New Clothes
It was very early but it looked as though my heart was not going to return to its regular rhythm anytime soon. I pulled on my jeans and flannel shirt and went downstairs to make coffee.
I put water on the stove to boil and went outside and took the hike up to the outhouse. The cats escaped out the door and I watched them as they curiously sniffed the ground.
The wind was starting to kick up and the old trees overhead began to sway. I realized how much they bent over the cabin, huge and creaking. The wind seemed so much fiercer here. Maybe it was because I was in a small, but deep valley that funneled the strength of the wind. On the way back down the hill I took note of how many were within reach of cabin. There were many. I tried to reason to myself that they had been standing here all this time and had yet to fall, but really that is a silly way to think.
The cats had taken to sitting on top of one of the out building's roofs. Sealy lay at the bottom of the stairs where I had carried her and Bing set off chasing grouse, a bird that is basically as dumb as a rock.
I went back inside telling Sealy that it was OK and not to worry, "It's just the wind, old girl." She was not doing well.
Her body was old and tired, but I just could not bring myself to consider putting her down. She was my best friend and confidant of seventeen years.
Now that I had the cabin cleaned out and had a vague idea of some of the first things I needed to get done, I needed cash. I had given the old man nearly all of my money. I had saved out a few months worth of land payment and money for staples, but not enough to get repairs done. I decided the first thing to do was get a job.
After my coffee I drove the hour into town with Bing, who was now my constant companion. I had left Sealy and the two cats inside the cabin out of harms way. I had heard that there were bear and cougar up on the mountain, and I was not going to take any chances. The grocery store was small and carried just about everything you would need at higher prices than the city. The captive countrymen had no choice unless they wished to drive the two or three hour drive to a larger town. The internet seemed like a new idea to this area. So, you did not complain and you paid your high prices.
I picked up the area paper. It came out once a week, every Tuesday, and in its entirety was about a half dozen pages thick. Now, in a small town getting a job is not an easy feat. Jobs were scarce and ones I was qualified to do even more so. No one did software programming or needed a photographer here. My heart sank as I read the mining jobs and truck driver positions. There was one for the mini mart gas station doing the cleaning, stocking, etc., another one for grocery clerk then, I came across one that read
"Food, lodging and a little cash if you help me and my boy on our farm."
I called the first two ads, but the positions were filled. I called the third one.
A rough sounding woman's voice came over the receiver "Yeah?"
"Yes" I cleared my throat "I was calling on your ad in the paper for help."
"Can ya lift and work hard?" she said shortly.
"Yes" I said fairly uncertain what exactly she meant.
"How are ya with horses?" continued the irrated voice.
"Good, I, I 'm good with them."
"What I mean is can you ride?" she sounded exasperated.
"Yes, I grew up on a farm and started riding horses when I was very young."
"Yeah, yeah." She said impatiently. "Well, why don't we meet in town so I can see ya. If it looks like you can do some hard work then we can start. How about Merrils in an hour?"
She hung up before I could ask her about the pay or what she looked like. The phone I was calling from happened to be in front of Merrils.
I took note of the time and glanced about me to see what I could do for an hour. I decided to walk a couple blocks down to the second hand store. I needed a warmer jacket and maybe sweatshirts or something to take the chill off. The little bell on the back of the door rang as the door swung open. The woman at the cash register looked up from her Tuesday paper and smiled. I smiled a little smile back, but she was already looking back down. I walked towards the back and found a Levi jacket with winter lining that fit perfectly for eight dollars and a couple pairs of long john shirts for three. Feeling thrilled to find something I went to the counter and paid.
Back at my truck parked at Merrils, I changed into my new second hand clothesand put on one of the long john shirts, my shirt and the jacket. I told Bing that we might have a job and together we sat and waited for a stern looking woman.
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