Page 46 of Burn Point

“What kind of toilet system you got in this thing? Betsy said it looks kinda fancy,” he said around the toothpick hanging from his meaty lips.

His wife, Betsy, and their little dachshund were checking out the flowers lining the dump station.

“You want to take a look inside?” I offered.

“I sure would,” he said, shooting me a toothy grin. I marveled at his ability to not lose the toothpick. “Betsy’s been talking about how nice it is inside. You fixed her up yourself, didn’t you?”

I beamed. “I sure did. Well, I had some help from a friend, but we did most of the work ourselves. Pearl already had a subfloor system when we got her, so we just laid the flooring and finished her.”

Roger ran his hands over the wood countertop with a whistle. “This is some quality work.”

“Thanks. My friend Nate did that.”

Roger nodded, white hair flopping adorably over his brow. “Yes sir-ree, he sure did a good job.”

I opened a cabinet, revealing my hidden composting toilet. “This is what Betsy was gushing over. It tucks away. It’s biodegradable. I just replace the liner and the composting system regularly.”

“Isn’t that something. Goll-dern. I don’t even smell it at all.” Roger’s eyebrows shot up on his wrinkly forehead. He stared at the hideaway toilet, then turned back to me, astonished.

“Well, it wouldn’t be that way in our camper.” Betsy said from the doorway. Her short grey hair, about an inch long, stood straight up from her head. Little Wilson, the wonder pup, wriggled in her arms.

A smile crept up my face as I reached for Wilson. Any minute now, Betsy and Roger would start their lovable bickering.

I’d camped by them for a week and had come to adore the way they badgered each other. Poking and prodding until they got a rise out of the other. Cut-downs were their favorite and they had me in stitches multiple times as they called each other out. Their relationship reminded me of the fun times with Nate.

When I’d asked Betsy about it, she’d told me that their playfulness kept the spark alive. Then she’d winked, and I’d gone beet red, which had made her hoot with laughter.

“Where are you headed, darlin’?” Betsy climbed into Pearl and lovingly rubbed the leaves of a plant she’d given me.

“I’m headed to North Carolina, maybe on into Virginia. Maybe toward the beach. But then again, Charleston also sounds lovely. So, I’m not really sure. I’ll go where the moods strikes when I hit the road, I guess.”

Betsy nodded, planting her hands on her hips. “Well, this is goodbye for real then. We’re headed down to Florida to see the grandkids. It’s spring break and they think they need to go to the Gulf, so that’s where we're headed.”

I smiled sadly at her. “I wish I’d gotten the courage to chat with you sooner. I feel like I missed out.”

Betsy patted my arm. “That’s all right, sweetheart. Don’t you worry. You were just keeping yourself safe. We understand. We’ve run across solo women camping before, not all have been open to conversations with random strangers. I’m always impressed by their gumption. I could never do it.”

I tilted my head at her. “What makes you say that? I think you’d be fine at it.” Wilson wiggled in my arms, so I let him down to run around the van.

“Well, for one, Roger makes the best pot of coffee. If he’s not with me, I have to make my own. Plus, this old coot can’t survive without me. He’d never know where anything is. Lord knows he doesn’t know how to look for anything on his own. I’d rather be with him, so he doesn’t ransack the camper. Besides, beautiful places are best when shared with someone you love.”

I laughed, even though her words left a tinge of sadness behind. I pushed it away and focused on my new friends.

Roger finished his perusal of my toilet and stood with his hands on his hips.

“If you get close and are up for a short hike, you should check out Hawksbill Mountain. And there are some great hikes out on the Blue Ridge Parkway, if you get over that way.”

“Thanks, I’ll do some research on that,” I said, nodding once at him.

Betsy put a hand on my shoulder, turning me to her. “I really am proud of you. I know we just met, but I think you are a strong woman.”

Tears welled at her sweet words. I wasn’t used to having such kind, open-ended support, especially from a stranger. “Thank you. That’s an awfully sweet thing to say.”

She pulled me into a hug. “I’d like to keep in touch with you and hear about your journey.”

I backed away, smiling. “I’d like that.”

Roger tugged me into his embrace. “You be careful out on your own, missy. It’s okay to take risks. Just make sure the risks you take are worth it.”

---