Nubbin but Trouble (10 page)

“Thanks for your kind words, but I'm afraid I won't rest until I know that Nubbin is back where he belongs. It's just not safe out there for him. Heck, I barely made it here alive myself. How he's managing out there, I don't know. Do you really think that he was kidnapped?” I asked as Sissy returned to the table with my pancakes and sausage.

I dove right into my meal. After surviving the night with whatever I could scrounge out of the motel vending machines, I was starving. I hadn't realized that someone had taken the seat across from me. I wasn't exactly the type to neglect food. I wasn't a big eater, but I did appreciate a good meal.

“Now, what are you up to?”

I looked up to find Charlie staring at me with venom in his brown eyes. I swallowed a mouthful of food whole to respond.

“What are you talking about? I'm eating breakfast.” I pointed out the obvious.

“Yeah, I know, and Barney is back at the motel, keeping the front desk staff company.” Charlie said.

“And?” I asked, preparing for another round of verbal sparring.

“You shouldn't have come here, Mercy.” He spoke under his breath.

I responded a little too loudly. Everyone in the room turned to look at us. “Why not? Aren't you the one who is too busy to search for an innocent old man? If I didn't come here, who would look for him?”

Charlie stood up, throwing a twenty dollar bill on the table. “Breakfast is on me. Now, go back to your motel room and stay there until the roads clear and, for Pete's sake, do something about that cold. You're going to end up in the hospital.”

My face burned with anger. The only thing I could think to say was, “I don't want your money.” It was too late though. Sissy had already picked it up off the table and was headed to the cash register with it.

Charlie raised his hand in the air above his head and said again, “Stay in your room, Mercy. Let me do my job.” With that, he walked out of the diner, leaving me sitting with my mouth gaping open and a knot in the pit of my stomach.

              “Unbelievable, right?”

“Mom, there are so many things wrong with this whole scenario. I don't even know where to begin. Why don't you just replace your phone and glue it to your person until you get home?”

I got where she was coming from, but she had obviously never spent any time in this neck of the woods. One, there was a blizzard outside. Two, I wasn't the one who wanted me to get a cell phone in the first place. And, lastly, I was here to find Nubbin, not go shopping.

“Mom?” Diana groaned. “You're not going to do it, are you?”

“Maybe when I get home. I just can't right now.” I said, meaning it was too much to think about at the moment.

“Fine. Don't listen to me. I guess, I should just call Charlie and tell him that you're at it again.” Diana enjoyed dragging Charlie into things at every opportunity. How the two of them became like two peas in a pod, I'll never fully understand, but for whatever reason, they'd latched onto each other with no end in sight. I was doomed as far the of they were concerned.

After all that had transpired between me and Charlie over the last couple of days, I was not at all interested in seeing his face, let alone hearing his name. Especially when his name was coming out of my daughter's mouth. “Don't say Charlie! I don't want to hear anything about that awful man. I...”

“Awful man? What are you talking about? I love Charlie.” Diana protested.

In what world is it appropriate to side with your mother's mortal enemy? What? Too dramatic? Well, that's how I felt. Charlie was no friend of mine.

“Listen, I already have enough to deal with; I don't need the likes of Charlie meddling in my affairs.” I sounded incredulous, but the truth of the matter was, I was hurt by his actions as of late and even worse, I was mad at myself for feeling that way.

“Do you hear yourself?” Diana asked. “You sound like you got your heart broken. What happened? Did Charlie forget to call you last night?” Diana giggled, thinking that I was acting like a teenage girl who'd created a scenario in her head, where a beau jilted her.

“I'm serious, Diana. I don't want him involved. To tell you the truth, he doesn't want me involved either. He told me that earlier. In fact, he said to stay in my motel room and behave. Whatever that means.” My anger grew by the second as I recalled Charlie's harsh words.

Diana sighed heavily. She'd dreamed up this elaborate scenario in which Charlie and I would one day marry and spend the rest of our days, basking in the glory of our new found love. If you ask me, all that syrupy love stuff was nothing but drivel that sold romance novels. None of that actually applied to my life or to my hopes and dreams.

