The Librarian Pt. 02

He didn't know the half of it. I looked at them and wondered what they had decided. I hadn't seen either one of them reaching for a cell phone to dial 911, so I figured I was o.k. .....for a minute.

His wife was staring at me like she was figuring the odds on the Super Bowl, or a black jack table in Vegas. Her husband had turned and was studying her; then he turned back to me and grinned again.

"I'm sorry, son, but you're toast."

"O.k., I just hope we can keep this between us seeing as how I'm not going to get a ........."

"OHH, no. You're going to get a ride alright. Probably more than that, if my wife has anything to say about it. And she ALWAYS has something to say about it." His attention was back on Penelope's face.

By now, the coffee was cold, and the ice cream was almost melted. But Penny was still 'fig-grin'. Finally her face split in a wide smile.

"Young man, I am an excellent judge of character, and I analyze everything.

"Then I act on my gut." She was laughing jovially.

"I believe we can take a chance on you. Can you drive a tractor trailer?"

"UHH, no ma'am," I said, blushing.

"That's o.k., we'll teach you. Hiram, I'd like some more coffee, sweetie."

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So we sat around a while and talked some more. They agreed to take me as far as Redding, California. Actually, they had to drop the trailer just outside of Chico, at a Walmart warehouse, before heading home to Palo Cedro. That's where they lived. So I had transport.

We went out to the truck and it was a little imposing. But the 'older' folks acted like it was home. They walked around it, with Hiram doing that smacking the tire thing, with a tire iron, that you see in all the trucker movies.

"Makes sure tires are inflated. We also have on board electronic sensors, but I'm still a little old school!," he grinned. Penny was wiping headlights and checking running lights and trailer lights. I was pretty impressed with their routine. I didn't realize it was so involved.

They got in and fired it up, with Hiram showing me the different gauges and what readings to watch for.

"Oil pressure, fuel pressure, air pressure, electrical load. We have an onboard generator for standby power and the rig is diesel. The generator is gas, but everything for that is separate and vented."

"Pay attention, sugar. We expect you to earn your keep," said Penney. She was smiling.

Hiram put it in gear and we rolled slowly to the exit as he continued to explain what he was doing and what to look for. Penney was sitting in the back of the cab, on the bed, drinking a lemon water and reading a magazine. I never could read comfortably in a moving vehicle, but she was turning pages slowly and pursing her lips like she was deciding the fate of the free world, or what to make for dinner.

Or maybe what to do with me?

We got out on the highway, headed for California, and Hiram turned on the FM radio. Then he muttered, turned it off, and pushed in a cassette. Really? Even I know about C/D's. Soft music and vocals started and the strains of Johnny Mathis filled the cab.

"A certain smile, a certain face, can lead an unsuspecting heart on a merry chase....."

My folks used to love that song. Dad said it was their wedding song, because Mom loved it. Penney piped up from behind, smiling and giggling.

"Hiram Lovebird, you're going to embarrass the young man if you keep playing that stuff."

Hiram snickered and said,"Tough. I like it."

Penney continued to read, turning the pages leisurely.

"So, Mr. John Dorne, what else can you tell us about your life?"

I hesitated for a moment. I was at their mercy. I couldn't do anything to these nice people. The most I could hope for was bailing out and making a run for it. Or I could take a chance. I drew a really deep breath and exhaled through clenched teeth. Here we go.

"I was an operative for the Government. I was in Venezuela. My wife was seduced and turned by members of a 'foreign government' and destroyed our marriage. She conspired to have me kidnapped, divorce me, possibly have me killed, and turn my daughter against me. I managed to escape and made my way back to the States and took my revenge." At this point I looked sideways at Hiram as he drove along, eyes on the road. I looked back.

"I have severed all ties with everyone in my past. I walked away from everything and have only the money on my person." A lot of money, but they didn't need to know this.

"I am a little bit broken, but I'm tired and I need some peace. If you two think I'm worth risking being around, then that's fine. But if not, ........ Well, I'll just get out at he next stop and I'll vanish.

