Beverly June

"Well, Beverly, I'm biddin' on a job, right now, that I'll need a helper on, but it won't start for about three weeks," I told her, and saw the expression of expectant hope fade from her face. "I can't recommend the motel, here in town, 'cause it's just a glorified flea trap, but if you're interested, I do have a travel trailer I can let you use, as a place to stay, for a few days. It'll take me a few minutes to get the water, sewer, and power hooked up, but I think you'll be comfortable there for a while. Meanwhile, we can talk more about the type work I do, tomorrow and what I need for a helper, and we'll give it a try. How does that sound?"

"That sure sounds good to me, Mr. Harper," she replied, as her face lit back up, when she gave me a hesitant smile.

"There's just one thing – Mr. Harper was my dad, when he was alive. Just call me Lloyd, please."

"Okay, Lloyd. I'll answer to Beverly or Bev."

"That sounds fine. Let me settle up, and you can follow me out to my place. Rachel, what do I owe you, tonight?"

"With the beer and all, it'll be $9.50."

I pulled fifteen dollars out of my pocket, laying it on the counter.

"See ya, Rachel," I called, as I headed for the door.

Beverly followed me into the parking area, and headed for a beater Ford Mustang coupe, with faded paint and rust spots, that looked to be on its last legs. I watched and listened as the door groaned in protest when she opened it. When she engaged the starter, the engine turned over slowly, and finally caught, with a clatter of well-worn bearings, as the car emitted a cloud of blue oil smoke from the tail pipe.

I climbed into my three-quarter ton Dodge truck, and fired off the diesel engine. As I pulled from the parking lot, Beverly coaxed her car into motion behind me for the five mile drive to my house and shop, outside of town. The ratty old Mustang followed me into the drive and down to the shop, stopping with a squealing moan of badly worn brakes.

My travel trailer was parked under a shed beside the shop on a concrete slab. The first thing was to open the storage compartments to get the water and sewer hoses. Once all the connections were made, I flipped out the steps, unlocked the door, and invited Beverly inside. She watched as I ran the slide out, which added about three feet to the width of the lounge and dining areas.

I then showed her through the trailer as I explained how the lights and air conditioner worked. Once the water lines were flushed out, I showed her the controls for the water heater, explaining that it was only six gallons, so she would need to watch water use when showering.

I left her to carry some of her clothing in, while I went into my home to get some towels and washcloths. I came back and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called.

"Here are some towels and washcloths, Beverly, and you'll find bath soap, toothpaste, and shampoo in the medicine cabinet. The sheets on the bed are clean, and it'll take the water heater about fifteen to twenty minutes to have hot water. I'll turn the refrigerator on, for you, but it'll take overnight for it to chill down. One thing I need to show you is how the toilet operates. It's a bit different, since you have to flush it with a foot pedal."

I heard a sniffle as I was explaining and demonstrating the toilet and turned to see her with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Have I done something to upset you?" I asked.

"No, absolutely not," she sniffled. "You don't know me from anybody and have shown me far more kindness than I ever expected. How much do I owe you for letting me stay in your trailer?"

"You don't owe me anything, 'cause I'm just paying kindness forward. I'm helpin' you now, and you can repay me by helpin' someone in the future. You're goin' through a rough spot, right now, and I'm able to help out. Get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. We'll go get some breakfast, and you can tell me more about yourself then. Good night, and pleasant dreams."

I walked into my house, to spend another lonely night. A check of the answering machine showed no calls, so I headed for the shower and bed. My home was about 1800 square feet, and my wife and I had extensively remodeled it, about ten years previously. It still showed many touches of her influence in the decor and paint colors, and those touches kept the good memories alive.

Once I was finished in the shower, and had shaved, I crawled into that king sized bed and turned on the television, to see what was on. Scrolling through the channel index produced nothing of interest, so I turned the babble box off and picked up the book I was reading. After a half hour or so, I put the book on the nightstand and turned the light off, after giving Donna's picture a loving look.

Beverly

I might have a chance at making a new start, now. Provided I was able to do the work, I had a job, and had a temporary place to stay, at least until I could begin to get back on my feet.

