Chapter 1 The Escape
Grabbing an old, navy blue large duffle bag, Calla began to ruffle through her drawers, picking out clothes that would come in handy, not caring much what they looked like or even matched and threw them onto the bed, forming a massive pile. A couple pairs of well worn jeans, plenty of t-shirts, undergarments, socks, and a few hoodies. Can’t forget her comfy green pullover. She threw in a couple pairs of old sneakers for good measure. It seems like no matter where one went, you always need a pair of sneakers. Hurriedly, she stuffed it all into the bag, not caring if they were folded neatly or not. She could always throw it in a dryer. Forget ironing it, she didn’t know how to do that very well; she’s never been much for the domestic arts besides cooking. Hmm. She might need something to read. She stuffed in a couple well-worn, dog-eared books between a pair of jeans.
After nodding with satisfaction at her packing, Calla went to the bathroom that was attached to her room and grabbed toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and face wash. How convenient was it that it was all travel-sized, ready to go? Those were meant to be used on a lavish trip but that trip wouldn’t be happening at all. Angrily, she threw those into a side pocket, fury and sorrow filling her at the thought of using them this way. Their use was suppose to be for smelling nice and sweet for her fiancé.
She glared at the bag.
She’d better add in at least one dress and a pair of slacks and a nice blouse just in case. She might need a job eventually. The money she had been saving up for the wedding wouldn’t last much longer. Zipping the bag up with a vengeance, she placed it on her single twin sized bed. She pulled out the wooden chair by the desk and sat in it, staring at the bag. It kind of looked like an over-stuffed turkey she tried to make for Thanksgiving last year.
The whole scene replayed in her head. It was her first Thanksgiving turkey she would make completely by herself. The kitchen was full with her aunts and girl cousins and her sister, Lucy, giving her advice until Calla calmly told them that she could do it just fine. Her mother, in an apron and pearls, gave her an encouraging smile as she got the turkey ready for the oven. Then that same smile faltered slightly when the turkey came out a little too brown. Okay, maybe closer to black on the color scale. Who would’ve ever guessed that frozen pizza went so well with Thanksgiving side-dishes.
Shaking her head to clear the thought, she stared at the floor. Her heart was thumping in her chest, hands shaking.
Was there anything she was forgetting?
Was she sure this is what she really wanted to do?
Could she really do this?
No there’s nothing she was forgetting.
Yes, this is what she really wanted to do.
Yes, she can really do this.
It was early morning, a couple hours until dawn. Plenty of time to make a break for it. The full moon cast the room in a soft glow, making it easy for her eyes to adjust when she flipped the lights off. It was better with the lights off anyway. Memories couldn‘t float in front of her eyes, making their presence concrete. This was her old room and it was still decorated in typical teen-girl fashion. Pictures of good-looking movie stars plastered on the walls along with pictures of high school friends and old memories she’d like to rip down. But she doesn’t, not the pictures from high school. She’d be mad at herself later on for doing it though she desperately want to take down the pictures of a certain boy she’d like to forget she ever met.
So many things she’d like to forget.
Earlier this morning the idea hit Calla. Why not run away? Go somewhere new? With a strong resolve to follow this plan through, she marched into her boss’ office at the health club and told him she was quitting immediately, and that she already found trainers to take over her clients. He frowned, not liking that idea at all. She had only been back to work for a few days. She was one of the most asked for trainer on the team too. Why that was she didn’t know. She wasn’t particularly rough on her clients. She was too sweet for that. Instead she was encouraging but stern and demanding, never short on praise for an accomplished goal. Was Calla going to work for another health club, he had asked. Relief flooded his face when she told him no, she just needed to get away for a while. Nodding with understanding, he told her the job would be waiting here when she wanted it back. Then he laughed and told Calla not to stay away for more than three months. She told him thank you but in her head she was telling him not to hold his breath. She wasn’t planning on coming back.
That night during dinner with her parents, she acted like nothing was amiss. She chatted with them about their day at work. They both worked at the high school. Rob, her dad, is the football coach at school and Dina, her mom, is a secretary. Sometimes they come home with funny little stories about what a student did or a prank that the other coaches played on Rob. How Rob or Dina would sneak a kiss to each other when they thought nobody was looking and someone really was. Not tonight though. There was little chit-chat about today, which was expected. They’ve been trying not to share cutesy little stories like that, which Calla used to love, but for the past couple weeks those stories have done nothing but twist her heart until it hurt.
After dinner, Calla helped Dina clean up. Washing dishes has always been kind of therapeutic for Calla but all she could think about was making sure her parents didn’t have any idea that she planned on leaving. Her hands were shaking so much when she was drying a plate she dropped it.
“Glad to know those plates really are shatterproof,” Dina said with soft smile as she bent to pick it up.
Calla thought her cover was blown for sure.
“Calla, why don’t you go on up to bed, watch some television or read a book,” she suggested as she pulled the towel from Calla’s still shaking hands, her blue eyes concerned, and pushed Calla towards the stairs.
Relief filled her.
“Okay Mama.” She walked up the stairs like an obedient daughter and laid down on the bed, not bothering to pick up a book knowing that even escaping into fiction land wouldn’t help much. To avoid having Dina or Rob look in on her, she at least remembered to turn on the television for some background noise.
Calla laid there for an interminable amount of time, dozing on and off, until she realized she couldn’t hear any rustling going on downstairs or shuffling down the hall. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was around four in the morning. Quietly, she opened her door and snuck down to the end of the hall to her parents bedroom. She could hear her dad snoring. How her mother slept through that she had no idea. The image of a chainsaw sawing a tree came to mind.
She went back to her room and that’s when she went into a packing frenzy.
Throwing the duffle bag over her shoulder, she opened the door and crept down the hall. Nearly running at the thought of how free she would be, she made herself slow down and tiptoe down the stairs, avoiding the steps that liked to talk. Except for the one board at the bottom of the stairs. It groaned and she hopped off, squeezing her eyes shut and holding her breath. After a couple of minutes no sound came from her parent’s room. She resumed breathing normally and walked through the back door and on out to Rob’s old Ford he loaned her.
Calla was feeling free when she got in the truck. Her heart lifted, she stopped shaking. A slight smile graced her face.
