Wheeling Park Ch. 01

"Oh. Um, do you mind if I ask where you're camping? Somewhere around here?"

"Bout ten klicks back the road here, probably eight or nine. It's a private campground, probably not your thing.", he said, eyes glancing swiftly to the kids behind me, then to Columbia and back.

"Why?"

"Well,... It doesn't have the amenities that say, Victoria Park has. No cordoned off swim areas with lifeguards, no swimming lessons for the kiddies, no manicured trails, public washrooms, stuff like that. Anyway it's private, like I said."

"So we can't get in.", I finished for him, downcast again after seeing a false ray of hope in salvaging this vacation disaster.

"Well,...", he said, shrugging thoughtfully, looking me over and then the twins. "You seem like good people,... If you want, just follow me back the road. You can stay the night, anyway."

"Hey! I said get the fuck offa my land!", the store owner shouted from the open screen door of his grubby establishment, cursing and waving at the invading moths before slamming the door shut to watch us from inside.

"Fuckwit.", I barely heard the big man mumble under his breath.

"Is- Um, is there anybody there at this hour? How will I get in?"

"I know the owner. Well, everyone there knows Elmo, but we'll get you into a lot and, when he comes around my place in the morning, I'll tell him what's happening and he'll stop in to see you. Probably just charge you a day's camping fee, or something. Don't worry, he won't rip you. Like I say, we all know him."

"That sounds great. You're sure it's no trouble?"

"Not at all." he shrugged. Who knows, you three might even want to stay. Name's Junior, by the way." he said, walking closer and offering his hand.

I quickly switched arms over my deep cleavage so I could shake the man's hand, blushing.

"I'm Trudy. I'm sorry about my- well, I was in bed and I had to rush to the door,..."

"It's okay." he laughed. "No offense, Trudy, but you seem like you had one of those days."

"You can't imagine." I laughed nervously. "These are my kids, Jenifer and Jarid."

"Hey.", Junior greeted, casually waving at the twins, who had moved up on either side of me. They each said 'Hi', almost in harmony and a little reservedly.

"Well," our seeming hero of the day finished, "I'll pay for my fuel and pull out to the road while you three get underway. Should probably get goin' before this asswipe really does call the RCs."

"Right.", I said, turning and hustling the kids along ahead of me, Jenifer looking back at the large man with me as I called to his back, "Thanks a lot, we really appreciate this!"

He waved casually over his shoulder without looking back, a gesture that advised me not to worry about it.

Just over five minutes later, this time properly dressed with a peach, button neck pullover, I hurried out of the RV, parked at the side of the road. Under a bright mercury light, there was a simple wooden sign, big enough to read quickly and easily while whizzing by on the lonely stretch of road that proclaimed our current location as 'Wheeling Park'. Junior was opening a padlocked chain that cut off entrance to a dark, narrow, dirt road through the trees as I began to hurry over.

"Junior?" I called, trying not to slip on the partly exposed, ribbed metal culvert pipe I saw in the headlights.

"Yuh?" he asked, dropping the chain on the ground.

"Uh, heh, I'm not sure my space shuttle will come down here."

"It'll be tight and you'll scratch some paint, but it'll go. Ol' Abner has a rig about this size and he gets her in. But, this is what I mean about it maybe not being your kinda place, you know?"

I looked down the dirt track, at Columbia and then back at him.

"I can get it down there, if you want." he offered. "I can get it past the culvert, but I won't be able to save the paint."

I looked back at the RV once again, imagining the kids in the front, invisible to me above the lancing headlights, but sure to be watching this. I looked back at him and shrugged, saying with a smile and a shake of my head, "I don't care about the paint."

It seemed funny at the time. I couldn't have said why as I looked at him, nor can I now, but he smiled back suddenly.

"You'll wanna stay. Tell your kids what's happening and I'll bring my truck in first before I come back for yours. You guys can help guide me in."

"Okay."

As we watched for traffic and guided Junior, who took the wheel of the great and mighty Columbia, I really doubted he'd do it. The kids must have felt the same way as they watched him angle the huge thing in and over the narrow culvert, because they smiled like I did when he actually accomplished the feat.

The kids followed our bright red tail lights on foot, me catching up after struggling to drag the chain back to the opposite iron post so I could secure it with the heavy padlock, fearing I'd break a nail in the process. He stopped when he came to his truck, put it in park and we sidled along between the trees and the RV, staying low where the evergreen tips weren't quite as thick, until we got to the door where he met us.

"I can keep on and put her in a lot if one of you knows how to drive a standard."

That let me out.

"Jarid can drive a motorbike, isn't that a standard?"

"Motorbike, uh? You're gonna love it here.

"But I've never driven a standard car.", Jarid said.

"It's nothing, put 'er in first and ease the clutch, the power'll do the rest."

"Uhh,... you sure?" Jarid asked nervously.

"Take your sister, your mum probably wants to ride with me to make sure I don't steal your RV.", he joked with a smile before disappearing back inside.

We looked at each other, Jenifer and I wearing reserved, although amused grins while Jarid looked ahead of the RV at Juniors truck, obviously fretting.

"Don't worry, honey, he seems to know what he's talking about. Just do what he told you." I assured.

"Yeah, c'mon, Nervous Nell. I thought you were this big 'garage guy'.", Jenifer teased, squeezing past and moving forward.

"I'm into bikes, not cars!" he retorted, following her.

I climbed inside, slamming the door behind me and wondering if I hadn't made a mistake here, but everything seemed on the up and up. He warned us about the locals and was very frank about what we could expect at this 'private park', and it's not as if there wasn't a sign, chintzy as it was. It was all one would need for a private park, just enough to mark the spot and possibly to satisfy any local licensing demands. There was even a light with a security chain.