When she didn't respond, I knew it was my turn to comfort her and mend her broken heart. This was the story of my life. Mom gets hurt. My child feels the pain. I offer comfort, while my wound becomes infected and threatens my bloodstream, nearly rendering me helpless and close to death.
That, my friends, is what I call, parenting 2.0
.

“Honey, Charlie is really busy these days and is short on temper, so let's just leave him out of this, if we could. I think I can handle this on my own. I mean, I made it this far, right? Barring this disease I've contracted from killing me, I think I should be just fine in a day or so. In the meantime, I have work to do and it will be easier to just take care of it myself. Isn't that what I taught you? Self-sufficiency is the key to everything, am I right?” I did my best to sound chipper and ready to take on the world, but my heart ached and my sinuses were raging.

“Yes, that's what you taught me.” Diana groaned because she'd grown tired of hearing me repeat it over and over again during the years.

After we said our goodbyes, it was time to take my perpetually reluctant dog out for a walk. I'd heard from the front desk clerks that he'd given them a bit of a hard time when they'd tried to take him out for a walk earlier in the day. I guess, I'd forgotten to mention that the key to Barney's heart was via his stomach.

The more I thought about his idiosyncrasies, the more convinced I was that in a former life – if there was such a thing – Barney had to have been a man. I made a mental note to research that at a later date. As for now, I'd practically have to beg, borrow and steal to get him out the door. That would require some time and much more effort that I was willing to utilize, but like I did when it came to any amount of physical exertion, I made a wager. If I got him out the door without becoming angry, I'd be allowed an extra five minutes of sleep later.

Sleep, like chocolate and coffee, can convince me to do just about anything. Anything but admit that I needed help finding Nubbin, that is.

*

“What's all the commotion? Was there an accident?” I asked a woman standing curbside, in between a small crowd of people.

“Are you here to volunteer? There's a sign up sheet at the diner. Just tell Sissy that you're here to help.” The woman pointed down the block to the diner.

I smiled. “Volunteer for what?” I asked.

“The search party. That's why we're all here - to help find Nubbin. Isn't that why you're here?” She pulled a snow cap over her mousy brown hair, making sure to tuck her blunt cut bangs in the front.

A search party? Wow. I guess some people did actually care about Nubbin.

“Sissy? You mean, the waitress?” I asked, surprised that blondie would want any part of this. I got the impression that she wasn't fond of Nubbin.

“Yes, Sistine from the diner. She organized this whole thing. Isn't she sweet?” The woman's eyes welled with tears.

“Her name is Sistine? Like the chapel?” I laughed at the irony. Nothing about that girl said culture or art to me. Nothing. Absolutely. Nothing.

“Sure did. Just go sign up. I'm sure she'll be happy to have you join us. Where are you from anyway? I've never seen you around here before.”

“Oh, yeah, I'm definitely not from here. I drove down from California to search for Nubbin. He and I are friends.” I explained, watching Miss Sistine behave like a friendly person with the locals.

When she caught sight of me standing there, her smile quickly turned to a scowl.

Good.
I was equally as thrilled to see her face so early this morning.

To add insult to injury or perceived injury in her case, I waved like a loon at her, red, droopy eyes and all. When her face was appropriately reddened and her tolerance levels waned just enough to allow her to take a few quick, short breaths, I ran over to her and pulled her into a big, old bear hug. She loved it. I could tell by the way she stiffened at my touch.

Move over, Ruby. There's a new best friend in town. Meet your replacement.

When it felt like my arms might fall off, I released my death grip on her slender frame and backed away far enough to not breathe directly on her face, but close enough to ensure she'd never insult an ill customer again. Ever.

“You are a real peace of work. The diner's closed.” She snapped at me.

I gave her a toothy grin as I glanced over to the diner.
Call me crazy, but if the lights were on and there were customers being served, did that not mean that they were in fact open? I could be wrong. I was at least once every twenty or thirty years or so. I was due.