Then she started the truck. Big mistake. She forgot how loud it was. The muffler was shaky and had a big hole in it. It sounded angry at her for making it start up so early. A big sigh left her body wilted. She sat in the truck, head leaning against the back window waiting for the inevitable. Slowly, she turned her head to look to the house. Sure enough, the light in the upstairs hallway came on, followed by the light down in the kitchen and then the backdoor porch light.
Emerging from the house were her parents. Rob first, Dina close behind him. Rob was in his tattered, blue striped robe, thinning brownish-gray hair sticking out. His face filled with confusion and a little anger maybe. But just as quickly as it appeared, it left and concern replaced it. Dina followed him to the truck, her hair in curlers (yes she still used those at night, the old fashioned ones too), pulling her plush purple robe tighter around her, squinting to try and see into the truck better.
Feeling like a teenager who was caught sneaking out, which she guessed she was sneaking out, she watched them cross around the front of the truck, wondering how they would react. Would they call her crazy? Give her a sympathetic look and tell her to go back to bed? Get mad at her for not letting them know where she was going? Not say anything at all?
Rob rapped a knuckle against the window then placed his hands on his hips. Oddly reminiscent of a scene from back in high school that included Calla, Lucy, and a couple boys…she rolled the window down, wincing at the squeaky sounds it made in the quiet night. It was then that she noticed the cool air and wished she remembered to put a jacket on.
Rob leaned against the door, leveling a look at her. She gave him a small sheepish smile hoping that he wasn‘t too mad.
“Want to come back in?” He calmly asked.
Nodding once Calla replied, “I’ll be inside in a minute.”
They both walked back into the house, Dina sending a couple sympathetic glances her way. Calla sat there wondering if she was going crazy. Her parents let her live with them, rent free for the past month mind you, and all she had to do was continue to work and look for a house. Rob let her borrow the truck when her own vehicle was totaled. They fed her. Took care of her.
At twenty-four years old, she still lived with her parents. Well not still, that didn‘t need to be added in that statement. She didn’t expect to be living with them, becoming so dependent on them at her age.
Calla also didn’t expect her fiancé to die in a car crash that was completely my fault. It was two weeks ago today that it happened. In two months they were to be married. They were going to the theater to see ‘West Side Story‘. For some reason Calla was driving, which was unusual because Lee always drove. He was in a mood though, said he had a bad headache, so she offered to drive. He wasn’t pleased with the offer. Lee kind of had a short temper about things. Most of the time she’d let his temper run its course but this time she gave it back to him. Being a doormat was getting old. He apologized while they were in the car, his face looking the part but his dark brown eyes still showed some annoyance. She didn‘t see it though. Forgiving him easily, she leaned over to kiss him, taking her eyes off of the road for just a moment, and when she glanced back at the road, an animal was scurrying across the road. She swerved to miss it and overcorrected. The car rolled over three times down the side of the road into a ditch. She made it out without a scratch, the seatbelt keeping her tucked into her seat safely. Lee was ejected and died immediately.
Any calm Calla possessed as she was sitting in the car evaporated at the memory. She broke down entirely. Sobs racked her body, turning her stomach to knots. She let the grief and sadness engulf her for a while. Dina and Rob would come back out if she didn’t go in soon though. A shaky breath came out as she stopped all thoughts of Lee, packing it up into a box and hiding it deep in her heart. Breathing in a steely resolve, she got out of the truck, taking care to close the door quietly so that the neighbors wouldn’t wake up. That and she didn’t want Dina and Rob coming back outside. The cool night air, though slightly soothing, was making her break out in goose bumps so she ran back inside.
A lone light over the stove was on when she entered the kitchen. Dina and Rob were sitting at the kitchen table; Dina had her arms folded across her chest, picking at her fingernails and Rob had his hands folded on top of the table.
“Care to tell us what’s going on, honey?” Rob asked as casually as he could manage. Behind that façade Calla could tell that he was anxious to know what was really going on, wanting to know every single problem she had. If only they were so easy for him to fix, like when she was little. A tire that needed air. A skate wheel that needed tightening. Now they’re a bit more complicated.
Sighing she dropped into a chair. “I was going to run away.”
Mom eyebrows lifted in shock. “Run away? Honey, why would you feel the need to run away?”
Calla ran both hands over her hair, trying to find the right words. “I…I just don’t know. I’m tired of sitting in that room upstairs. Tired of looking at all those pictures of Lee. It brings up too many memories and emotions.”
Calla could feel her eyes tear up as she pictured him. A teenage Lee looking healthy and full of life. Brown eyes bright with excitement after winning a football game with freshly buzzed hair. Cheeks puffed out, eyes crossed along with Calla in a similar pose. There had to be at least hundred pictures of them together. All those pictures made it hard for her to breath sometimes, knowing that he was gone and she wouldn’t be able to take any more pictures with him.
Mom patted her hand and handed her a tissue. “We can always take those pictures down you know. We’ve told you, you can decorate your room any way you want to. If fact, I’ll go up right now and take them down. I have an empty box in our closet.” She started to rise but Calla slammed a hand down on the table.
“No!” Calla yelled a little too harshly.
Dina and Rob looked at each other warily and she sighed once more feeling guilty, knowing she needed to calm down. They were both just trying to help.
Swallowing down her anger, in an even voice she explained, “I don’t want them down, I don’t want them thrown out. I don’t want to redecorate my room. I want everything to stay the same. I want Lee to still be here.”
It was silent for a moment aside from her ragged breathing.
“Honey, life doesn’t stay the same,” Rob said. “Things happen in life. We grow from them. We can’t stop things from changing, so we bend with them. God never said that this life would be easy. ‘Though the sorrow may last through the night, joy comes in the morning‘, it says in the good Book. We can trust in Him to help us through hard times.”
Resentment filled Calla. “I trusted Him with my life, with Lee’s life. Look where that got me. Lee’s dead and I’m fairly sure I’m going to go crazy if I don’t get out of here.” Angry tears fell down her cheeks and she forced herself to stop crying. She felt so emotionally drained from the highs and lows of today, she knew that before too long things could turn ugly on her part and there would be no reasoning with her. Best to call it a night. “I’m going to go to bed. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
“Sure honey, goodnight,” Dina replied.
Calla kissed them both on top of their heads and went to bed. Surely a good night’s rest will clear her head. Maybe even out her emotions.
