Chapter 3: Shopping trip

Monday the 16^TH

I jerked awake when the alarm went off. I rolled over and slapped the button. Looking at the time, I saw it was 7am. Throwing the blankets off, I went into the bathroom and started the shower. I turned on the sink and it quickly filled it. Opening the cabinet I stopped as I saw the note inside. I picked it up and started reading it.

Walter,

Buy stuff for near the sea. You will be on the coast, but they do get snow, so plan well. I would advise deep-sea fishing gear, and snorkeling equipment if you want it (I know you used to do it). Strong fishing nets with floats, underwater gear, spear guns, traps. We will supply you with two thirty-six foot Delta SFX fishing boats for you to use, and the gear they need. We will also supply you with eight spare motors.

Rala

Setting the note aside, I grabbed my shaving cream, I quickly scraped the nighttime growth off and stepped into the shower after I pulled the plug in the sink.

The water beat on me, driving the weariness away from my body and soul. I was just finishing the shower, when the phone rang. I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my waist. Going into the bedroom, I fished the cell out of my pants and opened it. I saw that it was Mike.

"What's up, Mike?" I said as I walked back into to the bathroom.

"Not much, Walter. I just wanted you to know that I can order us some trailers to take with us, if you want. Found a good deal online for some of them. They are called freezer trailers. How many you want me to order?" Mike asked.

"Freezer ones, huh!" I said, and then I thought of storing food instead of smoking the meat, and I asked, "How big are they?"

I flipped the seat up on the toilet and dropped my towel to take my morning piss.

"I can get twenty or twenty-eight footers. I also am looking at a laundry trailers that has eight washers and eight dryers in them," Mike said.

"Are they hitch hook ups?" I asked.

"Yes," Mike replied.

"Get the twenty-eight footers, and get one no make it two of the laundry trailers. We can stock it with supplies until we get where we want to go," I said as I flushed the toilet.

"Ok, order sent. I have been having fun. It's nice to spend other people's money for once," he said and then asked, "We doing breakfast?"

"Yeah. Let's go by Carl's Jr. and have some biscuits and gravy. If I remember right, they are a wifi location. Bring your laptop, and we will do some more ordering," I said as I pulled some clothes out.

"Ok, be over in five," Mike said as he hung up the phone.

Dropping the phone on the bed, I pulled my clothes on and then dug my wallet, change and keys out of the pockets. Transferring them to my new clothes, I picked up my phone and slipped sandals on, after I put my socks on. Just then the door opened and Mike came in with his laptop.

"Hey, Mike. Be right there," I said.

I walked into the bathroom and picked up my laundry and the note. Tossing the laundry into the bag, I carried it out to the washer. I sorted the whites into the washer, and added bleach and soap. Turning the machine on, I grabbed my cup and filled it with coffee.

Walking by Mike, I handed him the note to read.

"Cool, now we know what to get. Also, that's the one thing I hate," Mike said as he pointed his cup at the laundry.

"Me, too, but I hate dirty clothes more," I replied as we walked out the door.

"That's why I use Maria's down the road. It only cost me twenty every week, and she makes them smell so nice," Mike said as we went outside and climbed into my truck.

"I know, but I don't mind doing them," I said.

I started the truck up and we pulled out. Ten minutes later, we were sitting in Carl's Jr., eating breakfast. Mike was typing away at his computer as he ate.

"Walter, let's stop over at CJ's and check out his storage trailers," Walter said as he finished his food.

"Sounds good," I replied and picked up my garbage.

We walked out of the fast food joint, and hopped into the truck. Five minutes later we pulled into CJ's. Getting out, we walked around and looked at the trailers. I could see CJ on the phone inside and I waved to him.

He waved back, and held up five fingers, and I nodded. We walked around, and started pulling tags on the trailers we wanted. We picked out the following

CJ walked out of the building and came over to us. In his left hand was his clipboard and pen as he held out his right.

"Walter, Mike! You two old warhorses, how you doing?" he said.

"Doing ok. Got some items we want to buy from you," I said as I released his hand.

"Oh? What you need?" he said.

Mike handed him the tags and said, "All of these."

"All of them?" CJ said in surprise.

"Yep, can you have them delivered to Mike's property?" I asked.

"Yeah, I can," CJ said as he added up the total and continued, "Mike, Walter. This is almost a hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

"We know. We also want some of your other stuff. I want the eight of your four wheelers, eight of your two person jet skies, and four of your two man snowmobiles. We also want two good farm tractors with forklift, backhoe, and scraper blades. Also do you still have that portable cement mixer?" I replied and when he nodded, I said, "Put that on too. As well as thirty of those empty fifty-five gallon drums you have over there."

"Jesus Christ! How are you paying for all this?" CJ asked.

"Check card, so let's get cracking. We have a lot to do. We also will take two of the big cargo trailers with us, so we need temp tags for them," I said.

We went inside, while Mike called a cab and went home to get his truck. By the time we finished, he was pulling inside and we hooked up two of the trailers to our trucks.

"CJ, got a question for you," I said as I walked over.

"What you need now?" he asked.

"I need thirty tow hitches, and I need them installed on all the trailers," I said as I watched Mike hook up all the lights.

"Can't be done. They are not designed to pull anything," CJ replied.

