Perfectly Starboard

PERFECTLY STARBOARD

Sitting under the immense oak, watching the shades of the shadow and the shards of light intensify and diminish the leafs. Momentarily speckling the crusty ground below, he wondered if he still had what it took to go back. He had started the small ball of snow rolling down a very steep peak. As he sat in the shade of the tree he observed a small ant stumbling out from under a leaf. It almost looked as though it was squinting up into the beam of light that had found a small opening through the leaf filled limbs above. At this point in his adult life he had pictured himself in a totally different position both financially and emotionally.

Ross Dawson had lived his very uncomplicated young adult life performing his trade for the oil industry. He had fulfilled his four years of training to become a craftsman. The construction industry had readily accepted him into their ranks. The boom was on and he could go anywhere and perform his duties and tasks easily and efficiently.

Ross thought he had made an admirable attempt to pursue his life long dream…just like his father and his grandfather. He found following in their foot steps, a task beyond what he had anticipated. At least he still had the key.

He thought of the women and the great plans he had…until by that streak of luck, most of it bad, that landed him here. As he sat looking at his worn out shoes wondering what was going to be lunch or if he was lucky at least supper.

He thought of the one that had brought him down to earth. He hadn’t seen it coming, it had blindsided him. Women had always been something that had come easily but this one was special. Since meeting Dana, she was almost all he ever thought of. He wondered what she might be doing. If she ever thought of him and if she did would she accept him back into her heart.

Danielle Harris had sent him into orbit. Almost as if all the others had been only a prerequisite to meeting Dana, as all her close friends knew her. She was all he had ever wanted in the opposite sex, both emotionally and on the many different levels they accessed readily and easily. She was as calm as the clouds above the hurricane, slowly displaying her inner depths, deep as the ocean consumed by the gale forces above.

An affectionate memory came to mind. That night the big bold moon sat easily above them like an owl in a tree. She had asked him if he saw the woman, as they together gazed at it. She had told him of the rose that this woman held gently grasped in her hand. For him, this was a moment that come back easily, slightly tinged with remorse. He had seen the rose for the first time of his life. He cherished this moment frozen in time. He could almost smell the bouquet of her, almost taste her on his lips. He became so engulfed with this vivid sensory image of her, that he almost didn’t hear the gravel as the truck came to a slow and gradual stop just about twenty feet ahead. He looked up and stood up almost in one sudden motion.

“Hey young feller, Where you headin?” bellowed the driver, with about a three days stubble starting to darken his face.
“Howdy” returned Ross, as the driver reached across to open the door. Ross didn’t have a clue. Back to her would have been so easy to say. After running this far he wasn’t worried about his pursuers.
“ Well my truck was repo’ed and I’m just trying to get home.“ Ross quickly replied.
“Where might that be partner?” he asked, as he picked up a white styrofoam cup and spit in it.
“Originally down around Houston, a little place called Lomax”
“ Well sometimes chicken and sometimes feathers” was the older mans response as Ross climbed into the cab.
“I been a mite down on my luck a time or two myself.” The driver concluded.

Ross said that he would ride as far as the next town if that was alright. The big rig operator told him that it wasn’t a problem and told Ross that he had a stop to make at the mill just outside of town. He was delivering a load of machine parts to the mill. Ross had no objection, at least he wasn’t sitting on the side of the road any longer.

Along the dusty patch of highway, full of holes created by many log trucks and many trips, Ross told him of his plight. How many of the things had just gotten away from him. He told of a young man with many plans, ambitions and the downfall. The trucker took an interest in this younger man, he told him if he needed a place to stay over night and a meal, he would be welcome at his home. Ross thought about this and decided why not.

The delivery was made without much pomp or ceremony, just a paper or two to sign and a few minutes to unload. With the nearby forklift it took all of twenty minutes.

On their way back to the highway, the trucker looked over at some piles of brush that was slightly ablaze on a freshly disturbed patch of ground. He remarked that less than two weeks ago, there was woods where the smoldering piles of brush now resided. The driver proclaimed there was getting to be less and less of the big ones. The big old pines that used to hide all of the interior away from the roads in this area. Now just about anywhere you went you saw piles of ash. He explained that what were once great woodlands, were now just plains waiting for the final rape. What had been bushes and trees, were no longer beautiful living things, but trash that was left burning. Once a part of nature that made us feel so isolated from the urban developments, the convenience stores and the shopping malls of this world. Would the minerals be next he wondered out loud. Although he was involved in this very industry, he could still see the gravity of this situation. The wise old trucker seemed to have more insight than previously observed.

Ross was thinking about what his next move would be and if he could find some type of work nearby. By the time they reached the driveway, they knew each other as Ross and Steve. Steve Wilson’s little boy Will, was in the yard playing with a truck on a mound of dirt, acting as though he was moving mountains. Hearing the truck the lad jumped up and started along with the massive vehicle.
“Daddy Daddy” he hollered. There was a smile on his face revealing a couple of front teeth missing due to just having lost them.
“Hi boy” Steve grinned.
“Who’s that?” Quizzed the young one.
“Well it’s a long story. Go tell your Ma there’s going to be an extra plate on the table tonight.”

Quickly his son obeyed and in doing so jumped down from the running board and scampered into the house that was made of pine wood, from a time long before.

After washing off the dust and grime of a few days past, Ross found the kitchen and noticed Steve’s wife Ellie had added the extra plate as requested. The smells of this kitchen brought back sudden memories of his childhood.

“I’m Ellie Wilson.” she said with a smile as she held out her hand.
“Ross Dawson ma’am.” He returned as he gently shook her hand.
“MMMMMMM that smells like the best chicken I’ve ever smelled.” Ross said as the smell of her kitchen made his empty stomach growl.
“I hope you brought your appetite with you, Ellie works wonders with her new stove!” Steve commented, as they all sat down.