The next morning proved her right. Calla felt well rested and had no nightmares at all. She was able to talk to her parents without either getting really upset or distraught. Which was definitely a good thing. She was beginning to worry that she was losing it. She sat down with them and explained that she had planned on leaving, though not sure exactly where she was going to go. She hadn’t really planned out her escape that well. Mom suggested that she go stay with her older sister, Lucy, for a while and Calla eagerly moved in after Lucy said it was a great idea.
For the next year or so Calla lived with Lucy, helping out at her veterinary clinic. She always had a special place in her heart for animals but when she was with Lee she couldn’t be around them. He was extremely allergic to them. Couldn’t even be in the same room as a cat or dog or he would start breaking out in hives. Needless to say, it was great being around animals. It was therapeutic for her.
During the first few months she had a quite few breakdowns at the littlest reminder of Lee. It was so bad sometimes she went straight to bed and refused to get up until the next day. Lucy had to drag Calla out of bed more than once. She told Calla that while it was good to mourn and grieve, Calla was still alive and needed to act like it. It just didn’t seem fair to when Lee was dead. It was beginning to really worry Dina and Rob. They would call her every night and a few times throughout the day to check on her. After a while Calla started to answer the phone only at night and wouldn’t talk very much. She was talked out about what happened with Lee. They thought maybe she should talk to their Pastor about it. Calla told herself she needed to get better so they‘d stop bringing that up.
After that Calla just went through the motions like any other person. Wake up, take a shower, get dressed, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed and then repeat the process the next day. She did this until she realized she could smile without feeling guilty about being happy. That it was okay to have fun at work. It was okay to live when Lee, an incredible guy, had died. Eventually over time, her mourning period has passed.
There was a downside however. Calla changed dependency from her parents to Lucy. Before it was her parents, it was Lee. Everything he did, Calla did. Where he ate, she ate, his friends were her friends, what he did in his spare time, she did in her spare time. That included taking up golf which was boring and they would end up bickering at each other by the end of the day. Boy was that fun. She knew this was unhealthy but she didn’t realize it at the time. It was just something that happened. His life and hers were so intertwined that it was hard to figure out who she was without him. So she just did that with her parents and then Lucy. Only Lucy told Calla to go get her own life like any typical sister would. Lucy got tired of little sister tagging along. She was right though. Calla needed to find out who she was.
Calla also needed to figure out where she stood with God. She hadn’t been talking to Him much. She stopped going to church, stopped reading the Bible, stopped praying. It seemed pointless. God didn’t stop Lee from being killed but He saved her. She couldn’t figure out why. Lee was a great guy, solid to the core. Everybody loved him. Why didn’t God save him? What makes her worth keeping alive? She liked to think that she was a decent person but she wasn’t anything like Lee was. Or was she?
So she came up with another plan to leave.
“Lucy can I talk to you for a minute?”
They were at the vet clinic and Lucy was between appointments, Calla on a lunch break. It was the perfect time to tell Lucy what she planned on doing since Lucy was going straight from work to a plane that would jet her off to Hawaii. She wouldn’t see Lucy for the next two weeks so this would be the only chance she would have.
Lucy glanced down at her watch. “Sure sis, let’s go on to the break room.”
Calla followed her to the room which had a couple tables and chairs scattered about them. A gently used dark blue couch was pushed up against the wall, facing the brand new television. Any and all appliances that typically graced a break room were there but they were seldom used on account of the variety of restaurants across the street. Bright sunlight was streaming in from the metal blinds, giving the room a bright yellow glow.
Lucy grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and tossed it to Calla then grabbed one for herself. See this is what Calla did’t need. Someone to take care of her. Not that Calla can’t or anything but people needed to stop babying her. Calla wasn’t terminally ill. She didn’t have any serious injuries. She wasn’t old. Maybe a little weird but who cares? Other than that she was perfectly healthy. She just lost someone close to her.
As if Lucy could read her mind, she turned to eye her younger sister. “I know what you’re thinking and I was just being polite. Not babying you,” Lucy said as she rolled her eyes. She sat down across from Calla, resting her chin on her fist. “So what’s up?”
Calla sharply blew out a breath forcing her excitement down at the thought of what I was planning on doing. “I’m going to move.”
“Move where?”
“Tahlequah, Oklahoma.”
Lucy took a sip after nodding her head. “Okay. Why there?”
Calla shrugged. “The hills. The rivers. The hiking trails. Horseback riding.” I allowed myself a small smile. “Fishing maybe.”
“Anything else?” She raised her eyebrows, knowing Calla was leaving out the main reason.
“No memories of Lee.”
Lucy leaned back in the chair and eyed Calla. “I think that’s a good idea. If this is what you really want. It’ll be good for you to be out on your own. What does God think about it?”
Calla spread her hands and the table, studying her fingernails, not looking up at Lucy because Calla didn’t want to see her face. “We’re not exactly on speaking terms.”
Lucy didn’t say anything so Calla glanced up. Her mouth had dropped open. “Calla. Really. Still?” She shook her head, disbelieving.
Calla wasn’t about to have this argument with Lucy so Calla moved on to another subject. “Like you said, I just need to be on my own. Find out who I am. Not depend on someone to build my life for me. When I was with Lee, I did everything he did. Almost all of my spare time was spent with him. I figured on spending the rest of my life with him so it didn’t really matter to me at the time but now looking back, after seven years with him, I never really figured out what I liked to do, what I didn’t like to do. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah I do. That’s why it’s a good idea not to get seriously involved with anyone until after college.” She tried to hide a smile.
Calla laughed. “Okay, Dad.”
“You know what’s funny, is that even though Dad always told us that growing up, he and Mama were high school sweethearts.”
“You followed his advice though, didn’t you?”
It was Lucy’s turn to laugh. “Not on purpose. I was too busy with my classes and working on my doctorate to think about boys.” She leaned closer. “You know, I haven’t been on an actual date in over a year.”
“No way. I don’t believe you.” Calla really didn’t. Who wouldn’t want to date her sister? Lucy was gorgeous. She had long gorgeous reddish brown hair and bright blue eyes and a petite frame. She was smart, kind, and was a good Christian. She owned her own veterinary clinic for crying out loud.
Okay, Lucy was intimidating. But still.
