MARRIED... trying to adapt (Part 48a)
Elle was more excited about going home than I was. With my parents living across the street it was inevitable that our paths would cross. For me the best part of being home was the fact that we wouldn’t have any expenses with Elle’s parents paying for the food. Elle and I had agreed that we’d skip exchanging Christmas presents with each other and would just buy one for her parents. Her mother had been hinting way back in the Summer about wanting a new table lamp. That was to be our only expense except for gas for the car.
When Elle would talk to her mother on Sundays she would tell Elle that she had a BIG surprise for her when she got home. We left right after dawn and were home by mid afternoon. I don’t remember much about the trip except, for once, we missed rush hour traffic. When we walked in the door we could see this great pile of presents stacked up on the dining room table. They weren’t Christmas presents but were wedding presents, the result of Elle’s mother sending out announcements to all her friends. I remember Elle going up and giving her mother a great big hug. She actually started opening presents before taking off her coat.
It was amazing just how many of the things were exactly what we needed. Without boring you, among them we got a full set of Melamine (plastic) dishes, stainless steel tableware, a set of pots and pans, glasses, sheets, blankets, pillows and most important, money! It was truly incredible. Of all the things we got there were only a few that were impractical. We were truly thankful to all who gave and to her mother who orchestrated the whole thing. For the first time I felt that we were close to be on level ground.
Two days before Christmas I got a call from Dr F. He’d asked where I could be reached over the holidays and when I gave him the number I didn’t think much about it. When I took the phone from my mother in law I was a bit puzzled. He wanted to know when I was returning to campus. To maximize the fact that we basically had little to no expenses we’d planned to stay for the full two weeks. After telling Dr F my plans, he asked if there was any chance that I’d be back earlier. This whole conversation was very much unlike any I’d had with him prior to this. Puzzled, I asked why. Right after classes ended he had received over 7000 tests from the West coast and it was critical that he have the results to work with as soon as possible. At first I told him that our plans were fairly firm. Then he really got my attention when he said he’d pay 3 cents each if I could have them scored by the first day back to classes. That was $210 cash. I told him I’d call him right back. I discussed the offer with Elle and we figured out just how much of it we’d spend on food for the week. She was torn between leaving the relative comfort of her parents house and also wanting to get back to the trailer with all the the wedding gifts so she could make it our own. I ended up making the decision to go back. In the back of my mind was that if I helped Dr F out now he just might find other work for me when his project was done.
Christmas was nice even though there weren’t many presents exchanged. We’d found a reasonably priced lamp for her mother and it really pleased her. Her parents present to us (read that Elle) were maternity clothes. Elle was approaching four months and other than a thickening waist still really didn’t show all that much. But we both knew it would be coming soon so it was very appropriate. Elle’s brother arrived home on leave in time for dinner. He hadn’t seen Elle for over a year. He also had a wedding present for us; a toaster.
We headed back on Sunday so that I could be at Dr F’s office first thing on Monday. By the time we loaded all our things into the car there was barely enough room for us. I’d seen my father a couple of times driving by the house. I didn’t acknowledge him nor he, me. What really did bother me was in not seeing my grandparents. I did call after Christmas but when my grandfather heard my voice he hung up. Even with that, our time at home was still good. It was time with Elle that was pressure free for me and probably the same for her. We got in a couple of good walks on the beach and just enjoyed each others company.
The only snow we’d seen prior to Christmas had been manageable. When we got back we found well over a foot on the ground and, since we hadn’t been there to shovel the snow after if fell, found ourselves “snowed out”. With all the things we’d received the one thing we didn’t get and needed most was a shovel. Josh and Beth hadn’t yet returned so I trudged through the snow over to Mac and Martha’s trailer to borrow one. I cut a path to the door and went inside. We’d turned the heat way down but it was absolutely cold inside. The furnace was off... again. Elle sat in the car while I changed the filter on the tank and finally got it started. Mac had seen me out behind the trailer and called to see if everything was OK. I told him the problem and that Elle was still sitting in the car. He told me to drive around to their place and to come on inside while our place warmed up some.
We’d not seen much of them in the short time we’d been at the park so it was a little awkward at first. He was football player and rather large. Their trailer was much older than ours and the ceilings were lower. The top of his head was only inches away from it. Martha, on the other hand, was rather plain looking and very quiet. When we walked in the warmth felt good. Elle had preceded me and as Mac took her coat I saw that her bottom was wet. It wasn’t all that bad but her “package” was obviously full and had leaked around the leg opening of her plastic pants. I didn’t want to embarrass her and yet I also didn’t want to have her sit on their furniture like that.
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
MARRIED... and facing the real world (Part 47i)
I arrived at Harry’s place around 7:30am or so and found both he and Clyde out working with the yearlings, breaking them in to having a cart behind them. As soon as I walked up to them harry handed me the reins and said he’d see me later. Clyde was there to guide me as I really didn’t know what to do. It was fairly easy and I was aided by the fact that the two colts I worked with were well behaved. Clyde had his hands full with one and all I could do was to be thankful it wasn’t me. Harry came back just as we were putting the horses away. He took me into the office he had in the horse barn and told me to sit down. I was sort of surprised but did as he said. As if he (and Vi) hadn't done enough he offered me a job on Saturdays. He would pay me $10 for the day. The mornings were working with the horses along with Clyde and then in the afternoon I was to do what he called ”park maintenance“. Without explaining just what was entailed in that he added that when I was done with that I would work with Hank, the man he had preparing new trailers. I don’t think I hesitated when I said I’d do it and thanked him.
It didn’t take long to find out what ”park maintenance“ was all about. In simplest terms, I collected the garbage from all the trailers in the park. Vi was actually the manager for the park and had also designed it. She became very defensive when anyone would disparage a trailer park so wanted hers to look as nice as possible. To that end, residents had to keep their trash barrels behind the units and basically out of sight. When the park was laid out it had about a 10 foot wide path that ran behind all the units (with the trailers back to back off of two separate roads). My job was to take the small Ford tractor with a four wheel wagon behind it and to drive down the path and pick up the garbage. It didn’t take all that long and since it was cold out the smell was tolerable. But, it didn’t take long to find out a benefit from this job. Every trailer had a clothes line. It was a single pole with four arms that folded down with three separate lines at different levels. I was only about a third of the way down the path when I came across my first ”discovery“. There were three pair of white nylon panties blowing in the breeze. As I picked up the garbage pail I was looking right at them. I’ll admit I stood there for at least 15 seconds, if not more, staring at them. As far as I can remember they were nothing special but they looked so nice. I do remember that they had a fairly large crotch but didn’t look all that big as far as size. I think it was a horn blowing that broke the trance. As I continued on down the path I got a glimpse of a few more. My mind was whirring as I imagined what I would find in upcoming weeks.
