Chapter 5

Plink, plink, plink. I woke and looked at the clock. Five forty-five. Plink, plink. What the heck is that? I looked out the window at the golf cart and the top was covered with bits of green acorns. The squirrels were feasting in the oak tree overhead. I'd have to feed them something else so they would leave.

I jumped up, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and put on socks and tennis shoes. After taking my morning pills and sipping a microwaved cup of coffee, I took off on my morning walk. I walked up past the recreation center and looked at the trailers just past there. One had tricycles and large toys in a little fenced in area at the rear of where the kitchen would be. That was probably the Mexican lady's place. As I walked out past what was known as the cypress swamp or the lake, I noticed that this area was newer and the lots over by the fence were all for double-wides. This was a big place. Charlie and Matty had their hands full keeping up with a place like this.

On my way back, I met Betty who was walking and carrying two small weights to build up muscle, I guessed. Since she was on her way back, we walked together. When she stopped at the mailbox building to check for mail, I checked my box for the first time. There were only a couple flyers, but at least I knew the combination worked.

I wished Betty a good day then did my morning three S stuff and dressed for work. Steve had said the group gathered for breakfast and I was welcome, so I figured I would check it out. Taking the cart over there is kind of cheating as I could easily walk just about everywhere, including to the R&D building.

The patio was wild as there had to be over fifty people having coffee, juice, and/or milk. Kids were eating cereal, moms were fussing over kids, and the guys were eating pastries and breakfast sandwiches while drinking coffee. A lady in a sheriff deputy's uniform was saying goodbye to everyone as she left. This place was really something. The lady that was with Tiny all the time was still in some kind of nightie and robe. She was showing a lot of cleavage and you could see a lot, since the robe was not very heavy. There were two small redheads that had oversized T-shirts on. One of the T-shirts looked like it had gotten too close to battery acid, and when she moved, her small breasts would move and a nipple would try to peek out the hole. The shock came when she put a foot up on her chair, showing the world she was a true redhead.

I looked around quickly to see if anyone else noticed so they could yell to remind her she was showing. I almost did, but stopped when the big guy sitting with her reached over and pulled one of her pubes. She squealed and swatted him, saying, "Stop it, Charlie, keep that up and you won't get any tonight."

Must be the hubby. Kids were coming up to them to talk then running back into the house to be with the other kids. I finally got a mug of coffee and took a biscuit sandwich. This was a fun way to have breakfast. Mercy came over to me and said, "Sit at the big table unless you're like me and just enjoy watching people."

"This place is fascinating, Ma'am. I just love it. Ah, what do I do about paying a share for eating over here like this? I even had lunch here yesterday."

"If you're working with Dennis, then you'll probably come for lunch again. Just come to eat. From what I hear, you're trying to help others and this is our way of saying thanks. All of these people think helping others is the best thing in the world. Steve and Sue are constantly involved in new ways to help people. Just keep doing what you're doing and eat with us every meal. Enjoy your new family."

"Thank you, Mercy. It is like a huge family, isn't it?"

She just smiled and gave me an arm hug, how sweet. All these people were so nice.

It was getting to be about seven forty-five, so I took off for the R&D building. The door was open and Crystal was bent over a microscope, looking at some of the metal filings we shaved off yesterday. She looked up and asked, "Do you think this part is stainless?"

"I don't think so, since the melting point was so low when we tested it yesterday. The steel isn't even tempered well. That means that when the rods were made by the steel company, they were not reheated and pounded sufficiently. We've done about half of the product as far as analyzing the depth of the threads and found they are not to spec on either the bolt or in the nut. It's like the machine that was cutting the thread was dirty or didn't use the correct blade when they were machined. Hopefully, you have recourse because if you've been using these to make your carts, you're going to have a lot of recalls and warranty problems."

"My thought exactly. I've already started calling the manufacturer. We've got a bid out for some emergency supplies right now. I stopped the line yesterday when you brought these up. The "Nut House," or what some call the "House of Bolts," is bringing us a couple thousand sets, but that's going to screw up our cost. We need them to keep the line going though. We also ordered five hundred sets for the warranty trucks and the shop. That should hold us until we get the correct spec product. I don't see how we could get this bad a batch as the bid price wasn't that good on the product. The manufacturers all thought our specs were over the top. We build quality products and that takes quality hardware."

