Some of you said this needed an ending. Here it is.
Enjoy.
*****************
"Where's my truck?"
"It's in the garage. I pulled it in so no one would steal your tools."
She clicked the remote and the garage door opened. I got out and pulled my keys out of my pocket. She started for the front door.
"Come in, baby. I'll make some coffee and we can talk."
"You never did answer my question."
"What question?"
"Did you ever find your panties?"
I turned and walked into the garage and got in my truck. I put the key in and noticed the dash didn't light up. I tried to start it and the battery was dead. I got out and hooked up the charger.
'Fuck. I'm stuck here till I get enough charge to start it.'
I went in the house and started packing some clothes. Sarah walked in.
"Eric, can we talk. I want to make this right. I've missed you so much. I feel terrible about what happened."
"Yeah, I guess you do. You destroyed a pretty good marriage."
"Please, tell me what I can do. I don't want to lose you. I love you with all my heart. Please."
"After what I saw in that club and you want to make it go away. You have to be kidding."
"I know it was wrong, but I never had sex with him. Can't you find it in your heart to forgive me."
"Forgive you? Let's run you behavior by the smell test."
"What's a smell test?"
"Would you do it if you husband was watching?"
She put her hands to her mouth and more tears ran down her cheeks.
"What was the first thing that didn't pass the test."
"Oh god. Please don't make me do this."
"Tell me. Was it when he grabbed you ass and you didn't push his hands away?"
She didn't say anything, just cried.
"Was it when he kissed you and you gave him some tongue? Was it when he pulled him against his hard cock and you didn't pull away."
"Please, Eric."
"Was it when he grabbed you tit and you didn't stop him? How many times did you fail?"
"I'm so sorry. I just got caught up in it. He was saying just the right things to me. He made me doubt your love for me."
"That's what he does. I warned you about his type the first time you went out. You said I shouldn't worry, you could handle. If I hadn't lost my temper you would have been out in the parking lot fucking him in the back seat of his car."
"I'm sorry, Eric. I never meant to hurt you. I'll do anything to get us past this. Please don't leave me. I love you."
"Get yourself a lawyer, Sarah. I'm divorcing you."
I picked up my stuff and walked out. I tired to start my truck and it fired up. I tossed the charger in my truck, backed out and drove away. I stopped at a mini mart and took all I could out of the checking account. Then I drove around till I found a motel.
****************
Over the next two days I contacted my former boss and he told me to come back when I was ready. I contacted a lawyer and told him my sad tale. It was a no fault state and he told me everything would be split down the middle. He asked about the house and I told him I owned it before I met Sarah. He said it wouldn't be involved in the divorce and asked why I moved out. I didn't really have a good answer other than I didn't want any contact with Sarah. He suggested I make her move out. After all it was my house.
Live and learn.
The next day after work I went back home. Sarah was still at work so I decided I would take over the master bedroom. I moved all of her stuff into the guest room. and waited till she came home.
"Eric. You're back home."
"I'm back and you're gone. I want you out of here. This is my house and you have no claim on it. I moved your stuff in the spare bedroom. You can sleep there till you move out. And, I contacted a lawyer. You'll be served in two days."
"Eric, please. Don't do this. I love you. Maybe we can go to counseling and work this out."
"Try to get this through your thick skull. I'm divorcing you."
She started sobbing as I shut the bedroom door in her face.
I went to work the next morning. I got a few strange looks from the guys that knew me. At lunch time I told them what had happened. They asked a lot of questions about what it was like in jail. I told them some enhanced stories just to entertain them.
At quitting time I stopped off and had some dinner. I sat wondering if Sarah had packed up and moved out. I finished and headed home. I wasn't really surprised that her car was in the garage.
"Why are you still here?"
"I don't want to move. I want us to work this out. I know we can."
I didn't say a word. I just walked into the bedroom and locked the door. I called my boss and told him I needed tomorrow off. He told me to take all the time I needed.
I woke the next morning and waited till Sarah left for work. As soon as she drove away I started my plan. I packed everything of hers in boxes and garbage bags and put it in the garage. I called an outfit called Two Guys and a Truck. I told them I wanted some extra help and wanted everything moved out and put in storage. I promised them each an extra fifty bucks each if they finished by 2 pm. The showed up in thirty minutes with four guys.
In two hours everything was packed in their truck. All that was left was my recliner and big screen TV. I had them put my recliner and the TV in the bedroom. I left the kitchen intact so I could cook. The rest of the house was empty except my bedroom. They followed me to the storage yard and unloaded everything. On the way back home I stopped off at the bank and took half the savings account. I didn't need the money now so I got a check. I went back home and parked in front of the garage so she couldn't get in. I walked in and surveyed everything.
Now, see if you want to stay, bitch. You can sleep on the floor.
I fixed a light snack and went in the bedroom. I left the door open so I could hear her come in. I was ready for the drama.
An hour later she showed up and the shit hit the fan. I heard an, "Oh my god."She appeared in the bedroom door. I didn't even make eye contact with her.
"Eric, where is everything. The house is empty.'
"I packed all of you stuff and put it in the garage. When you get your place let me know and I'll give you the gate code to storage place and a key to the unit."
She started crying and walked out. I had to smile. My eviction worked.
******************
The next day she was served at work. I knew this because I got a nasty text from her. She suggested that my parents were never married and a few other things. Four days later she signed the papers.
Over the next week I got to thinking about what I was going to do with my new single life. Every night I went home to an empty house. Even though it was what I wanted, I didn't like it. There were lots of memories there; good and bad.