When finished collecting I dumped it all in a big pit out behind the horse barn. With the manure pile right next to it whatever smell it contained was more than compensated for. I then went to meet Hank who worked as the resident handyman. Harry told me that I’d learn a lot about trailers working with him and he guaranteed that, living in one, I’d put to use a lot of what I learned. A brand new trailer had come in that day and he was in the process of getting it set up for display. It wasn’t long before it was quitting time. I stopped by the trailer office to say good night and Vi handed me $10. Even though I didn’t know her all that well I wanted to give her a hug as I said thank you... but I didn’t.
Elle had made a trip downtown to Woolworth's with Beth to buy some of the things that she would have to have to live the whole week there. The $10 that I had in my pocket sure hadn’t lasted very long. That night Beth and Josh invited us over for ”games“. They were big into board games and, as a boy, so was I. The evening went quickly but was important in that we really ”bonded“ with them. Beth offered to drive Elle to the sorority each morning and, if she needed a ride back, would come and get her when she drove Josh to work at the parts plant in the late afternoon. It took a big worry off both our minds.
Because Elle was now out of her routine she had taken to wearing a "package" more and more... and unfortunately, using it. I don’t think I’d ever given any thought to the cost of sanitary napkins that she was using. But, when I looked at what she’d purchased and the price I took notice. She was using anywhere from eight to twelve a day. I didn’t say anything but made a mental note of it. Elle had also purchased a folding rack that would give her a place to hang her panties so the living room wouldn’t be decorated by them. During the day it fit inside the bathtub. I approved.
We spent Sunday studying and had dinner with Beth and Josh. We had determined that since we each got paid on alternating weeks that the one getting paid would buy the meat for a good meal, cook it and invite the other over to share on Sundays. Elle was already in a panic about the following week when it would be her turn. Even with that we had a good time.
I drove Elle to the sorority before I left on Monday morning. Since my first class wasn’t until 10:30am I had plenty of time. I had many thoughts about what I wanted and needed to do but not the conviction to follow through on them. Truthfully, the next three weeks are like a void in my mind. The only important thing I can think of is that Dr F complained that he was falling behind on the project where I was scoring tests. He’d originally planned on scoring them by machine and the hand scoring was taking far longer than he expected. I flat out told him that I was doing the best I could but with him limiting me to scoring them only in his office was the real problem. I know I was ”pushing the envelope“ when I told him that if he’d let me take them that I could guarantee at least 3000 a week. Initially, he said ”no“. I don’t remember exactly when he changed his mind but it caught me by surprise. I brought about 2000 or so home with me that next weekend and when I told Elle that she was going to have to help me do it she got upset. It ended up being our first real ”discussion“. When all was said and done she finally agreed. We got quite a few done that night and she promised to do some when I was down at Harry’s. As I remember it my pay for that week was the most I’d made since back at school.
I also remember Beth and Josh ”surviving“ Elle’s first attempt at cooking a real meal.
There was a lot of laughing, in good nature, as it (slowly) progressed. We all decided that we'd go home for Christmas. Trish and Vince had the biggest living room so they offered to hold a Christmas party the night of the last day of classes. This was long before the word went out about pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. Beth got really drunk and we all had a good laugh watching her. As Elle and I were leaving for home the first thing in the morning we left fairly early. Josh decided that Beth had had enough and they joined us. Trish and Vince’s trailer was right at the top of the hill and as we made our way down Beth fell. We were all concerned, worried about the baby. When we leaned down to see how she was she seemed really upset. I remember her repeating, over and over, ”Where are my legs? I can’t see my legs!“. She was actually sitting on them but in her drunken state she was convinced they were gone. Josh and I reached down to pick her up and as we did it was very obvious that she was in the process of wetting herself. Even though I was concerned about her and the baby I couldn’t help myself as I felt a bulge growing in my pants. We, more or less, carried her the rest of the way to her trailer and once Josh got the door open he went inside trying to pull her up and in. It wasn’t working as she was like a rag doll. I got behind her and tried to lift from her hips. As she finally started upwards I put one hand on her backside to give a final push and felt the now cold wetness. My bulge was still there when we got to the door of our trailer. I had a little persuading to do when we got into bed but I did prevail. :-)
To be continued...
I arrived at Harry’s place around 7:30am or so and found both he and Clyde out working with the yearlings, breaking them in to having a cart behind them. As soon as I walked up to them harry handed me the reins and said he’d see me later. Clyde was there to guide me as I really didn’t know what to do. It was fairly easy and I was aided by the fact that the two colts I worked with were well behaved. Clyde had his hands full with one and all I could do was to be thankful it wasn’t me. Harry came back just as we were putting the horses away. He took me into the office he had in the horse barn and told me to sit down. I was sort of surprised but did as he said. As if he (and Vi) hadn't done enough he offered me a job on Saturdays. He would pay me $10 for the day. The mornings were working with the horses along with Clyde and then in the afternoon I was to do what he called ”park maintenance“. Without explaining just what was entailed in that he added that when I was done with that I would work with Hank, the man he had preparing new trailers. I don’t think I hesitated when I said I’d do it and thanked him.
It didn’t take long to find out what ”park maintenance“ was all about. In simplest terms, I collected the garbage from all the trailers in the park. Vi was actually the manager for the park and had also designed it. She became very defensive when anyone would disparage a trailer park so wanted hers to look as nice as possible. To that end, residents had to keep their trash barrels behind the units and basically out of sight. When the park was laid out it had about a 10 foot wide path that ran behind all the units (with the trailers back to back off of two separate roads). My job was to take the small Ford tractor with a four wheel wagon behind it and to drive down the path and pick up the garbage. It didn’t take all that long and since it was cold out the smell was tolerable. But, it didn’t take long to find out a benefit from this job. Every trailer had a clothes line. It was a single pole with four arms that folded down with three separate lines at different levels. I was only about a third of the way down the path when I came across my first ”discovery“. There were three pair of white nylon panties blowing in the breeze. As I picked up the garbage pail I was looking right at them. I’ll admit I stood there for at least 15 seconds, if not more, staring at them. As far as I can remember they were nothing special but they looked so nice. I do remember that they had a fairly large crotch but didn’t look all that big as far as size. I think it was a horn blowing that broke the trance. As I continued on down the path I got a glimpse of a few more. My mind was whirring as I imagined what I would find in upcoming weeks.
