Low Place Like Home - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – MAY 28th 2001

Allison had never heard her mother swear so much in a single breath before. It was unprecedented, both in volume and variety of curses. The young girl felt the same way, and would have joined her mother, if she were allowed to swear. Instead, Allison just buried her head in her hands trying to force tears back into their ducts. She was unsuccessful. Allison couldn't help crying when family died.

This was the day the truck passed away.

“Come on Alli, it’s going to be okay,” Mary said unconvincingly, frantically jumping out of the rusted heap and running back inside the thirty year old duplex. The young girl lingered in the car, putting her hands on the dashboard. Maybe, if she thought about it long enough, the engine would turn over just one more time.

Quickly dialing out on the phone, Mary tried to slow her heart rate waiting for the other end to pick up.“ Bill it’s me- yeah, my fucking truck just bit the dust-- well Alli and I gotta be at work in twenty minutes so… Alright. Okay, thank you. We’ll be right down.”

Sprinting back to the truck Mary flung the door open and scooped her daughter up and out of the passenger seat. “Come on darlin’ we’re going down to Uncle Bill’s shop.”

“Is he going to fix Rebecca?”

“Alli, we can’t be late for work today,” Mary said still pulling on her daughter’s hand.

It was the fastest four blocks Allison had ever ran in her life, even faster than she had to run after school before the sun came down; before the neighborhood turned bad. Allison didn't understand why her mother said that the neighbors didn't like them in their neighborhood. She didn't understand why she had to be careful because she was white, when Allison wasn't even white; she was peach. Regardless of pigment, when it got dark, Allison ran from school, past all the old brick houses to the duplex they shared with Mr. Roberts whom Allison was convinced probably died a long time ago. It was the smell… the dead person smell.

Nearly breathless, Mary and her daughter entered the auto shop where her Uncle Bill, who was not really Allison’s uncle, sat taking calls at the front desk. The man who resembled a great tortoise was yelling over the power tools and boisterous machinery behind him. Pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder, Bill tossed Mary a set of keys while he kept barking away on the phone. Mary continued toward Bill, and kissed the top of his gray wrinkled head before heading off to the back of the shop.

“Pick it up Alli,” her mother spat out heading to the back of the garage.

Allison waved to her fake uncle, he waived back, and the girl ran after her mother. Weaving through the giant, rotted cars, and machines, she found her mother in the back of the garage sitting on the most beautiful thing Allison had ever laid eyes upon. It was bright purple and sounded like a thousand lions roaring together in a choir.

“Here, put this on and sit behind me,” Mary said handing her daughter a helmet a size to big for her. The young girl stood still, marveling at the machine before her. “Allison, damn it we need this job, get on the bike?” Allison just nodded, unable to shake the awestruck smile plastered to her face.

Allison threw her right leg over the seat and scooted up to her mother, wrapping her arms around her waist. “You holdin’ on tight back there?”

“Yeah!” Allison yelled over the engine. Then, like a thousand Julys, everything exploded. From her toes, to her legs, her bones, her heart, and all the air in Allison’s chest burst like fireworks.

It was the most incredible feeling Allison ever experienced. As her mother weaved in and out of traffic towards St. Peter’s County, a stream of strange thoughts raced through Allison’s mind. She considered her truck being happy she’d moved on and found somebody new. She considered all the dumb boys at work being insanely jealous of her. Above all, for the first time, Allison considered what it would be like to wear a dress; but only while riding this beautiful machine.

Minutes later, minutes too soon for Allison, they arrived at work. Coasting into the parking lot, Mary found a spot up front by the main building and shut off the engine. Hopping off, and nearly reaching the front door to the office building, Mary spun around yelling back to her daughter“, Allison! Right now, move it!”

Even though Allison kept her helmet on, her mother knew the face underneath that helmet. With a rye smile, Mary quickly dashed back to her daughter, lifting Allison up off the motorcycle and pulled her inside the cool grey building.

After punching the time clock, Mary pushed the plastic name tag into her red polo shirt with one hand while tucking in her shirt with the other. Walking back down the hall, the senior councilor, who was ten years Mary’s younger, approached her with furrowed brow and crossed arms. “You’re late.”

“You are correct. I’m sorry, my truck died and-”

“Hey, you have good references, but I told Bill this place has a high turn around rate. If you can’t be here on time...”

“Yeah, okay, your penis is bigger than mine, I get it.” Mary said pushing past the boy and back out through the front door. Allison tagged along after her mom jogging back out to the parking lot towards the football field.

As they made their way into the lot, Allison broke stride with her mom. There was a young boy with a black beret standing with his mouth open the same way the older men looked at her mother, only he was starring at her mom’s bike.

