Nubbin but Trouble (3 page)

Tina understood me, but she also understood just how angry everyone would be if she didn't tell them what I was up to. I almost felt sorry for her, except before I could really start to feel anything, my cell phone rang again.
Like clockwork, I tell you.

“You're doing what?” Ruby's voice boomed in my ear.

“I'm listening to you get all worked up before you know what's going on.” I answered jokingly. The art of deflection is something I pride myself on, among many other useless attributes I'd acquired over the years.

Ruby huffed into the phone. “Mercedes Mares, tell me what's going on right now.”

Oh, this was going to be one of those kind of conversations.
Well, in that case, I'd have to try another approach because Ruby was a lot of things, like kind, generous, loving, but she was also short-tempered (only where I was involved) and feistier than most people I knew, except for me, of course.

“Cool your jets, Ruby. This is important. Nubbin has gone missing,” I explained.

She gasped, long enough for me to settle into a seat, because I knew this conversation, like every other conversation we'd ever had in twenty plus years of friendship, was going to take longer than a minute or two.

“He's gone? How could that happen? Where did he go?” She asked the million dollar question that we were all asking ourselves.

Now, I consider Ruby to be one of the most intelligent women that I'd ever known, but sometimes – only occasionally and almost always when I was filling her in on the sorted details of my life or the lives of our loved ones, she lost all sensibilities. This wasn't necessarily a character flaw, but more about how she processed bad news. She was a thinker, more practical than I was on so many levels.

“That's what I intend to find out. It's what I have to do, otherwise I'll never be able to rest. You know how much Nubbin means to me.” I said.

“Mercedes Mares, you know just as well as I do that your car is never going to survive another trip to the sticks. The least you can do is wait it out and see about getting another car.” Ruby scolded me, like she had countless times before over the years.

I let her say her peace before I told her my solution to that problem. “I'm not going to take my car, Ruby. I'm going to rent one for the trip. See, all the bases are covered.” I said, feeling pretty proud of myself for at least having the wherewithal to use a rental and not chance taking my car halfway across the country again.

Ruby spoke to someone in the background. I felt guilty about interrupting her convention. She'd come through for me too many times over the years and I hated the idea of her having to worry about me now. I was a big girl. I could take care of myself. Nubbin and his health were the more pressing issue. I couldn't get there fast enough, as far as I was concerned.

“Mercy, I have to go. Please, be careful and you call me if you need anything. Do you understand? Don't go all G.I. Jane on this. Call me. Call Hank. Keep Tina informed, and by the way, does Diana know what you're up to?” Ruby asked.

Ugh! I knew she was going to ask me that!

“I'll call her before I head out, I promise.” I said to reassure her.

“You better. Okay, I have to get back to my meeting. Seriously, keep me informed. Please, be careful. Love you lots.” Ruby said, her voice breaking.

“I love you too, Ruby. I love you too.” I said, hanging up.

Tina walked in, holding her tablet in her hand. “I found a reasonably priced car for you to rent that should be really good on gas. Are you sure this is what you want to do? I wish I could go with you, but there's just no way I could ask Nightingale to give me some time off right away.”

I hugged her. “You don't need to apologize to me. You just started a new job and a new life here. I'll be fine. I won't be gone long. I'll just feel a lot better if I'm there. Nubbin needs to see my face and understand that he's taken things way too far this time.”

I could see the fear in Tina's eyes. She loved him just as much as I did. Although we were both putting on a strong front, the fear in the room was palpable. I shuddered to think about what Nubbin could possibly be facing and, at the same time, I was so angry with him for doing something so ridiculously dangerous. What was he thinking? The sad reality was, he probably wasn't thinking at all. The real question was, what had set him off this time. Was it Kathy? Was it this other resident, he supposedly had an issue with recently? Whatever the case, why did it have to come to this?

Tina sighed heavily. “When are you leaving?”

I looked out the window again. “Now. I think I should probably get on the road right away, the sooner the better. Can you give me a ride to the rental facility? I'll call Diana on the way and see if I can get a family discount.” I smiled, knowing full-well that Diana was going to throw a fit as soon as she heard what I was up to this time.

Before I had a chance to call Diana, she was calling me, this time to scold me for wanting to make the trek alone.

“Why would you go alone? That's not safe, Mom. You know that.” Diana scolded.

I rolled my eyes as I sat down on the passenger's side of my car. “Honey, if I stay here, I'll go stir crazy, just thinking about all of the things that Nubbin could run into out there alone. He's in danger and I have to do something to help get him back where he needs to be.” I explained.

“This is about guilt, isn't it, Mom? Aren't you the same woman who always told me not to live my life in the past and to always keep my eyes on what's in front of me?”

Oh, why had this child always thrown my words back in my face? Why did Diana have such a great memory? While most people complain that no one ever listened to them, I had the exact opposite problem. People not only listened to every word I said, but they held them against me all the time. All. The. Time.

While she may have been right, I didn't appreciate her tone and how I chose to respond said that. “No, I don't operate on the basis of guilt. Nubbin is a vulnerable human being. He needs someone on his side. You've never been to Nebraska and never worked for the facility, he lives in, so you don't know what his life is like.”

