Chapter 2
So here she was in a car about to die. Their mom was so sleep deprived that Mara wasn’t sure she realized she was talking out loud to herself.
“It’s going to be ok, little car. I know you’re burdened downed with stuff, but you can do it. I know you can. You’re a fighter. You are. We are both fighters. You’re going to make it. We are all going to make. I know we are,” her mom intoned.
“Mom,” Mara said. Her mother jumped. “Mom. You want to listen to some more Elton John?”
“Yes! I want to listen to Elton John.” Elton John was her mom’s favorite. She adored him. Mara was sick of him but if it kept her mom going . . . she’d keep listening. She loaded up Elton John’s greatest hits into the CD player. EJ was on the cover in a white suit and hat with ginormous glasses. “Your Song” started drifting through the speakers.
“Not Elton John,” came Cooper’s muffled protest from the back seat. He barely had any room in their Ford Focus because this was all they would have until they got their shipment from the army.
“It won’t be much longer, Cooper,” their mom promised.
“Heard that before,” he replied crankily.
“We’re seeing signs for San Angelo. Go back to sleep and when you wake up we’ll be there. Great, huh?”
Mara pulled down the visor and took a look at herself in the mirror. Pale skin, pale, blonde hair, gray-blue eyes, straight white teeth--thanks to braces, not too fat. Can you ever be too thin? Maybe if it killed you, but Mara was too fond of pizza and chocolate to let that happen. Hollywood hadn’t come knocking, but she didn’t really like being the center of attention.
The 23 hour trip had stretched to 27. Eating and rest stops had taken longer than anticipated. But they were almost there. They were on the last highway and would soon be in the town. The little clock in the car said it was almost 9AM. Or was it? Did the time change between California and Texas? Perhaps her mom wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of 27 hours in the car with no shower or good sleep. She checked her cell phone. It was almost 10AM.
Elton started singing, “Don't let the sun go down on me
Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see
I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me.”
The sun was up and had been for a couple of hours, but it still felt like she’d lost everything.
“I’m hungry,” Cooper complained.
“You’re in luck. I see a McDonalds,” their mom said, “And I could use a coffee and a pee. Not in that order.”
They rolled into the McDonalds parking lot and the car coughed to a stop. Welcome to San Angelo.
“I hope it starts again,” her mother commented as she pulled herself out of the seat and stretched. Me too, thought Mara.
Their mom was so tired she could barely stay awake through breakfast, but it was only about 10:30 in the morning. No motels would be ready until after 1 o’clock. So they went to the library. Their mom slept in the car while Mara and Cooper read and used the computers. Mara took the opportunity to update her status online: Made it to Texas--cold and brown. Missing CA already. After a couple of hours their mom stumbled in looking like a homeless woman on the down side of a drinking binge.
She got on a computer to see where to stay that night and where to live and where to work and where Mara and Cooper should go to school. Mara thought this is not what well planned looks like.
“We should go look at some places to live before we find a hotel,” their mom loudly whispered.
“Mom, have you seen yourself or taken a sniff. We’ve been in a car for 24 hours. No one will rent to us looking like this. We need to clean up some first.”
Her mom gave her a grumpy, stubborn look.
Mara did a turn around. “Let’s search on the computer and see what we find. Then see what we’re ready to do. How’s that sound?”
“All right.”
Together they studied prices and maps.
“Wow,” said their mom, “Everything is so much cheaper here. Rents are a third of what we paid in Monterey. I think we can get a 2 bedroom here. You and I can share and Cooper can have is own room.”
Yeah, thought Mara, no space to call my own. Awesome. They printed out information on the apartments. Their mom took a hard look in the mirror and agreed that cleaning up was a good idea. They found the cheap, cleanish motel. Check in wasn’t until 3, but they looked so pathetic that they said they could check in at 2. They went to lunch at not burger place. They found a grocery store and bought food for the next few days. Finally, they checked in and collapsed on the beds.
The next few days were spent finding an apartment. The one they ended up with was kind of crappy, but affordable. They slept in sleeping bags until their household goods arrived a week later. It was nice to see their familiar, worn furniture. Cooper and Mara registered for school. Mara hated it all. The Texas kids were not like her friends in California in any way. She was far from them ideologically. She was anti-gun; they were anti-gay. She was pro Democrat; they were pro Republican. And don’t get her started on country music. It poured from every car radio and restaurant speaker. Her life had a new soundtrack. And she hated it.
Then there was Texas itself. San Angelo’s water was nasty. You had to buy water to drink and to cook with because it had something in it that made it smell bad and taste worse. Showers left Mara feeling that she hadn’t moved up the cleanliness scale. Their apartment was also home to ants. Little tiny ants that found every crumb. If a piece of toast fell on the floor there would shortly be parallel lines of ants dismantling it into to tiny pieces. They didn’t bite, though the fire ants did. A geeky boy in her science class had explained about fire ants and tarantulas. Mara had only seen the giant spiders in movies. One day while stretching before a run in gym class one had come crawling across the dusty field. Some boys started poking at it. It tilted itself into attack position with its front legs and mandibles waving menacingly. And then it jumped. In the flash of an eye it had moved a foot. They didn’t have creatures like that in California. Pacific Grove, where she had lived, was on the migration route of the Monarch Buttery. At certain times of the year beautiful orange and black butterflies would flutter by adding a Disney feel to the town. Here it was more The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Her mom talked to her about her attitude.