Lucy laughed at Calla’s expression. “Sister this is why me and a few of my close friends are going to Hawaii for a couple weeks. We’re going to let loose and have some fun. It’s good for the soul. So when you move to Tahlequah, you should do the same. Have some fun. Make some mistakes. Do something crazy, not too crazy, but do something that isn’t planned. So when are you planning on leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Talked to Mama and Dad about it yet?”
“Tonight.”
Lucy smiled. “I’ll be praying for you.” Her phone beeped, signaling some kind of emergency. “I gotta get back to work.”
Calla stood up with her and gave her a big hug. “Have fun sissy. Call me when you get back on the mainland.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you back.”
Lucy’s phone beeped again and she started to walk down the hallway. “Hey,” she yelled and turned around, walking backwards, “go buy some new clothes this afternoon. Paycheck’s on the front desk with a little something extra.”
“Thank you!” Calla yelled back.
Now to tell her parents the news.
Chapter Two Finally Free
They took the news well enough. Dina was a little worried but that was expected. Calla was the baby so of course her mother’s going to want to coddle her but Rob said yes. He seemed to think it was a great idea. After Calla explained to them what her plan was, Dina came around.
They helped Calla pack up the remainder of her things, which didn’t take too long. She didn’t have all that much stuff. After college, she moved into an apartment with a girl friend and she had the place fully furnished already. Then when Lee proposed, she moved back in with her parents for a couple months until the wedding day. She didn’t get much of a chance to accumulate very much.
Calla told them which boxes she’d like sent to Oklahoma and which ones she’d like to be put in storage. Most of the boxes she wanted in storage were things that had to do with Lee; pictures, photo albums full of them, various presents he’d given her over the years, some of his old shirts and sweatshirts, things like that. She kept one picture of him though. It was the football picture of him, looking straight at the camera, smiling at her behind it. That picture she needed to have. Along with a couple of his old t-shirts that she still liked to sleep in. The smell of him in those shirts was long gone though.
Calla was planning on renting a car to drive but surprisingly, Dina and Rob gave her a present before she left. Rob’s old green truck. She wasn’t sure if it would get her to Tahlequah, but accepting their gift might save her some money. She took a look at the old truck and smiled. Maybe. It will maybe save her some money.
“Thank you both. For the truck, for everything.” Calla tucked her hands into her jean pockets, not really believing what she was about to do.
“You’re welcome honey,” Rob says. “Let us know when you get there safely. If you have any problems call.” He kicked the wheels. “I filled up the tank, checked the pressure in the tires, and changed the oil. It should get you there just fine.”
That’s her father. Always taking care of his girls, Calla thought. By that she means the vehicles. What with this one being the oldest, she was sure he did a thorough inspection. Dina and Calla watched him as he rubbed a smudge off of the hood with his sleeve, looking at the truck with sadness marking his face.
Dina and Calla smiled at each other. “It was hard for him to let this truck go,” she whispers as she squeezes my shoulder.
“Do you want some time alone with the truck dear?” Dina teased.
He harrumphed and frowned at her. “This lady has been with me almost as long as you have. It’s hard to let her go.”
“Well it’s a good thing she’s just a truck, otherwise I might be jealous,” Dina said.
He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “There’s no competition when it comes to you, darlin.”
Dina smiles at him like he’s the greatest thing on earth and Calla thinks they’ve forgotten she was even there.
A tiny smile forms on Calla’s lips after a moment. She realized that she no longer has a deep, wrenching hurt in her heart when she sees displays like this. In fact, she felt incredibly happy for her parents, maybe a little jealous too.
Calla gave them both big hugs.
“Thanks again Daddy,” she said as she hopped in the truck and closed the door. This time they would know where she was going, what she was doing. She didn’t have to sneak around. She didn’t feel guilty this time around either.
The truck made a healthy noise when Calla started it. She laughed. Her dad must’ve fixed the muffler. Breathing deeply, she gripped the steering wheel, feeling like what she was doing was a good move to make. She backed down the driveway, sadness turning into excitement that bubbled in her stomach. Not daring to look at her parents for fear of crying, she stuck a hand out of the window, waving, knowing they would be waving back, faces…she wasn’t sure. She knew they were happy for her but she knew they were still worried. Only time would tell if she made the right decision or not.
For the next few hours, Calla drove south. She left around two that afternoon. It should take about four hours to get there, give or take a few. Usually she was a pretty good traveler, not taking many bathroom breaks but for this journey, she need to take quite a few breaks to stretch her legs. There’s not much to look at so her mind wanders as she drove.
She hit the scan button on the console and mostly country music popped up. She let it wander from station to station, then it froze on an old Gospel station. Of course she recognized the song, it was her grandma’s favorite, ‘Just a Closer Walk With Thee’. Tapping the wheel, she hums along for a few bars then realizes what she’s doing. She forgot she wasn’t having anything to do with God. Before she could think much further than that, the next verse starts and she’s riveted to the words.
Through this world of toils and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
The last couple lines resonate in her head. When Lee first passed away, it become clear that nobody in her family, none of her friends, knew what it was like to have someone you love so dearly pass away. Of course they’d had the relative they didn’t see very often die and they went to the funeral, hearts heavy for the relatives who were close to that person. They didn’t know what they felt though. Calla knows now.
She felt alone in her grief, felt like she didn’t have anyone to talk to. She didn’t even bother talking to God; she was mad at Him for allowing Lee to die. Still was. God knows what it’s like to lose somebody though. His own Son died.
She frowned and turned the station, not wanting to linger on the thought. She still wasn’t sure if she should let God back into her life or not. Up until Lee died, she trusted Him completely…
She slammed on the brakes as a deer crossed the road. Big Green skidded to a stop. Her heart raced and suddenly she started to laugh. Hysterically. What was wrong with her? The thought popped into her head: she needed to cheer up. Dwelling on the past was of no use to her now. She’s going to a new place, so she needed a new attitude.
At about seven o’clock that night, after only three or four stops including two to fill up, she pulled into the apartment complex she had looked at on the internet. It looked alright from the outside, the buildings were brick, one story apartments, two to each single house. She couldn’t tell much else because the late winter night was getting dark.
Well, no use sitting in the truck staring. Might as well get out. She hopped out, grabbed her bags from the back and swung them inside the cab, locking the doors. The main office was off to the left, bigger than all the other apartments. Looked kind of dark though on the inside.