"Look for what business we just gave you. You can do it. All we need is for them to be tack welded on. We are trying to win a bet. If we win, it's a million dollars each. All we need to do is tow them one hundred feet. If we win, we will give you a hundred thousand. Ok?" I said lying through my teeth.

"A million! Wow, ok, I will do it and you don't need to give me anything. The commission I got off these sales will let me kick back for the rest of the year," he replied and offered his hand.

Shaking his hand, I said, "Thanks. Remember; deliver all the trailers out to Mike's property by tomorrow for me."

"I will, so where you off to now?" he asked.

"Salt Lake City. Hey, in fact, can I borrow two of your drivers? I need them to tow two of the big trailers for me. I will pay the gas and their wages, plus five hundred cash each," I asked.

CJ looked around and his eyes settled on George and Lily Mathews. "George, Lily? Come here," he shouted.

The newlyweds looked up where they were working and came over. Both waited as CJ explained the job to them.

"We will do it, Mister Brakes, and I want to say I am so sorry about Andrew. He was a good friend," Lily said.

"Lily Macbeth?" I blurted out.

"Yes, Sir. I haven't seen you since I was sixteen and Andrew and I went out to the junior prom," she replied.

I pulled the girl into my arms and hugged her tightly, "It's good to see you again and thank you. Andrew asked about you, but I didn't know where you were, or what you were doing. Sorry to hear about your mom dying, last year."

"Thank you, we live in my old house, now. George and I got married last month. CJ gave us jobs, so we could keep the house, or try too," she said.

"How much you owe?" I asked.

"We will make it, Mister Brakes," George said.

"I didn't ask you, young man. I asked the woman my son once loved. Now how much do you owe?"

"Seventy thousand to the bank, my mom took out a mortgage before she died and we are barely scraping by," she replied.

I whipped out my checkbook, and checked the balance.

It wasn't enough, but that didn't bother me as I said, "What bank?"

"Bank of America, but why?" Lily asked.

"Go get your mortgage book, and meet me at the bank," I said.

"We can't take your money sir!" George stated.

"Look young man, I am dying. I have no heirs, so let me help you. The only thing is this. You do not take out any mortgages on the house or the property ever again. Deal?" I said.

"Deal, Mister Brakes, and thank you!" Lily replied as she hugged me tightly.

I quickly wrote them a check for a thousand dollars and handed it to Lily. I then went to the truck and climbed in and drove to the bank. Mike was right behind me and we parked on a side parking lot.

Ten minutes later, Lily pulled in and George was right behind them. Going inside, we talked with the bank manager. He tried to get me not to pay it off, but I wouldn't let him pull any shit with me. They tried to tack on an early payoff fee and I went up one side and down the other. Telling them that the agreement was with her mom, not her, I also said the mortgage should have been paid off with the insurance, but they got around it and now they can eat it. I finally had to call the main branch and that solved it. I watched as the card went through the reader, and the amount charged to the account.

We walked out with Lily holding the title of her home, and a smile on her face. She hugged me again, kissed my cheek and I saw the scowl on George's face as she walked away from me and climbed into the truck.

Walking over to George, I snapped at him, "What's your problem?"

He jumped, and mumbled, "Sorry, I just get jealous when she kisses someone. I know I shouldn't, and I know it doesn't mean anything, but..."

"But you love her. Now, good. Remember that, and remember that she loves you. And also remember this. Never go to bed angry. Always talk out your fights. My Gail and I were married for over thirty years and the secret is, always take the blame. Even if it isn't your fault, just say 'Yes Dear, No Dear' and your marriage will last," I said as I patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Sir. I will remember that," George said.

"Good, now let's get going, we have two hundred miles to go, and then five hours shopping, and another two hours drive back," I said.

"Shopping?" he asked.

"Yes we are going to hit Sam's Club and Costco. I wish they were closer, but Salt Lake's are the nearest. So let's get going," I said.

"Ok, we will follow you," George said and they climbed into their trucks and started the three-hour drive.

The three-hour drive went by quickly. We pulled into the parking lot, and climbed out. Going into the store, I bought memberships for all of us. Mike had printed out the list. We tore it in four sections, and scattered to the canned/dry goods section. Using the large carts, we stocked up on everything from flour, to canned soup, to boxes of brownies.

With the help of the Sam's club employees, we filled Mike and my trailer with as much of the food as we could. Lily's got the rest of the food, and the dry goods like paper towels, toilet paper (every box they had) while George's trailer got the equipment like four forty inch plasma TV's, DVDs, computers, pots and pans, silverware, clothing, fishing gear, ammo (which wasn't enough), four kayaks with paddles, the zodiacs, all types of soap, cases of water and soda, liquor. I even picked up a deep freezer, and filled it with a ton of meats for Lily and George, they just didn't know it.

The bill was astronomical, and I didn't want to think of the fifty thousand dollars I had just spent as we drove home. We parked the trailers over on Mike's property, and padlocked them. I followed George to the lot, where he got one of the tractors. Then we drove over to Lily and his house.

Lily had the door opened for us, and we quickly unloaded the freezer, and had it plugged in. Lily couldn't stop thanking me enough and I told her she was more than welcome and to enjoy. I also told them we were going back the next day and asked if they want to come and they said yes.

I drove the truck back to Mike's property, where we unhitched mine. Then we loaded the boxes that were in the backs of our trucks into the empty space where the freezer had been. We were home an hour later. I went to bed, while Mike went to his trailer and then to the casino, for some fun.