WANDERIN MAN
“BEYOND MARDI GRAS” – Part III
Well, after some contemplatin, we decided to leave the pick-em-up truck there by the side of the road an haul-ass on my hog. She was real reluctant to go past the blue lights, so I made a u-turn and we went back down the road to the nearest motel to figure out our next move. I went in, signed up fer a room fer the night an picked up some snacks to take to the room.
I asked the desk clerk if there was any places close by where I could pickup a few women’s clothes. She asked if they needed to be nice clothes an I told her my lady friend had met with some misfortune an the only outfit she had with her had been ruined earlier in the day. We jist needed something decent enough to get her by til we could do some shoppin.
Well, she says, we have a couple lost-N-found baskets that’s got all the stuff people left behind when checkin out. Yer welcome to anything in there that might fit. So, I sorted through the old clothes an picked out two er three outfits that looked like they might fit, threw the desk clerk a few bucks an headed fer the room.
Once inside, I gave her the snacks an the clothes an told her she could use the bathroom first. That I would be back in bit, but I was fixin to go out an take a quick peek around the area to sorta git the lay of the land and see what I could see. She gave me a look, but I wasn’t quite sure jist what it meant. She said you have been so wonderful to take me on without even askin any questions an I don’t know if I kin ever thank ya fer what yer a doin fer me.
I said, “Don’t worry about it, we all do what we kin when there’s a need” an she certainly looked to be in need. I told her to git a shower an see if any of the clothes were fit to wear while I was out gassin up my hog an scoutin us up something to eat.
Well, I found a town about two miles down the road an decided we could git jist about anything we’d be a needin. I pulled into a truck stop, bought us a couple burgers an some soft drinks, gassed up my hog an headed back to the motel. By the time I got there, she had showered an tidied herself up an I’d have ta say she was about tha purttyest little gal I’d ever seen.
She was real tickled when I came back through the door an she said that she really hadn’t expected that she’d ever see me agin. She had figured I’d make a run fer it rather than have to deal with her problems.
Well, I told her, I ain’t the best thet there ever was, but my momma taught me better’n that. Ya don’t never leave no lady stranded an in need without doin everything within yer power to see to her needs. I tole her, like it er not, yer stuck with me until we kin get ya on yer feet and able to fend fer yerself.
Well, she jist about melted into the mattress with relief as I handed her the burger an soda an we polished off the food before I took my turn in the john. When I came out of the john she said to me; "I declare, yer cookin is finer than a skeeter's eye lash." And right then and there I knew that we was a goin to be gittin along. I liked her sense of humor. She knew dern well that I didn't cook that food, she jist wanted to show me that she weren't skared no more, by makin a little joke with me.
Before getting in the shower, I brung in every piece of clothing I had in my saddle bags, sorted out my cleanest dirty outfit an took the rest along with the extra clothes from the lost-N-found basket down the hall to the laundry room. I threw them all in the washer, dumped in some soap an started them a washin afore I went back to the room to take myself a shower.
When I got out of the shower, she was sound asleep, so I went about the task of scrapin off a weeks worth of whiskers an trimmed up my hair a tad. Then I went back down an put the clothes into the dryer.
To be continued….
Copyright © 2011 Richard Lee King. All Rights Reserved.
Anna