Calla cautiously walked up the steps and peeked through the windows. There was only one light on, a single lamp, which was apparently more for decoration than anything because it didn’t cast off much light. She couldn’t see a blasted thing or person. Surely there was a sign around that noted the hours of operation. She backed up from the window she was peeking in, wiping off her fingerprints. She looked around the double doors and sure enough there it was. Open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and until noon Saturdays. She had until noon tomorrow to get in touch with the administrator. Until then, looks like she’d be finding somewhere else to stay tonight.
Calla’s stomach grumbled, interrupting her ramblings. It’d been a while since she’d eaten anything besides trail mix and granola bars. A nice, big burger or something is what she needed.
Jauntily walking back to her truck, she started it up and drove around to find somewhere to eat. A couple miles from the apartments, a restaurant named Sam’n’Ella’s caught her eye. It was on the corner of the block so she turned right at the four way stop and parked into a stall. She moved quickly across the street and into the restaurant. When she opened the door the smell of all kinds of foods, particularly pizza though, hit right in the gut and her stomach squeezed in response.
An older lady, must be the hostess, with short brown hair and stylish glasses, looked around her as if to see if there was anybody with her and when she didn’t, she looked at Calla with a little sympathy. “Just one?”
Calla nodded once, a small smile on her lips. “Just one.”
It wasn’t too long ago that Calla finally got used to going out to eat just by herself. Lucy made her. Told her it was good for her. At that time, Calla didn’t want to, felt a little embarrassed about it in face, but now Calla was glad Lucy did. Maybe her sister really wasn’t trying to punish her back then.
The hostess led Calla to a table by the windows and handed over a menu when she sat down. “Your waiter will be right with you.”
“Thank you,” Calla replied and glanced at the menu, immediately choosing to get a personal pepperoni pizza because of how great the pizza smelled at the table across from her. The older couple caught her staring at them and Calla smiled. They smiled back and resumed their talking, lost in their conversation with each other immediately. She wondered how long they‘d been together and was pondering it when another thought hit. She didn‘t think of Lee when she saw the couple. For that matter, she couldn‘t remember the last time she saw a couple of thought of Lee. A few weeks ago maybe? She was torn between thinking it was a good thing, a sign that she was moving on, or bad, that she seemed to be thinking of Lee less and less.
About ten minutes after she ordered, the pizza was served. Calla wolfed down almost all of it but made herself stop so she wouldn’t get overly full. Man that was a good pizza though. People were probably looking at her, thinking she was a pig. Oh well. She packed the rest of it up in a box, asked for a water to go, paid the bill, and left the place, thinking she had a new favorite place to eat.
When Calla stopped at the cross walk and noticed a brand new, big huge red diesel truck pull into the empty stall next to hers. The street lamps overhead were bright enough she could make out two people in the truck. The windows were up but the music was blaring and she could hear it from across the street. Whoever was in that truck was going to be deaf by the time a speck of dust landed on that shiny paint.
The sign flashed walk, so she quickly made it across the street, a bad feeling about that truck parking next to Big Green pooling in her stomach. When she got closer, she caught a glimpse of the two guys who got out of the diesel. They were standing at the front of it, talking. The driver’s side door was open and suddenly a big gust of wind came up, banging the door into the passenger side door of Big Green. The guys jumped when they heard the scrape and one just closed the door, acting like nothing happened. Disbelief filled her.
By that time she was close enough to speak to them. “Where did this come from?” She asked the two guys and pointed to the dent in the door.
They were both wearing cowboy hats, one white, one black, so she couldn’t make out much of their faces but she could tell that they were amused.
“Don’t know,” the guy with a white cowboy hat said with a chuckle and elbowed his buddy, who shook his head and laughed.
“What do you mean you don’t know? This dent wasn’t here when I left my truck.” She took a step closer to him effectively getting in his personal space, crossed her arms and gave him what she hoped was a mean look. She half hoped that looks could kill at the moment.
His eyes widened, as if to convey ‘who does this woman think she is’. Then the cowboy stepped closer and she could smell tobacco on his breath when he spoke. She was tempted to take a step back, but no. She wasn’t about to back down. This guy was wrong about not telling what happened. She glared at him even harder and he had the decency to squirm a little.
“Look lady, we just got here. We have no idea how that big ol’ dent appeared on your truck.” His buddy chuckled and she wondered if they had been drinking.
“I know that came from your truck mister,” Calla poked him in his chest, her face scrunching up in anger.
He had barely pushed her shoulder back when out of nowhere another man pinned the kid against the diesel, quick as lightning, arm behind his back, face against the hood. The man was built like a superhero. Broad shoulders under a dark blue hooded jacket. A trim waist that led to muscled legs under faded jeans. Maybe he was a former military man.
“Johnny, don’t ever, I mean ever, lay your hand on a woman like that, you hear me?” the man holding Johnny spoke, enunciating every word clearly, his voice level. The man’s face was calm but his undertone held a hint of reserved anger that she was sure the two cowboys wouldn’t be able to pick up.
When there was no response, the man hitched Johnny’s arm up higher and Johnny groaned. Okay maybe Johnny could pick up on his anger. Johnny’s friend probably did too because he was frozen to the ground, looking afraid to even move a muscle.
Calla wasn’t sure if she should be amused or angry still.
“Ah shoot, we were just having a little fun,” Johnny responded.
“Well so am I,” the man quirked a smile at her. “Now apologize to the little lady and I might let you go. Besides, I saw the whole thing happen so you might as well fess up to the whole thing. Do that and I’ll definitely let you go.”
Johnny mumbled something of an apology.
The man raised an eyebrow at Calla. “Could you hear that? And show some respect Johnny.”
Calla shook her head, starting to be more amused than upset. “Not a word.”
“I’m sorry. Ma’am. Please forgive me,” Johnny spoke louder, though not very clearly but well, his face was pushed up against the hood.
“You’re forgiven.”
The man released Johnny. “Now get a piece of paper, write down your name and number, along with your insurance, and hand it to the kind lady.”
Johnny did as he was told and his friend had climbed back in the truck. The man oversaw the whole thing, from checking to make sure Johnny wrote down the correct information (they must’ve known one another) to handing the paper over to Calla himself.