When finished collecting I dumped it all in a big pit out behind the horse barn. With the manure pile right next to it whatever smell it contained was more than compensated for. I then went to meet Hank who worked as the resident handyman. Harry told me that I’d learn a lot about trailers working with him and he guaranteed that, living in one, I’d put to use a lot of what I learned. A brand new trailer had come in that day and he was in the process of getting it set up for display. It wasn’t long before it was quitting time. I stopped by the trailer office to say good night and Vi handed me $10. Even though I didn’t know her all that well I wanted to give her a hug as I said thank you... but I didn’t.
Elle had made a trip downtown to Woolworth's with Beth to buy some of the things that she would have to have to live the whole week there. The $10 that I had in my pocket sure hadn’t lasted very long. That night Beth and Josh invited us over for ”games“. They were big into board games and, as a boy, so was I. The evening went quickly but was important in that we really ”bonded“ with them. Beth offered to drive Elle to the sorority each morning and, if she needed a ride back, would come and get her when she drove Josh to work at the parts plant in the late afternoon. It took a big worry off both our minds.
Because Elle was now out of her routine she had taken to wearing a "package" more and more... and unfortunately, using it. I don’t think I’d ever given any thought to the cost of sanitary napkins that she was using. But, when I looked at what she’d purchased and the price I took notice. She was using anywhere from eight to twelve a day. I didn’t say anything but made a mental note of it. Elle had also purchased a folding rack that would give her a place to hang her panties so the living room wouldn’t be decorated by them. During the day it fit inside the bathtub. I approved.
We spent Sunday studying and had dinner with Beth and Josh. We had determined that since we each got paid on alternating weeks that the one getting paid would buy the meat for a good meal, cook it and invite the other over to share on Sundays. Elle was already in a panic about the following week when it would be her turn. Even with that we had a good time.
I drove Elle to the sorority before I left on Monday morning. Since my first class wasn’t until 10:30am I had plenty of time. I had many thoughts about what I wanted and needed to do but not the conviction to follow through on them. Truthfully, the next three weeks are like a void in my mind. The only important thing I can think of is that Dr F complained that he was falling behind on the project where I was scoring tests. He’d originally planned on scoring them by machine and the hand scoring was taking far longer than he expected. I flat out told him that I was doing the best I could but with him limiting me to scoring them only in his office was the real problem. I know I was ”pushing the envelope“ when I told him that if he’d let me take them that I could guarantee at least 3000 a week. Initially, he said ”no“. I don’t remember exactly when he changed his mind but it caught me by surprise. I brought about 2000 or so home with me that next weekend and when I told Elle that she was going to have to help me do it she got upset. It ended up being our first real ”discussion“. When all was said and done she finally agreed. We got quite a few done that night and she promised to do some when I was down at Harry’s. As I remember it my pay for that week was the most I’d made since back at school.
I also remember Beth and Josh ”surviving“ Elle’s first attempt at cooking a real meal.
There was a lot of laughing, in good nature, as it (slowly) progressed. We all decided that we'd go home for Christmas. Trish and Vince had the biggest living room so they offered to hold a Christmas party the night of the last day of classes. This was long before the word went out about pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. Beth got really drunk and we all had a good laugh watching her. As Elle and I were leaving for home the first thing in the morning we left fairly early. Josh decided that Beth had had enough and they joined us. Trish and Vince’s trailer was right at the top of the hill and as we made our way down Beth fell. We were all concerned, worried about the baby. When we leaned down to see how she was she seemed really upset. I remember her repeating, over and over, ”Where are my legs? I can’t see my legs!“. She was actually sitting on them but in her drunken state she was convinced they were gone. Josh and I reached down to pick her up and as we did it was very obvious that she was in the process of wetting herself. Even though I was concerned about her and the baby I couldn’t help myself as I felt a bulge growing in my pants. We, more or less, carried her the rest of the way to her trailer and once Josh got the door open he went inside trying to pull her up and in. It wasn’t working as she was like a rag doll. I got behind her and tried to lift from her hips. As she finally started upwards I put one hand on her backside to give a final push and felt the now cold wetness. My bulge was still there when we got to the door of our trailer. I had a little persuading to do when we got into bed but I did prevail. :-)
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MARRIED... and facing the real world (Part 47h)
Thanksgiving with Harry and Vi was fun. We were incorporated right into their family. The men talked about horses and the women about family. It was dark before we knew it. But, when we got back to the trailer we found it to be quite cold inside. I didn’t even know where to begin to look to find the reason. My first thought was to call Harry... but we didn’t have a phone. Something else I/we had forgotten.
It was another visit over the Josh and Beth’s and a call to Harry. I was really upset more in the fact that I felt so helpless than anything else. Harry was actually apologetic as soon as I told him my problem. He knew exactly what was wrong. When he brought the kerosene tank the movement of the truck over the road had stirred up all the junk that had been inside it. The filter was clogged and not letting the fuel through to the heater. He had brought extra filters but had forgotten to mention it to me. He told me where he’d put them and how to change it. After thanking him Josh and I went out to do the dirty deed. (Have you ever gotten kerosene on your hands?) Then Josh restarted my heater and we were set for heat. While our unit warmed up we stayed with Josh and Beth. We found out that he was veteran and had been going to college part time for about six years. He had met Beth at school and they had been married for over a year. He was hoping to graduate in June but Beth, who was also pregnant, would still have another year to go. Josh also worked as a night watchman at a local truck parts factory Monday through Friday. We felt very comfortable in their presence and when we finally went back to our unit felt very lucky to have them as neighbors. Elle was finally warming up to where we had located.
When we got back we sat down and counted up just how much money we had left. I don’t remember how much it was but the cost of the list of things we still needed to buy far exceeded the amount. Beth had told Elle that we could keep the glasses, dishes and utensils until we could afford to buy our own which took a lot of the immediate burden off. Elle was pretty sure that she could still eat at the sorority since she’d already paid for it. If that was so we felt our situation was manageable. At least enough for us to get a good night of sleep.
The first thing I did on Friday was to go down to the phone company and order up a phone. More $$ gone. Beth had promised to introduce us to the other students and “young” people living in the park. Elle already knew Tricia and her husband Vince. She was also pregnant. Ironically, all three of them were due in June. By the time we met Mac and Martha, the other couple going to school, it was time for lunch. We had stocked up on Campbell’s chicken soup along with tuna fish on our shopping trip. So it was soup for lunch and tuna for supper. Yum! (NOT!!)
