Chapter 39

‭Dinner had been fine but it also left me pondering many things. I had always admitted that I was a racist to some degree, but I never had to define the amount. I either had to move past Maurine, or figure out a compromise. I needed a lot more information about Maurine’s life style before I decided to move forward seeking a relationship with her. It wouldn’t be fair to her to pursue a romantic relationship knowing I couldn’t go forward with it all the way. That would just hurt her more than a simple, I had fun but I don’t think we are a good match.

‭I know this sounds awful and I’m disappointed in myself, but I needed to know who her friends were and what their positions were on race. Okay that sounds bad, but a truly radical racist friend would be a problem for me. I was sure Maurine would have some black friends just as I had black friends when I worked. I didn’t see them anymore, but I still considered them friends. Finding her friends and then finding out who they were was going to be a necessity for me.

‭I went from bored with nothing to do, to saving endangered cranes, and doing a background check on Maurine. If she found out, she would dump me in a second. It would probably be the best thing if she did. It would for sure make my life simple again. That however was a boring life as well. I hated boredom more than making mistakes.

‭The first thing I decided to do about Maurine was nothing. If something presented itself, I would make a decision at that time. Right now I didn’t have to do anything, I decided.

‭Those were my thoughts before I removed my ass from the warm bed. I had been out of bed earlier to urinate, and to raise the setting on the cabin’s wall heater. The cabin used it in place of a central heat unit. I had been back in bed long enough to clear my head of those thoughts. So I was ready to clean my body by the time I resolved to do nothing.

‭I passed by the coffee jug filled with day old coffee. I could smell the fresh pot as it brewed. The fresh pot got saved until all the older coffee was consumed. Simply because I liked old coffee. I know I’m weird.

‭After my shower I microwaved a large cup of coffee, put on my puffy vest and my wool hat then went onto the deck to watch the nothingness of my river view. The winter on that river wasn’t very exciting at all. Unlike being on the Mississippi river, there was very little commercial river traffic on the Yazoo river. Especially four or five miles up river from the Mississippi. The river was still a better view than the concrete block walls of my little cabin.

‭I know it must confuse you guys since I refer to the house as a cabin and next thing I call it a tiny house. I guess it is both of those things. It’s larger than a one room wilderness cabin, but not as large as typical dwelling. So it is a cabin sometimes, and a tiny house sometimes. Either way it has my deck which added an outdoor room, of sorts.

‭The first call during my morning coffee was Gerome. “I sent you some files of the land the professor wants to save. It’s too far out to be in danger from a strip mall developer,” he said. “I think the professor is worried about soy beans.”

‭”What about them?” I asked.

‭”Worried about the owner growing them. He would have to cut up the land to plant the beans. That field is probably three acres. I have no idea what the yield would be,” Gerome informed me.

‭We should probably find out. Do you reckon you could track that down on Google?” I asked. “Also call around to find out what that much product would be worth.”