Page 7 of Almost There
“Honored guests.” Caterpillar winked. “Rhonda here will take good care of you while I get the stage turned up. Take a seat whenever you’re ready.”
He glanced over to the mountains and the sun setting behind them as he calculated the remaining light. “We have about an hour until Arthur calls in so we’ll head back after the first act. Enjoy yourselves until then.” Caterpillar’s skirt swished as he walked away and he called out greetings to each person that milled about the roped off square in front of the platform stage.
“You’re wondering how in the hell he knows Arthur.” Rhonda caught Tessa staring at Caterpillar as he swayed across the desert ground.
She looked away, embarrassed. “The question has crossed my mind once or twice tonight.”
“I barely believed it either. That Art is sure a stuffy old goat. Did you know he’s only been here twice in the past ten years? His wife on the other hand is a sweetheart. Don’t know what she sees in the guy. Caterpillar either. Well, I guess they served together in the military a whole lifetime ago. But that’s a story for another day.” Rhonda ushered them to an RV camper parked on the dirt lot across the road from the stage.
A metal rack sat outside packed with hangers holding gowns of various shapes and sizes. Lace and chiffon and dirty silk hung sad and waiting like a row of marked down dresses at the Goodwill thrift shop. “Alright babes, pick your style if you feel like dressing up tonight.”
The color drained from Robin’s face and she turned to Tessa slightly, her back to Rhonda as she mouthed the words, “Please no.”
Tessa bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud. “I think we’ll be alright. It’s pretty hot out here, but thank you anyway.”
“Um. Mom.” Emily folded her arms across her chest and raised her chin, acting way too old for her four-year-old frame. “Excuse me, but I want to wear a dress.”
Christmas lights wrapped around broken fences and strung from posts lit up the seating area around the stage. Crudely cut wood benches and dusty discarded couches were already filling up with patrons who were eager to see the show.
Emily marched ahead, holding up the too long train of the half wedding, half prom dress gown bunched in her arms as the princess cut collar slipped over her shoulders. She stole the crowd’s attention, receiving compliments left and right while giving a regal curtsy in return. Tessa smiled with the simple happiness in knowing that even during the apocalypse, her little girl was having fun.
The generator hummed behind the stage as bright bulbs flickered above it. Caterpillar jumped onto the platform and grabbed the microphone.
“Ladies, gentleman, and all those in between, please give a warm welcome to the Park Rats.”
Tessa found a spot big enough for the four of them on a beat up sofa missing the back cushions and pulled her kids close as they took a seat.
A cellist lugged his cello onstage awkwardly as he looked around for a chair. The tambourine player spotted a chipped plastic stool in the crowd and yanked it up onto the wood platform as she took her spot next to him. A man dressed in cut-off jean shorts and a velvet black vest jumped up to grab the mike from Caterpillar.
The singer coughed twice and hummed a solid note as the cellist drew his bow across the strings and the woman with the tambourine closed her eyes, tapping the instrument against her thigh as she tried to pick up the beat. Then the man upfront began to sing.
“What do you think? Is this the apocalypse theme song?” Robin nudged Tessa with her elbow, speaking softly with a wide grin spread across her face.
“I sure hope not.” Tessa laughed as she pulled Emily and the miles of borrowed gown onto her lap. Mason tried to nod along to the beat that wasn’t there, but he seemed content enough. He got his rhythm from his dad. She sat up straight and blinked away unshed tears. Just try to enjoy the moment.
They were lost in the absurdity of the performance when a group of three young men stood up from the benches and made their way over.
“Nice night tonight,” one of the men called out to be heard over the music. “We haven’t seen you ladies before. Are you just passing through or sticking around?” Robin’s body tensed beside Tessa, her back as straight as a board and panic flaring her nostrils.
The smile fell from Tessa’s face. “Just passing through.”
“Well that’s a shame.” The man stepped closer, emboldened by her response. He glanced back to his bodies and they gave him a smile to urge him forward. “If you want, we can get you a drink and make your visit here more memorable.”
Robin stared straight ahead but her gaze was fixated on nothing. Tessa scooped up Emily and all her fabric and thrust her into Robin’s arms. She stood and waved her left hand in the air, letting the dim lights reflect off her wedding band, as the fingers on her firing hand found the zipper of the fanny pack on her waist.
“I’m sorry. We’re taken.” Tessa forced a polite smile.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun,” one of the buddies spoke up. He was more boy than man with patchy hair growing on his round face.
Tessa moved forward, putting Robin and her kids behind her, as her hand closed around the pistol in the pack. “Maybe I’m not making myself clear enough. We’re not interested.”
“Whoa.” The ringleader took a step back, laughing as he sipped his beer. “We were just trying to be hospitable and show you a good time. No need for all the aggression.”
Caterpillar appeared out of nowhere and sided up next to Tessa. “Is there a problem here?”
“No problem.” Tessa glared at the men. “They didn’t get the hint when we told them we were married, but they are leaving now.”
“You wouldn’t have been much fun anyway,” the man mumbled under his breath.