We spent the afternoon studying and when we took a break we made our “wish list” of things to make the trailer more “homey”. Elle knew of some things she thought her mother would let her have. It was sort of fun picturing where we would put the various items we hoped to get.
One of the two buildings that were out front by the road held a coin operated washing machine. Beth had told Elle that the residents filled out a list of when they wanted to do their wash and since we were the newest we were last on the list. Elle needed to wash her panties. (She’d been wearing mostly “packages” just to be sure since we never knew where we were going to be and the availability of a toilet.) So after supper we went over and did a panty wash. I knew Elle had a lot but was really surprised at the number she put into the machine. It was sort of funny because I’d often try to peek into her panty drawer when I was up in her room at home and yet, with all the things going on over the past couple of days I never gave a thought to looking at what she had. But I vowed to do a “count“ before I left to go back to school.
When we got back to the trailer we had another problem... what to do with all the panties. We never gave a thought as to where we’d put them to dry. There was a ”community“ wash line just outside the room where the washing machine was located but Elle said there was no way she was going to put them out there for everybody to see,especially at night. We hung as many as we could over the shower curtain bar and a whole bunch spread out over the edge and inside the tub. Then we moved to the kitchen and spread out as many as the counter would hold. We had them hanging on the door handles and over the back of the chairs. It was really pretty funny to look at. I don’t remember just how many there were but it was at least two dozen. We decided to head for bed when I heard a knock at the door. Talk about a panic attack! Elle told me not to answer the door. All she was worried about was someone seeing all those panties spread all around. With most of the lights still on there was no way to pretend we were asleep so I, very reluctantly went to the the door. I only opened it a crack and saw Josh standing there. He had a message from Harry. He wanted me to come down to his place and to work with the yearlings the next day. I thanked Josh and heaved a sigh of relief. Elle wasn't too happy when I told her I'd be leaving the next day but I knew I had to go. Harry (and Vi) had been so good to us that I knew I really didn't have a choice.
To be continued...
Thanksgiving with Harry and Vi was fun. We were incorporated right into their family. The men talked about horses and the women about family. It was dark before we knew it. But, when we got back to the trailer we found it to be quite cold inside. I didn’t even know where to begin to look to find the reason. My first thought was to call Harry... but we didn’t have a phone. Something else I/we had forgotten.
It was another visit over the Josh and Beth’s and a call to Harry. I was really upset more in the fact that I felt so helpless than anything else. Harry was actually apologetic as soon as I told him my problem. He knew exactly what was wrong. When he brought the kerosene tank the movement of the truck over the road had stirred up all the junk that had been inside it. The filter was clogged and not letting the fuel through to the heater. He had brought extra filters but had forgotten to mention it to me. He told me where he’d put them and how to change it. After thanking him Josh and I went out to do the dirty deed. (Have you ever gotten kerosene on your hands?) Then Josh restarted my heater and we were set for heat. While our unit warmed up we stayed with Josh and Beth. We found out that he was veteran and had been going to college part time for about six years. He had met Beth at school and they had been married for over a year. He was hoping to graduate in June but Beth, who was also pregnant, would still have another year to go. Josh also worked as a night watchman at a local truck parts factory Monday through Friday. We felt very comfortable in their presence and when we finally went back to our unit felt very lucky to have them as neighbors. Elle was finally warming up to where we had located.
When we got back we sat down and counted up just how much money we had left. I don’t remember how much it was but the cost of the list of things we still needed to buy far exceeded the amount. Beth had told Elle that we could keep the glasses, dishes and utensils until we could afford to buy our own which took a lot of the immediate burden off. Elle was pretty sure that she could still eat at the sorority since she’d already paid for it. If that was so we felt our situation was manageable. At least enough for us to get a good night of sleep.
The first thing I did on Friday was to go down to the phone company and order up a phone. More $$ gone. Beth had promised to introduce us to the other students and “young” people living in the park. Elle already knew Tricia and her husband Vince. She was also pregnant. Ironically, all three of them were due in June. By the time we met Mac and Martha, the other couple going to school, it was time for lunch. We had stocked up on Campbell’s chicken soup along with tuna fish on our shopping trip. So it was soup for lunch and tuna for supper. Yum! (NOT!!)
We spent the afternoon studying and when we took a break we made our “wish list” of things to make the trailer more “homey”. Elle knew of some things she thought her mother would let her have. It was sort of fun picturing where we would put the various items we hoped to get.
One of the two buildings that were out front by the road held a coin operated washing machine. Beth had told Elle that the residents filled out a list of when they wanted to do their wash and since we were the newest we were last on the list. Elle needed to wash her panties. (She’d been wearing mostly “packages” just to be sure since we never knew where we were going to be and the availability of a toilet.) So after supper we went over and did a panty wash. I knew Elle had a lot but was really surprised at the number she put into the machine. It was sort of funny because I’d often try to peek into her panty drawer when I was up in her room at home and yet, with all the things going on over the past couple of days I never gave a thought to looking at what she had. But I vowed to do a “count“ before I left to go back to school.
When we got back to the trailer we had another problem... what to do with all the panties. We never gave a thought as to where we’d put them to dry. There was a ”community“ wash line just outside the room where the washing machine was located but Elle said there was no way she was going to put them out there for everybody to see,especially at night. We hung as many as we could over the shower curtain bar and a whole bunch spread out over the edge and inside the tub. Then we moved to the kitchen and spread out as many as the counter would hold. We had them hanging on the door handles and over the back of the chairs. It was really pretty funny to look at. I don’t remember just how many there were but it was at least two dozen. We decided to head for bed when I heard a knock at the door. Talk about a panic attack! Elle told me not to answer the door. All she was worried about was someone seeing all those panties spread all around. With most of the lights still on there was no way to pretend we were asleep so I, very reluctantly went to the the door. I only opened it a crack and saw Josh standing there. He had a message from Harry. He wanted me to come down to his place and to work with the yearlings the next day. I thanked Josh and heaved a sigh of relief. Elle wasn't too happy when I told her I'd be leaving the next day but I knew I had to go. Harry (and Vi) had been so good to us that I knew I really didn't have a choice.
To be continued...
