Chapter 1

In an hour or so my day would be over, so would the week; so would this job. There was no one to blame except ... yeah there were many I could blame but in the end the final cause rested with the weak, no, the dismal economy. Maybe the $70 per hour wages a Union man got when other places charged $3 or $4 an hour, had something to do with it too.(Coffee time until time and a half or better yet, double time. Saw it in Detroit, the auto make-work times, before they all went under or bankrupt.

We all wanted to blame that for why ‘J R Farber and Son’s’ was closing. Most of the people had been let go a month ago. Some of us stayed to secure the things still needed to be done and ready for the closing. All in all it could have been worse. everyone got paid, the stock took a serious nosedive but still had some value, more if and when the company assets ever sold.

You could see it coming years ago in other businesses, then in the city itself. Multi-Billion dollar firms were going under, usually one followed another within the same industry. I did not take long for people to lose hope for any kind of a future here.

In a way I was lucky, I had sold my house years before this shit started to settle for a divorce. I never bought another house, merely rented. Cash was king now, not cotton. International investments fared no better but certain things always made money. They say crime doesn’t pay but ask a cop or a politician about that fallacy. Don’t bring up Lawyers either.

Some places were better than others, US cities and states that is. People keep telling themselves a fable, more a wish they themselves would like to believe. That many folks were certain to move if they could sell that house, which they could not easily do. I planned to, to move as a renter; it was simple for me. The car, actually a SUV was paid for, as was the only 3 year old travel trailer I bought at an auction, foreclosure actually. Horace had said ‘Go West’ and I was thinking West or further South in-line with that way of thinking.

One of the places you could hardly find anymore was an Army/Navy Surplus.

I found one next to a Goodwill Store in what used to be called a good part of town, but not any more. Hey, surplus is surplus and I wanted as much as I could haul away.

I needed some help and stood in front of the clerk. She was ahead of me.

A pretty young thing she was but not buying, rather trying to sell some things; to which the clerk pointed around and said: “We Sell things here, not buy used shit.”

“I know I was just hoping ... we need the money something fierce. Granny is 9...”

Not sure why but I said: “Great I’ll take it. I need a ton of of stuff so can I hire you to help me some.”

I held out my hand. “Sam, Sam Austin; and you are?”

“I ... I’m... “she stuttered something.”

“Glad to meet you ... I’m. You have no idea what this means to me?” I really meant that. By the looks of the clerk and listening to his remark to her, I sort of knew he would be not help to me to only select the things I wanted.

I took her by the hand and started shopping. “Take the things I pick out to the clerk also ask him if I can get some cases of the Navy MREs, not the Army ones.”

When she returned I started to hand her ten or twelve wool blankets, 40 pair of wool socks, 20 wool knit stretch caps, hoods(Balaclava), gloves with wool liners, heavy overcoats with zip-out wool liners, and an assortment of waterproofing gel and wax. I asked her: “What sizes do you and your family wear. These are good prices and the things are warm to wear?”

“He has twenty cases of Navy MREs in the back and six cases of special ones used by Seals.” She told me some family sizes. No questions, she hung her head and left when I said “Tell him we’ll take them all.”

“Yes Sir.”

That one remark told me a lot about her.

When she returned she told me he was getting the MREs but...”

I handed her my AMEX card. Have him start a bill, we will need a lot. I then handed her a set of keys, asking her: “Can you drive?”

“She nodded “Yes Sir!” Right then I decided to help her be whatever she wanted to be. I have more money than I ever needed for myself so she would be my good deed.

“OK in front is my Blue SUV with a long travel trailer attached. Just pull it in back near his door and tell him what you are doing.”

“Yes Sir” again. I liked this girl, she was 180 degrees from my Ex. When she returned, I got: “I had to go around the block, twice. I tried to back in. I almost hit something. I’m so sorry Sir!” She started crying.

“But you pulled in, right?”

“Yes Sir but I was gone s...”

“Great job but you have to tell me your name again and pick more things you and your family can wear. If they don’t have it here go next door and try them.” I handed her 4 $100 bills. “Use the SUV itself to put your other things in the back, and tell Surplus boy all our other stuff goes into the trailer.” She looked at me funny.

“Oh, ‘I’m’, get some bedding and kitchen things from there too!” I handed her $200 more. I watched her giving instruction, no they were more like orders, to the clerk who was going to make the biggest sale of his career. She came back, searched around for more things. She said something to the clerk who looked like he wanted my approval. I nodded and he rang up her stuff. She promptly went out with it. No doubt to the Goodwill store next door.

