved away and the last is being evicted this weekend. He's been hard to get rid of. I know he was a regular at her place, promising to do something. Was it a major problem?"
I said, "Not really, the big problem was a dead battery. Everything else was just maintenance."
Charlie was shaking his head, "Wouldn't you know she gave away a thousand dollars worth of pussy for a fifty dollar battery."
Matty said, "Charley, don't talk like that, you only heard those men talking, you don't know for sure."
He rolled his eyes at me and just nodded while sipping more beer. I went to Maria and asked, "Would you like something to drink, a mixed drink, a beer?"
She smiled and said, "Can you make a Mojito?"
I went to the bar and asked Tiny if they had mint or Mojito mix. He showed me both. Tiny said, "Rub some mint on the rim of the glass, then crush it up on the bottom, use mix and this glass." He handed me a rocks glass. I made the Mojito and took it to Maria. She tasted it and hugged me with one arm, "You are so good to me. You are going to get so lucky, Senor."
Mercy was watching and listening and grinned. I was blushing bright enough that Crystal came over. She said, "Picking up little chicas, huh? I know this one; she's like a nina to us out here."
Maria and Crystal hugged. Maria said, "This man, this Mark, he fix my car. Many try or said they try, but Mark, he no try, he just fix."
"So that's why you were at the parts store. Good man. I should have had a mechanic look at that car a long time ago, but I kept forgetting and runt here wouldn't remind me. I'm glad you're all fixed, Maria."
"I'm going to treat Mr. Mark very well for helping me."
I said softly for only Maria to hear, "Maria, that is very sweet but your happiness is all that I could ever want. You owe me nothing. That is sweet to offer."
"Don't you think me cute, or worthy, Gringo?"
"Oh no, Maria, many take advantage of you. I want you to be my friend. Let's make a deal, you cook something spicy for me. Then we will be even."
She narrowed her eyes at me and said, "Okay, I will cook for you. I would do both for you, but I will cook for you. You be ready and very hungry." She pulled me down and put a lip lock on me while hanging around my neck. "Yes, I will cook for you, then you see what you want."
Crystal said, "You didn't swap carts, so I picked the ugliest truck cart we had and it's out there. I already swapped it with the one you were using. Just to let you know. Enjoy, Sucker."
A free ride is a free ride. How could I object about how ugly and beat up it was?
We ate while Maria and the kids sat with me. The kids were between Maria and me so we could help them eat. Two were in high chairs, so they were easy. It had been a while since I fed one of the grandkids. It was fun though, as they were excited to be with all of us. Maria was high from the crowd as well.
When Maria was finished helping clean up after supper, she came to me as I was playing with the kids, along with some other people, "Thank you, Mark. Thank you very much. Juanita talk to me and tell me what you feel. That is so very sweet that I want to do with you even more, but I understand. I will cook for you better than any Mexican woman ever cook for you. You like spicy, your food will be spicy. You eat this Saturday. You be hungry. Now help me get the kids in the car."
Amazingly, that was the end of her aggressiveness. I watched as she drove home, happy that I helped her.
I looked for Juanita and she said, "Make me a Mojito, I want to see if it makes me want you like it did Maria."
With a lot of laughing, I made a Mojito for Juanita. When I handed it to her, I said, "Thank you for understanding and helping her to understand. Too many men have taken advantage of her already. If she wants a man, she should find a young one and live happily ever after. Thank you, Juanita."
She hugged, "That does make me want you even more, Mark. That is very sweet."
"Drink your drink, lady. Quit teasing."
I had one more beer then said goodnight to everyone. This had been a full day. There were still several carts lined up outside. There was only one truck type cart. It was white with flames on the front with red, white, and blue stripes on the side. On the top canopy, over the driver's seat, it said Mark Robins. I guess this was mine. I walked around it and it had in script across the tailgate, "I'll fix your ride." Cute. I drove it home and opened the shed. I moved the bike to one side then backed the cart into the shed. It was just too pretty to leave outside at night.
After checking my e-mail, I called the house using the cheap throwaway phone. Judy answered after a few rings.
"This is Mark."
"Oh good, I want to make sure you're coming."
"I will be there. What time?"
Judy said, "Come at six. We can have a drink, then supper while we talk."
"Okay, I'll be there at six."
She said, "I was served with your divorce papers today, but we won't need both. Mine will work fine. We'll talk about that tomorrow."
"I haven't seen your divorce papers."
Judy gasped audibly, "How can that be, I have a receipt that you were served?"
"Well, they didn't serve me. I haven't been around or out to be served."
"We'll talk about that tomorrow," she said.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Don't you want to talk or anything? Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
I sighed, "I really don't know what to ask. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
I hung up on her, knowing that she was probably recording the conversation, or someone was listening in, probably both.
I checked my e-mail and there was another from Jeanie telling me to be sure to go home tomorrow and one from Judy that I should be there at six.
What in the world is she up to?
At ten thirty, I locked up, washed, and went to bed.
Primary editing by Pepere
Proofing by Sagacious