I decided to make some changes. Being just thirty on years old I still had some good years left.
I called a real estate agent and put my house on the market. Two months later I walked out of the escrow office with a two hundred forty thousand dollar check in my hand. I was ready to start my new life. I just needed to decide where I wanted to go. I thought about it for a while and decided I wanted to take a look at the Pacific Ocean.
I bought a two year old Dodge turbo diesel truck. Next, I bought a twenty eight foot fifth wheel travel trailer. I set it up with solar panels and a satellite TV antenna. After putting all of my personal belongings in it I laid in some food. I was ready to go.
My attorney had my hot mail address and instructions to email me when the divorce was final. I would let him know where to send the documents.
That evening I stopped by Gary and Marcie's. Sarah never came up in the conversation and I was fine with that. I had just dropped by to say goodbye. It was a pretty emotional evening. We had been friends for a long time. I promised to keep in touch. Marcie was crying and Gary and I were pretty choked up when I left.
The next morning I was west bound on I 10 with two thousand dollars in my pocket and a check for the balance of my fortune in my glove box. I had no plan, no schedule and no destination other than stopping when I came to the Pacific Ocean.
One of the bad spots in my trip was driving across Texas. I remembered someone saying, "I spent a week crossing Texas one day." I knew exactly what he meant. It was miles and miles of nothing.
The next bad part was trying to get through Los Angeles. What a fucking nightmare. It was like being in a huge parking lot. I got stuck in the wrong lane and couldn't get over. I ended up in Santa Monica. I finally got turned back around and back on I 5 north.
I had checked on Google Maps and decided I wanted to go up the coast so I crossed over on the I 580 to San Francisco and to hwy 101. I made that part OK. It wasn't nearly as bad as LA. I was disappointed that I didn't get to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. It was across the bay from where I was. The Pacific would have to wait.
The country side from there north was beautiful and completely different from what I was used to seeing. There was lots of open fields with groves of trees. The farther north I got the more trees there were. It was a beautiful drive.
I was low on fuel and I stopped in a little town called Garberville. I found a gas station and filled up both tanks. While the pump was running I looked around. I felt like I was on another planet. It was a sleepy little town and no one was in a hurry. Small town life was way different. I decided to stay there for a while and look around.
I asked the cashier where the nearest trailer park was. He gave me directions and I paid up for a week.
The first thing I noticed was that I was dressed way wrong. Most every guy was wearing Levis and flannel shirts. I only saw two women wearing dresses. I wondered if I would survive the culture shock.
I dug out an old pair of jeans and took off exploring the little town. From what I could see the main street was about a mile long. I saw a little cafe across the street. It was called the Eel River Cafe. Right away I figured out the nearest river was called the Eel.
It looked like it was straight out of the fifties. A counter with tables along the wall. Little juke box consoles on the wall by each table and some scattered down the counter.
A pleasant lady greet me with a menu, a glass of water and some silverware. I ordered coffee while I looked over the menu. The coffee was strong enough to be used for paint remover. I normally drink my coffee black, but I had to step on it with some cream and sugar.
I ordered a cheese burger. It turned out to be big enough for two meals. I managed to get most of it down. It was the best burger I ever ate. I knew I would be back for another one. I left a dollar tip and resumed my explorations. I saw one store that was called Hemp. I wondered what that was all about. I would find out later.
It was getting towards evening so I thought I would have a beer of two and check out the local talent. I found a place called the Branding Iron. It was a beer bar with little baskets of peanuts on the counter. Peanut shells littered the floor. I ordered a draft. The lady behind the bar gave me a good looking over. I suspected she knew all the beer drinkers in town and I wasn't one of them. I smiled and thanked her. I had one more beer and went back to my trailer.
The place had basic cable for an extra fee. I paid at the office and they hooked me. I wanted to sample the local flavor so I figured that the local news channel would give me a hint. It was pretty mellow. Some drunk guy rolled his car on the freeway, Myrtle Haskins' dog got ran over, Bert Johnson was arrested for being drunk in public again and there was a brush fire up in the hills. The rest was just noise.
I decided I would hang around here for a while longer. I wanted to meet some people. I thought maybe the best way was to use my carpenter talent. I fired up my laptop and made a flier. I put a picture of a hammer at the top. Below that I put, "Have Hammer, will travel" in big block letters. Under that I put, "I can fix anything but a broken heart." My hot mail address and cell number finished it off.
The next day I walked up and down the street asking the merchants if I could put my flier in their windows. Most of them let me.
Over the next few weeks I got some calls. It was mostly little old ladies that needed their sagging door fixed or a window that wouldn't open. Just small fix it stuff. Most of them I didn't even charge unless there was material involved. I got some from women that had useless husbands. The husbands were glad to see me.
I had just finished fixing a leaky sink drain and went back into town. I wanted another one of those delicious cheeseburgers. I had to park about a block away. I walked by two guys standing under an awning and my mouth fell open The were standing there talking and passing a marijuana cigarette back and forth. They were right out there in plain sight. Any cop coming by would be able to see them. They didn't seem concerned. I walked on by and into the little cafe. All the tables were full so I sat at the counter. I was sipping my chocolate shake when a woman sat down on the stool next to me. I looked at her and smiled.
"Hi, Paladin. How ya doing today?"
"Hi, my name isn't Paladin. I'm Eric."
"OK, I'm Cassie. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too."
"You busy hammering stuff?"