He then glanced at his watch, grimaced a little, tipped his ball cap to Calla, said, “Ma’am” and without another word walked down the street to the restaurant she had just left.
Whoa, what had just happened? No asking of her name or number of if she needed any other help? Nothing?
She wasn’t sure what to make of that. She supposed he was just being friendly, which he was, but he didn’t stay to chat. Maybe he was meeting somebody. Had a date…
Well whatever the case, Calla got in her truck and went to find a hotel to stay the night. It had definitely been a first night to remember. Better not tell Rob about Big Green’s dent.
Chapter Three New Friends
Calla’s head was throbbing when she woke up. She had a nightmare about the car wreck and Lee which resulted in tossing and turning all night. Was God punishing her? Maybe wanting to get her attention? No matter. She still wasn’t talking to Him.
She rolled over and glanced at the standard alarm clock on the nightstand. Only seven in the morning. That gave her a couple hours until the admin office opened at the apartment complex. In the meantime she needed coffee. Not the kind offered at hotels but the good stuff.
The nightstand next to the bed had a notepad and pen on top. Perfect for writing a list. Things to do today: 1. Find a coffee. 2. Get all moved in. Not that bad of a list. Might as well get started.
After she checked out of the hotel room, she drove around looking for a coffee shop. Soon enough she found one. It was busy but not overly full of people. It was relatively quiet too what with people reading or typing away on their computers. She ordered a mocha latte and drink in hand, she went to a high table and sat down. It had been a while since she checked her Facebook so that’s what she did for the next few minutes. A barista sidled up to the table and cleared her throat loudly.
“Hi there, it’s customer appreciation day here and you are entitled to one free muffin. If you like. You can turn it down, no questions asked,” she said and handed her a coupon. She had straight, long red hair with bright green eyes and a smattering of freckles. She was tiny in stature and features which belied her voice which was low in pitch.
“Uh thank you. What kind of muffins do you have?”
She scrutinized Calla, placed a hand on her hip. “Are you from around here?”
“Nope. Why do you ask?” Calla sipped my mocha, wondering if she stood out.
“Because you asked me what kind of muffins we have.”
Calla kept down a laugh. That didn’t seem to be an unordinary question. But the barista looked at Calla like she was nuts. Calla wasn’t sure what to say next.
The barista smiled as though to set Calla at ease, which it did, and said, “We have any and all kinds of muffins. Any type you could think of.” She laughed. “That’s what we’re known for.”
“Guess that makes sense. I’ll have a blueberry one.”
“Blueberry with granola, blueberry praline, or buttermilk blueberry?”
“Blueberry praline, please.”
“Okay.” She went to grab the muffin and when she returned, Calla noticed it was the size of a softball. It smelled good too.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem. Say, since you’re not from around here, do you want to hangout with me tonight? We could go to a party and I can show you around.”
Calla was about to turn her down but Lucy’s advice ran through her head about doing something unplanned. Besides, she needed to know more about Tahlequah and who better to show her than this barista? She seemed nice enough.
“Why not?” Calla smiled at her. “What’s your name?”
“Tori. Yours?”
Calla held out her hand. “Calla. Nice to meet you.”
Tori shook her hand and smiled back. “Likewise. Well here’s my number,” she pulled out a scrap of paper and wrote her name down. “Give me a call around seven or so.”
“Great. Thanks, I’ll call you then.”
“Okay. Guess I better get back to being a coffee wench,” she said and rolled her eyes, but smiled though. Calla laughed as she walked away.
Now Calla could tell Lucy that she met a new friend without Lucy having to make introductions for her.
Calla grabbed her coffee and muffin, walked out of the coffee shop and back to her truck intending to take advantage of the warmer day. The sun was out in full force with no breeze making it feel more like spring. Fantastic day to get moved into her new place.
When she pulled up to the office for the apartment complex, she could see activity on the inside. Good. They were open. So far so good.
A bell chimed as she opened the door. “Good morning,” a lady greeted cheerily. She turned towards the sound the voice came from and saw her perched behind the large desk Calla saw last night. The woman’s dark brown hair was up in a bun and she had bifocals perched on her nose with a big smile on her face.
Calla walked over and sat down in the chair in front of her desk. “Hello, my name is Calla LaCroix.”
“Ah, Miss LaCroix. I’m Mrs. Berry, the owner of this complex. Let’s get the ball rolling on this paperwork shall we?”
Over the next couple hours they went over paperwork and everything that goes along with moving into a new place. Mrs. Berry handed her the keys and she felt joy bubble up. Her own place. Lee would be proud of her for doing this on her own.
Calla moved Big Green around to her apartment and smiled. She got out and grabbed a duffle bag.
“Hey, there,” a masculine voice rang out. She wasn’t sure if the man was talking to her or not but she cautiously glanced around and saw a man walking towards her. Calla’s heart picked up its pace when she noticed he was looking at her.
Oh my that man was handsome. It was like in slow motion, admittedly like a cheesy romance comedy when he was walking towards her. He was tall, maybe a couple inches over six feet. He had dark blonde hair that was trimmed shorter on the sides and it was unruly on the top as if he didn’t even bother with a comb this morning. A square jaw line gave him a rugged look and everything about him spoke masculine. Definitely the man’s man type. He wore a plain white t-shirt and worn, faded blue jeans and boots. Wait a minute, he looked a little familiar.
“Hi,” he said as he got closer. The breeze blew a light hint of soap and leather her way. “Sorry I didn’t stay around after last night. I had to meet up with my brother and sister-in-law and I was running really late.”
Calla hefted the duffle bag a little higher up on her shoulder and regarded him. “Did we meet last night? Were you the guy who rescued me?” Surely he couldn’t be the guy who dinged her door.
“Ah, Your knight in shining armor? That would be me,” he said with a good ol’ boy grin that revealed straight, white teeth and dimples. That smile did something funny to her insides. “Sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Abel Brooks.”
The sunlight hit his eyes as Calla looked up into them and she got a good glance at what color they were. Bright green on the inside rimmed by a darker shade of green. The opposite of Lee’s dark brown eyes.
“I’m Calla Chalakee. Nice to meet you.” The strap on the duffle bag started to slide down her shoulder and she hitched it up once more.