Friday, September 11, 2009
MARRIED... and facing the real world (Part 47g)
Before Harry left he gave us a tour of the trailer and some advice. Then we were all alone. It was as cold inside as it was outside and I think that took away some of the excitement. I remember sitting on the couch and trying to figure out where to get the money we needed to get the basics... electricity, kerosene for heat and another thing I’d overlooked... bottled gas for cooking. Elle was cold and just sitting there fretting about the problem wasn’t going to solve it. As we headed back to the sorority Elle said she’d call her mother and ask for a loan. I knew how hard that was for Elle to even consider. The Winter was rough for her parents and they’d just written a $1000 check. But it was all we had to turn to. I left while it was still daylight with Elle promising to call when she got an answer.
The trip back to my college was filled with thoughts of what I could sell to bring in some money. I had a suitcase full of what I called “junk”, things I’d collected in lieu of money owed to me by fellow fraternity brothers and classmates back at boarding school. (I won’t go into the details of how I managed to get the stuff... say “thank you”) It included a Japanese bayonet, a Nazi flag that had been partially burned and a real Swiss army knife. Among other things I also had a fairly good collection of Dixieland Jazz on 10 inch LP’s. I decided I’d hold an auction. As I finished the trip I had most of it planned.
It was on Tuesday that I got it off. I netted almost $50. It was somewhat ironic as that night Elle called to say that her mother was wiring $100. That meant we’d have enough money to at least get into the trailer and to buy some food. The only problem was that it was Thanksgiving week and we’d decided to stay and not go home so we could get settled in and Elle’s mother wasn’t too pleased. Notwithstanding that, I think that night was the first good sleep I’d had since we got married.
I’d contacted the electric company that Monday and sent the deposit that same day. I also contacted the park owner and asked if he could arrange for some kerosene to be delivered. I also called Harry and asked if he could stop by late Wednesday afternoon to make sure I knew what I was doing as far as the heater was concerned. He laughed but said that he would be there.
I picked Elle up around 2pm. She’d packed most of her clothes which concerned her roommate. Up to that time neither of us had told anyone. Elle wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to make the announcement. We arrived at the trailer to find Harry and Vi waiting. We walked in and found the trailer to be nice and warm. Harry had brought a barrel partially filled with kerosene along with a stand for it and had started the heater. I offered to pay but he said that they had been left behind at his park when a unit moved out. But the surprises didn’t stop there. Vi took Elle to the main bedroom and there was the bed, all made up with sheets, pillows and bedspread. She told her it was their wedding gift to us. A few minutes later she invited us to their house for Thanksgiving dinner. I couldn’t believe all this good fortune in just such a short period of time. I really didn’t know what to say.
Vi told us to be at their house at noon and then she and Harry left. Finally alone in our own “home” but it wasn’t for long as there was knock on the door. I opened it to see a very tall, black haired man and a very short young woman standing there. They introduced themselves as Josh and Beth, our next door neighbors. We invited them in but I was concerned about the time. It was Thanksgiving eve and way back then there was no such thing as extended hours. We had no food in the place at all. With that as my main concern I asked them where the nearest food market was located. Josh laughed and accused me of “spying” on him. I was lost as to what he meant. He then told us that he worked as a security person at a relatively new “supermarket” just a mile or so away on the new by-pass. I told him of our needs and he volunteered to take us there. I said it wasn’t necessary but he insisted. All four of us went. We needed all the staples... milk, bread, eggs, cereal, mayonaise and lots of tuna fish. When we were ready to leave Josh took the basket from me and pushed it towards the check out counter. I protested and all he said was he’d take care of it. I couldn’t believe it. But my amazement was short lived for when we got to the car he asked for the money he’d just paid. He then explained that as an employee he got a discount. Then the whole episode made sense.
Back at the trailer Beth told Elle that if we’d forgotten anything to be sure to come next door. I’m laughing because, just to show our naivety, we hadn’t thought about bowls, plates, glasses and eating utensils (among a whole lot of other things). By the time we finally ate Elle or I had made at least three visits to borrow things from them.
It had been quite a day! The only thing we had to do before going to bed was to put the rubber pad on it. I remember having wonderful thoughts about Harry and Vi as we did. I know I don’t have to go into detail as to what followed. :-)
To be continued...
Before Harry left he gave us a tour of the trailer and some advice. Then we were all alone. It was as cold inside as it was outside and I think that took away some of the excitement. I remember sitting on the couch and trying to figure out where to get the money we needed to get the basics... electricity, kerosene for heat and another thing I’d overlooked... bottled gas for cooking. Elle was cold and just sitting there fretting about the problem wasn’t going to solve it. As we headed back to the sorority Elle said she’d call her mother and ask for a loan. I knew how hard that was for Elle to even consider. The Winter was rough for her parents and they’d just written a $1000 check. But it was all we had to turn to. I left while it was still daylight with Elle promising to call when she got an answer.
The trip back to my college was filled with thoughts of what I could sell to bring in some money. I had a suitcase full of what I called “junk”, things I’d collected in lieu of money owed to me by fellow fraternity brothers and classmates back at boarding school. (I won’t go into the details of how I managed to get the stuff... say “thank you”) It included a Japanese bayonet, a Nazi flag that had been partially burned and a real Swiss army knife. Among other things I also had a fairly good collection of Dixieland Jazz on 10 inch LP’s. I decided I’d hold an auction. As I finished the trip I had most of it planned.
It was on Tuesday that I got it off. I netted almost $50. It was somewhat ironic as that night Elle called to say that her mother was wiring $100. That meant we’d have enough money to at least get into the trailer and to buy some food. The only problem was that it was Thanksgiving week and we’d decided to stay and not go home so we could get settled in and Elle’s mother wasn’t too pleased. Notwithstanding that, I think that night was the first good sleep I’d had since we got married.
I’d contacted the electric company that Monday and sent the deposit that same day. I also contacted the park owner and asked if he could arrange for some kerosene to be delivered. I also called Harry and asked if he could stop by late Wednesday afternoon to make sure I knew what I was doing as far as the heater was concerned. He laughed but said that he would be there.
I picked Elle up around 2pm. She’d packed most of her clothes which concerned her roommate. Up to that time neither of us had told anyone. Elle wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to make the announcement. We arrived at the trailer to find Harry and Vi waiting. We walked in and found the trailer to be nice and warm. Harry had brought a barrel partially filled with kerosene along with a stand for it and had started the heater. I offered to pay but he said that they had been left behind at his park when a unit moved out. But the surprises didn’t stop there. Vi took Elle to the main bedroom and there was the bed, all made up with sheets, pillows and bedspread. She told her it was their wedding gift to us. A few minutes later she invited us to their house for Thanksgiving dinner. I couldn’t believe all this good fortune in just such a short period of time. I really didn’t know what to say.
