It was Tuesday morning June 5, 2012 as I poured my second cup of coffee when the phone rang. The number was that of my younger sister who lived in Florida. Something must be wrong I immediately thought, it's four hours difference in Alaska and now just past seven a.m. here. She knows I'm an early riser, but we had just talked for over an hour on Sunday. Fearfully I answered, expecting bad news, little did I know it would in the end be quite the opposite.
"What's up sis, is everything alright?" I asked.
"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that a high school friend and his wife are heading your way on vacation and wants to visit you. I told them I wasn't to give out your number unless I had your permission. Do you remember Ray and Linda Garrow?"
"Yeah, it's been at least fifteen years, the last time I was home I saw them at a party."
"They really would like to see you while they are there, and gave me their email and phone number so you could contact them, they are leaving tomorrow."
"Great, I'll get in touch with them, they're good people and it'll be a good time I'm sure."
Ray and I were friends in high school but we weren't close, we each had separate groups that we hung out with. He was a stand out player on the high school basket ball team, I was into football and chorus. At 6' 4" and 220 pounds he seemed to tower over me at just a hair under six feet and 175 pounds. I didn't know Linda in high school because she was much younger and I had only just met her when I was home, but she seemed very nice. She was a good looking brunette about 5'6" and 130 pounds with a nice rack. They had been married awhile and had two young boys whom I had not met. We both had one thing in common though, we had similar tastes in women and over the years we had dated some of the same young ladies. We both liked to party and after serving in the military our paths crossed several times before my wanderlust found me far from home in the "Last Frontier". Settled down now and no longer the skirt chasing dog of my youth, I wondered if he had also changed. I decided to call him.
"You've reached the Garrow's, leave your name and number and we'll get back to you."
"Ray, this is Randy, I hear you're heading my way."
"Hey Randy came the response, hold on a minute."
I could hear the sound of some great blues guitar in the background but couldn't identify the song. Some things never change I thought, Ray always loved the blues and used to play the harmonica.
"Sorry man, had to flip some steaks I got going on the grill. So how in the hell are ya?"
"Great, so my sister say's you're coming to Alaska on vacation. We're looking forward to doing a little partying with you guys. I have a new wife since the last time I saw you, real sweet gal, she's seven years younger than me."
"No I didn't know you had a new wife, you dog you, what's this make, number three or is it four?"
"Number three, the last one was just living with me for a couple of years. I hear you're still with the same one though."
"Yeah, but you know me, I still manage to get around every now and then."
"Oh yeah, and you're calling me a dog? When are you going to be here?"
"We arrive in Anchorage July first around noon and are renting a motor home. We'll be there for a month and are planing on doing a lot of camping and fishing. Do you have room enough at your place to park a thirty foot motor home?"
"Oh I think we can find space for that, I'm on ten acres with a river running through the property, salmon fishing should be good for the whole month."
"You're kidding me?"
"No, seriously we're going to have a great time, call me when you get in and I'll give you directions."
"Sounds good Randy, looking forward to it."
That night as we sat down to dinner I told Lena that we would be having company from Florida. She was excited to meet someone I had gone to school with. We have only had relatives visit in the summer and only one visit in the winter from her son. That is the one bad thing about living in Alaska, it's pretty costly to visit because it's far away from where most people who live here are from. Summer is when everyone wants to come to Alaska, because it is beautiful here, winters can be brutal.
"What are they like, are they older or younger, do they party hard, I hope they aren't part of the crowd that were wife swappers that you told me about, when are they arriving," she asked.
"Ray is two years younger than me, so he would be just turning forty and Linda is I think four years younger than him, so that would mean she should be around your age thirty-five or six. They do like to party, they drink, I doubt they do drugs because they both are teachers. I don't recall if they got caught up in the wife swapping thing, Ray would be all for it but Linda, no way, though I hardly know her."
"Well I'll put in for a couple of day's vacation while they are here then Randy, once we know what their schedule is going to be," it should be fun.
"Oh it will no doubt be fun, if I know Ray though he'll be hitting on you the moment they arrive, once he sees your sweet little ass," he's a lot like me so be forewarned.
The next week passed slowly and finally Sunday arrived and the phone rang.
"We're in Anchorage and ready to party, how do we get to your place from here," were the first words from Rays mouth.
"Okay do you have something to write with, because it's kinda tricky," I replied.
"No, here you better talk to Linda, I'm driving."
After a few minutes and spelling several words for her because of the street names, they were on a course that would change all of our lives. An hour passed and I felt they should be here any time now when the phone rang again.
"Hey boy, what do you like to drink? We're at the store picking up stuff for dinner."
"I have steak and shrimp all ready to go Ray, maybe a bottle of wine if you want, but we have plenty of stuff here."
"Well Linda wants to get a case of her favorite wine it's on sale, it's called "Menage a Trios" have you ever had it?"
"The wine or a threesome," I chuckled.
"The wine, but I prefer the other myself," he boasted.
"So do I having tried both, but the wine will do, see ya when you get here."
I hung up laughing and shaking my head.
"What's so funny," Lena asked.
"Oh Ray, he hasn't changed a bit, still crazy, everything is most likely going to be sexually insinuated around here with the two of us. The double meanings and sexual remarks, you girls are in for it, I can see that, just don't take either of us seriously."
"Wonderful, as if I don't hear enough of that kinda of talk out of you."
"It's all in fun and that's just how we guys are sweetie, you'll live through it."
It wasn't long before the driveway alarm sounded and our chocolate lab Kenya responded with her usual jumping and barking at the door.
"Good girl, somebody's here to see you," I responded with assurance and a dog treat for her reward.
They were coming down the long drive as I stood on the deck and waved them towards another drive and their camping area. Then I headed in that direction to guide the backing and placement of their camp vehicle.
"Come on back, back about twenty yards I shouted as I motioned with the waving of my hand, that's good right there."