Crystal said, "Finish the test batch; we have to have the hundred in the event we have to sue those suckers. Stop by the warranty bench to see if there is anything there before you go play your "Mr. Do good" act over in the park. That was smart of you to pass on the job and recommend Kevin. He is best suited for the job and it showed Steve and me that you're observant. You hit it on the head though, and that's good. You're my kind of guy to have around. I'll leave you alone so you can finish."

I was working and tagging nuts when Dennis came in. He said, "We really don't start over here until eight thirty. Early is good, but I wanted to let you know the hours. Trust me, when things get hectic, we'll be here in the wee hours trying to make something work. When those times come, they bring us stuff to eat so we can keep on working."

At five after eight, I called Sarah. I said, "I have a couple of things. One, can I go get a bank account so I can get Social Security to deposit my check into the new account, instead of the old account I can't get into? Two, to get an account I need an address. Should I get a P.O. Box? I have to give a regular street address to get one. Three, I forgot about my VA pension. I get two seventy a month for getting hurt and from exposure to Agent Orange while I was in the service. That's also direct deposited, so I need the bank account for that. Four, Judy e-mailed me again about Friday and my daughter has even asked me to come. I think I'd like to go, warily, but I think I should."

Sarah said, "Last first. I think you should go too, only I'm going with you. Call her, using someone else's phone or a throwaway phone, and get the particulars. Call me and I'll meet you. We'll go together. I'll be your special friend, also your attorney. She will have been served by then. Go to one of those UPS mailbox stores. Rent a box there then go to a different bank than where your current account is and get a checking account. You'll have to fight with Social Security and the VA yourself. Good luck getting that done fast. The only thing about any of the money you have coming in right now is that it's directed to an account you don't have access to. We can ask her about that Friday, how is she going to get your money to you until it can be re-directed to your new account. I found out you have, or had, two credit cards in your name. Both have been canceled and both have only about four or five hundred against them. I've paid them off so you owe me for that. I think the total is about nine hundred and ten bucks. As you get some money, pay me. I won't hold you up. You had a big credit limit on them so you could have been burned. I filed a counter-divorce as she's already filed against you and I saw where it is recorded that you have been served. If that can be proven as false, her divorce action is moot and yours will take precedence. She was served as she went into work today. I've found out a lot about her and the guy who's the cause of all this. He has some warrants out for him and he has a record of both abuse and assault. If he's there Friday, he'll probably try something. Not to worry, Sarah can defend you. I think that's all of it for right now. Take this number down and dictate a statement to this lady. She's a court reporter and your statement will be sort of legal. It will work in divorce court. Just tell her that you have not been served yet. That's probably why Judy was disappointed you weren't home Tuesday night. Call me with the details of the party tomorrow night. Later."

That lady can talk fast. We just covered a dozen topics in less than five minutes, actually less time than that. I will go down to the convenience store and pick up another cheap cell phone with only an hour's worth of minutes. That will be my emergency phone.

It took me until ten fifteen to write up the last nut and bolt. Dennis said, "The intern will put all these you've done in proof bags. From what I heard, you have several things to do. You might check up at the rec center. There is a lady there every morning that helps people with their Social Security and stuff."

I buzzed over to the rec building and no one was talking with a lady sitting at a desk in the big room. I explained everything to her and she said, "I have enough information to see if you qualify for food stamps. You qualify today, but if you start making money out here, you probably won't. Go get your bank account and come back, I'll get the changes on your social security and your VA done for you. I send my request direct to D.C. and your banking information will be changed later today. Your check is deposited about the twentieth of every month, so you'll have plenty of time. Go take care of that."

