Beyond City Lights

Lennie had a huge extended family, only one brother but a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins, me on the other hand it was only my older sister and me, and she lived in Belgium. Despite all Lennie's family being around I had never before encountered folks like Mike and Georgi, to be sure Lennie and I had lots of great times at family gatherings, but there was something different about this couple. They were firmly rooted in who and what they are, and who they were as husband and wife.

Lennie would have loved the fish fry, I had the sampler which consisted of a Haddock filet, two small Perch and a Blue Gill filet with Fries, coleslaw, and rye bread. Had Lennie been there he'd have had the all you can eat platter and polished it off with gusto, that man could eat. Afterward we stopped at the Tastee Freeze for a sundae, sitting at a table we got into a conversation about why they weren't open after November. It was explained to me that the cabins heating systems would need to be upgraded, the pavilion would need to be enclosed for the winter and they had a camper on a site in Arizona where they wintered.

What Mike said next floored me, "You should buy it and then we could retire like we've wanted to do for five years. It wouldn't take a lot of money to do the upgrades and the winter crowd spends more money, it could be a gold mine for the right person."

I had been caught completely off guard and laughed it off, three days later I was in the office getting details, the more I thought about it the more I was accepting of the idea. I would need to go through my finances with Lennie's cousin Phil who had been watching over our investments and do more homework. It was a dream Lennie and I had talked of in our early years, owning a fishing camp, but you know how the best laid plans of mice and men tend to get swallowed up by life. I remembered somebody saying life is what happens while you're making plans, boy, wasn't that the truth.

The remainder of my time there was spent doing little touristy things and spending time with Mike as he showed me around the place, he concurred that there were things in need of repair but also said they'd be willing to make concessions for such things if I bought it. Telling them I needed to go home, think about it, talk with my finance guy and Lennie's uncle who was a lawyer. They were understanding and willing to wait for a call from me, Mike said they would need to know by the end of August, which seemed like plenty of time.

It was ten in the morning the day I left so I got a motel room on the way home, putting me in my driveway early afternoon the next day. As I drove in my heart sank, spray painted on the garage door in bright red letters was *bitch*. Since our garage entrance is on the side of the house and the yard fenced nobody had seen it and had no idea when it was done. I called Lennie's old partner Mickey who showed up fifteen minutes later with his wife, she was more pissed about it than me, Mickey wondered if I had any idea who might have done it and why.

"Only one I know of is the kid I let go a few months ago for sexual harassment, he yelled he'd get even with me as security led him out the door. I have no idea how he knew I was gone, but I don't know of anyone else."

Mickey was looking around, "You got any security cameras?"

I shook my head, "Not really, one by the front and back doors but nothing overseeing the driveway. Olson's next door do though, maybe there's picked something up."

I took Sunday morning to do laundry, some shopping and get settled again, I spent the afternoon scrubbing the paint off my garage door. I think I used six or seven buckets of elbow grease, my arms were so worn out I could barely lift them. It was two days later Mickey stopped at my place of work, with a grin on his face he put three photos on my desk.

"Is this the kid you let go?"

There he was as plain as day, one looking into the front door and two from my neighbors as he painted the door. "That'd be him."

He stood, "Okay, I'm gonna have my partner pick him up, if they know I was Lennie's old partner his appointed lawyer will have a field day, besides Mark is the same skin color as the kid, there won't be any cries of racial discrimination. You want to prosecute this kid or just make him cover the damages?"

"I'd be happy with damages."

As he stopped in the doorway he turned to face me, "Judge will likely make him do community service as well, you okay with that?" I nodded as he left.

Ivan wondered what the visit from Mickey was all about so I told him, he was visibly upset, "Aint no reason to be doing that stuff, these younger kids worry me."

We'd gotten through July fourth and were into the latter part of July when Ivan and Brenda invited me over for some ribs on a Sunday afternoon. As the beer and wine flowed we became looser, no one was tipsy, but no one was reserved either, something was on their minds and I felt like it was time to open Pandoras box.

"Okay you two, what's up? You've been on edge all afternoon, I can tell by the way you look at each other that you aren't divorcing, so what's going on?"