Diana groaned. “You're not going to cancel this trip, are you?”

I smiled as I spoke. “Not a chance.”

*

“Traveling alone?” The truck stop clerk asked as I set my jumbo cup of coffee and my giant bag of assorted chocolate candies down on the counter in front of him.

I quickly glanced around me with one of those looks that tried to convey that I was confident and just perusing the store to make sure I'd picked up everything I needed, but my fellow travelers, all clad in proper trucker attire, including the cold scowl that said 'hurry it up, lady', weren't the least bit interested in me and whether or not I was traveling alone.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Nope. I travel with my mean, old dog. He's a real killer, but I love him.”

Again, no one flinched. Why would they? I'm sure most of them walked past my rental and saw my sleeping pooch, nestled in blankets inside his cage in the back seat. I would have taken him out for a walk, but he resisted. Barney did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it and no amount of cajoling was going to convince him to do otherwise, no matter how many treats I held in my hand or how much begging, pleading, and bribing I did.

The clerk laughed. “Killer dog, huh?” He pointed to the video screen, pointed directly into my car.
How did I forget that the gas pumps had cameras on them?

“Oh, he's probably tired from chasing snakes.” I lied.

“Yeah, I'm sure that's why he's drooling on that blanket,” the clerk groaned sarcastically. “Where you headed?”

I looked at him wide-eyed, unsure of why he needed that information.

“Just asking because you only put ten dollars of gas in. That's not going to get you too far and the further you go out into the desert area, the fewer truck stops you'll find.” He explained.

That's right!
I learned that the hard way the last time I made a trip to Nebraska. I had an economy car this time and didn't need much gas yet. If my sweet tooth hadn't been screaming at me to find the nearest piece of chocolate STAT, I wouldn't have bothered to stop at this truck stop in the first place. Another thing I'd learned the hard way – when the sweet tooth wanted something, it would behoove me to listen. Having my blood sugar tank, during my first official shift as a nurse, in front of one very handsome neurosurgeon, taught me that lesson. As in, my head hit the floor quite hard and aforementioned handsome neurosurgeon ended up having to treat me in the middle of the patient's room. Embarrassing, to say the least.

“Oh, well, I've taken this route before. I think I should be fine.” I said.

A small voice came from behind me. “If you're heading east, you might want to make sure that you're well-stocked. The heat is something awful out there. You'll feel like your skin is melting the further east you go. The weather is doing something awful all across the country.”

I turned, expecting to look the man eye-to-eye, based on his small voice, but I was staring at one rotund belly, covered in ketchup and mustard stains. My eyes followed the stains up to his neck, where a long, gray, straggly beard hung. I had to take a step back, against the counter to see his full face.

“There, you are.” I said by way of greeting. “Hi. Um, what were you saying about the weather, sir?”

He pulled his tiny train conductor hat off his head and offered me a smile and a nod. “I said that the weather reports are something awful. I just drove from Colorado and it ain't pretty.”

I sighed. “It ain't, huh?' I repeated, figuring now would not be the time to teach a grammar lesson.

“Nope. Colorado is fine, except for the rain, ma'am. But, they are saying that the rains are going to get heavier and the roads are going to be a downright mess. Where did you say you were heading?” He asked.

“Nebraska,” I said weakly. I had to drive through Colorado to get there.

The weary travelers did a collective sigh, followed by grunting and grumbling. Two hours from home and I'd already remembered that I had forgotten to pack a thermos full of coffee and I had no snacks for the road. The last thing I needed to worry about was more weather problems up ahead. The snowstorm they claimed would be hitting Nebraska would just be another in a long line of weather related anomalies to worry about.
Happy trails to me!

I moved away from the counter to allow the other people to complete their purchases. “Well, I traveled that way last winter in an old jalopy, I think this car should do just fine on the roads.”

The clerk looked at me and nodded. “Sure, if you say so, but the weather's not the only thing you need to worry about, if you ask me.”

Right away, my defenses were up.
What was that supposed to mean?

“And, just what is that supposed to mean exactly?” I asked, looking directly at the clerk. “Are you trying to imply that I'm incapable of taking care of myself because I'm
just
a woman, then you are sadly mistaken. I'll have you know...”

He held his hands up defensively. “Look lady, I'm just trying to tell you that the roads are rough when the weather starts acting up. I don't care if you are a man, woman, sleeping dog, or whatever. I get nothing but drivers in here all day long and, if these experienced drivers are saying that the route ain't easy, then, it ain't.”

It was no secret to family and friends that I had a tendency to let things get my blood boiling, especially when it came to people thinking that I didn't have what it took to survive, but this gentleman – if you wanted to call him that – didn't know that yet, so I had to give him the benefit of the doubt before things got out of control and I found myself driving a little too fast because of my frustration.

“Okay. I get it, but I think I'll be fine.” I softened my tone.

“If you would have let me finish, I was going to tell you that besides the washouts and the mudslides, you're going to face a freak snowstorm too. And, now, the news is reporting that there's some bank robbers on the run right where you're heading.” He explained.