The clerk came over telling me she left after charging some things. “Yep, she is putting some things in the SUV, the rest go into the travel trailer. She pulled it in back and it should be open, if not, she is next door with the keys. Do you have any guns, ammo, knives and camping gear, ‘WE’ are headed West and need some for hunting and protection.” I slipped him a $100. “You’ll load everything we buy, right!? His nod was quickly done.

She came back. “Darcy Sir, my name is Darcy. I got some things but they...”

“Thank you very much Darcy. I don’t know what I would do without your help?” I closed her hand in mine when she tried to return the unspent cash,

Come this way Darcy Dear, we need some guns, ammo and camping supplies, the clerk will load everything for us in the trailer. We can rearrange things later.”

Rifles with scopes, different shotguns, assorted pistols, a ton of ammo it seemed, a large assortment of compound bows and arrows, folding and sheath knives, filet type knives, machetes, saws, long handled shovels, axes and various winter, spring and summer tents, waterproof tarps, big coils of para cord, pair of boots in various sizes, with a half dozen sets of sleeping bags each set of were of different weights, camp shovels, waterproof match boxes, folding chairs, compass things, binoculars, and rods/reels with assorted tackle completed our morning shopping.

$24,877 went on AMEX. Our clerk was a happy man. Darcy was back and picked up what she had brought to sell. “How can I...”

“We’re not done yet, You got the keys so drive. I’ll stop traffic so you can pull out from the store. Then we’ll go to your home, unpack your old and new stuff then do the rest of our shopping, OK Darcy?”

“Yes Sir!”

I was glad I had Darcy put her stuff in the SUV, the trailer needed things stored and put away to make some room. Surplus Boy just threw things in. Oh Well!

I should have asked her but our next stop got us a mix of base and hand-held radios and some pre-paid cell phones and renewal cards. We then where off to her house with a lot of KFC take out chicken meals. She was my navigator. It is not easy driving on side streets with a trailer but together we managed.

Her Mom, brothers and sisters seemed to like the food and warmer clothes. Mom and Sissy(16) loved the two cells we gave them and went overboard when I handed each an envelope with some decent cash in it. By this time there was no negatives coming from them when I told them of my plans to move West and take Darcy with me to help. I added some numbers and told them we would call when we could; my shyster attorney’s number was included.

It took Darcy seven minutes to pack her things in a plastic bag and wave good bye. Next stop was Inland Mall where I handed $5,000 to Darcy, told her she had 3 hours to shop till she dropped. First though buy a big wheeled suitcase, a small carry-on and a large garment bag and fill them up.

I was going for somethings myself, then thought I’d better go with her to fetch and carry and be there if and when she needed more money. Nope on the money, but I’m not certain if she would have bought herself anything without my telling her to. Real hunter type waterproof boots, more socks, light medium and heavy, blue jeans, flannel shirts, sports bras and panties, sweat pants, medium weight pullover tops, light weight, ear muffs, headbands, goggles, scarfs, caps and more gloves, medium and heavy weight jackets and coats, At CVS an assortment of men’s and ladies things, large First-Aid kits, OTC assorted medicines, cases of Trail bars, large bags of trail mix and goddess knows what else we found. Oh, cases of bottled water and an assortment of energy drinks

We ate in a nearby mall after what seemed like a dozen trips back to the SUV. Last two stops, a Honda Shop for two dirt bikes and all the extras including pads, helmets, gloves, goggles and leathers for both of us. $26,589 later We hit Peak’s Pike Motor Lodge (A trailer Park) where we stowed and arranged some stuff, cranked out one side of the trailer for more room and promptly joined Morpheus in sleep. It had been a busy day.

I was almost asleep when I heard her come in to my room, then slip to the floor at the foot of my bed. I shook my head. “Darcy, come here, get into the bed, there is plenty of room!”

“Yes Sir!”

“Cover up Darcy, stay warm. We’ll go out for breakfast and then shop for anything else we can think of. In those envelopes we gave your Mom and sister is my lawyers information. If they need anything reasonable, he will help them get it so don’t worry.”

Darcy signed, then pulled closer to me, to snuggle some, tears in her eyes.

Many of the things were still strewn about making a sort of obstacle course to go upfront. We made it though. Her idea of ‘why not get an enclosed trailer’ (an RV) made a lot of sense. After food, the desk clerk at the Motor Lodge mentioned two places nearby that had trailers which we went to. It was a very good move. One used RV had outside bike racks, mounts for cans of gasoline, extra propane tanks, potable water canisters and a electric winch, we took that.

Mc Luhan’s Travel Emporium was now more than willing to get us ready for our trip, including maps, re-loaded the things from the old trailer, the extras they gave us and filled all the extra tanks and containers, a SUV gas fill up, even stocking canned, dry and real food stores for living in the motor home. I won’t tell you the price, I know we overpaid, but...