"Well, I'll be damned," Patrick muttered as he looked at the numbers on the lottery ticket in his hand and compared them to the ones on the website. A perfect match. While it wasn't the big PowerBall, it was big enough.
The next several days were spent getting financial and legal matters in order. With the right investments and diligent planning, he wouldn't have to work again. And should he die before it was gone, with no other family, he was assured that it would go to some local non-profits that he had always supported.
Looking over the 32' Coachmen Leprechaun, a car trailer hooked to its back end, Patrick nodded his head, and it was time to head out of Dodge.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" the nauseating salesman asked.
Patrick rolled his eyes and looked at him, "Really, you can't come up with anything more original than that?" He looked at the stunned salesman for a few more seconds, "Please, just put the temporary tags on and I'll get out of your hair".
Quickly attaching the tag to the rear of the trailer and the RV, he offered his hand, "Thanks for coming, sir. You have my card. Please don't hesitate to call any of us should there be any problems."
Taking his hand and card, "Thanks, I will."
Climbing in the driver's seat and adjusting it, he looked around and smiled, 'This is really happening.' Starting up the engine, Patrick put it in gear and headed for his next destination.
He pulled into the parking lot of the store that he works at, at least for the next few moments. He made sure that he was parked well away from other vehicles before making his way in. There was no way he was going to allow anyone to dent his brand new home. Grabbing what few things were his out of his locker that he wanted to keep, he made his way to where his manager was standing, in amongst customers. 'This is the perfect spot, especially after announcing for all to hear that he had a complaint about my department.'
"Remember that time you thought it was funny when you said you could schedule me for 4am because you could?"
The manager looked around to see who was in earshot before turning back and giving Patrick an angry glare, "In my office."
"I'm here to tell you what a total asshole you are and to take this job and shove it. And you want to know why? Because I can" Patrick said as he dropped his keys and ID card on the floor at the manager's feet. With the biggest smile he had in years, he strode out the door and across the parking lot. Not one person dared to follow him out of the store.
It was now time to realize a wish; to travel around the country in the RV without a schedule, a time frame, or even a map. Just travel around and see what there was to see. Patrick had been divorced for three years. The last seven of his marriage had been loveless. Sleeping in separate bedrooms, it was like having a roommate more than a spouse. Now at 53, he wasn't sure if another relationship was in the cards for him or not. He was not what he thought of as an ideal candidate; a little shorter than most guys, an extra pound here and there, and naturally shy.
It took a couple of days for him to line up agencies to pick up all of the furniture and things that he no longer needed. Rather than trying to take the time to sell his belongings, he decided simply to donate to a local non-profit that could use the proceeds to benefit their cause. With a notice to his landlord and fully paid rent to the end of his lease, he was at last free of any chains that kept him where he was. It was time to hit the road.
With a brand new Jeep Renegade safely strapped to the trailer, Patrick left the city that he lived in for the last 40 years.
He spent the first couple of weeks meandering around the Colorado front range of the Rockies, taking the time to fully familiarize himself with the new vehicle before heading into the mountains. Leaving west out of Colorado Springs, he found a nice camping area in the mountains. It was normally referred to as the Arkansas River Valley. It was one of his favorite places in the state with a range of high mountain peaks on the west side. Set amongst trees and rocks, he found a spot to park the RV. Like most 'campgrounds' anymore, it had the hookups he needed for water and electricity. But the surrounding beauty along with the significant separation between spots, made it the perfect spot to base out for however long he decided.
Heading out in the Jeep, he roamed the valley and explored the nearby town. It had been a while since the last time he had been there and while things change with time, he was glad to see that a lot remained the same. Before returning to the campground, he located a small grocery just a few miles down the road where he picked up a couple of items to restock his stores. Waiting at the check-out stand, he noted that the woman in front of him was taking extra time trying to find coins to pay her bill. Where he once would have been impatient, he had time now. That extra minute was used to observe her figure. She was a little taller than him, but just an inch or so, and her hair was tied up on the back of her head, falling down her back. Her blouse ballooned out but her shorts showed a pair of perfectly tanned legs, ending with her feet in sandals.
"Did I drop something" the woman asked.
"Um, no. I'm sorry" looking back up to see a pretty face. He guessed her age was not that much younger than him. Patrick felt his face turn warm at having been caught, "I'm sorry. I just."
She cut him off with a smile, "It's okay. It's nice to know that I can still have someone look at me at my age." She turned to the cashier, "Thank you." She turned back to look at Patrick, giving him the once over, "Thank you for making my day."
The cashier was a lady who was past retirement age, "Oh to be young again."
Back at the RV, Patrick pulled out a grill and lit the charcoal. Sitting back and waiting for the coals to become ready, he watched as the sun set over the mountain range on the other side of the valley. He grilled the nice juicy steak he had bought. That combined with a fine bottle of red wine, he toasted himself to his new life.
The night air quickly cooled as the sun disappeared. He made sure that the coals were totally out and stepped inside. He cleaned up and put things away before sitting down and the table and pulling out his laptop. He decided at the start to keep a diary of his travels. He had no idea how long he'd travel and figured that he'd like to have something to remember the time by. He completed his entry and uploaded related photo's that he took during the day and shut the machine down.
Turning out the lights save the one at the head of the bed, he thought about life. There were a lot of ups and downs in his life. He had already gone through two marriages. He had fallen in love with a woman that he used to work with. Unfortunately it wasn't until he had left that job that he realized that she had been dropping hints to him that she had an interest in pursuing something with him. He knew that he was often clueless when it came to women, and sometimes slow on the pickup. She told him that she dreamed that they were roller blading somewhere in California and it was up to him to finish the dream. Being shy and clueless, even at 50, he never saw the sign. He frequently lamented the loss of a potential relationship with her. Nevertheless, he still liked women and really missed having one in his life. And the sex of course.
He thought about the woman that he met at the store. He kept thinking about the brightness of her smile, the wave in her hair and the tan on her legs. Even after all these years, he still wasn't sure. And he wasn't sure that women would even find him interesting. He didn't see himself as one women would desire to be with.
Morning came early as the sun streamed into the RV. With a fresh cup of coffee, Patrick stepped outside to enjoy the morning air. That air was filled with the sounds of birds, a sound that he didn't often hear when he lived in the city.
"Good morning, neighbor" said a female voice.
Patrick turned to see who had called out to him. It looked like it was the same woman he saw in the grocery line yesterday, "Good morning."
Recognizing the man seated in the chair, she smiled and said, "We meet again."
"How are you this morning?"
Taking a glance at the surrounding mountains and the clear blue sky, she looked back at him, "I'm great. I can't believe how beautiful this place is. And the sky, I don't know if I've ever seen a sky so blue."