When Brenda sat next to Ivan she took his hand in hers in a moral support type of gesture, he looked down for a matter of seconds then looked me in the eye.

"I'm thinking about applying for a different job Ronnie, you been in your position a long time, you're only in your early forties, my chances of moving up appear to be limited. That new warehouse the other side of town is hiring, I'd have to take a small pay cut but the potential to advance is wide open, I could be manager in a year or so."

I was surprised but only momentarily, I immediately thought of Mike and Georgi. Leaning back into my chair I took a swig of beer and asked point blank.

"What if you didn't have to go elsewhere, what if the opportunity to take over the department came sooner rather than later? Say by October or November at the latest?"

Brenda looked confused, "Are you going somewhere Ronnie? You aren't leaving Indianapolis are you?"

I nodded, "I'm giving it some serious thought. I like it here, I like the people I work with, I like my job, but everywhere I look I see Lennie or something that reminds me of him. He'd be upset if I just sat around for the next forty years waiting to die, I have an opportunity that I'm seriously considering."

Ivan sat back laughing, "You're gonna move up north, you and Lennie always talked about owning a fishing camp, you're gonna do it aren't you."

"This stays between us three, but yes, I need to talk with Phil and Uncle Al yet but it looks like something I might do. Phil says between Lennie's life insurance and 401K which I haven't touched I can buy it without a strain, then I can use the proceeds from the house to do upgrades in the resort. The house is all but paid for, most of what I can sell it for would go into the bank."

Ivan had a surprised look on his face, "A resort, you're gonna buy a resort?"

"Well it's more than a fish camp, there are eight cabins plus the owners small house which also contains the office. If I upgrade things for winter I can keep it open year-round and have a solid income fifty-two weeks every year. Hold off on applying for that position, I'll talk with Phil and Al this week and I'll know by Friday."

We talked a little more before I left at four, when I got home I called Phil right away for an appointment as soon as possible, he had an opening at nine Tuesday morning. Though he knew what my thoughts had been I hadn't decided as yet, by Thursday afternoon he called to say I was in very good shape and to go ahead and contact the people selling. Which I did. On Friday I told Ivan all looked good and to hold off applying elsewhere, he would likely be the supervisor in a few months.

Between Uncle Al and their lawyer we had the bugs worked out within a week, they had dropped the price based on both my acceptance to buy as is and pay cash. The only thing I wanted them to do was add gravel to the road and have it graded, which they agreed to but couldn't get anyone to do it right away. They set five thousand in escrow, I would get it done when I took ownership, the other caveat was they had to stay on until normal closing time to help me learn what needed to be done. If I moved up in September that would give me over two months to learn the ropes, I would stay in the cabin I had earlier and they would stay in the house.

When I sold my house I had a huge yard auction as well, I had removed what I wanted to keep and the rest was going, I considered keeping our bed and then decided against it. If I were ever to take another man into my bed I didn't want it to be our bed, the bed Lennie and I had shared countless nights and hours in wedded bliss. I chose to sell my Sonata at the same time, the four-wheel drive truck seemed to make more sense, besides the thing was as luxurious as a Caddy. With the Ridgeline on a car hauler behind the rental truck I headed north to what would be Comfort Cove when I changed the name.

I pulled in mid-morning the next day, Mike and Georgi had the cabin I'd been in before cleaned and ready for me. I was busying myself with trying to off load the truck when a tall fella walked up and asked if he could help. I enquired.

"Do you work here? I haven't seen you before."

The way he responded I got the impression he was ex-military, "Yes ma'am, I sort of do and sort of don't. I'm a nephew on Aunt Georgi's side, they hired me to help get things ready for the winter and help the new owners when they arrive. I'm hoping the new people keep me on at least through the winter, once the ground freezes there isn't anything going on around here except logging, be nice if I could pick up some indoor work to hold me over until spring."

