Wednesday 01 to Wednesday 22
My brother Kevin called at 10:30am to tell me that they are putting Mom in a hospice. I was packed and on the Harley headed to Tucson by 12:30. Just making quick stops to for fuel I arrived there at 7:30pm. Kevin took me over to the hospice to see Mom. She would wake up occasionally to talk to us and watch cartoons. I visited with her for a long spell on Thursday.
On the next Friday at 7am we got a call from Dad telling us Mom wouldn’t last the day. We quickly drove to the hospice and spent the last half hour of our Mother’s life with her; she quietly passed away at 8:15am. Our family stayed until they took Mom away a few hours later.
I’m not going to go into great detail here except for the next week I stayed at Kevin’s sleeping on the living room floor of his small trailer that he has a parked at an RV Resort with swimming pool, Jacuzzi, weight room, and library that I took advantage of. I went for long night walks listening to astronomy lectures- I got lost one night and had to ask for directions. Almost every morning I would do my stretches and take a run around the parameter of the RV Park. I loved doing laps in the pool!
There was a pool party for Mark and Crystal’s three year daughter Athena on Saturday; I bought her a Tinkerbelle doll.
We had Mom’s services on Sunday 12th which was well attended by friends and family. Uncle Jack and his family came down from Colorado and I was very pleased to have finally met my uncle and cousins.
I made my way back home on a 7hr ride that Monday 13 and was glad to get home and sleep in my own bed and not on a floor.
I spent the next week or so doing my exercises, reading books, and visiting with friends here. Linda came from Texas to take care of a few odds and ends; she also had a small party that I attended.
Other than that I’m trying to get things back together.
Thursday 23- I did my stretches.
I printed some stuff for Linda and worked on her computer to get her Google Voice working.
I went to Linda’s party.
Friday 24- I did my stretches, yoga, core trainer, and ran a mile.
I went to town with Kelly.
Saturday 25- I did my stretches, yoga, lifted weights, core trainer, and rode my bike.
I worked on solar panels.
I went to Potluck.
Sunday 26- did my stretches.
I went to Linda’s taking pics of cactus flowers bloom at night and then die.
Monday 27- I did my stretches, yoga, lifted dumbbells, core trainer, and went for a mile run.
Tuesday 28- did my stretches.
Then I started doing something I never did before: I was writing a fictional story with people conversing and such. I find getting people to talk in my writings the hardest thing for me to do, but here I was just writing and wondering where the story would go and just kept writing. The people in my story started to come alive! Well, okay, I am a little excited :p
So here it is the first draft of the first chapter, unedited, raw, with misspellings and punctuation errors included for all who choose to pick it apart or for those who just want to enjoy reading. Your constructive input is always appreciated :)
A Little Home in the Desert
Chapter 1
The early Sun begins to bake the roof and east side of a little desert home making the walls inside warm to the touch. Where, within the dwelling two slumbering inhabitants are withering away from oven like temperatures as if they were meat being turned to jerky. Such is the desert on a clear hot summer’s morning in July.
In the one room home intentionally kept dark, a little dog makes his way and emerges from under his master’s bed blankets. Moisten by the dehydration of his owner’s body the dog licks his master’s cheek. The hair, once combed and proper, now lying sweat matted upon a face that is female. As consciousness begins to erase the dreamy realms of cooler places, her eye’s flutter as she wipes the sleep from them. She then notices she has messages on her laptop computer screen and leans over and begins to type a reply to one when she hears a car drive up out front. Rising from the sweat soaked bed she slips a robe over her shoulders and takes the few steps to the window. Pulling aside the old brown towel that acts as a shade she peers outside where there’s a patrol car with the emblem CMMPD on its side. “It just might be Wesley!” Quickly she makes her way to the sink, pushes this week’s dishes aside, throws water onto her face and hair, and not finding the brush pulls her wet hair back behind her ears; that’ll have to do. She is ready for the knock at the door when it comes.