There was something about Lloyd. He appeared to be very caring and kind, and I'd not found anyone as generous in many years. His concern for my comfort and insistence on no obligation on my part was certainly different. Every time I'd gotten an offer of help, for the past several years, it had always come with strings attached, strings I'd not wanted.

I had a comfortable place to stay, much better than what I'd been living in over the past few years. There was even a place I could prepare some simple meals, which would be much less expensive. All I had to do was prove that I could handle the job. At least he didn't seem as rough and coarse as many of the construction workers that stayed at the motel I'd worked at.

It didn't seem as though I would have to fend off groping hands or listen to the barely veiled comments I'd had to deal with, which amounted to a major improvement in working conditions. I had the impression that Lloyd wasn't that way, and would not tolerate it from others.

I needed that shower, and found the bed to be very comfortable. As I lay there, I could feel the stress leaving my mind, and could feel the tenseness leaving my body, as I drifted into sleep.

15 Sept

Lloyd

As always, I woke about 5:30 the next morning. After dressing, I went to the kitchen to make coffee to start the day. Once I had my first cup in hand, I stepped out on the back deck to check the weather. A quick glance at the sky showed stars in the late summer predawn twilight, so it looked to be a good day.

Seeing the rattletrap Mustang sitting in front of my shop brought back the memory of the night before. I could see lights on in the RV, so I wandered over and knocked on the door.

I heard footsteps inside, and saw the door open slightly.

"Good morning, Beverly. How do you like your coffee?" I asked, with a pleasant smile.

"I take it with a little cream, Lloyd. I'll be dressed and ready in a couple o' minutes."

"I'll meet you on the deck at the back of my house, and have your coffee there, if you don't mind."

"Sure. Will jeans and a tee shirt be okay?"

"Whatever's most comfortable for you. See you in a few."

I went back to the kitchen, poured another cup of coffee, and added a touch of cream. When I returned to the deck, Beverly was standing there, waiting for me.

"Here you go," I told her, handing her the mug.

"Thanks so much," she said, raising the mug to her lips for the first sip. "Oh, that's so good."

"Come on over, and have a seat, while you have your coffee," I told her, showing her to the chairs on the covered portion of the deck.

Once we were seated, she began asking questions.

"Exactly what type of work do you do, Lloyd? You said something about remodeling last night."

"That's right, Beverly. I've been remodelin' for just over twenty years now, and pretty well will do anything a client wants, from replacin' kitchen cabinets, to movin' walls. Depending on where the job is located, I'll even do some plumbing and electrical work. On small jobs, sometimes I'll even do a little roofin' and bricklayin'. Most of the time, though, I mainly do framin' and finish carpentry, drywall, cabinets, and some paintin'."

"Sounds like you can do it all, then," she commented, with a sense of wonder in her voice.

"Yeah, I guess I can. I started workin' for myself, about twenty years ago, and after a couple o' years, built my shop from the ground up. When my wife and I bought this place, about twenty-two years ago, only the house was here on the ten acres. Everything else I've built.

"Come on in, for a few minutes, 'cause it looks like you're about ready for a refill."

I showed her into the house, through the dining room and into the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, she was amazed.

"These cabinets are beautiful, Lloyd. Did you build these?"

"Yeah, we tore the kitchen out to bare walls, when we renovated several years ago. My wife wanted red oak cabinets with raised panel doors, so, I gave her what she wanted."

"Is she here?" she asked, as she looked around.

"No, I lost her to a massive heart attack a couple o' years ago. It's just me, now. We have a daughter that lives close to Tyler, where she works as an engineer. She's married, and has a six month old daughter."

"I'm so sorry, Lloyd. I'm sure you still miss her."

"It's not so bad, now, and I still have the good memories. How about we go get something for breakfast? You might as well ride with me."

"Let me get my purse, and I'll be right with you."

"Here's the key, so you can lock the RV," I told her, as I handed her a small key ring.

Beverly joined me almost as soon as I had my truck unlocked. I opened the door, and offered to help her climb into the seat. Once she was seated, I closed the door and walked around to get in. After firing off the Cummins diesel, and giving it a minute to warm up, we were on our way, headed back to the Shamrock Cafe.