"The only weapon I have is an 8" sheath knife, and my Granddad's pocket knife, so that Colt in you belt is a little more then I can deal with." I was looking at Hiram again and waiting. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Penney's eyes widen and her book was forgotten for the moment. But I continued to stare at Hiram.

Then he chuckled.

"Not much gets past you, does it, son?"

I shrugged. "In my line of work, it keeps me alive."

He drove on with that blasé look on his face, and finally said, "Interesting story, young man."

Penney was absorbing all this and it looked like she was going snake-shit.

"OH, SUGAH, you poor boy!" she softly intoned. She was resting her hand on my shoulder.

"I think you need to get a good sleep and let us drive for a while".

I agreed. I realized I was bushed. So we swapped places and Penny took the passenger seat. I closed the privacy curtain and almost as soon as my head hit the pillow I was sawing lumber.

We drove for about an hour when penny turned and checked on me. She pulled the curtain on the sleeper area, turned back to Hiram and said, "The boy is sound asleep."

He snuck a glance at his wife and grinned.

"Boy?? That guy is almost as old as our oldest son, and he has experienced more than I have." He chuckled and said, "Penelope, please don't tell me we have another 'lost puppy' on our hands". When there was silence from his wife, he turned and looked at her. Almost lost control. He whipped his gaze back on the road and corrected the drift back to their side. Luckily, they were the only vehicle on the road going either way, so it was just a minor embarrassment. But his comment of 'AHH, SHIT!!' definitely got his wife's attention.

"HIRAM LOVEBIRD, you mind your manners!!"

"Yes, Dear," he contritely responded. Silence for about twenty miles.

"Alright, sweetheart, what do you have in mind?"

She smiled, wiggled her hips, and turned to him and said, "I think he and Mary will work out perfectly."

Now the big rig braked to a halt on the side of the road, with everything jostling around, and their passenger sliding against the curtain. Luckily Penny was prepared and had braced herself for the reaction.

"PENELOPE! What the heck at you thinking? Mary has just as many problems as he does. Mental AND physical. This could be bad for everyone."

Penney screwed up her expression and knew she was in for a fight. But she had worn her husband down several times in their marriage because he loved her, and she knew what buttons to push. So it was time for Plan B.

Hiram checked his mirrors, put on the left turn signal, and eased back of the shoulder. He ran through the gears and watched as another rig passed them with a blast of their air horn. As the other truck cleared them, he dimmed his lights and flashed his high beams and the other driver returned the courtesy and signaled to pull back into his lane in front of him, and accelerated away.

All the while Hiram was muttering to himself.

"Hiram, I know this will be difficult for everyone, but I think it will help them both. They both need something, and someone like this to help getting their ......"

NO, PENELOPE. Don't do this. This is bigger then us. I'm telling you, STOP!!"

'Hmmm; this may be tougher than I thought', mused Penney.

"Well, I think we should give them a chance, sweetheart. He appears to be good and kind and terribly abused by everything and this could be just the.........."

The truck swayed.

"NO, PENELOPE. That's it. There is no upside to this."

Darn!! Only three times in their marriage had he been this intransigent about a decision like this. O.K., time for Plan C.

"Now, Hiram, there is nothing to be concerned about. I think we should discuss this calmly and like concerned adults. It is in everyone's best interests to agree to ....."

"No, PENELOPE, IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS!!. You are not going to wheedle me into agreeing with you on one of your hair brained, bleeding heart schemes to manipulate two people's lives. END OF DISCUSSION!"

Penney blinked in astonishment. Only once before had Hiram been this insistent, and she had not been able to change his mind. Of course, he had been wrong, but he had been adamant.

At least, she thought he had been wrong.

'Well, it was time to change tactics and 'go for broke'. She knew what she needed to do. She just had to convince Hiram that she was right.

Sighing, she looked out the passenger window.