Vi told us to be at their house at noon and then she and Harry left. Finally alone in our own “home” but it wasn’t for long as there was knock on the door. I opened it to see a very tall, black haired man and a very short young woman standing there. They introduced themselves as Josh and Beth, our next door neighbors. We invited them in but I was concerned about the time. It was Thanksgiving eve and way back then there was no such thing as extended hours. We had no food in the place at all. With that as my main concern I asked them where the nearest food market was located. Josh laughed and accused me of “spying” on him. I was lost as to what he meant. He then told us that he worked as a security person at a relatively new “supermarket” just a mile or so away on the new by-pass. I told him of our needs and he volunteered to take us there. I said it wasn’t necessary but he insisted. All four of us went. We needed all the staples... milk, bread, eggs, cereal, mayonaise and lots of tuna fish. When we were ready to leave Josh took the basket from me and pushed it towards the check out counter. I protested and all he said was he’d take care of it. I couldn’t believe it. But my amazement was short lived for when we got to the car he asked for the money he’d just paid. He then explained that as an employee he got a discount. Then the whole episode made sense.
Back at the trailer Beth told Elle that if we’d forgotten anything to be sure to come next door. I’m laughing because, just to show our naivety, we hadn’t thought about bowls, plates, glasses and eating utensils (among a whole lot of other things). By the time we finally ate Elle or I had made at least three visits to borrow things from them.
It had been quite a day! The only thing we had to do before going to bed was to put the rubber pad on it. I remember having wonderful thoughts about Harry and Vi as we did. I know I don’t have to go into detail as to what followed. :-)
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
MARRIED... and facing the real world (Part 47f)
When we pulled into the gas station there were two buildings. Between the two I saw a road which was more like a path that, when following it by eye, ran up a small hill. I could see about five trailers from where I’d stopped. Elle, with an incredulous sound to her voice asked if this was what I was looking for. It certainly wasn’t what I expected but it was the trailer park that I was searching for. After a few seconds I drove between the buildings and there I could see about a dozen more trailers. There were a couple of open spots. No matter what, there was no way to make this place seem attractive. I stopped the car a few feet beyond the buildings and as I did this young woman walked past the car carrying a wash basket. Elle recognized her as a classmate from the previous year. She put the window down and called to her. The girl’s name was Tricia and she stopped and walked slowly back to the car. Long story short... She’d gotten married but was still going to school and living in a trailer with her husband. Elle even knew who he was. As it turned out, Tricia told us there were two other married couples living there that were going to school as well.
Even as disappointing as the site was, and Elle’s initial negative reaction to it, it was more than negated by the fact that there were young college people living there and she even knew (slightly) two of them. It was obvious that Tricia was excited with the possibility of us moving there. It took longer for Elle to embrace the idea. But, as disappointing as the site was and Elle’s initial reaction to it I knew it would take some persuasion on my part to ”sell’ the idea completely to her. We immediately headed for Harry’s to make our payment and to take title to the unit. I used the time to point out the benefits of living there to Elle. With other students living there, and some that she actually knew, I told her she would have a ride to school and back. Plus, there would be others our own age that we/she could befriend. When we pulled in at Harry’s she still wasn’t totally convinced.
I managed to get Harry alone for a few seconds and let him know that Elle hadn’t been a part of the decision for the location and was a bit reluctant. That’s all I said. When we were all together he told us that in spite of his “connections” there weren’t a lot of choices as far as locating the unit near the college. He said that it was his thought that the place we’d visited, in spite of it’s relative unattractiveness, was the best for our situation. He told us that he knew the owners and that they were very responsive to any problems... and that they lived in one of the trailers. It was Harry who sold Elle. (7)..
By the time we got all the papers signed it was dark. Harry asked us if we wanted to move the trailer the next day which was Sunday. He said that his help was off but he was willing to do it himself if I could be there at the site to help him “block it”. (Even though mobile homes have wheels, when they sit on on a permanent or semi permanent site cement blocks are used to stabilize them) I really appreciated the offer and told him “yes”. When Elle and I left he told me to meet him around noon. To say we were excited is to put it mildly.
That night we ended up eating at a diner on the outskirts of Harry’s town. We didn’t eat much but what we did do was to make lists of things we had to do and things that we were going to need to live in the trailer. Fortunately there wasn’t much business so I didn’t feel guilty occupying the booth for an extended period of time. It was probably close to three hours. As we wrote our lists on paper napkins the reality of what we needed and the money we had was sobering. But we still left feeling good about the future.
Even though it was pretty cold out I decided to sleep in the car. I hadn’t stayed with my classmate’s family in a long, long time and didn’t feel comfortable just showing up. I kept a wool blanket in the trunk and Elle had an extra pillow so I had all I needed. I parked in a relatively unused parking lot over by the football stadium. However, I was so excited about finally getting the trailer I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t the cold or the fact that the car seat was uncomfortable but I just couldn’t calm down enough to settle in. I actually watched the sunrise.
It seemed like time crawled by until noon. I went to pick Elle up around 11:30am and we drove out to the site. I’d never seen a trailer as big as this being towed down a highway and when it was approaching my heart was pounding. Harry pulled it into the road/path to the trailer park and when he saw us called us over. Then we went to the owners trailer and he introduced us to them. We had a choice of two open sites and Elle asked if either one was next to another couple that was going to the college. He pointed out the one was at the bottom of the hill. Harry backed it in and I helped get it blocked. Then came another shock... make that two. No, make that three. We had to have electricity and we had to have fuel for heat plus I had to pay the rent for the space a month in advance. I think that if I could lay my hands on all the money that was mine at that moment it was probably less than $50. All I had with me was about $10. I don’t know if it was embarrassment or panic but I didn’t know what to do. Harry saved the day and paid the rent which solved, temporarily, one of the problems. I didn’t know what to do about the others.
To be continued...