As if reading my mind as I sat in the passenger seat, he asked, "Oh, sorry, did you happen to get the chain?"

"Yes."

An expression of mild surprise crossed his face as he did a double take, obviously having expected me to say no and probably prepared to run back out to do it himself.

"Good girl, Trudy. I hope you three do decide to stay." he commented, looking forward again to watch the twins hopping into his truck, both of them through the driver's side with Jenifer going first.

I sat there, somewhat flattered at the 'girl' comment and the approval of this man, of whom a teeny weeny part of me suspected of being an axe murderer despite the sign and the rest of it. Alternately, I wondered if he was married as the brake lights of his truck flashed. Jarid began to move forward and I suddenly began feeling guilty, thinking of Kevin and the fact that he'd bought the damned camper in order to save our marriage and now,... One hell of a time and way to try to get a life, wasn't it?

We set off, slowly following his truck down the track, listening to the branches scratching and screeching the sides.

Breaking the following silence that my melancholy mood produced, he asked, "Space shuttle, uh?"

I smiled ruefully. "Yes. The Columbia."

"Sounds like bad luck."

"Is that one of the ones that exploded?"

"Yup."

"I wasn't sure, I just picked the first one I remembered." I admitted. "Is it too late to change it? I haven't smashed a bottle of wine across her bow yet."

He grinned and answered, "We'll help you with that. We'll all vote on a name before you leave and whip a bottle of something expensive at the hood, how's that?"

"If you think it'll avoid an explosion."

This time he laughed aloud and I realized my sadness was gone. It was hard to be sad with such an easygoing, laid back personality around. I hoped he wasn't married, but how many single men bought a camping trailer and rented a lot? Possibly the type who runs around murdering people with an axe?

"So, Trudy, what would put you out on the highway with a new Winnebago and a couple of kids with no plan whatsoever?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Kinda, yeah. Like I say, you look like you had one of those days." he repeated. "Plus, the fact you got sales tags on all your clothes."

"Oh God! I complained, looking down and seeing he was right. It hadn't even occurred to me.

He slowed in order to navigate a tight bend, grinding into the branches. "Sorry.", he said apologetically.

"About my bad day or the RV?"

"Both, I guess."

"It's okay. In both cases. Yes, it was kind of a bad day. A shocking revelation, you might say."

"The worst kind. Divorced?"

"Yes. Yourself?"

"Married. The wife's back here at the trailer, you'll meet her sooner or later, if you decide to stay."

My foolish hopes around Monsieur axe murderer sank, but I replied, "You seem to think we will."

"Yeah. I hope you will. Like I say, you and your kids seem solid and it's cool to have new people here every once in a while. We're just a bunch of people from town, not everyone from the same town, but everyone knows each other through business, or whatever. We come out here to relax and have a good time without being bothered and just forget about the world for a while."

"Sounds nice."

"It is. Mostly because it's private and we can keep the garbage out. Sort of a summer family, you know?"

"Yes.", I said with a smile as any fears of being axe murdered went right out the side window.

We rounded another tight bend, the passenger side corner of the front bumper laying down weeds and short trees on the outside of the curve as he took it as wide as possible before straightening out and coming to some partially cleared land. To our right, I could see moonlight reflecting from the surface of a lake. To the left, patio lanterns and RVs in lots stretching down a row. After signaling a left turn early for Jarid, we turned and trundled down a rear path that serviced another row of campers.

"Nothing available in front and I couldn't put you there if there was, but the back lots are pretty big. Good for if you got stuff. Bikes, ATVs, a car and/or a truck, you get the picture."

I nodded.

"I'm down the end of the back row here, lot fourteen. I'm putting you in number seven, so you're surrounded."

"Surrounded?"

"Locals."

"Oh. Herd mentality, right?"

He performed another double take and laughed. "Yeah. We look out for one another here. I'm glad you get it."

"I watch a lot of TV. Discovery channel."

"Okay.", he chuckled as he passed an empty lot with a reflective '7' on a post, flashing the lights and coming to a stop as the kids did the same in front of us.

"You want it backed into the trees?" The Master bed is at the very back, right?"

"Yes, please do."

"Okay, you guide me in and we'll have you and your kids all snug in your beds inside a half hour. Bring me right alongside those white service ports stickin' outta the ground there, see them?"

"Yes, one minute." I said, jumping up and heading for the side door as the kids exited the truck ahead of us, again, each from the driver's side.

It didn't take long for Junior to get it parked, after which he shut it down and hopped out to join the three of us.

"All set." he reported, adding, "Keys are in the ignition."

"Junior, I can't thank you enough. You're a lifesaver and this place looks really nice, at least in the dark. I wish I'd brought some patio lantern, but I never even thought."

"Don't worry about it. Now remember, Elmo will be around tomorrow morning, about nine or ten o'clock."

"His name is really 'Elmo'?", Jenifer asked with a smile.

"Yup. I wouldn't laugh at him, though. Well,... you could, but I wouldn't. Hey, nice meeting you three, but I gotta run. I actually told Pammie I was going out for a pack of cigarettes and, after all this time, I can only imagine what she's thinking."

"Say no more, Junior. Again, a million thanks." I called as he was leaving.

"S'nothin', Trudy." he called over his shoulder while walking to the truck. "You three get some sleep and we'll see yas tomorrow."

The kids called their own goodbyes while we watched him go. It didn't matter if he was married or not, I happily realized. He was very friendly, he got us in somewhere that seemed nice, and that was enough. Even the kids seemed happy. Hey, it was an adventure, right?