On the way, I tried to find out a bit more about her.

"You told me you were originally from Gladewater, last night. When did you live here?"

"Yeah, Lloyd. I was born here, and started school here, goin' 'til my family moved away the summer after I finished sixth grade. I finished high school and then went down to Houston, lookin' for work. After I'd been down there a few years, I met and married what I thought was a really nice man. Things were good for a while, 'til the oil business went down in '83. He got caught in the layoffs, and had to take a series of lower paying jobs. Our debt started growin', and he started drinkin' heavier and runnin' with a bad crowd.

"I'd about decided to divorce him, because he'd become very abusive. He'd come in after a day drinkin', and beat me when I didn't have dinner ready. Things were gettin' pretty bad, when he finally got killed in a bar fight. I hope you'll forgive me, but I was very hesitant about talking to you last night because you had that beer."

"That's something I do once in a great while, Beverly, and Rachel knows that. She never knows when I'll have one, but always asks. I was there later than usual, last night, 'cause I stayed later in the shop working on a job estimate, and had the beer to relax. If the drinkin' bothers you, I won't do it around you. It's not somethin' I do enough for it to bother me. Most of the time, my drink of choice is either black coffee or unsweetened iced tea. Will that make you more comfortable?"

"That'll be fine, Lloyd, and I do appreciate it. I have no problem with you havin' a drink on occasion. My issue is because my ex turned into a heavy drinker and was so abusive because of it. To be honest, I'd enjoy a drink every now and then durin' our early years together, and I may again, when I get back on my feet."

"I'll leave that up to you. Why don't you tell me more about yourself? What years did you go to school here?" I asked. "I grew up and went to school here myself. I'm just guessin', but we might remember some of the same folks."

"I started first grade in 1956 and we moved away in '63, when my Dad got transferred to Big Spring. He'd been workin' in a refinery, in Longview, and the company was shuttin' it down, so they offered him a chance to transfer to the one they had out there. I would have liked to stay here, because I always liked the town and the folks I went to school with."

"I was in school here, too, durin' those same years. I don't remember all my teacher's names, but do remember my first grade teacher. I later found out she was an old maid aunt of my wife, with a bit of an unusual name. Her name was Clarice Calvert."

"She was my first grade teacher also!" Beverly exclaimed. "I didn't remember her first name, 'til you mentioned it, but I did remember Miss Calvert."

"That's right! We musta been in the same class that year."

"Thinkin' about it, Lloyd, I think we had more than that grade together. I believe we were in the same classes all the way through sixth grade."

"Is Davis your married name?"

"Yes, it is. My maiden name was Beverly June Borne. I do remember a Lloyd Harper, and it's almost too much to be real that you're the same man. I knew there was somethin' very familiar about your name, when I met you last night. I just didn't put it all together, 'til you mentioned Miss Calvert."

Memories of my elementary school years came back, when she told me her maiden name, memories of how close we were. As I reflected, I could now see the familiar facial features and how they had matured. I had to wonder; would she remember me, and would she remember how close we were during those years?

"I do remember you now, and as I recall we sat side by side that year."

"Yes! I remember you now!" she exclaimed. "We were always in the same classes, and always sat by each other, 'til my family moved away.

"You mentioned your wife this morning. How long were you married?" she asked.

"We had 23 good years together 'til she had that heart attack a couple o' years ago. At least it was quick, and she didn't hafta spend a lotta time layin' there sufferin'. This past Friday woulda been our 25^th anniversary.

"Our family moved to Gilmer, my junior year in high school, because my dad took a job as a deputy sheriff in Upshur County. I transferred schools and met her in a biology class.

"We started goin' steady, and stayed that way through the end of high school. I went into the Navy for four years, while she went to college, makin' a schoolteacher. We got engaged halfway through my enlistment, and then married in '72, when I got back home. Our daughter was born in '74."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I know you had to have loved her, 'cause it shows in what you did for her in your house."

"I did, Beverly. Donna was my life, and everything I did, I did for her. I've gotten over the worst, now, but this past weekend was kinda tough. Our daughter, and a couple o' really good friends, have helped me get over the worst of it, though."