“Here let me take that for you.” Abel grabbed the duffle bag by the straps and the muscles in his arms flexed with the added weight. Judging by the way he filled out the shirt, she’d say he could carry quite a few extremely heavy duffle bags with ease. He must workout. She’d have to ask him if there was a gym here in town.
He glanced towards her, catching her staring at his muscular arms and tried to hide a smile while she tried to hide a blush. “Have any more?”
She nodded towards Big Green. “Just one.”
He walked over the bed of the truck where Calla flung the other one and lifted it with ease. “You just moving in?”
Calla nodded her head, tongue suddenly in knots.
“Where to?” He looked at her and smiled, amused by something. Calla felt a blush rise on her cheeks once again. She hoped he couldn’t tell she was checking him out. She had no business checking him out. It was almost a year ago her fiancé died. She wasn’t ready to move on. There weren’t any rules about that though were there? Besides, I needed a friend. Right?
“Four C, right in front here.” She lead him to the place and opened the door for him. “Thanks for carrying those for me and for helping me out last night.”
He placed the bags by the door. “Not a problem.”
“Do you live around here?”
He raised an arm up and leaned against the doorway. “Nah, my aunt and uncle own the place. I just thought I’d drop and say hello to them while I was in the Quah.” He smiled. “I’m glad I did. I was feeling guilty about last night. I hoped you didn’t think I was rude or anything.”
Calla shook her head, wrapping her jacket around her a little tighter. “I didn’t think you were rude. Just maybe in a hurry. I thought you had a date or something.” As if she should care whether or not he had a date. He probably thought she was digging for information about the subject. Which maybe she was. So what.
“No. No date. Unless you count eating with my brother, his wife, and my niece a date.”
Calla let out a chuckle. “Not really.”
His phone started to ring and he pulled it out of his back pocket and glanced at it. “Time to get back to work I suppose.”
“Boss calling?”
“Good guess.”
“Well thanks for helping.” Calla was saying thanks an awful lot. He turned to leave and she followed him.
He started to walk backwards so he could see her. “Anytime. Maybe I’ll see you around, Calla.” He had a such a great smile.
“Bye, Abel.”
He winked. “Bye.”
She closed the door and leaned against it, playing the whole thing over in her head. He would be a good friend to have. It felt nice being around him. She honestly hoped she’d see him again.
When Calla opened her eyes the starkness of her apartment was a little overwhelming. The walls were a medium beige and that helped with the light. She’d need to buy some lamps. It came with a stove, dishwasher, and a microwave. She’d have to go to a Laundromat to wash her clothes unless she wanted to shell out the money to buy a washer and dryer. She could just barely afford to buy those but she’d rather not. There were other things she needed to buy like a bed and a couch. The previous renters for this apartment left a solid oak table and two matching chairs so at least she didn’t have to worry about that.
At least Calla had most of her clothes and shoes. Next week her parents would be shipping boxes to her that had kitchen stuff, bed linens, towels, and books. She’d be able to hang up art work then too.
Calla went to the lone bedroom in her apartment and dumped all of her clothes into a pile, searching through them for something to wear out with Tori tonight. She had to admit, it was kind of exciting doing all of this on her own. Oh she knew that people move to new places, meet new people, and get their own apartments all the time but she hasn’t ever really. Not without having Lee by her side. This was a totally new experience. She was doing pretty good so far too.
After picking out some dark wash jeans, digging around the other duffle bag for a pair of boots, and laying out a dark green sweater, she called her parents.
“Yell-o?” Rob’s deep voice answered.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Calla, how’s it going honey?”
She scratched her head, reminding herself that she should probably fix her hair before going out tonight. “It’s going good. I got all moved in today. Last night I had to stay at a hotel because the office to the apartments was closed.”
“Bet it took you all day to move in too,” Rob said with a laugh. “How’d the truck do on the way down?”
Aw, here it comes. She sat down on the carpet. “It did great dad. Last night though something happened.”
“Okay? What is it baby?”
She better tell it to him straight. “Someone dinged the passenger side door last night.”
She could hear him expel his breath slowly. Oh no, this wasn’t good. She felt like a kid again, waiting for the punishment to be dealt. He did something that surprised her though. He started to chuckle. “That all?”
“Yes.” She dragged the word out.
“That truck is old. It’s had a few dings in its life. Nothing that a body shop can’t fix right quick. If it’s not too deep you can get it PDR’d.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Paintless dent repair. I’ll tell you what, I’ll look it up for you and tomorrow I’ll let you know where to take it on Monday. I put all the insurance stuff in the glove box so just hand it to them. I’ll take care of the money and all that, so don’t worry about it. Okay?”
She nodded her head though he obviously couldn’t see her. “Alright. Thanks, Dad.”
She got off the telephone with her dad and then Dina came on. “Hi, Calla. How’re you holding up?”
“Good. Better than good actually, I met a new friend today.”
“You did?” She sounded happily surprised.
“Yeah at a coffee shop this morning. We’re going to hangout tonight too. Oh and I got all moved in today.”
“Why not last night?”
“The main office was closed,” she sighed. Then an image of Abel popped into her head, making her cheeks flush. Suddenly she wanted to talk about anything else so that she wouldn’t end up talking about Abel. “I wish I would’ve remembered to bring the old air mattress. I don’t even have a bed to sleep on.”
“Well go on over to Walmart and pick one up. They’re not too terribly expensive. Might as well, you never know when you might need one. Can I just say that I am so proud of you, Calla? You know that? Me and your daddy both are.”
Calla could feel tears prick the back of her eyes. “Thank you Mama, that means a lot to me.”
“Alright baby, well I’m going to let you go, we‘re going out to dinner with the Carls. You have fun tonight alright?”
“I will, Mama.”
She hung up the phone and hopped in Big Green and drove around to find Walmart. Three hours later, she came home with a new air mattress, sheets, and a blanket for it along with some things for sandwiches and breakfast that would hopefully last for a week or so.
At last, it was time to get ready for the night.
Chapter Four Help
“Hey, Abel?” his boss, Harley, yelled out from behind an old Chevy truck.
With a work worn hand, Harley proceeded to take off his hat and rub balding brown hair. In his late fifties, he was still trim, with overalls, a handkerchief tucked in the back pocket, he was like a second dad to Abel. Abel could tell you almost anything about him, as he sure could Abel. Harley was never late for church and that went for his family as well. Abel included. He always wore a Boston ball cap, it was faded navy blue and Abel was sure he rarely replaced it and Abel knew he never wore any other kind of hat. He never took it off except for when he was praying, at church, or mad about something.
