Chapter 3 3

"Oh. Um, do you mind if I ask where you're camping? Somewhere around here?"

"Bout ten klicks back the road here, probably eight or nine. It's a private campground, probably not your thing.", he said, eyes glancing swiftly to the kids behind me, then to Columbia and back.

"Why?"

"Well,... It doesn't have the amenities that say, Victoria Park has. No cordoned off swim areas with lifeguards, no swimming lessons for the kiddies, no manicured trails, public washrooms, stuff like that. Anyway it's private, like I said."

"So we can't get in.", I finished for him, downcast again after seeing a false ray of hope in salvaging this vacation disaster.

"Well,...", he said, shrugging thoughtfully, looking me over and then the twins. "You seem like good people,... If you want, just follow me back the road. You can stay the night, anyway."

"Hey! I said get the fuck offa my land!", the store owner shouted from the open screen door of his grubby establishment, cursing and waving at the invading moths before slamming the door shut to watch us from inside.

"Fuckwit.", I barely heard the big man mumble under his breath.

"Is- Um, is there anybody there at this hour? How will I get in?"

"I know the owner. Well, everyone there knows Elmo, but we'll get you into a lot and, when he comes around my place in the morning, I'll tell him what's happening and he'll stop in to see you. Probably just charge you a day's camping fee, or something. Don't worry, he won't rip you. Like I say, we all know him."

"That sounds great. You're sure it's no trouble?"

"Not at all." he shrugged. Who knows, you three might even want to stay. Name's Junior, by the way." he said, walking closer and offering his hand.

I quickly switched arms over my deep cleavage so I could shake the man's hand, blushing.

"I'm Trudy. I'm sorry about my- well, I was in bed and I had to rush to the door,..."

"It's okay." he laughed. "No offense, Trudy, but you seem like you had one of those days."

"You can't imagine." I laughed nervously. "These are my kids, Jenifer and Jarid."

"Hey.", Junior greeted, casually waving at the twins, who had moved up on either side of me. They each said 'Hi', almost in harmony and a little reservedly.

"Well," our seeming hero of the day finished, "I'll pay for my fuel and pull out to the road while you three get underway. Should probably get goin' before this asswipe really does call the RCs."

"Right.", I said, turning and hustling the kids along ahead of me, Jenifer looking back at the large man with me as I called to his back, "Thanks a lot, we really appreciate this!"

He waved casually over his shoulder without looking back, a gesture that advised me not to worry about it.

Just over five minutes later, this time properly dressed with a peach, button neck pullover, I hurried out of the RV, parked at the side of the road. Under a bright mercury light, there was a simple wooden sign, big enough to read quickly and easily while whizzing by on the lonely stretch of road that proclaimed our current location as 'Wheeling Park'. Junior was opening a padlocked chain that cut off entrance to a dark, narrow, dirt road through the trees as I began to hurry over.

"Junior?" I called, trying not to slip on the partly exposed, ribbed metal culvert pipe I saw in the headlights.

"Yuh?" he asked, dropping the chain on the ground.

"Uh, heh, I'm not sure my space shuttle will come down here."

"It'll be tight and you'll scratch some paint, but it'll go. Ol' Abner has a rig about this size and he gets her in. But, this is what I mean about it maybe not being your kinda place, you know?"

I looked down the dirt track, at Columbia and then back at him.

"I can get it down there, if you want." he offered. "I can get it past the culvert, but I won't be able to save the paint."

I looked back at the RV once again, imagining the kids in the front, invisible to me above the lancing headlights, but sure to be watching this. I looked back at him and shrugged, saying with a smile and a shake of my head, "I don't care about the paint."

It seemed funny at the time. I couldn't have said why as I looked at him, nor can I now, but he smiled back suddenly.

"You'll wanna stay. Tell your kids what's happening and I'll bring my truck in first before I come back for yours. You guys can help guide me in."

"Okay."

As we watched for traffic and guided Junior, who took the wheel of the great and mighty Columbia, I really doubted he'd do it. The kids must have felt the same way as they watched him angle the huge thing in and over the narrow culvert, because they smiled like I did when he actually accomplished the feat.

The kids followed our bright red tail lights on foot, me catching up after struggling to drag the chain back to the opposite iron post so I could secure it with the heavy padlock, fearing I'd break a nail in the process. He stopped when he came to his truck, put it in park and we sidled along between the trees and the RV, staying low where the evergreen tips weren't quite as thick, until we got to the door where he met us.

"I can keep on and put her in a lot if one of you knows how to drive a standard."

That let me out.

"Jarid can drive a motorbike, isn't that a standard?"

"Motorbike, uh? You're gonna love it here.

"But I've never driven a standard car.", Jarid said.

"It's nothing, put 'er in first and ease the clutch, the power'll do the rest."

"Uhh,... you sure?" Jarid asked nervously.

"Take your sister, your mum probably wants to ride with me to make sure I don't steal your RV.", he joked with a smile before disappearing back inside.

We looked at each other, Jenifer and I wearing reserved, although amused grins while Jarid looked ahead of the RV at Juniors truck, obviously fretting.

"Don't worry, honey, he seems to know what he's talking about. Just do what he told you." I assured.

"Yeah, c'mon, Nervous Nell. I thought you were this big 'garage guy'.", Jenifer teased, squeezing past and moving forward.

"I'm into bikes, not cars!" he retorted, following her.

I climbed inside, slamming the door behind me and wondering if I hadn't made a mistake here, but everything seemed on the up and up. He warned us about the locals and was very frank about what we could expect at this 'private park', and it's not as if there wasn't a sign, chintzy as it was. It was all one would need for a private park, just enough to mark the spot and possibly to satisfy any local licensing demands. There was even a light with a security chain.