When we pulled into the gas station there were two buildings. Between the two I saw a road which was more like a path that, when following it by eye, ran up a small hill. I could see about five trailers from where I’d stopped. Elle, with an incredulous sound to her voice asked if this was what I was looking for. It certainly wasn’t what I expected but it was the trailer park that I was searching for. After a few seconds I drove between the buildings and there I could see about a dozen more trailers. There were a couple of open spots. No matter what, there was no way to make this place seem attractive. I stopped the car a few feet beyond the buildings and as I did this young woman walked past the car carrying a wash basket. Elle recognized her as a classmate from the previous year. She put the window down and called to her. The girl’s name was Tricia and she stopped and walked slowly back to the car. Long story short... She’d gotten married but was still going to school and living in a trailer with her husband. Elle even knew who he was. As it turned out, Tricia told us there were two other married couples living there that were going to school as well.
Even as disappointing as the site was, and Elle’s initial negative reaction to it, it was more than negated by the fact that there were young college people living there and she even knew (slightly) two of them. It was obvious that Tricia was excited with the possibility of us moving there. It took longer for Elle to embrace the idea. But, as disappointing as the site was and Elle’s initial reaction to it I knew it would take some persuasion on my part to ”sell’ the idea completely to her. We immediately headed for Harry’s to make our payment and to take title to the unit. I used the time to point out the benefits of living there to Elle. With other students living there, and some that she actually knew, I told her she would have a ride to school and back. Plus, there would be others our own age that we/she could befriend. When we pulled in at Harry’s she still wasn’t totally convinced.
I managed to get Harry alone for a few seconds and let him know that Elle hadn’t been a part of the decision for the location and was a bit reluctant. That’s all I said. When we were all together he told us that in spite of his “connections” there weren’t a lot of choices as far as locating the unit near the college. He said that it was his thought that the place we’d visited, in spite of it’s relative unattractiveness, was the best for our situation. He told us that he knew the owners and that they were very responsive to any problems... and that they lived in one of the trailers. It was Harry who sold Elle. (7)..
By the time we got all the papers signed it was dark. Harry asked us if we wanted to move the trailer the next day which was Sunday. He said that his help was off but he was willing to do it himself if I could be there at the site to help him “block it”. (Even though mobile homes have wheels, when they sit on on a permanent or semi permanent site cement blocks are used to stabilize them) I really appreciated the offer and told him “yes”. When Elle and I left he told me to meet him around noon. To say we were excited is to put it mildly.
That night we ended up eating at a diner on the outskirts of Harry’s town. We didn’t eat much but what we did do was to make lists of things we had to do and things that we were going to need to live in the trailer. Fortunately there wasn’t much business so I didn’t feel guilty occupying the booth for an extended period of time. It was probably close to three hours. As we wrote our lists on paper napkins the reality of what we needed and the money we had was sobering. But we still left feeling good about the future.
Even though it was pretty cold out I decided to sleep in the car. I hadn’t stayed with my classmate’s family in a long, long time and didn’t feel comfortable just showing up. I kept a wool blanket in the trunk and Elle had an extra pillow so I had all I needed. I parked in a relatively unused parking lot over by the football stadium. However, I was so excited about finally getting the trailer I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t the cold or the fact that the car seat was uncomfortable but I just couldn’t calm down enough to settle in. I actually watched the sunrise.
It seemed like time crawled by until noon. I went to pick Elle up around 11:30am and we drove out to the site. I’d never seen a trailer as big as this being towed down a highway and when it was approaching my heart was pounding. Harry pulled it into the road/path to the trailer park and when he saw us called us over. Then we went to the owners trailer and he introduced us to them. We had a choice of two open sites and Elle asked if either one was next to another couple that was going to the college. He pointed out the one was at the bottom of the hill. Harry backed it in and I helped get it blocked. Then came another shock... make that two. No, make that three. We had to have electricity and we had to have fuel for heat plus I had to pay the rent for the space a month in advance. I think that if I could lay my hands on all the money that was mine at that moment it was probably less than $50. All I had with me was about $10. I don’t know if it was embarrassment or panic but I didn’t know what to do. Harry saved the day and paid the rent which solved, temporarily, one of the problems. I didn’t know what to do about the others.
To be continued...
Saturday, September 05, 2009
MARRIED... and facing the real world (Part 47e)
Back in the car I remember being wet from nervous perspiration. Elle knew how hard that had been for me and she snuggled close and gave me a kiss. It was appreciated. On the trip back we got the idea of stopping at Harry’s to give him the check. Our thinking was that we could cut a week’s time off getting the trailer. It wasn’t that far out of our way but when we got there I realized that this was the weekend for the big yearling horse auction in Pennsylvania. I'd forgotten about it and the fact that he was there as he was selling a few of his homebred colts. In a way it wasn’t a waste of time because it was Elle, looking at the trailer park, who asked where we were going to put the trailer once we got it. I’m laughing as I write this. I can’t believe that I’d signed the papers for the trailer without having a space to put it in. As we drove the last little way back we realized that we still had some work to do before we could move into our new ”home“.
It was a combination of concern and laughter as we drove the 20 miles back to Elle’s sorority. In the 3 plus years that I’d been in and around the town I couldn’t remember seeing a trailer park. It was almost dark when we got there so there wasn’t much point in just driving around trying to find one. As I said good bye to Elle I told her that Harry surely would know of at least one. She didn’t look convinced.
As I started the week I felt like I was drowning with decisions to be made and things that had to be done. As I was leaving class with Dr F he called me into his office. In my first meeting with him concerning the possibility of providing educational opportunities for students not able to keep up with the prescribed curriculum. I had mentioned Joanne and how unfair it was that she was denied formal schooling. He now wanted me to arrange a meeting with her and her parents. I’d wanted to go tell the T’s about that meeting with Dr F and the fact that he was working on a possible program for the State education department but I just never found the time. Now I had to.
After my afternoon class I drove out to the farm just in time to see the cows get herded into the milking barn. My timing wasn’t the greatest. Mrs T saw me and motioned for me to go to the house. As I walked in it seemed like old times as the smell of fresh baked apple pie filled the air. I waited for about 10 minutes and then Joanne walked in. As was usual for her after not seeing me for more than a few weeks she appeared to be shy. Her mother walked in right behind her and I was greeted with a big hug and an immediate invitation for dinner. She always did know the way to get my attention. I accepted but told her I needed to talk with her before dinner. After explaining the little that I knew about the potential for the program I explained that Dr F wanted to meet with the family. It was like I’d just given them a big Christmas present. Joanne and her mother started dancing around the kitchen like little children. I was excited too but no where near that much.