After saying grace they started to pass heaping plates of chicken and all the other mouthwatering side dishes . While they were all eating supper and licking their fingers, almost after every bite, Steve told Ellie that Ross probably wanted a bath. Also he would be spending the night on their sofa. He asked her to get the bed things for him. Ross thanked them both and finished his meal in relative silence as the family recalled the events of their everyday life. Ross reflected on what he was doing with his life and decided that he was unsure of the direction it had led him to. He was sure that the meal and the bath were a start. Better than It could have been, a lot better. Another day closer to his return to Dana, thought Ross as he drifted off.

Ross awakened to the smells of coffee and bacon. As he opened his eyes, he wondered if maybe his luck had come back, perhaps a little at a time. As the need to arise slowly lifted him from his horizontal position, Ellie walked by the hallway that connected the room he occupied with the kitchen. Ellie noticed he was moving around and said “Hey we got coffee if you want and how about some eggs and bacon?”
Even after feasting the previous night, Ross felt surprisingly famished. “Sure.”

Ross soon found himself seated at the table from the night before, with generous servings of bacon and eggs.

Steve came in holding a small electric fuel pump in his hand. “Its pertnere impossible to get one of these here things in less than a week. It started makin’ noise ’bout three or four days back, and now it’s leakin‘.”

He was afraid that he would be on the road when it decided to quit completely. Steve had thought he would try to find someone locally that might have one he could replace it with. Ross stuck his hand out, “Let me see it.” After looking at the pump, Ross knew what was wrong. The housing had been shook and bumped around until it was cracked. He asked Steve if he had some tools, Steve led him out to his barn and said “ I’ve got quite a few, think its beyond repair?”
“Lets take a look at it.”
Ross deftly took the little pump apart. He repaired the housing with precise and intense attention to every detail. Along the way, he found a place that needed some more insulation in the windings and quickly made that repair as well.
“There that should be good for at least another thousand miles if you get lucky, but to be on the safe side, I’d start looking to order a new one just to have on hand.”

“How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me a thing, I’m in your debt.”
“Don’t worry about a thing!” Steve replied as they strolled to the house.

It was getting to be mid afternoon in this small little community of about fifteen hundred. The heat seemed to draw the energy out of every living thing exposed to the hot Texas sun.

Together they walked out into the warm dry air. They sat drinking a beer on the Wilson’s newly rebuilt porch. The smell of the fresh cut wood lingered still however slightly. The porch contrasted with the rest of the house.

After talking about the trade he left behind, Ross told the family he couldn’t thank them enough as he prepared to leave. All he had was just a little pack with one change of clothes. He changed to his semi-clean jeans and a sport shirt from a life time ago it seemed.

Steve sat there looking at Ross from a new angle and asked “Have you ever worked on or around cranes?”
“Sure have.” replied Ross almost without having to give it thought.
“Well I heard that they’re needing someone to fix a couple cranes down at the mill. Every time they need one fixed they have to send to Houston to have someone come down and take a look. Then it might take weeks for the parts to come in.”
“Well if had a few tools and maybe a tester I might be able to see what I could do.” Ross surveyed.
“Why I got enough tools to outfit a plumber, a welder, and a mechanic!” Steve assured Ross.
“My brother probably has some kinda tester in that room he stayed in the back part of the barn.” He added, as he scratched his chin.
“I don’t want to wear out my welcome sir.”
“What this area needs is someone with electrical abilities and some good ole common sense.” Which it seemed to Steve, Ross was blessed with both.
“By the way you seem to have a way with machinery. Would you mind having a look at my tractor? The starter seems to really drag, I’ve been meaning to take a look at it soon.”
“Sure I don’t mind at all.”
“Well I don’t think its fit for man or beast out there right now. I just thought that if you wouldn’t mind, maybe tomorrow early…Iffn you don’t mind staying over another night.” Steve humbly request.
“You sure I ain’t puttin you out none?”
“Well it seems that you came at a time when we need someone for this work desperately. In fact stay at least until Monday?”
Ross considered the proposition only for a fleeting moment. Well I ain’t doing nothing else, he thought to himself, why not? Once again he heard the words leaving his mouth. “Sure, thanks.”

After sharing a few more of Steve’s beers they discussed areas untouched before. Ross told him about the woman that he had to leave behind. The problems with some of his acquaintances and parts of the world he left behind, wondering if he would ever be able to return to it.

On Sunday Ross had been asked to attend the church services with the Wilson family to which he had kindly begged off. While the Wilson’s attended the services, he easily pulled off the starter and repaired it and also had pulled out the spark plugs and cleaned them up.

After Steve and Ellie came back he was once again been treated to another one of Ellie’s fine meals. Steve and Ross had walked out to the barn and Ross had fired up the old tractor on the first crank. A huge smile appeared on the elders face as he told Ross “That’s the best and smoothest I have ever heard her run!”
“What did you do?”
“I found the starter had some dirty contacts and I cleaned them.”
“Also I pulled out the plugs and cleaned and reset the gap. This John Deere Is almost the same model tractor my father owned so I could have done the plugs blindfolded.” Ross grinned.
“Yep that is smooth! Thanks.” Said Steve as he shook Ross’s hand. The two new friends walked back to the Wilson home.

As night fell Steve’s son Will came to Ross and said “Mister are you gonna be here long?”
“I’m not really sure. Do you mind if I’m here?”
“No sir I just want to thank you for helping daddy is all.”
“Well we will have to see what happens.” Ross told the young one.

Ross soon found sleep again on the couch and again as every night his thoughts returned to her.