“Good morning Dave,” Jim Davis, the Starke mailman that delivered mail to Dave’s trailer park said as he walked around the side of the mobile home, “Mrs.’ Kelly. I hope I’m not interrupting something important or personal?”
“Morning Jim,” Dave laughed as he looked at the handful of envelopes in the mailman’s hand, “I think you might have just saved me from getting myself into more trouble than I would care to handle. I hope you have some good news for me there.”
“Sorry,” Jim replied, “unless you are expecting a check from the power company or the phone company or….”
Dave held out his hand to take the mail from Jim, “I get the idea. Maybe it would be better to just let me be surprised.”
Jim handed Dave the stack of envelopes,
“How’s the job hunting going?”
“About the same,” Dave replied.
“Maybe I’ll have better news for you tomorrow,” Jim smiled as he turned and headed towards the trailer next door, pulling another large stack of envelopes out of his bag.
“Maybe I could bribe you to skip me tomorrow?” Dave called out after the mailman.
Jim just chuckled as he threw up his hand and waved.
Dave sat up in his chair and began to flip through the stack of envelopes.
The first was the phone bill, next was the car insurance, then the master card bill and the BP gas bill. There were a few other envelopes there too that Dave was sure were also bills. He sat them to the side. They could wait until Friday when Maggie got her Wal-Mart paycheck. Then he would open them and see which ones they would be able to pay this week. The rest would have to wait until next Friday and hope they wouldn’t get anymore bills before then.
For now, there was only one envelope that Dave wanted to open and that was the electric bill.
Dave knew he was behind on the electric bill. He hoped they didn’t demand too much this time to let him slide by. The few hours of air conditioning each night was the only luxury that Dave and Maggie had and they didn’t want to give up that.
Dave reluctantly opened the electric bill and studied the statement.
He looked up to see Maggie looking at him.
“How much do they want?” Maggie asked.
Dave looked back down at the bill, “We have thirty days to pay at least three hundred dollars or they are going to turn our power off.”
“We could send them my entire paycheck this Friday,” Maggie said.
“We have to eat,” Dave replied.
“We still have a few weeks,” Maggie added, “we can do it.”
Dave just shook his head. The idea of going back to the farm was becoming more and more appealing every minute. But his dad would be horrified if he knew Dave wasn’t able to pay his bills on time.
Dave also dreaded the idea of crawling back home, admitting that things hadn’t worked out away from the farm. Having to admit that he couldn’t make it on his own.
Dave and Maggie looked up as the door on the mobile home across the street slammed and Carl Willis ran across the street towards their trailer.
Carl’s feet pounded loudly on the gravel as he stumbled and almost fell as he ran towards them.
“Slow down Carl,” Dave laughed, “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Hey Dave,” Carl said breathing heavily as he spoke, “Did you find work yet?”
“No,” Dave asked, “Why?”
“Good,” Carl said, “I wanted to get over here before you took another job.”
Dave laughed, “Well, then you could have taken your time and crawled to get over here to ask me that.”
Maggie chuckled.
“I got a job for us,” Carl blurted out.
“What kind of job?” Dave asked trying to keep from getting too excited. Dave needed work but Carl wasn’t the most reliable person in the park.
“A buddy of mine just called me,” Carl replied excitedly. “A friend of his got this project building a shopping center down by Bradenton on Anna Maria Island. He said the guy needs a dozer operator. My friend said if I can get a dozer operator that he will give me a job too.”
“Why is he looking for workers up this way?” Dave asked. “Don’t they have a union down there that would supply them with workers and operators?
“This is a nonunion job,” Carl replied. “It pays a thousand a week plus they will pay for us to stay down on Anna Maria Island until the job is done. You will have your own place and you can take Maggie with you if you want. Say you will take it. I’m sure you could use the money. If I don’t get this job I’m going to get evicted.”
“When does the job start?” Maggie asked. “And where is Anna Maria Island?”
“My buddy said Anna Maria Island is a little barrier island off the coast of Bradenton. It is supposed to be a popular tourist area. He said we will love it there and the job starts on Monday,” Carl answered eagerly.
Maggie looked at Dave, “It would be nice staying on an island. It would be like going on vacation for me and Joey.”
Dave thought for a minute, “As long as we won’t be staying in a dump. I guess I should take it.”
“Seriously,” Carl replied then added, “Look around you. It has to be better than here.”
“Take it Dave,” Maggie laughed, “Really how bad could it be staying on an island? Besides the money sounds too good to pass up.”
“You have a point,” Dave grinned as he looked at the stack of bills on his lap. “OK Carl, go get me the details.”
Carl turned and ran back to his trailer.
Maggie looked over at Dave, “If nothing else, a few days at the beach sounds like fun.”
“It does sound like fun,” Dave replied, “but the way our luck has been running, don’t get too excited until we see how this all pans out. We could end up staying in a tent next to a swamp full of hungry alligators.”