I’d wanted to call Harry but by the time we finished dinner I knew I wouldn’t be able to reach him so that was a bit of a disappointment. Another was that I’d spent the afternoon at the T’s and hadn’t scored any exams. Having to do the scoring in Dr F’s office was turning out to be a royal pain. The next day I called Harry first thing and was told that there were two possibilities for the trailer in the town with one being within a mile of the campus. He also said that he could/would make arrangements if I wanted. Even though I knew Elle would want to see just where she was to live I told Harry to ”go“ with the one nearest to the school. When I hung up the phone all I could do was hope that it wasn’t too bad. The only one I'd really ever noticed was at Harry's place and that seemed to be OK. I hoped that it would be at least equal to it.
The T’s came to meet with Dr F on Wednesday. I wanted to be there but wasn’t invited. I made Mrs T promise to tell me just how it went and that I’d call that night. In spite of all the things I had on my mind all I could focus on that afternoon was that meeting. The net result was that Dr F wanted all of Joanne’s school records and any aptitude tests and the like that she’d ever taken. Dr F told them that Joanne was going to be the centerpiece of his presentation to the powers that be who would be making the grant. I remember feeling almost as excited as the two women had been in the kitchen only a few days prior.
As much as I wanted to get over to Elle's I stayed at school Saturday morning trying to score enough tests to make up for my lost day. At the minimum I needed to average between $15 and $20 a week and it really wasn’t enough. Anything less and I was in trouble. My trip over to see Elle was mixed with trepidation and excitement. I hadn’t told Elle about finding a ”home“ for the trailer so that was part of it. The other half was taking the check to Harry and arranging for the trailer to be delivered. Unfortunately it was a dull, gray day. I got Elle in the car and followed Harry’s directions to the trailer park. It was actually on the same street/road that Elle’s sorority was on but almost a mile away. I didn’t tell Elle any more than we were going to look at a potential space for the trailer. I was attentively looking for it but actually drove right by it. Harry had warned that it might be hard to spot. He wasn’t kidding. After turning the car around and heading back into town I noticed a couple of trailers parked on a hill behind a closed gas station. My first thought was that this couldn’t be the place. It was!
To be continued...
Back in the car I remember being wet from nervous perspiration. Elle knew how hard that had been for me and she snuggled close and gave me a kiss. It was appreciated. On the trip back we got the idea of stopping at Harry’s to give him the check. Our thinking was that we could cut a week’s time off getting the trailer. It wasn’t that far out of our way but when we got there I realized that this was the weekend for the big yearling horse auction in Pennsylvania. I'd forgotten about it and the fact that he was there as he was selling a few of his homebred colts. In a way it wasn’t a waste of time because it was Elle, looking at the trailer park, who asked where we were going to put the trailer once we got it. I’m laughing as I write this. I can’t believe that I’d signed the papers for the trailer without having a space to put it in. As we drove the last little way back we realized that we still had some work to do before we could move into our new ”home“.
It was a combination of concern and laughter as we drove the 20 miles back to Elle’s sorority. In the 3 plus years that I’d been in and around the town I couldn’t remember seeing a trailer park. It was almost dark when we got there so there wasn’t much point in just driving around trying to find one. As I said good bye to Elle I told her that Harry surely would know of at least one. She didn’t look convinced.
As I started the week I felt like I was drowning with decisions to be made and things that had to be done. As I was leaving class with Dr F he called me into his office. In my first meeting with him concerning the possibility of providing educational opportunities for students not able to keep up with the prescribed curriculum. I had mentioned Joanne and how unfair it was that she was denied formal schooling. He now wanted me to arrange a meeting with her and her parents. I’d wanted to go tell the T’s about that meeting with Dr F and the fact that he was working on a possible program for the State education department but I just never found the time. Now I had to.
After my afternoon class I drove out to the farm just in time to see the cows get herded into the milking barn. My timing wasn’t the greatest. Mrs T saw me and motioned for me to go to the house. As I walked in it seemed like old times as the smell of fresh baked apple pie filled the air. I waited for about 10 minutes and then Joanne walked in. As was usual for her after not seeing me for more than a few weeks she appeared to be shy. Her mother walked in right behind her and I was greeted with a big hug and an immediate invitation for dinner. She always did know the way to get my attention. I accepted but told her I needed to talk with her before dinner. After explaining the little that I knew about the potential for the program I explained that Dr F wanted to meet with the family. It was like I’d just given them a big Christmas present. Joanne and her mother started dancing around the kitchen like little children. I was excited too but no where near that much.
I’d wanted to call Harry but by the time we finished dinner I knew I wouldn’t be able to reach him so that was a bit of a disappointment. Another was that I’d spent the afternoon at the T’s and hadn’t scored any exams. Having to do the scoring in Dr F’s office was turning out to be a royal pain. The next day I called Harry first thing and was told that there were two possibilities for the trailer in the town with one being within a mile of the campus. He also said that he could/would make arrangements if I wanted. Even though I knew Elle would want to see just where she was to live I told Harry to ”go“ with the one nearest to the school. When I hung up the phone all I could do was hope that it wasn’t too bad. The only one I'd really ever noticed was at Harry's place and that seemed to be OK. I hoped that it would be at least equal to it.
The T’s came to meet with Dr F on Wednesday. I wanted to be there but wasn’t invited. I made Mrs T promise to tell me just how it went and that I’d call that night. In spite of all the things I had on my mind all I could focus on that afternoon was that meeting. The net result was that Dr F wanted all of Joanne’s school records and any aptitude tests and the like that she’d ever taken. Dr F told them that Joanne was going to be the centerpiece of his presentation to the powers that be who would be making the grant. I remember feeling almost as excited as the two women had been in the kitchen only a few days prior.
As much as I wanted to get over to Elle's I stayed at school Saturday morning trying to score enough tests to make up for my lost day. At the minimum I needed to average between $15 and $20 a week and it really wasn’t enough. Anything less and I was in trouble. My trip over to see Elle was mixed with trepidation and excitement. I hadn’t told Elle about finding a ”home“ for the trailer so that was part of it. The other half was taking the check to Harry and arranging for the trailer to be delivered. Unfortunately it was a dull, gray day. I got Elle in the car and followed Harry’s directions to the trailer park. It was actually on the same street/road that Elle’s sorority was on but almost a mile away. I didn’t tell Elle any more than we were going to look at a potential space for the trailer. I was attentively looking for it but actually drove right by it. Harry had warned that it might be hard to spot. He wasn’t kidding. After turning the car around and heading back into town I noticed a couple of trailers parked on a hill behind a closed gas station. My first thought was that this couldn’t be the place. It was!
To be continued...
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