Stranded in Oasis

by Clay, Verna

  Max said, "You sound like a fortune teller."

  Pinky winked. "It runs in my family."

  Before Max could comment, she shifted her attention to Goody's trailer. "I think I'll go complain to Goody about Piggy's yapping last night."

  Max scooted the pot over and then continued his walk. Following the curve of the road, he circled past Pilar's trailer and thought about how cute she'd looked that morning as she'd headed off to work. Seeing her always got his blood pumping. He'd called a good morning and she'd waved, but not initiated any conversation.

  Max finished his rounds and returned to throw balls with Desi and Willie.

  That evening, while Max lounged beneath his awning to enjoy a colorful sunset, Pilar stepped outside. Before she could dart back inside, he called, "Come watch the sunset with me."

  She hesitated, but then joined him. Sitting in the chair next to him, she asked about his sister. Max replied, "Skye called the morning after the potluck and told me how much she enjoyed herself; so much so that she's thinking about returning when her current assignment for a travel magazine is finished. They're sending her to the ruins of Teotihuacan."

  "Wow! How exciting! After meeting Skye, I can just envision her cavorting all over the globe to capture perfect moments."

  Max laughed, "She said to tell you and Willie hello. And she asked you to give Kade a kiss and find out if he's still mad at her."

  Pilar shook her head. "Those two are like water and oil."

  Max agreed, "Isn't that the truth?"

  "If it's too personal a question, you don't have to answer, but since Skye's last name is still Rutherford, I take it she's never been married."

  "Only to her profession." Like me, Max thought, but didn't vocalize. He changed the subject. "That's great about Willie's father taking him to a Diamondback game."

  "Yes, and heaven help the man if he cancels. I will personally lynch him. Willie does nothing but talk about the game from morning 'til night."

  And I'll help with the lynching, Max thought.

  After Pilar left, an awful loneliness settled inside Max. If we can't be lovers, at least we can pal around as friends. Yeah, right.

  Chapter 25: Inner Storm

  A week after the International Potluck, the school year started and Max found himself watching Pilar and Willie walk toward town every morning; she to work, and Willie to school. He wanted to join them, but Pilar was so skittish around him, he refrained.

  Two weeks later, on a Saturday morning, Max tossed a few balls with Willie while the boy talked nonstop about the baseball game later that day. "I can't wait for my dad to get here. Desi helped me write out the players' stats so we can go over them on the drive back to Phoenix."

  The door to Willie's trailer opened and Pilar stepped out. Willie kept talking to Max. "Mom bought me one of those throwaway cameras to take pictures with. Wouldn't it be great if I met a player and he let me take his picture, or let my dad take a picture of me with him?" He kept talking excitedly and Max watched Pilar. Something about her stance and expression turned Max's blood cold. Her eyes met his and suddenly he knew Willie's father had cancelled. Rage coursed like electricity through his body. The child must have also sensed something was afoot because his happy speech halted.

  Pilar stepped through her gate and held her arms out to her son. "I'm so sorry, Willie. Your dad just called. He had an emergency come up at work and he'll be at the office all weekend. He said he'll make it up to you."

  Max was close enough to see a tear drip down Pilar's cheek. She quickly swiped it away. He looked at Willie and the hurt on the child's face was more than Max could take.

  Willie croaked, "He's not taking me to the game?"

  Pilar's voice cracked. "No, Willie."

  The boy's small shoulders sagged and he said in a thin voice, "Mom, I don't think Dad loves me the way you do. You'd never promise something and then not do it. I wish he wasn't my father. I hope I never see him again."

  Pilar rushed to her son and dropped to her knees. "Oh, no, Willie, your father loves you. He just doesn't have his priorities straight. Someday he will. Let's not give up on him." She reached and placed her arms around Willie, but he pushed her away. He said, "I think I want to be alone."

  Willie ran inside his trailer and Pilar, still on her knees, lifted tear drenched eyes to Max's. Max reached under her arms to help her up. When she stood facing him, he cupped her cheeks and whispered, "I can get tickets and take him to the game. All I have to do is make a phone call."