Abel wiped his hands on his jeans, taking off on a quick jog over to Harley, not wanting to make him wait much longer. Cleaning out the stalls would have to wait for a minute. Besides, there weren’t any horses in ‘em yet and wouldn’t be for a couple days.
“Yes, sir? What’s goin’ on?” Abel glanced over the engine Harley had been fiddling with for the better half of the day. Abel instantly spotted what was wrong but he waited for Harley to talk.
“Well, this thing keeps giving out after I take it for only a couple of turns. I have been tinkering on it for a while and just can’t figure it out.” He frowned. “You mind takin’ a look-see at it?”
“No, sir.” Abel looked at the engine overly long, pretending to not know yet what was wrong.
Harley chuckled. “Now, son, I know you know what’s wrong with it. You could tell what was wrong the moment you laid eyes on it.”
Abel couldn’t help but let a grin form. “What makes you think that, boss?”
Harley clapped Abel on the shoulder. “Son, I’ve known you your entire life. I can read your face like an open book. Not that I care much for reading but you know what I mean.” Harley pointed a finger to his head. “Your mind can work faster than most and you’re smart as a whip, and not only when it comes to engines.”
Abel ducked his head. “Thanks, sir.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Alternator. I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
“I knew I keep you around for some reason,” Harley laughed. “All right. Well thanks.” He grimaced at the oil and grease covering his hands, some of the stains permanent like Abel‘s own hands. “Guess I better go try and clean up for supper out tonight.”
“Taking Luella out for a fancy dinner?”
“Don’t you know it son. I don’t mind though. Be seein’ you tomorrow.”
Harley took off toward the house and Abel waved. He went back to the stables and got back to work. While mucking out stalls technically wasn’t his job, he didn’t mind doing it. What kind of Foreman would he be if he refused to do a basic job? Not a good one that’s for sure. If he expected the hands to do menial labor then he should do it too.
From a distance he could see Harley and Luella take off to T-Quah. They both stuck a hand out of the old Buick LaSabre and Abel waved back. Harley was a good guy. Harley took Abel in kind of when he was around thirteen or so. Abel’s dad, Jim, was in the last stages of cancer and they were pretty good buddies, had been since grade school. Jim asked Harley to take Abel under his wing, give him a job on the ranch, teach him what it meant to be a man and a follower of Christ. All that good stuff. It worked too. Abel went to college, graduated with a degree in business management, minored in equine science and because when he was younger he wanted to be a fireman, fire science. Kind of an odd mix of degrees but he was a jack of all trades around the ranch. He had a house on the outskirts of the property that he built with his own hands. He had a great job that he loved and wanted to work at for the rest of his life; it paid pretty good but he wasn’t much interested in money change. He was more interested in life change and if he was being a servant for Jesus. There was something missing though. A pretty woman that God wanted him to be with.
At that thought a flash of long, wavy dark brown hair and twinkling brown eyes ran through his mind. Calla. Calla Chalakee. The most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on. She had a beautiful golden tan skin tone. She had high cheekbones and cute little dimples when she smiled. High cheekbones, dark hair and eyes…last name of Chalakee. She was Native American. Abel grinned. His mama would like that.
A chuckle escaped. Maybe Calla was the one God had in store for him. He’d have to take it slow, she seemed a little guarded. Even if she was checking him out earlier. And was trying to figure out if he was single. He smiled slightly again at the memory of her attempting to say in an offhand sort of way that she thought he had a date. She couldn’t hide that slight look of pleasure when he told her it wasn’t a date.
Finishing up the last of the stalls, Abel spread out some fresh hay, and put everything away for the day. He was just about to go on home but remembered he had a few other things he needed to do before completely calling it a day. Like he said, he didn’t mind mucking out the stalls. He would just like to get more than four hours of sleep a night. At twenty seven, it really felt like he needed his sleep most days. They really needed to get another hand. Maybe a teenager or college kid who needed some extra money. Something to pray about.
“Abel, are you still here?” Luella’s voice called out. Abel heard two car doors shut and footsteps coming towards the stable.
He finished sweeping out the walkway and hung up the broom, meeting them halfway.
“What are you doing up still?” Luella asked, hands on slender hips. She was very much like his mother in the fact that simply put, she mothered him, maybe a little too much. Her lips were perched and she didn’t look happy. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a French braid as usual though wisps were starting to escape.
“Just finishing up work, Miss Luella. How’d dinner go? Did Mister Harley behave?”
Harley harrumphed but there was a slight grin on his weathered face. “Course I did. I even surprised her and took her over to May and Dave‘s for a rousing game of cards. This is the latest we‘ve been up since we were forty.” He smiled proudly at the statement and I laughed.
Luella rolled her eyes but smiled at her husband. “What kind of work has you up this late Abel?”
“It’s not much just a little catch up work, is all.” Abel shrugged, hoping he made it sound like it wasn‘t something to worry over. He didn’t need Luella calling his mom only to have her scold him like he was some teenager.
She folded her arms and Harley nodded at her once, as if urging her on. “Harley told me that we had a hand quit almost two weeks ago and since then he’s seen you up every night until midnight or later. Is that right?”
Abel studied his old Lariat boots. “Yes, ma’am.”
“What time do you get up?” They both knew the answer but he knew where this was going.
“Four, ma’am.” The boots needed some repair work done.
She narrowed a look at him. “That’s right. Every morning. You never sleep in and you’re never late for anything. It’s going to wear on you Abel if you don’t hire another hand.” Harley nodded at this part vigorously. Their eyes both softened when they looked at him. “Your pretty much another son to us and we don’t want you getting worn out. We want you to still have some fun while your young. Not that you don‘t when your older. You know what I mean.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Harley put his hand on Abel’s shoulder. “You know what to do.”
He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Luella gave him a hug and stepped back. “Now you go on home and get some rest.”
Harley put his arm around Luella‘s shoulders and regarded Abel once more. “Don’t come to work until seven, son. We’ll take care of the morning routine.”
Abel knew better than to argue with him. “Yes, sir.”
“Goodnight.”
“Night.”