“I’ll make sure I pack a big stick,” Maggie smiled.
“Don’t forget your zombie books,” Dave grinned.
“Never,” Maggie laughed.
The door to Carl’s trailer slammed again and Carl ran back across the street.
“We’re all set,” Carl smiled. “We start on Monday. We will be staying at a place called the Pelican Post Motel on First Street. You are in room seven. I’m in room six. They said we can check in Friday and enjoy the weekend if we want. Here are the directions.”
Carl handed Dave a piece of paper with the information scribbled across it.
“OK,” Dave said. “It doesn’t sound too bad so far at least.”
Carl looked at Dave and Maggie with a big grin on his face.
“When we check in,” Carl paused as his grin grew bigger, “there will be a five hundred dollar bonus check waiting there for us.”
Dave’s face brightened and he looked at Maggie.
“How would you like to go out for a big steak on Friday night my dear?”
“I say we go out for pizza and save the rest of the money to pay our bills,” Maggie replied.
Dave thought for a second.
“On one condition,” he answered.
Maggie looked at him skeptically.
“Depends,” she replied.
“After we get pizza,” Dave grinned, “we go buy you a new zombie book.”
Maggie laughed, “I think we can live with that.”
Dave looked at the stack of bills on his chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
Had his luck finally changed? Was this the break he had been looking for the last two years?
“If nothing else, I have just made an easy five hundred dollars and will have a full weekend in air conditioned comfort,” Dave thought. “I would call that a lucky break.”
Dave looked at the stack of bills again, but this time they didn’t seem as demoralizing as they had a few minutes ago.
Chapter 2
Dave carried their two small suitcases out to the car and dropped them in the trunk of his old Ford Focus. The car had been a graduation g
ift from his dad when he graduated from Ohio State.
The car wasn’t a new car, now it was nine years old, but his dad said it would be good reliable transportation until Dave got on his feet.
He had just asked Dave to hang on to the car for a few years until he his career was doing well before buying one of those new pricy imports like a Mercedes or a Lexus.
Dave remembered his dad’s words as he closed the trunk.
“At least I hung on to this old car and didn’t disappoint my dad by buying that new Mercedes SLK that I had my eye on,” Dave thought.
Even though with his spotty job history, the possibility of Dave buying another car could have never happened, he knew his dad would be proud that he still had the car.
Maggie had just finished securing Joey in the car seat in the back seat of the car. She closed the back door and grabbed Dave before he could walk back to the porch to get the box with Joey’s toys.
She gave him a big hug, “I can’t believe we are actually going to the beach. This will be like our very first vacation. I’m so excited.”
“I’m glad it doesn’t take much to get you excited,” Dave laughed.
Maggie grinned right before jabbing Dave in the stomach then gave him another hug.
“Just don’t get too excited,” Dave smiled, “remember Carl was the one that set all of this up. We might end up staying in a shack and the beach will be located next to a sewage plant.”
Maggie giggled, “This is going to be fun no matter what. Besides we are getting paid five hundred dollars just for showing up.”
“Well if Carl’s directions were right, we will find out in about six hours,” Dave replied.
“Just to be sure we can find our way, I picked us up a Florida map yesterday at the gas station in front of Wal-Mart,” Maggie said. “I don’t want to get lost going on our first trip.”
“Good thinking,” Dave laughed, “Carl isn’t real good with directions. I think the main reason Carl doesn’t get much work is because he can’t find his way to the job site.”
Maggie giggled, “It’s either that or he can’t read his own handwriting. I think Joey can write better than Carl.”
“Speak of the devil,” Dave said as he motioned towards Carl’s trailer.
Carl came out of his trailer and locked his door. Then he walked over towards Dave and Maggie, tossing a change of clothing in through the open passenger’s window of his truck.
Carl had a worried look on his face.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed at a motel,” Carl said. “Are we going to need a driver’s license for ID to check in?”
“Probably,” Dave replied, “You do have a driver’s license, right?”
“Sort of,” Carl replied.
“What does sort of mean?” Dave laughed.
“I have one but it kind of expired last year,” Carl answered.
“You mean you have been driving all this time with an expired license?” Maggie asked.
“Yea, but I’m real careful,” Carl replied seriously.
“Since the rooms are already paid for, you should be OK,” Dave replied. “But if they ask, just tell them you don’t drive so you don’t have a license.”
“That could work,” Carl smiled, “you’ll vouch for me won’t you?”
“No problem,” Dave laughed, “Just be careful following us on the interstate so you don’t get yourself arrested and locked up before we get to the motel.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to ride with us?” Maggie asked.
“No thanks,” Carl replied and smiled. “I plan on going bar hopping with my five hundred bucks tonight. I’ll probably be too drunk to walk back to the motel.”
“If you get run in for being drunk and disorderly,” Dave said, “don’t count on me to bail you out. I need that money to pay my bills. Maybe you should just go get a six pack and stay in and watch TV.”