  She shook her head. "No, Max. Even if he went today, it wouldn't erase the hurt from his father." She hiccupped and said with a little sob, "Willie's been making excuses for that man's neglect for years. Now he's come face-to-face with it. Business-as-usual is more important to Parker than his son."

  Max leaned his forehead against Pilar's. She sighed. "But that's so kind of you to offer." Unexpectedly, she placed her lips against his and gave him the sweetest kiss he'd ever tasted. Then she turned and rushed inside her trailer.

  Chapter 26: Outer Storm

  Max sat at the table inside his RV and watched storm clouds darken the sky. The clouds only served to darken his mood. He wanted to kick Parker's ass into the next galaxy. The man had the best kid in the world and he was missing his son's formative years. If Willie were Max's son, he'd take him to every baseball game at Chase Field.

  Max puffed a breath. The air had turned clammy. It had only rained once since he'd moved to the park and he didn't know if he welcomed rain right now or wanted bright sunshine. He'd come to love the sun filled days.

  A sharp rap on his door brought his gaze away from the clouds. The knock sounded again—persistent. Something's wrong. He jumped the two feet to his door and jerked it open. Pilar had her hand raised to rap again. The wind plastered her hair to one side of her head.

  "I can't find Willie," she shouted above the brewing storm. "Is he here?"

  "No. Where have you looked?"

  "I walked up and down my road calling for him. I don't know when he left the house."

  "I'll help you look."

  "Thanks, Max. He knows better than to take off during a storm, but he's so upset, he's not thinking straight."

  Max didn't like the sound of that. He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket. "Have you called Kade or anyone else?"

  "No. I really thought he might be with you."

  Max silently cursed. "My phone isn't showing service."

  Pilar reached into her pocket and handed her phone to Max. "Try mine. Just speed dial four for Kade." Max held the number down and was relieved when it went through.

  After three rings, Kade answered. "Hi cuz, what's up?"

  Max said, "Kade, this is Max. Pilar is with me. Willie's missing. He got some devastating news from his dad earlier and we're worried about him."

  "I'm on my way!"

  Max relayed to Pilar that Kade was coming and then asked, "Where do you think we should start?"

  "Probably, Desi."

  "Okay, I'll go there first, and if he isn't there, I'll canvas the rest of his street, and then mine. Why don't you check with the neighbors on your street? If we don't find him, then we'll fan out across the park."

  "Okay." Worry etched Pilar's forehead and the corners of her eyes.

  Max cupped her cheek. "We'll find him, honey."

  She gave him a weak smile and then they headed in opposite directions. Willie wasn't with Desi and when Max told him about Willie's dad canceling the baseball outing, the old man looked about how Max felt—sick to his stomach and mad as hell! Desi joined the hunt, as did every neighbor they contacted.

  Within minutes, Kade had squealed into the park in his Jeep. It was decided that he would check out the wilderness road while park residents covered the trails. Max grabbed Pilar's hand and said to everyone, "We'll go to the canyon."

  By now the wind had whipped into a frenzy and droplets sprinkled the searchers. Soon there would be a downpour. Lightening split the sky followed
a few seconds later by thunder. Time was of the essence. Max yelled above the wind, "I've called the Sheriff's department. Pinky, you and the ladies stay at my place. I gave the dispatcher my space number so that's where help will head first. Fill them in on our efforts. The dispatcher said it would take about thirty minutes for someone to arrive from their satellite station."

  Lightening arrowed through black clouds and this time the thunder roared almost immediately.

  Hank yelled, "Gator and I are on our way!"

  The rest of the men headed to their assigned locations and Kade's vehicle slung mud as he put the pedal to the metal.

  Max and Pilar's rushed toward the trail leading to the canyon. Just as steep cliffs came into view, the wind howled something fierce and the clouds dropped their first buckets of water.

  Pilar shouted above the tumult, "Oh, God, please don't let him be in the canyon. If it's raining north of us, the washes will be filling up and pouring this way. A wall of water could rush through at any minute."

  Max yelled, "Willie!"

  Pilar shouted, "Willie!"

