Page 9 of Facing the Pain

“Thanks for the tip. You from around here?” I know I shouldn’t ask but chalk it up to loneliness.

“Been around here longer than Wanda and that is a long damn time.” The man’s eyes seem to be trying to see inside of me. It makes me nervous but not in a bad way. “I know you’re just passing through. The way you keep looking around makes me think the less you are seen the better. I’m not kidding, girl, lose the manners in this city or people will remember you if for nothing else, the way you talk. You don’t fit.”

“What makes you think I don’t want to be seen? I want to see what Alabama has to offer. My parents just taught me manners.” I try to throw the man off. “Isn’t that what travelers do, be nice?” The older man laughs at me.

“Tourists stay in the bigger chains of hotels in the main part of town. The hotels cater to them. This also isn’t tourist season, it’s too close to the holidays. I’ve been sitting at this booth since this diner opened this morning and I watched you cross that road, and I noticed the way you were looking around. Don’t worry, it’s none of my business. I am a people watcher, always have been. A man my age doesn’t have much more to do but watch people. I guess I could sit in my little apartment and wait for my next check from the government, but what fun is there in that? I make a game of it and see which ones I can get right.” The man seems harmless.

“How do you know which ones you get right, if you’re just watching?” I ask the man.

“I watch and listen. Nothing wrong with that.” I laugh at that.

“I guess you’re right. Where does a person go that wants to get a small-town experience in this big state of Alabama? Can you tell me that one?” I ask the man, joking more than anything.

“Bristol Cove is where I come from or where I raised my family with my woman anyway. It’s a small town. People are nosy though, but they are nice just like you. Yep, you should visit there for a small-town feel.” The man seems lost in thought. Bristol Cove, it sounds small. “I warn you though, once you go there, you’ll never want to leave. But something always pulls people away.” It’s not long after that another man and woman walk in the diner and they sit down in the booth behind the older man. I look up and I see Wanda headed my way with what looks like my food. She brings it back to me and sets it down.

“Don’t pay any attention to Don, he won’t remember talking to you ten minutes from now. He comes in here and drinks coffee every day. He’s harmless but will talk your ear off. Can I get you anything else?” I look at my food as she sets my juice down.

“Where is the closest drugstore?” Wanda raises her eyebrow at me. The waitress is weighing my question a little too heavily so I change the subject. I can’t blow it now. “The food looks good.”

“Two blocks up on your right. It’s small but has most anything you could need,” Wanda tells me.

“Thank you,” I tell her. I hear the older man telling the couple the same as he told me, and they seem like they are enjoying everything he says to them. A thought comes to me and I know it’s the way I am meant to go. It’s good to have a little bit of an idea anyway. I pay for my food and leave the small diner.

It doesn’t take me long to get to the drugstore and pick up all the things on my list. I walk out of the store feeling better and see another newspaper machine outside the store. I take the chance and buy another one. It’s only another half hour and I am back in my room waiting for my strawberry blonde hair to turn the jet black that it says on the box. If I am going to go with a change, I might as well not halfway do it. I rinse the color out of my hair and take the scissors out of the bag from the drug store. I haven’t cut my hair since I have been back from the military. I look in the mirror after I comb my hair out. I say to myself that I can do this as I cut the first piece of my hair. My hair is waist long and I want to cry as I cut it, but some things can’t be helped. It’s been a while since I have cut my own hair but some things you just don’t forget. It’s not long before I have my hair in a shoulder-length bob with plenty of layers. The last touch will be the blue highlights. I was thinking the blue in my hair will at least match my eyes. I know this look will be tedious to maintain, but oh well. I look different, a lot different. It’s edgy and I think I like it. I like it a lot.

After I finish with my hair, I sit down and scour the newspaper for a used car. I find a couple of prospects and I call about them. After a few calls, I see this may take a while. I make it through my list and I only have one left. It’s a fifteen-year-old car with a lot of miles but the woman seems as hopeful about selling the car as I do about buying it. We agree for an early morning meet. I would like to say I was smart enough to make the exchange far away from this motel, but my choices are limited as to where we meet because I’m on foot. The lady sounds nice but I suppose so do ax murders on the phone. All I can do is go with my gut.