"You may be right, Hiram. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought I knew what was best, but you are probably correct in what you are saying. We really shouldn't be interfering in their lives."

Hiram muttered to himself, which was what he did when his wife got like this. Seldom did he get this upset. It was usually more fun to listen to her work her logical magic. It usually got him to see her line of reasoning;...but not always.

'AND NOT THIS TIME', he assured himself. He looked slightly sideways at Penelope and saw that she was working things over in her mind. It was what she did. He grimaced and sighed to himself.

Now a lot of couples, read women, when it wasn't going their way, and they had run out of options, would resort to love, affection, just plain sex. Not the Lovebirds. A long time ago, they had come to the agreement that they would never go to bed angry or in disagreement. About important things. It was what his grandmother always said. And it worked. Their love life was exactly that. Lovely. They were very much in love. Oh, they disagreed on somethings, but nothing that would 'sink the boat'.

This was a different ballgame. This was something never before run up against. He smiled, wondering what she would come up with.

"The thing is, I really like him. He is good looking, tough, appears to be able to take care of himself. And unless I miss my guess, he has been hurt worse than he lets on to." The subtle sideways glance was supposed to be unseen.

Didn't quite work, though. Hiram had excellent peripheral vision, and he caught the new tack of her reasoning. He drove on for a while, mulling her words over again and again. This was a new tactic for his vivacious wife. Finally, he cast a sideways glance at Penny and spoke.

"O.K., what makes you think they would be a good match?" This line of conversation could prove interesting. Challenging, but interesting. Dangerous, but what the fuck, he welcomed a little danger, now and then. 'Besides,' he mused, 'talking to himself was about the only time he could curse and swear.'

"Well, Mary is damaged, both emotionally and physically. She needs someone to take care of her, and little Jasmine. A little affection wouldn't hurt either one of them, but that may not happen." She was warming to her subject, and she had Hiram's somewhat divided attention. She scooted sideways in her seat and pulled her trim legs up under her little butt.

Well, she never really used sex to win her argument, but a little 'sugar' never hurt anything. She pressed her argument.

"I think we should let them find out, dear. They deserve a chance. It would be the good, kind thing to do."

"Is she cute?"

A third voice broke the conversation, eliciting gasps, shocked 'WHAT THE F>>>>S?', and a sharp swerve to the shoulder-again.

"I said, 'Is she cute?' I don't need stunning, gorgeous, or even beautiful. I just want someone good to look at." With that, he poked his head out through the curtain and grinned. "I just thought it would be nice to be included in the discussion of my future. Is that o.k?"

The Lovebirds were taken aback. Penney was nonplussed and was now totally off her game. Hiram, however, was cooler and sharper. He slipped the truck into neutral, set the air-brakes, and turned to study the 'young man' who had entered their life so suddenly.

"O.K., son, let's get this out in the open. MY WIFE," and leveled a stare at the love of his life, "is the consumate busy-body. She can't stand to see anyone unhappy or hurting. This gets her involved with all sorts of things NOT HER BUSINESS!!"

Hiram had Penney on the ropes. "I, I, I, ......"

"PENNEY, HUSH!" Silence.

"Now what she is talking about is a young woman we know who has had a very difficult life. She is much more damaged than you and is only now starting to rebuilt."

'If only you knew,' thought John/Mike.

"My wife has only the best intentions in her heart. But that dam......"

"HIRAM!"

'Sorry dear, darn hippy outlook on life always rears it's ugly head." He turned a beneficent gaze towards his wife's cute face.

"It's the prime reason I love her." He smiled and took her hand in his.

Penney teared up and sobbed a little.

"OH, baby. I love you too."

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

John/Mike coughed.

"Alright, my diabetes just cratered. This is too sweet for me to handle. What are you talking about? You know I'm running from something, but you have no idea what it is. And it's probably best that you never do. I don't want to get you guys involved."

Hiram shrugged. "A little late for that. Are you going to have to kill us?"