“Mara, you’re not making friends because you always walk around with a scowl on your face. To be a friend you must show yourself friendly. Smile at people.”
She said this as Mara was getting ready for school and was busy lining her eyes with black liner. Black made her pale skin glow. A girl in the bathroom at school had asked her if she was into vampires. When Mara shot her a question look, the girl had pointed out she dressed like one. Black was her favorite color. It represented her soul. Black with anger and hate at everyone and everything.
“Smile more. Got it, Mom. I’m sure my life will take an amazing turn for the better now.”
“Mara . . .” her mom sighed. “You’re not even trying.”
“Because I don’t give a shit,” she muttered under her breath. Her plan was survive till graduation and then head back to Monterey. She could stay with her friends and get a job. She would make it work somehow. She had three years to figure it out. She grabbed her books and called to her brother to hurry up.
Her brother had already made friends at school and at the apartment. There was a boy about his age in one of the nearby apartments. They frequently played video games and ran around the neighborhood together. Mara hated his happiness.
On their way down the stairs, Cooper spotted his friend and ran off. Mara walked slowly to the bus stop. She had about two weeks of school till Christmas break. The semester was almost done and most of her classes were preparing for finals and turning in big projects they had been working on all quarter. It was a weird situation. Teachers didn’t know whether to try and catch her up with everyone else or abandon her to her fate. Soon she would have two weeks off for the Christmas holidays. The thought of two weeks with nothing to do but hang around the crappy apartment made her feel bleak. Her life sucked. She leaned against the light pole and stared down at her feet. Her chest was tight and she wanted to cry, but her mascara and eyeliner would make her look like a raccoon, so she sucked it up.
She sensed someone walking up to the bus stop and stop slightly behind her. She continued to stare at her feet in a effort to fight back the tears that were crowding her eyes.
“Hey,” a male voice drawled, “I don’t know you, but I’ve seen you around. Are you new here?”
Mara remained still and silently stared at the ground.
“Don’t you talk? Maybe you’re deaf?” the voice continued in its heavy Texas twang. “I bet that’s it. You aren’t looking at me so you can’t read my lips. It must be sad to be deaf. I would miss music the most I think. I really like music. I like Mumford and Sons. Patty Griffin. She is really raw and out there. I like that. Being deaf you probably don’t have a favorite singer or group. Maybe you would choose someone by how they look. So you’re probably a big Justin Beeber fan. He’s cute. Like a puppy. Or a girl. It’s not really gratifying to make fun of him because he’s an easy target and everyone makes fun of him. I don’t really follow the crowd. Well, except when it comes to making fun of Justin Beeber. I can be outrageous in the things I say. Shocking people makes me happy. But you wouldn’t really appreciate that being deaf.”
Cooper and his friend, Mark maybe, came up.
“Hey,” said the voice, “I’m talking to this new deaf girl.”
Mark started laughing. Cooper piped up, “She’s not deaf. She’s my sister. She hates everyone. That’s why she’s not talking to you. She hates you.”
“Isn’t that racist to hate people you’ve never even met? Are you a bigot? What’s your sister’s name?” the voice questioned.
“Mara,” Cooper said helpfully. “She’s Mara and I’m Cooper. We live here now. We’re from California. My mom and dad are getting divorced.”
“Cooper! Shut up!” She turned to the voice, “It’s not racism if you hate everyone,” Mara defended, “only if you hate a people group.” She looked into the laughing eyes of a cowboy. Really. He had boots, a hat, jeans, one of those corduroy jackets that kind of look like a padded shirt. His eyes were blue and they were laughing at her.
“Not sure you’re right there, Mara. Pretty sure hating people sight unseen is bigotry. But you being from California are probably much smarter than anyone from Texas.”
Mara struggled to come up with a witty, zinging reply. The bus choose that moment to roll up. Cooper and Mark clambered on. The cowboy graciously bowed for Mara to go first. She tried to haughtily step onto the bus, but tripped going up the stairs and her purse spilled on the steps. The cowboy helped her pick its contents up including the feminine pads. Mara felt her pale face flame red as he handed them to her. She hurried to the back and threw herself in the first empty seat. He sauntered back and sat in the seat behind her.
“My name is Boaz,” he said leaning forward, “I felt you should probably know it since I’ve handled your feminine protection products. I always wonder at why they are called ‘feminine protection’. What exactly are they protecting you from? Being feminine? Are they protection from those who are feminine?” He leaned back shaking his head, “It’s a mystery.”
Mara couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. Boaz leaned in and whispered, “Have you ever been more embarrassed in your life?”
Mara thought and started laughing again, “Not even close.” She turned and leaned her back against the window so she could look at Boaz. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a little nutty. The whole deaf speech was just crazy. Is that your idea of a pick-up line?”
Boaz gave a lazy smile and pushed his hat up. “My pick-up lines are much more sophisticated than that. I have to be careful with them because they are so entirely irresistible.”
“I’ll be on my guard,” Mara replied. Then she smiled and made her first Texas friend. Damn if her mom wasn’t right.
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