“Do you think we will have a TV in our room?” Carl asked.
“I’m sure we will,” Maggie replied and laughed at the look on Carl’s face, “they will probably even have cable.”
“Wow!” Carl replied, “That sounds like a good idea. I haven’t watched TV for ages.”
“Are you ready to go?” Dave asked. “As soon as I get Joey’s things we’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” Carl smiled, “Remember, just stay under the speed limit.”
Carl headed over and got in his truck. He started the engine and backed out of his driveway and pulled in behind Dave’s Focus.
Dave went over to the porch, after making sure his trailer door was locked, he grabbed Joey’s box of toys and clothes and put them in the back seat next to Joey.
He hopped in the driver’s seat and started the car.
Maggie slid over next to Dave.
Dave laughed, “Carl seemed really excited that he was going to have cable TV.”
Maggie smiled, “I was going to tell him that the room also had a shower but I decided to be nice. After all Carl did find us this job.”
Dave laughed, “If you would have told him about the shower he might have changed his mind about taking the job.”
Maggie giggled, “No I don’t think he would have changed his mind because I don’t think he knows what a shower is.”
Dave chuckled, “That was nasty, Maggie.”
“Sorry,” Maggie grinned back.
“With this heat, I’m sure we all smell a little strange,” Dave added.
Dave put the Focus in gear and drove out the gravel driveway and stopped at the end of the road. After looking both ways, he pulled out onto Route 301 and headed south.
Maggie snuggled up close to Dave, “I’m excited. I can’t wait to get there.”
Dave just smiled and looked in the rearview mirror to make sure Carl was following.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he was excited too.
He only hoped he would still be excited after they arrived at the Pelican Post later today.
After how crappy their lives had been over the last couple of years, he hoped they weren’t getting excited, just to be disappointed again.
Adam walked into the Pelican Post Office.
His clothes were dirty and his hair matted against his head from perspiration.
His wife Nicole was just hanging up the phone and finished entering a reservation into the computer.
The Pelican Post was a small 1950’s style motel.
The main part of the motel was a long concrete block building that contained seven units.
In front of the long concrete building was the parking lot for the motel’s residents.
On the left side of the parking lot was the motel office.
It was a two story building. The office was on the main floor and the second floor was referred to as the cottage.
It was larger than the rooms in the main part of the motel and was usually rented by groups or large families.
Next to the right side of the parking lot was another building that was divided into two units, Suite one and Suite two.
Palm trees were planted along the parking lot and around the sides of the property.
Adam and Nicole had just finished painting the entire motel by hand. The light blue with tan accents blended in perfectly with the green palms, blue sky and the tan sand.
There were a number of places that they hadn’t been able to reach and the old green paint jumped out at you, but overall the place looked attractive, clean, quiet and peaceful. When they found someone with longer arms to help them, they would paint over the few green areas to finish the paint job.
The Pelican Post was surrounded by a number of vacation rental properties and local restaurants.
Across the street behind the motel was the marina on the inter-coastal waterway.
Across the street in front of the motel was the white sands and blue water of the Gulf of Mexico.
In a word, it was located in a quaint little piece of paradise.
It was a favorite
spot of many locals and also of many people that lived up north.
During the fall and winter months, the Pelican Post was packed full until mid-March.
It was now late summer, the slow time when all the tourists returned home to get ready for school and before the snowbirds came down to spend the winter.
“Did you get the air conditioner fixed in suite one?” Nicole asked.
“It took a while, but I finally figured out the problem,” Adam replied as he wiped his face on his green t-shirt. “I thought I was going to die it was so hot up on that roof.”
“Sit down and take a rest,” Nicole said, “I’ll go get you a cold drink.”
“That sounds good,” Adam sighed as he dropped down behind the counter and made himself comfortable under the air conditioner vent and let the cool air blow over him.
“I took a few more reservations for this weekend,” Nicole yelled out from the back room, “It looks like we will have a full house over the weekend.”
“How do things look for next week?” Adam asked.
“Except for the three units rented by that construction company, we’ll be pretty much empty most of next week,” Nicole replied, “Do you think it was a good idea to rent out three units to that construction company?”
“It’s our slow time and we could use the money,” Adam answered, “They reserved the units for three months and paid fifteen grand up front for the entire time. I just couldn’t pass that up.”
“I just remember the last time we rented a unit to some construction workers for a week,” Nicole said as she came out of the back room and handed Adam a cold can of Coke, “they trashed the place and made a real mess. It took Shirley two days to get the unit cleaned up. They broke the TV, two lamps and we had to have a carpet service come in to get the grease out of the carpet.”
“I know,” Adam said as he took a long drink of the cold soft drink, “we ended up losing three hundred dollars on that deal. But when that guy said he would pay up front and handed me a check for fifteen thousand dollars, I thought it would be worth taking a chance.”
Now It Begins Page 2