John/Mike exploded in laughter.

"You've seen too many spy shows.

"No, I'm not going to kill you. But I am concerned for your well being, seeing as how you're hanging with me. I'm not good company. So seeing as how we're stuck with each other, for a while at least, what are we talking about? Or more accurately, WHO are we talking about?" He swiveled his gaze back and forth between the two people.

'This was interesting', thought John.

Hiram harrumphed and looked at his wife of 45 years. 'Marriage', he thought, 'it's not just a job; it's an adventure.'

Penney jumped in with both feet, splashing as she went, as it were.

"Mary Louise Anderson. She's 31 years old. She is unmarried, has a 6 year old daughter. She is 5' 6" tall, 126 lbs, light brown hair, brown eyes, well eye actually." She looked at her husband and blushed.

Hiram grunted and said,"She was attacked and raped. During the attack, she lost her right eye and has a severe looking scar across her cheek and forehead. She also wound up pregnant. That was almost seven years ago."

"She gave birth to little Jasmine and the child has been the reason for her existence ever since," said Penney.

"So you think I would be a good 'fit' for this lady? Do I appear to be that broken to you?" I was starting to lose it. I took a deep breadth and exhaled.

"I'm sorry. I apologize. You are the first people who have expressed any kindness to me. Even my 'employer' was just trying to make the bad things go away. Again, sorry."

For the first time, Hiram softened. He placed his hand on my arm and squeezed.

"Son, maybe my Penney was right. Let's get you home and see what happens."

Home? What a novel concept. Hiram turned around and in five minutes were back on the road, headed towards Palo Cedro, California.

Actually, the first stop would be Chico, at the Walmart warehouse, to drop off the trailer. We pulled in and backed up to the docks so they could take charge. Penney went to take care of paperwork and Hiram and I disconnected the rig and puled it over to the fuel rack. Fifteen minutes late, we were back on the road to Palo Cedro.

We drove for about two hours and finally turned off to the Lovebird ranch, up in the hills outside of Palo Cedro. It was a short but well maintained road, smooth gravel and easily wide enough for two vehicles. At the end there was a slight turn and a gateway through a small wall and there was the ranch house.

It was about 12000 sq. feet I learned; Five bedrooms, a formal living room, dining room and huge eat in kitchen. Four bathrooms finished the amenities. But the other thing was the several smaller houses situated snugly around the compound. Five more, to be exact, each about 2000 sq. feet. These were the domiciles of the Lovebird brood- three sons and two daughters, and accompanying spouses and offspring. And then there was the one cabin, not quite 1200 sq. feet., that was set back some from the rest, a little more private. This was Mary's home, hers and Jasmine's, safe in the folds of the Lovebird family.

Five children, three boys and two girls. These were the Lovebird's offspring.

Their oldest, Hiram Junior, was a California Highway Patrol Lieutenant; #2 son, Jethro, was an Asst. District Attorney in Shasta County, Ca.; # 1 daughter, Penelope, was a nurse practitioner at the local hospital; #2 daughter was the assistant editor of the Redding Searchlight, the local newspaper; and #3 daughter was an asst. principal at Bishop Quinn High School outside of Palo Cedro. All were married, happily, and some with children.

The homes had been built with their own hands and the help of friends. The sixth, smaller cabin had been a 'barn raising' type of affair, with all the children, friends, and neighbors pitching in. It was a testimonial to Penelope Lovebird's charisma with people to help someone in need.

That someone was Mary Louise Anderson. She had been Penny's last 'lost puppy' project, as her husband framed it. Until John Dorne showed up at their truck stop table.

Hiram pulled up to the huge R/V garage next to the main house, and spun her around on the pristine concrete pad. He smoothly backed her in to her home and the big Peterbuilt tractor seemed to breath a contented sigh, to finally be home.

He shut her down and they all dismounted and stretched. They were immediately surrounded by grandchildren and children. So much love. I missed it.

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End of part 2; Part 3 coming. Believe me.