"With you havin' that travel trailer, y'all must have traveled around some."

"We did. We bought the trailer about ten years ago and tried to take a trip every summer, when school was out. We got as far east as Chattanooga, Tennessee, as far north as Glacier Park, Montana, and as far west as San Diego, California. We'd usually take about two weeks, every summer, and go somewhere, sightseein' on the way there and back. We sure saw a lotta pretty country, but there's still a lotta pretty country out there to see.

"I gathered, from the way you talked, last night, Beverly, that you didn't work much. Am I right?"

"You're right about that. Like I told you, I finished high school in '68 and went to Houston, lookin' for work. I found a secretarial job with one of the engineerin' companies down there, and worked there about 4 years, when I met Todd Davis. We dated for about a year before we married in '73, and then he wanted me to be a full time housewife and let him be the breadwinner.

"Things were good, for a couple o' years, 'til I got pregnant. I miscarried after a couple o' months, losin' the baby. We tried again, a couple o' years later, with the same result. After consultin' with the doctors, they determined I had some scarring in my uterus, from a severe bacterial infection I'd had in high school. They figured I got it from swimmin' in a stagnant stock tank.

"After they told me that, they said I'd probably never be able to carry a baby to term, so, I had my tubes tied.

"Todd and I did have some good times, 'til things went south in '83. He got laid off late that year, and then spent over a year lookin' for work. Then, all he was able to find were lower paid jobs; doin' warehouse work or pullin' parts. I got out lookin' for work myself, when he was laid off, but about all I could find, at the time, was housekeepin' at one of the hotels.

"He was a dominant personality, and couldn't stand the idea of takin' orders, or bein' dependent on someone else. He started drinkin', and I think he'd started usin' some drugs too, but I could never prove it, 'cause he didn't do it at home. The more he drank, the more abusive he got.

"It finally got to the point I was ready to file for divorce, 'cause I just couldn't take any more. He was drinkin' the money up, instead of payin' the bills, and we were gettin' further and further behind when he got in that fight where he was killed. I never knew for sure, but I think the fight was a drug deal that went bad.

"All I knew was that I had a mountain of debt to pay, and no good way to pay it. I had to let 'em repo the house and car, plus sell everything I had, includin' most of my clothes, just to pay those bills off. Lettin' the house and car go back screwed up my credit rating, and that's why I'm drivin' a hundred dollar car, and almost flat broke.

"It took me five years to finally clear everything up, and I came back here to try and start over. My school years, here, were good, and everything else I remembered was good. All I had in Houston was a never endin' list of bad memories, and nowhere to turn for help. I figure I'll make it, though. After all, you've already offered me a job and let me have a place to stay for a few days. If you want, I'll do almost anything, even keep house for you, 'til this job starts, and I'll even cook, if you've got the groceries."

"We'll think about that. The first thing we need to do, right now, is get breakfast, and then go back to the shop, so I can show you what I'm needin' for a helper."

We arrived at the cafe, and walked in, finding seats in one of the booths. Linda, the morning waitress, brought coffee immediately, setting the mugs in front of us.

"Mornin', Lloyd. How're you doin' this mornin'?"

"Doin' pretty good, Linda. I want you to meet Beverly Davis. I'm tryin' her out as a helper, since Joey quit last week. We were talkin' about the job, and I decided my belly was gnawin' on my backbone. How about a couple of Western omelets, with hash browns and biscuits on the side?

"Excuse me, I forgot to ask. You don't have a problem with onion and jalapeno pepper do you Beverly?"

"No, Lloyd, I don't. I've never had 'em for breakfast, though."

"Just wait 'til you have one of Leon's omelets. I think you'll like 'em. They're made with three eggs, ham, and cheddar cheese, along with the onion and pepper."

"That does sound good, although I might not eat all of it."

"I'll have 'em in about fifteen minutes, Lloyd," Linda said, as she headed for the kitchen to turn the order in.

Beverly and I chatted idly while waiting for our meals. Once the food arrived, we set to and began to eat. Based on what she had told me, I figured she hadn't been eating well or regularly, recently. She consumed the entire omelet and the hashbrowns, plus one of the biscuits.