I try to rest the remainder of the day and clean up the room except for the things I will be taking with me. Later in the day, I order pizza and I am sure to take the vitamins that I bought at the drugstore. I do my search on my phone about Bristol Cove and save everything for tomorrow. I turn the lights out early and sleep comes easily. I’m relaxing now that I have a plan, but I know I need to be vigilant about looking over my shoulder. Tomorrow is another day.

I still haven’t bought another phone yet. I will get a throwaway on my way to Bristol Cove. I can’t get in touch with anyone back home yet, anyway. I’ll give it a month and then I’ll drive somewhere and make the call. I’m not doing this on a chance I may get caught, I miss my family. But it is more important right now to keep distance between us if I want this to work. I need to give Duke time to move on to his next conquest and the mother club enough time to chill about the whole situation. Duke and his dad will come up with their next big idea to make a move up the food chain and then I will be free to go home. That’s what I am hoping anyway. The longer this takes, the more unsure I become. Sometimes working off my impulses backfires. I just hope this isn’t one of those times.

Chapter Thirteen

CHARLIE

Taking Care of Business

Iwake early the next morning and make another trip to the drugstore to pick up a couple of disposable phones just in case this Bristol Cove is smaller than what I am thinking. I need to be prepared for anything. I don’t want to be forced to backtrack. I go to the diner afterward to get some coffee. I get it to go and I wave at the waitress from yesterday to appear friendly. I keep my eye on the motel parking lot waiting on the woman I talked to yesterday about the car. I see a car pull in with the right description of the car the woman told me about. There’s two people in the car. I pay for my coffee and make my way across the street. The two women have gotten out of the vehicle and are standing beside it. I walk up beside the car.

“Hello, I’m Eve, I believe I talked to you yesterday about buying this car.” The younger woman looks me up and down, but my eyes are on the car. The tires look good and there are no dents that I can see.

“Yes, that would be me. I’m Stella. The car is one thousand dollars, and I won’t go down on that price a penny. It’s already below Blue Book. I bought a new car, and this one is just sitting in the garage.” The woman must be as nervous as I am, she’s talking way too fast. “My grandson is on the way to pick us up if you want the car.” Both the women are looking around like someone might jump out from somewhere. I look closely at the woman; she looks like someone’s grandma. I try to put her at ease.

“I promise, I mean you no harm. I’m just passing through and need to buy a car so that I don’t need to travel by public transportation. I want to see the country at my leisure and not be in any hurry. Are there any issues with the car mechanically?” I ask the lady.

“No problems at all. I bought this beauty brand spanking new. I have kept up on all the maintenance work. I just had the oil and filters changed. The tank is also full,” Stella says, looking at the younger woman. “Teresa has been taking it out once a week so it wouldn’t waste away in the garage.” I look at the other woman.

“The radio doesn’t pick up very many stations but besides that, I have no complaints,” Teresa tells me, looking bored.

“Can I drive it up the road? I want to be sure of the brakes and I want to listen to the motor,” I ask Stella.

“You can test drive it, but Teresa goes with you,” Stella tells me. I nod my head yes and go to the driver’s side and get in.

“Grandma, watch for Todd,” Teresa tells the woman. The keys are in the ignition and I wait for Teresa to get in and buckle her seat belt as I do mine. Teresa looks at me. “Grandma wouldn’t rip you off. The reason why she wants to sell the car in the first place is because she says it’s lonely sitting in the garage all the time.” I look at the woman momentarily and then back at the road. “She’s not crazy, just eccentric. She thinks everything has feelings, and she doesn’t want any of her things feeling hurt or neglected. We’ve had no trouble out of the car or she would have had it fixed first. She also believes in Karma and wants no bad Karma.” I don’t say anything to the woman. I think about what she says and how Stella acted, and I think she is telling the truth.

“Thank you for telling me that.” I start to leave it at that, but I go on, “Cherish your grandmother while you have her. Eccentric or not, you won’t get another one.” Right now, I wish I had any family with me. I turn the car around in the next parking area and head back to the motel. I’ve decided to buy the car and I do. A few more hours and I will find my new home.

Chapter Fourteen

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