“Hey!” Allison shouted. Turning to face her, the boy closed his mouth, leaving a relatively melancholy look in his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Clearing his throat“, I was just looking at that motorcycle.”

Allison spread a smirk across her lips“, Yeah? Well it’s my mom’s motorcycle. I rode it here.”

The boy’s eyes lit up“; your mom rides a 1999 Harley Davidson Road Master?”

Allison didn't know what all that meant, but she gathered all the pride inside her to spit out“, No, she drives a motorcycle, and it’s a million times better than whatever your mom drives.”

The young boy clenched his fists, narrowed his eyes and looked like he was about to punch Allison’s lights out. Instead, he just exhaled and walked away.

Mary was already on the field where all the other kids had to line up when she called out to her daughter“, front and center Alli! New kid, you too.”

Allison ran past the boy who was about to hit her and stood next to her mom. Mary ruffled her daughter’s hair and turned around to the angry boy. “New kid, what’s your name?”

“Summerland, Marshal Summerland,” his voice sounded like a robot to Allison.

“Alright Summerland, you’re with Bradley’s group over there.”

The boy said nothing, and walked over to the group with that obnoxious councilor Allison and her mother made fun of. They’d probably make fun of the angry boy too, just like those Garner twins that fought all the time. She hated them. The Garner boys, as far as Allison was concerned, were the most annoying boys on the planet. One of the Garner boys actually had the nerve to call Allison annoying. If that were true though, she would have been in Bradley’s group.

With a long loud blow on his whistle, Councilor Bradley addressed the assembled kids. He marched along the rows of a hundred or so campers lined up on the middle of the football field. Allison thought Bradley enjoyed pretending to be some kind of general or something. “Happy Monday campers, and welcome to the first day of SPORTS WEEK!”

The campers all cheered. Allison rolled her eyes. She wasn't bad at sports; she was just bad at taking Bradley serious. Allison’s lack of respect mostly came from knowing that a real man’s shorts should never be worn that high: it was a rule.

As Bradley rattled on about camp rules, Allison was about to tell her mom how gross it was that Bradley’s shorts managed to ride even higher this week. Instead, Allison again noticed the angry boy staring out at the parking lot. He was still starring at her bike. Who did this kid think he was?

After Bradley dismissed everyone for free play, Allison marched up to the angry boy“, hey weird kid!”

The boy turned around, but he seemed to look right through Allison. The girl responded by standing up on her toes forcefully commanding“, stop looking at my motorcycle… it’s inappropriate.”

“I thought it was your mom’s bike?”

“It’s my bike too. So quit starring, okay?”

“Whatever,” sighed the boy turning back around, and lumbering towards the edge of the field, towards the woods.

Mary placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder“, what did I tell you about harassing boys Alli?”

“Mom, he was starring at the motorcycle.”

“Do you think his starring hurt the Motorcycle?”

Allison looked down at her feet. Her mom always seemed to ask those types of questions, and they made her feel stupid. “No.”

“Well there you go. Hey new kid, Summerland, get over here.”

Startled, Marshal jogged back to Mary. When he was a few feet away he stood at attention and gave Mary a salute. Allison laughed, but her mother quickly shushed her.

“Yes ma’am?” said the boy without any life to his voice.

“Ma’am? Summerland, rule of thumb, don’t make women feel older by calling them ma’am. Understand?” The boy nodded. “Where you from kid?”

“California.”

“You don’t sound like you’re from California. Aren't Californians, you know, laid back?” The boy shrugged. His eyes looked sadder now to Allison than they looked angry.

Mary continued “,Trust me, it’s going to be much easier to get through this summer if you learn to loosen up a bit. Besides, the position of Uptight Anal Guy has already been filled.” Mary motioned towards Bradley who was busy yelling down to a couple campers.

Marshal let a quick smirk escape across his face“, Okay.”

“You know what? Why don’t you hang out with us?”

“Mom…” whined Allison.

“What?”

“He’s weird, and Bradley already put him with the weird kid group.”

“Bradley put him with the lame kid group, WE are the weird kid group. How about it Summerland? You stick with my group and I’ll teach you to be a Californian.”

Marshal nodded“, permission to be dismissed, um… miss?”

“You mean‘, can I go run around and play now Miss Mary?’”

“Um, yeah… that.”

“Yeah, go play.”

Marshal did an about face and sprinted across the field toward the playground. Mary looked down to her daughter“, what’s the matter with you missy?”

Allison scoffed“; He was saying stuff about the bike. He’s weird.”

Mary smiled wide“, so you like him then?”