Page 15 of Snow Blind
“Hmm, neither are teenage rites of passage,” he said. “Stay safe.”
Micah Delgado ended the call.
She continued to drive toward town, storing the conversation for a mental vivisection later. The words he’d shared would have to wait. Her Technician phone was ringing.
“Please let it be an assignment,” she replied, taking the call. “Go for Cranberry.”
“This is the Operator; I have a request for a connect from The Bad Apple. Will you accept the call?”
"Yes," she said, holding the device, listening to the silence. A few clicks occurred, then a hiss, and finally background sounds.
"Cranberry?" the deep voice said. "You there?"
"I am here. How may I be of assistance?"
It was the pauses she hated. Life could be so much easier if people simply said what was on their minds instead of the coy games of cat and mouse. She wanted to know what he wanted from her.
"Uhm, Stephen has finally perfected his cranberry sweet potato souffle," Bad Apple said as he spoke of his young ward, a flamboyant chap who enjoyed cooking.
"Good to know," she replied, wondering what the hell that had to do with her.
"He's planning to make it for Thanksgiving," Bad Apple said. "I'm calling to offer you and The Mustang an invitation for dinner and a weekend of family fun. Can you guys make it?"
Helen sat on the lone back road not far from Passion Fruit's place. No one would be able to find the place unless they knew exactly where to look. Even with her vehicle stored in the barn, the cabin sat forlornly into the hillside, seemingly abandoned. She understood the request and call, but it wasn't her decision to make.
"Apple, you will need to place that request direct to the source," she said. "He will be able to provide you with an answer."
"You don't keep you guys’ calendar for stuff like that?"
"Again, you need to make the request directly to him. Anything else I can assist you with?"
"I guess not," Apple said, surprised at the coldness in her voice. "They miss you. I thought it would be nice...you know."
"Make the call; he will give you an answer," she said, feeling irritated for some reason. "Cranberry out."
She ended the call, scowling into the coldness in the car cabin although the heater was blaring on full blast. The heat seemed to only whisper hints of warmth, making her shudder. The drive from the homestead in Plainville, Indiana to where Bad Apple lived in Janesville, Wisconsin was nearly five hours and a different time zone. Even if they got up early to make the drive to arrive by dinner, an overnight stay would be required.
The idea also created issues. Her cousin Cherry more than likely expected her home for Thanksgiving, and in her heart, she'd rather have a pap smear than do that, but she also wasn't prepared to deal with Oscar, who lived with Bad Apple. The kid tugged at her Mom's heartstrings, and she wasn't prepared mentally to tango with that either, at least not now. There were so many issues to deal with just living full-time or whatever it was she was doing with Mustang and whatever future they had.
"It's just too much," she said softly, easing off the brake and beginning the drive into town.
Her personal cell phone rang, and she growled loudly at another person, wanting to connect. Angrily, she answered the call.
"Yeah?"
"Hey, Cous, how are you?" Cherry’s voice came through the line. "I was calling to see if you were coming for Thanksgiving. I know Ruth is planning to put on a spread."
"Not sure right now," she answered truthfully. "There is a great deal happening on this end."
"Okay, I was also missing you. Naomi keeps asking about you; she misses you as well," Cherry said. "Michael was also wondering how the training was going."
"Every day is an adventure," Helen said, not wanting to say anything more over the line.
"Oh. Okay then. You'll let me know?"
"I will let you know. Love you," Helen said and ended the call. Before she made it to the store, two additional calls came in, one from her mother, which she refused to take, and oddly enough, the second call she answered.
"Hello," she said into the line.