“Hi Ms Buckingham I’m Sheriff Bell of the Copper Mountain Mesa Police Department. I’m here to inquire if you may have heard any noises or seen anything around 3am last night.” With her best smile she says “Hi Wesley, what kind of noises would they be? The dog was shaking late last night and crawled under the covers between my legs to sleep. Other than that I couldn’t tell ya much.” Bell leaned to one side, leather belt holster creaking, to notice an empty Seagram’s bottle lying next to the bed. “Well I guess you wouldn’t, being that it was late and a mile or so away. It happened over by the old Randolph house.” Noticing his gaze she said, “Well, life can sometimes be mighty hard on a woman Wess, but at least I don’t run around like them gals over there in Twentynine, pining for every Marine that swaggers by.” Through an eye of a man, Wesley apprised the thirty four year old woman in front of him thinking she’d be a looker if she’d get off the booze to relieve the puffiness in her face, loose a few pounds, and for God sakes take a shower. “You just goin to stand there gawking at me or are ya goin ta tell me what the hell is goin on?” “Oh sorry Ms Buckingham…” “Just call me Sue or Susan, Wess.” “Okay Susan, there’s a car that we found with two charred bodies inside that burned during the night. We were called around 4am by a neighbor to investigate and we found, once the fire was put out, that the car was riddled with bullet holes, from an automatic it looks like.” “Hot dang Wess was it on the Randolph property?” The Randolph house has been abandoned for years after a meth lab burned much of the place down and was known for being a hangout from time to time by all the new graffiti scrawled upon the walls. “No it was found nearby stuck in the soft sand down on Saturn Road.” “Well it sounds to me”, she said, “that it ain’t no one who lives around here. Saturn Road is known for getting stuck in, most avoid it. Must have took a wrong turn or somethin.” “It appears that the occupants of the car were being chased. By whom or for what reason we don’t know yet. That’s why I’m here Susan asking you and others in the immediate vicinity questions.” “Darn and I thought it was a social visit Wess”, she said jokingly but kind of hoping he’d get the message. Wesley Bell was new to the area from LA for about a year now. He met the town council’s requirements for sheriff- which wasn’t much, and he’s been keeping the area safe by his constant patrols. He must be a bit over six foot, handsome, well mannered, and single. Wesley got the message alright “Well Ms Buckingham…” dang it back to calling me Ms Buckingham, “I have to move on down to the Smith Ranch and see if they might have heard or seen something. If you hear of anything give my office a call. Thank you.” “Maybe I’ll do just that Wess, take care and don’t be a stranger.” Wesley half waved from behind as he made his way to the patrol car, put it in gear, and kicked up a little dirt as he drove away.
Well that could have gone better Wesley thought to himself. He was kind of drawn to Susan, something about her, only if she didn’t have so much baggage he would’ve been game. He was about to make the turn down to the Smith’s when the radio squawked excitedly “Wesley you ain’t goin to believe this!” “Dang it Josh, show a little professionalism. Now start over.” “CMMPD to Officer Bell, you ain’t goin to believe this.” “Okay Josh what is it I won’t believe?” “There’s been another body found over on Winters Road and Borland Pass- just off the road a bit in the vacant field to the southeast- Looks like it’s been shot, too.” Dang, for a small town PD on the hi-desert manned by two officers and a secretary this is getting to be a bit much. “I’m on my way Josh. Have Claudine take over the station and meet me there. Over and out!” The hell with the town council, I’m going to have Claudine sworn in and on duty today when I make it back. She’s been taking police administration classes over at the local college, has been on many ‘Ride Alongs’ with me and Josh showing her the ropes, and has also let me know that she has longed to be out in the field on patrol by herself. Yes when I make it back today that’s what I’m going to do. The only problem is Wesley Bell wouldn’t make it back to the station.
Wednesday 29- did my stretches, lifted dumbbells, core trainer, and ran a mile.
I spent the day writing another chapter or two.
Thursday 30- did my stretches, lifted weights, core trainer, and rode my bike.
I Dropped by Linda’s house. She had a hive of bees removed the day before and now the ones left are attacking her, especially one mean little bee that was hanging around the front door. After many attempts I finally whacked it a good one and we didn’t hear nor see it again.
I spent the rest of day writing another chapter and editing what I had already written.
If anyone wishes to read drafts of the first and second chapters please email me and I’ll send them along. If you like them email me again for the next chapter and so on... I won't send them automatically because it feels too much like spamming.
Goodbye to June; a rotten month for me… Except for the few days towards the end when I started to write!