  They traversed the ridge for several minutes screaming futilely into the wind. Suddenly, Pilar clutched Max's arm and pointed. Terror rose in Max at the wall of water pouring from the north.

  Max scanned the canyon below and prayed that Willie wasn't in it—prayed that one of the searchers had already found him. A flash of color caught his attention. He rushed closer to the edge with Pilar at his heels. His heart stopped when he saw Willie holding the limb of a juniper tree growing sideways from the wall of the ravine, near the bottom. The boy was digging his feet into the dirt and attempting to pull himself to higher ground.

  Pilar screamed, "Oh, God! No! No!" She started to climb over the edge, but Max caught her around the waist. He yelled in her ear. "If you try to go down from here, you'll kill yourself!" He held her hand and pulled her farther along the ridge until they were directly above Willie. The wall of water hit the trunk of the tree and Willie hugged the scraggly branch. He was high enough that the flood had yet to reach him, but it was only a matter of minutes before all that would change.

  Max wasn't sure if Willie even knew he was above him. He yelled, "Willie, keep hugging the tree! I'm on my way down!"

  Willie glanced up and the terror on his face was replaced with hope.

  Debris carried along by the water slammed the tree and it tilted precariously, halfway uprooting. Quickly, Max wrapped the rope he'd brought with him around the base of a mesquite tree near the ridge, while Pilar yelled encouragingly to her son. Max shouted and motioned, "Pilar, stand in front of the tree and hold the rope while I lower myself down. We don't have time to run for help."

  She yelled, "I've got it!"

  The water had now risen to Willie's feet and was raging through the ravine. Max lowered himself over the side and dug his boots into the moist soil. With his hands he grabbed onto whatever plant had taken root. His foothold caved in and he slid a couple of feet down. Grabbing another plant, he winced with pain when it cut through his palm, but it didn't slow his progress.

  Finally he reached the tree branch that was Willie's life thread. Glancing down to position himself, he saw something in Willie's expression that would forever live with him. He didn't see fear, as before, he saw trust and belief. The boy believed Max would save him. Max smiled and the child smiled back.

  Grabbing the branch of the puny tree, Max lowered himself farther. He reached for Willie. Suddenly, a wave of angry water gushed over both of them and Willie was swept away. A roar erupted from Max. "NO!" He lunged forward and captured Willie's heel. The raging current pulled at both of them. With a strength that wasn't human, he pulled the boy backward and into his arms. Willie clung to his neck. The water tore at them. He jerked on the rope and yelled, "Pull!"

  Max knew Pilar hadn't the strength to drag them upward, so he reached into that same well of inhuman force that had just saved Willie and started clawing his way up the side of the ravine. The rope remained taunt, which meant Pilar was pulling from above. They cleared the top of the tree and moved up a couple of feet. Just when he thought they were on their way, another wall of water slammed them with such force it pulled them into the current. The only thing keeping them from being swept away was the rope attached from the mesquite tree to Max's chest. He didn't know how long the mesquite tree could hold them.

  The rope slackened and the current captured them. With unfathomable love, Max kissed Willie's forehead and shouted, "I'll never let loose, son. We're in this together."

  Willie squeezed Max tighter and his words were almost unheard above the sound of raging water. "I love you, Max."

  The boy and the man clung to each other.

  Suddenly, the rope went taunt again and Max felt them being pulled backward, toward the ravine wall. They bumped into the soil and Max grabbed for whatever hold he could find. Inch by inch, with the rope slowly being pulled upward, he clawed his way to the top. As soon as they were close enough, strong arms reached and hauled him and Willie over the edge. They lay on their sides, clinging to each other. Exhaustion prevented any movement. Max could hear Pilar crying, and then Willie was lifted away from him. He opened his eyes to see Kade handing the child to his mother. Max focused behind Kade and saw a uniformed officer. Breathing hard, he gasped, "Thank you Kade, Officer. That was close."