He was tall, maybe six foot give or take an inch, broad shoulders and solid frame but not bulked up, he looked to be mid to late thirties, sandy colored hair and a pleasant smile. Wearing jeans and a pocket tee he looked right at home, I shrugged my shoulders and accepted his offer to help, I wasn't sure how I'd unload the truck alone. The guy at U-Haul who strapped the pickup down must have had gorilla arms, I wouldn't have gotten those things off in a week. Holding his hand out as a gesture for the keys I tossed them and smiled as he backed it off the hauler.

I decided to see if he was willing to help me unload into the storage garage, Mike had taken the tractor with a snow plow out so I could use it until they moved, he told me the mice wouldn't bother my belongings in there. I hadn't even gotten his name and felt foolish.

"I don't know your name, mine is Veronica but most call me Ronnie. Mind if I ask yours?"

"It's Walter ma'am, most call me Wally."

"Well Wally would you be for hire to help unload the truck into the storage garage?"

"I would ma'am, does that mean you and your husband are the new owners? If you want I'll take in the bags from the truck, then you can put stuff away while I take the truck over to the shed."

I smiled, "You're hired under one condition. You stop calling me ma'am and start calling me Ronnie."

He laughed, "I can do that ...... Ronnie."

By the time I got things put away and walked to the garage Wally had two thirds of the contents inside the garage. It was about that time Mike and Georgi appeared, they'd been cleaning the cabin of folks who'd left earlier, Georgi had a big hug for me as did Mike. It was almost as though they were a second set of parents. Following lunch in their place I mentioned I needed to get the truck and trailer to the U-Haul place forty miles away by five and I should get going, I just wasn't sure how I'd get back. When I asked about Uber all three laughed, then Wally spoke up.

"Why don't I drive the truck and hauler, you can follow in the pickup, I'll let you buy me supper as payment and we should be back by eight at the latest?"

By the time we reached Blue River I was glad he'd offered, I'm not sure I'd have found the place. We had supper at a Mexican joint he like called Poncho's, it wasn't very big but the portions were plentiful and the food was excellent. On the way home we got to know one another a little bit better, he was a forty-six-year-old mechanical engineer who retired from the Air Force with the rank of a light bird as he called it nearly two years prior. He'd been married early in his career but it didn't last, his constant deployments were the biggest issue, thankfully they hadn't started a family when they separated, he never married again.

I explained that I was a forty-four-year-old widow, I'd been married to Lennie for sixteen years before his death, that he'd been a homicide detective and that I had been the supervisor of a warehouse. He asked if I thought I might need help throughout the transition, I asked what he was capable of.

"I have a good working knowledge of electrical, plumbing, carpentry and overall maintenance. I know that there is work needed to be done at the resort, maybe we could come to an agreement that included me staying in one of the cabins."

It was a Tuesday, I told him to give me a few days and we would talk again on Friday, he immediately recommended we go for fish with Mile and Georgi, as good as it was the time before I figured why not. Working with Georgi over the next three days it became apparent that I wouldn't need two months to learn the system and familiarize myself with how the business was run. I learned during those three days that Wally had been working for them on and off since his discharge from the Air Force, he didn't really need a job per se, he liked being busy and helping his aunt and uncle.

He knew everything that needed to be winterized, he knew and understood all of the mechanicals involved at the resort and for the last two years had spent the winter making sure it was looked after and that there was no vandalism, something that had occurred three winters prior. One of the cabins had been broken into, it was suspected kids because there were empty beer and vodka bottles strewn about. The damages had amounted to several hundred dollars. The more I thought about it the more I felt hiring Wally was a good idea, considering Mike wouldn't have to show me how to get things ready for winter would allow he and Georgi to head south earlier and permanently.

At supper on Friday I brought up Mike and Georgi leaving earlier if possible, they thought that was a good idea but had promised me they would stay on when I bought the place. I looked at Wally.

"Were you serious about hiring on through the winter? And if so are you willing to winterize the resort while showing me at the same time? As for the office, I'm comfortable Georgi."

Wally wore a huge smile, "Yes ma'am, sorry, yes Ronnie I was serious, that would be fantastic. Then auntie and Mike could head south sooner, yeah, I'd like that a lot."

