Chapter 17: The Horse Farm at Wally World

Next on his agenda, he drove out to the big Wal-Mart. Not his favorite supermarket, but he needed to buy a toy for Carrie. He picked out a $25 Lego Friends playset which portrayed a horse farm and trailer setup. Then he moved over to the supermarket side for the week’s groceries.

Back at the house, after putting away his purchases, he found some old blue wrapping paper for the Lego box. It was early afternoon, and he had a few hours before he should dress and leave for Sophie’s. At loose ends, he decided it was important to fire up his desktop computer and defend the lab at Black Mesa from the vicious alien invaders, including those nasty head crabs.

A few hours later, he checked the time–it was 4:45. He put on the shirt and pants from Eric, brushed his hair and teeth, and located his wallet, phone, and car keys. He felt nervous, it had been a long time since he had been out on a date. With a girl. He took Carrie’s gift, locked up the house, and started driving. It wasn’t far, he could have walked it. But he didn’t want to be out on foot late in this less-than-ideal neighborhood.

He parked in front of an unremarkable bungalow, painted pale yellow with dark blue trim. The yard was had a patchy lawn and a few shrubs. In the driveway was a Ford sedan, maybe ten years old but in good condition. His phone screen read 5:25, so he stepped up to the front door and rang the bell.

Sophie pulled open the front door with a big welcoming smile. “Roberto! I’m glad you’re here, please come in and get comfortable. I think Carrie has been asking every five minutes, ‘Is he here yet?’ But now that you’re in my front room, she’s gone into hiding.”

Her tone sharpened. “Carina Dulce, you come on out here and say ‘hello’ to Mr. Garcia. Right now.” Carrie appeared from a hallway and squeaked, “Hello, Mr. Garcia.” She caught sight of the wrapped box on the sofa beside him, and her whole affect changed. “Is that for me? Can I open it? Can I, Mama? Is it a toy?”

“Carrie! Hold up! It’s a box for you, yes.” Roberto nodded agreement. “For after dinner. Now go wash up, the food is almost ready.”

“This wasn’t necessary, Roberto, but thank you. You may have a friend for life. Or at least a week. You never know with a four-year-old.”

“You better go find her and check that her hands are really clean. Freshen up yourself, if you need to. Follow the scent of food and you’ll find a place to sit.”