  Kade knelt beside Max and started removing the rope. Max sat up and squeezed his eyes shut at the vision of what could have been a tragedy. The rain had turned from a downpour to a drizzle. He felt something being placed over him and opened his eyes to see the officer covering him with a slicker. Beyond him, Willie was wrapped in the officer's jacket and clinging to his mother. Slowly, Max stood. Pain, sharp and hot, shot from his hand to his elbow, and he glanced down to see the gash across his palm. He heard Pilar gasp, "Max, you're hurt!"

  Kade and the officer steadied Max and his pain was all but forgotten when he stepped to embrace Pilar and Willie. She sobbed against his neck.

  Two more officers reached the scene. The first one said, "There's an ambulance on the way. Do we need to radio for a stretcher to be hauled out here?"

  Max glanced at the officer who had saved him. The man tilted his head sideways as if to pose the question to Max. Max answered, "No. A stretcher is not needed." With one arm around Pilar and the other around Willie, he said, "Let's go home."

  Kade stepped beside Max. "I second that."

  By the time they returned to the park, the rain had stopped and sunshine peeked through the clouds. It was decided that the ambulance was not needed. The residents of Desert Princess gathered outside Pilar's trailer while Gator recreated the entire incident that Kade had related to him.

  Inside, Max sat on the edge of Pilar's bed while she bandaged his hand. Through the window, he could see Gator gesturing wildly. He chuckled and nodded. Pilar glanced out the window and smiled. "I think this rescue will be headline news around here for months to come." Her hands stilled and he glanced up. Tears flooded her eyes. She said, "Max, I can never repay you for saving Willie. You–you risked your life for him." A tear slid down her cheek.

  Max smiled and brushed the tear away. Their gazes met and he saw so much love and admiration he had to look away. No one had ever looked at him like that.

  Pilar hastened away from the bed. "I'm going to check on Willie, see if he's still asleep."

  When Pilar entered Willie's bedroom, Max let himself outside. Immediately, he was pounced on by neighbors rushing to Pilar's fence, but Vera Hightower said in her commanding voice, "Leave the man alone. Saving people is exhausting. We'll get his version of the story at the Bingo Bash."

  Max wanted to kiss Vera. Instead, he waved and hurried through the gate and back to his Bounder. Flopping on his bed, he fell into an exhausted sleep. It was almost dark when he woke. Groggily, he pushed to sit up, forgetting about his injured hand, and yelped with pain. He cursed and decided to go in search of aspirin. Above the tiny sink in his bathroom he opened the tiny
medicine cabinet and reached for the big bottle of pain killer. Moving to the kitchen in search of a glass, he heard shouting. Without turning his interior light on, he pulled back his curtain. Pilar was pacing back and forth outside the fence of her trailer. Max's eyes adjusted to the low light and he could see she was talking on a cell phone.

  And she was pissed.

  He stepped outside his RV, but she didn't even glance his way. She was shouting, "You are an asshole and if it takes every last dollar I have in Willie's trust, I'm going to see that your visitation rights are revoked. You don't deserve a son like Willie. That boy has made excuses for your neglect for years. But this last time, instead of making an excuse, he ran away and almost drowned in the ravine. How could you promise him something as important to him as breathing—going to a baseball game!—and then cancel? Parker, you were never there for me, but I kept hoping you would be there for your son!"

  Max blew a silent whistle when Pilar paused to listen to whatever her ex was saying. She wasn't quiet for long. She shouted, "You are a fucking moron and you better stay away from me and Willie! Next time you want that warm and fuzzy feeling, go hug your office." She jerked the phone away from her ear.

  Max started toward Pilar. She saw him and raised her hand to stop him, then stormed through her gate and into her trailer.

  An hour and a half later Max was in bed when he heard a car pull up outside. He turned the reading light off and laid his book down. Moving to the front of his Bounder, he glanced through the curtains that were still parted. Parker was climbing out of his vehicle. Oh, shit. Pilar's in no frame of mind to deal with him.

  Chapter 27: Mending Fences

  The headlights of a car pulling to the front of Pilar's trailer made her jump to her feet. Surely Parker hadn't driven to Oasis after the F-bomb she'd dropped on him. She almost felt chagrined by her lack of control—almost. Her ex deserved every word. She peeked through her curtains.