"That's it over there. The white one with the blue roof."
I was driving down a dirt road in a trailer park and pulled in to the side of what looked like some sort of driveway. I got out and walked around to help Kim out of the truck, when the front door to the trailer opened.
"Hello?" Came the voice of the woman walking toward the truck.
"I've got a delivery for you," I said.
"It's only me," Shouted Kim. "I'm home a little early."
"Oh my, I thought you were coming home tomorrow."
"Well, there was a little change in plans. Mom, this is Ken Palmer. I'll tell you all about it inside." Kim stated before her mother could get a word in.
"How do you do Mrs. Poulan."
Her mother was in a total state of confusion when she saw Kim limping into the house. "Where's John and Eddie?"
"I don't know and I don't care. They left me on the side of the mountain and if Ken didn't come along, I'd still be up there and half dead."
"Oh," Said Kim's mother. "They wouldn't do.............."
"Mom, I sprained my ankle and they left me to get down by myself. Then I took the wrong trail and got lost on this pile of rocks and it started pouring rain. Ken came and got me down off the rocks and fixed my ankle, fed me, dried all my clothes and..............."
"Uh, she had a towel over her while her clothes were drying." I injected. "Kim, slow down. You're home now so just relax."
Kim caught her breath and told her mother the whole story, a little calmer this time. Her mother was pretty angry about the whole mess, but couldn't thank me enough for getting her daughter home safely.
"Well, I better get moving along. Try to stay off that ankle for a few days and I think you'll be okay. You might want to get some x-rays just to be sure nothing's broken," I said as I walked to the door.
I shook the mother's hand and then Kim's, as I tried to block the memories of the last 24 hours from my mind. I figured it might upset Kim's mother if I had my way with her daughter on the front steps of their trailer. Thinking about it, I chuckled to myself as I wished them well and got into the truck. As I started her up I heard Kim shouting to me as she quickly limped her way toward me.
"I don't want you to go," she whispered so her mother couldn't hear.
"I know but I have to. I got things to do. You'll be okay."
"But I've got your shirt," She said, trying to keep me there.
"Well, you can't take it off here." I laughed. "Look, Kim..." I reached into the glove compartment and came up with a pen and a Burger King napkin. "Here's my e-mail address. You write me and let me know how everything's going. Keep the shirt. I got plenty." I gently touched her cheek. "I won't forget you."
Kim started crying. She looked like one of those puppies at the pound that you just want to pick up and take home. I backed out to the road and started for home, leaving Kim alone in front of the trailer.
Over the next month, I got my book off to the publisher along with the pictures I had taken on the Craig Cliff trail. Two of the pictures I took of Kim came out pretty good and I actually put one in a small frame, which I placed on my night stand. My emotions were very mixed about this young girl I met on the trail. She was so nice, but so young. I knew she liked me, but maybe I was just a father figure to her or was just there when she needed help. Not a day went by that I didn't think of her, but she must have gotten over me, as I never heard from her. The e-mails I expected never came, which told me she must have moved on with her life.
It was a hot day around the first week of August. I had just planted a crab apple tree behind the house when I heard a car on the dirt road out front. Must be the mail, I thought. Then I remembered the mail had already come earlier. I heard a car door shut as I walked around the side to investigate. A dark blue compact sat in my driveway with no one in it, as I heard footsteps going up the front stairs. Guess the Jehovah witness' had found me, I thought as I rounded the porch. A lone figure stood at the front door. I would have recognized that auburn hair anywhere.
"You lost again?" I calmly said.
Without a word she turned and ran down the stairs, across the lawn, and threw herself into my open arms. We hugged for a good two minutes until I finally pried her lose.
"Let me look at you," I laughed.
"Oh, Ken," She said with tears in her eyes. We started making out right there in the driveway.
"C'mon. Let's go around back before the neighbors see us," I said.
"What neighbors? I haven't seen a house for the last half mile."
"Yeah, it is a little remote." I told her before the kissing started again. We couldn't keep our hands off each other and the only reason we stopped, was the sun was baking hot on the deck, because I had not put the awning up. I opened the umbrella on the picnic table and we sat laughing, both happy we were together again.
"Not getting any e-mails, I thought you forgot about me." I told her.
"Well, I put the napkin with your address on it in my shorts. When I was changing, my mom threw them in the wash with the napkin still in them. I cried all night thinking I'd never find you again. I looked for you in the phone book, online, and even called the college, but they wouldn't give out any information. I even thought about going up to the trailhead parking lot and seeing if you might be there, but that was a stupid idea."
She smiled before continuing, "Last week I went up to the college and told them I was a friend of yours, but didn't have your address. They still wouldn't give me any info, so I left. But, get this. On the way out I saw your friend, Jim, from the parking lot. He looked at me like he knew me but couldn't place me, until I told him I was the one you rescued off the rock pile. He took me back to the desk and got your address for me. Mom said I could have the car today, so here I am. I was so afraid you might turn me away."
I took a deep breath. "I think of you every day, but I.................."
"I know. There's a big age difference." She interrupted.
"Yeah," I sighed.
"C'mon, show me the house."
I took Kim's hand and gave her the grand tour of my little log cabin. I took her from room to room, which wasn't difficult as the living room, dining area, and kitchen are all one open area. We then headed down the small hallway towards the bedroom. "Hang on, I said, "I just want to get this dirt off my hands," and ducked into the bathroom. Kim kept going into the bedroom. When I returned, Kim was sitting on the edge of the bed holding the framed picture of herself.
