Page 13 of Spring Showers

“Thank you. I’m happy to have the help.”

“Put me to work,” America said and plopped down in the chair across from Thandie. “You look like you belong there. Like a boss girl.”

Thandie shyly nodded.

“You don’t seem the corporate type, though,” America noted. “Remind me what your job was before this.”

“My degree is in botany. It’s very useful on the farm, but doesn’t really translate into many other employment opportunities, if you know what I mean.”

“Just because you have a degree in something, doesn’t dictate what you have to do for the rest of your life. Look at me. I was an editor for a travel magazine for years. Now I have my own feature in each issue where I get to shed light on untouched places around the country. I get to write every day, and if you had told me this six months ago, I would have laughed in your face.” America crossed her ankles and folded her arms like whatever she was about to say was the final word. “You’re allowed to change course in life, as often as you want until you find something worth sticking around for.”

Thandie considered her words and thought of how hard she had been running away from her humiliation, but not towards anything in particular. “It’s hard to move on sometimes.”

“Sometimes, you have to wipe the past clean before you can move forward.”

“And sometimes . . . ” An image of Davis falling off a cliff flashed in her mind. She shook the terrible notion and cracked a smile. “You have to find something worth moving towards first.”

“Touché,” America nodded. “Now, what’s on your list?”

“Um. I need to check the accommodations.” Thandie stood.

“Done.”

“What do you mean?”

“I did them all yesterday before you arrived. Do you want to see them?” America said and sported a very proud grin. “Come on, I’ll show you. Do you want to grab a snack first?”

“Yes, to both.”

Downstairs, they stopped by thecucina,where a platter of sandwiches and fresh fruit and cut vegetables sat on a sideboard, buffet style. America led the way and took one of the paper-wrapped sandwiches. Thandie followed suit.

They ate as they walked down to the cabins that lined the old shoreline and looked out on the vibrant, wildflower-covered plain. America pointed out the name of each cabin and explained a bit of their history. The Round House had a curved deck at the back. The A-Frame was simply that. The Silver was named after the family that had owned it. The Carol was a slightly crooked log structure, and the Bear Cabin was in an open space nearest to Thandie’s cabin.

Towering pines and bright green maple trees shaded the cabins and pathways below. Philadelphus shrubs with tiny white flowers bloomed all around and released an intoxicating sweetness, reminiscent of ripe oranges, into the air. Thandie wondered if she would ever tire of the serene view.

The path connected all the cabins back to the barn, and she spotted several quiet areas for some activities. A gazebo sat on a little rise and looked big enough to hold a dozen people for a yoga class or journaling session. A bench sat under a cherry blossom tree, where little pink flowers fell like snow to the ground around it. And then there was the old dock with a flagpole standing tall at one corner. The American flag waved with the breeze and reminded her of the corn plumes in late summer back home. The landmark could serve as a good waypoint for anyone venturing off the beaten path, and the guests could find their way back to the property.

Thandie and America walked the whole area and ended up back at the barn.The lodge?No,she thought,that doesn’t seem right either.

CHAPTER7

Noon. Right on schedule, a parade of cars drove over the hill towards the barn, leaving a wake of dust spreading into the sky behind them. One by one, the vehicles pulled into the undefined parking spaces on the north side of the barn.

Standing outside the doors, Thandie plastered a smile and opened her eyes very wide, knowing her expression would settle nicely into a bright and alert state. Why was she nervous? These guests were just people, like herself, who needed a break from whatever was going on in their life that needed breaking from. She let the nerves course through her before shaking the feeling off.

The first car door opened. A very tall woman stepped out of the car. Her blonde hair was grown-out, revealing gray roots, and it hung in stringy clumps of mixed texture. It reminded Thandie of the reason she preferred ponytails and caps most days for taming her own hair. From the passenger side, another woman emerged, shorter and full-figured, and laughing.

Thandie approached the cars. Her intention was to greet the guests personally, but the side effect was overhearing whatever the two women had just been jesting about. Thandie was a sucker for a good joke, and she wanted badly to feel free to laugh so hard again.

From the binder that America had prepared, Thandie knew all their names and bios, but had no face-to-name recognition. And for the life of her, she couldn’t help but wonder which one of the guests, or perhaps it was a couple, was sent there to spy for the investment firm.

“Good day, ladies,” Thandie said as she approached the rear of the first vehicle. “Head inside where you can check-in and enjoy some refreshments. I’m glad you made it to The Foundry safely.”

From the next car, two couples, separated by twenty years at least, emerged. The younger man greeted her with a nod and a pinched smile, as though he was looking for any excuse to get out of there. On his arm, a cheerful redhead in her early thirties was unable to keep her eyes focused on one thing for more than a second before taking in another sight around her. She clapped as she made eye contact with Thandie.

“Check-in is right around the corner.” Thandie pointed as she bent to help an older man out of the passenger seat of the next vehicle. “You must be Buzz,” she said.

She only recognized this man as Buzz from his bio. The retired wrestler was one of the first Black men to win a paralympic gold medal in the sport. She could still make out his once-firm muscular frame beneath the white polo shirt with an American flag embroidered on the left chest.

---