Georgi piped up, "We could keep him in cabin two next to yours Ronnie, when we move you can move into the house and that will free up one more cabin for hunting season. What do you think Mike?"

He was grinning, "I'm thinking we should go home and start packing."

On the way back I asked about the cabins being booked sporadically through September but then all of October and November were booked solid, Wally gave me the answer with one word. "Hunters". I knew they had many repeat hunters but didn't realize the impact they had on the business.

He continued, "They bring in as much revenue throughout the county in two months as we normally see in six, we beef up the breakfasts and charge more not just because we can but because they eat twice as much. The open breakfasts stop mid-September, the pavilion enclosed, some of those tower type space heaters put in place and the menu added to. It's a lot of work but it's a money maker, we treat them right and we never have a problem, we're set up to take cash, debit or credit so we're paid right away and they aren't afraid to spend money like it grows on trees."

I'd been there less than a week and I was already learning things I hadn't even considered, I'd gone through the books and the P/L's for the past five years which showed it was profitable but hadn't realized the nuances of the resort business. When we got back to the resort I was walking with Wally to my cabin when I stopped him.

"Do you have time to stop by the cabin? I'd like to know more about how it works from your side of the fence and I have some ideas I'd like your input on as to whether I'm off my rocker or not. I don't think I have but one or two beers but I've got pop and I don't want any alcohol at this hour."

"Sure, give me a minute to empty my bladder and get into some sweats if that's okay. Pop will be fine, give me five minutes."

I changed it, "Let's make that ten, I need to do the same and a girl needs more time to freshen up."

We parted chuckling, he was knocking softly at the screen door ten minutes later, we had both changed into sweats, far more comfy for just sitting around, I mentioned a campfire until he mentioned mosquitos, that was all I needed to hear. We talked about when the docks needed to be removed from the lake, which buildings would need to be drained and the pipes blown out, the fact that we'd need to make sure all the electric space heaters were working properly before the cold set in and the hunters began arriving. It was near midnight when he looked at me.

"Okay, what are these crazy ideas you mentioned earlier?"

I knew I was too tired to think and talk clearly, "Do you mind if we get together after supper tomorrow night to talk more, I'll make a meal for you and we can talk more."

He asked, "Should I pick up more beer?"

"Not for me." I responded.

In the morning I was amused at how much they'd gotten packed in one evening. They were dead serious about moving sooner, on Monday all the bank accounts and utilities were scheduled to be switched in my name. I already had signing privileges for the banking, on Monday it would be me exclusively. I found myself amazed at how this little patch of America worked, Georgi called the bank, talked with Floyd the manager, told him they were going to buy a new pickup and were going to write a check for it. He told her no problem, he'd cover the check and they should stop in after to complete the paperwork.

Never, never, not ever, would something like that happen in the city, and for good reason, but it did here where everybody knew everybody. The blank look on my face must have shown my inability to firmly grasp what had just happened, Georgi smiled.

"You'll get to know Floyd and be banking in the same way in a year or so. As long as you don't give him a reason to not trust you he'll never give you a reason to bank elsewhere. Oh, they just started online banking, that's probably something you know all about but it scares the hell outa Mike and me."

I saw Wally here and there throughout the day reminding him just after lunch that we were gonna do supper together. He asked if we could change plans.

"Why, what's up, don't you want to do supper and talk?" I asked.

"Oh yes, absolutely, but one of the campers gave me three good size Walleye's this morning, I'd like to fix those for us along with some grilled sweetcorn if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all Wally, no one has cooked for me since Lennie died, he was an excellent cook, God I loved his meals. I've never had the kind of fish you mentioned so I'll take your word for it and I haven't had any fresh corn yet this year. You're battin a thousand Wally. Thank you."

Supper was over the moon, I had never tasted such a sweet tender filet in my existence and the flavor of the grilled corn dipped in melted butter was nothing to be sneezed at, my stomach felt distended when I finished making a pig of myself. With a Dr. Pepper in my hand and a Pepsi in his we adjourned to the Adirondack chairs on the porch, I'd lit Citronella candles earlier to keep the bugs away.