“That's funny. It looks open to me.” I quipped.

“No, it is most definitely not open. Those people are volunteers. We're not accepting customers right now. I guess you'll have to go back to your room and call around to see what's open or wait until tomorrow to eat. I'm sure you'll survive a day or two without eating without a problem.” Her eyes skimmed my body. I'd like to think that she was admiring my curves, but I got the feeling that she was gearing up to insult me again. Sick or not, I was ready for her.

Bring it on, skin and bones. Bring it on.

“I wouldn't, if I were you.”

I turned around to find Bob standing behind me, laughing at the two of us.

“Oh, hi! I didn't see you there.” I apologized to him.

“I must have lost some weight since yesterday morning because last I checked, I was a good two-fifty on a good day.” He laughed.

Sissy took the opportunity to move out of my sight. I had to give her credit. I was planning to do the same thing when the opportunity presented itself.

“You get two points for saving the day.” I said.

“Are you here for the search party?” Bob asked.

I thought about it for a second. I hadn't planned on being part of a formal search party, but I had to admit, it was a good idea to have company.

“I was actually just about to stop by the nursing home to see if I could find anything out, but then I saw all the commotion and thought I'd stop to see what is was all about.” I explained.

“Well, you're here now, so are you going to stay?” Bob asked, bending down to pet Barney, who was trying to find a spot to get comfortable. He was already exhausted from his early morning nap and his routine car nap, so naturally after walking a block, he was ready for another nap. Who could blame him?

I took a look around. Most of the volunteers were either about Nubbin's age or just shy of their eightieth birthdays.

“Good. We could use someone like you with us. Do you know how to get there?” Bob asked, assessing my parka, jeans, and tennis shoes.

“Where are we going?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with my clothing. It was all I had. It wasn't like I had plenty of time to shop for winter gear while I was trying to keep the car on the road and not drown in about a foot of water on the interstate.

“The Schmeckpepper farm. Haven't you been there before?” He asked.

I shook my head, surprised that going to Nubbin's farm required a search party.
Hadn't someone already checked to see if Nubbin had gone home. I mean, that made sense, didn't it?

“No, I've never been to his farm. When I met him, he was living in the nursing home already. I'd never met him prior to last Christmas.” I explained.

Bob shook his head in amusement. “You drove all the way out here from California to find him and you only know him from the nursing home? You are something special, aren't you?”

“Who said I was special?” I asked as I looked around at the crowd full of strangers.

“Sheriff Wagner did. He's pretty fond of you.” Bob explained, glancing behind him through the crowd.

Just when I thought I'd be able to go a day without having to hear Charlie's name, someone had to bring him up again. I didn't have the energy to smile or pretend to be pleased to hear that he'd said anything nice about me.

“If I wasn't such a gentleman, I'd give you a ribbing about how many times I've seen your car parked outside Sheriff Wagner's house lately.” Bob winked at me, eyeing me with a knowing look, but I had absolutely no idea what he was insinuating.

“Well, since you don't know your way out there, you can hitch a ride with us.” Bob offered.

I hadn't noticed anyone with him, so I asked. “Us?”

“Of course, me and the fellas are going out there together to bring that hard-headed good for nothing back to town before he gets himself in any more trouble.” Bob explained, taking my arm to lead the way.

I gently tugged Barney's leash to wake him. “Let's go find Nubbin.” I said. “And ring his neck.” I added under my breath.

*

“What are you doing here? Haven't you met your quota for trouble yet?” Karen stepped out in front of Donna Lee.

“Oh, Karen, give it a rest, will ya?” Bob groaned, moving around her to hug Donna Lee. “We brought reinforcements. Don't you worry, we'll find your dad.”

Donna Lee glared at me momentarily before acknowledging Bob and his kind words. “I swear, when I find him, I'm going to kill him. Does he realize how much trouble he's caused. I had to leave the husband at home alone and we both know he's incapable of doing anything without step-by-step directions.”