I went for the Bronco and drove down Dale Mabry to a Mail Box Unlimited location. It wasn't that cheap, but I paid for six months. My key worked in the box when I checked and I was out of there, headed for the bank in the little Publix plaza on the other side of the park. It took me twenty-five minutes to open an account with the check I had from the storage place, and the thousand that I still had that Judy had given me. I still had cash for stuff, so I was fine for right now. I got a debit card with unlimited transactions, which is better than checks, and ordered the minimum amount of checks. They gave me a senior account that gave me twenty free checks each month, and that was free as long as I didn't overdraft or do something else stupid. They had me secretly enter my new password, "FREE," for the debit account, so I was fixed. I thanked them and headed back to the park. I stopped and picked up a sixty minute throwaway cell phone, then drove straight to the rec center.

The lady was sitting there patiently with Mrs. Henderson. They were just chatting. Since it was just eleven thirty, I wasn't keeping her. I said hi to Mrs. Henderson and she was pleased that I remembered her name. I wrote down my new address and the bank account number and the lady finished filling out the forms. She told me to watch my balance after the twentieth to see if it was switched. I thanked the lady profusely and she said, "Hilly told me all about how you're helping people out here. Just keep doing that. I'm here to help others in a different way. If you find someone that needs help such as food stamps, let me know. Those are the people the program is designed for. I hope you make enough so you won't have to use them long."

I asked Mrs. Henderson, "Do you know which trailer has the young Mexican lady with the three kids? She has a car problem and I might be able to help."

The old lady grinned real big and waved a long thin finger in the direction of the rear of the rec center. "It's right there. You can't miss it. She has a little fence in the back where the kids play. She's probably at work though. If you want the key for it, run over and ask at the main desk where Maria Hernandez is working. They are real nice as long as you don't make a pest out of yourself."

It was getting close to lunch time, but I wanted to try anyway. I went to the big building and parked in front where other carts were and went to the main desk in front of a big, open office. I asked the lady about Maria Hernandez and she said it would be easier to page her as she was probably in the process of clocking out for lunch. She paged using the phone.

I was waiting there when Sue came up to me and said, "Aren't you coming for lunch?"

"I want to see if I can get the key to a car Charlie said needed some help, one of your people."

"Oh, that's nice of you. Well, get the key and come have lunch. Hurry so the soup doesn't get cold."

I watched Sue leave, thinking she was really something. Running this place, being a mom to four kids, kind of spearheading everything at the patio meeting place, and keeping watch on the pulse of the community.

A tiny Latin lady came to the desk and the receptionist pointed at me. The little lady came to me hesitantly, so I asked, "Are you Maria Hernandez?"

She nodded her head.

"I'm Mark Robins. I like to help people with broken cars. If you'll give me the keys to it, I'll see what I can do for it."

Maria's face lit up. She said, "Oh, Senor, I hear of you and was pray that you find me. If you can help me that would be so good. The keys are in the car. I forgot and lock them inside. It don't matter, the car won't start anyway."

"I'll take a look at it after lunch, Maria. I may take it to my trailer where my tools are, so don't panic if it's not there when you get home."

"I will be grateful. So many look and they do nothing. I have to do favors for them to even look at it."

"Go eat lunch, Maria, I'll make sure to see you this afternoon."

"I work two hours overtime every day. They need help so I stay extra. Don't look for me until after five thirty. We walk so it might be closer to six if the kids wander around."

"Go, go eat lunch."

She left and I marveled at the delicate little girl who had three kids. I was going to enjoy fixing this one.

I was at the patio by twelve twenty, in time for the soup to still be warm. Today was some kind of tomato vegetable that was very good. I made a big sandwich and ate quickly as I had something I wanted to get done. The conversation was light, fun, and warm. I told Martin where I was going and said, "I'll finish that, then work on yours. Hopefully, I can get everything taken care of for her."

Martin frowned and followed me outside the patio, he said, "I heard several men have said they would help her, but ended up just getting a blowjob or a quick screw from her and said they looked but couldn't fix it. I told her a month ago not to be doing that as men were taking advantage of her. She said she needed her car and was willing to do that for her kids. She should have just sold herself and used the money to get it fixed. You don't take advantage of her, hear?"

"Don't worry, Martin, with the heart medicine I take, I wouldn't know what to do with her if I had the chance."

He laughed and slapped me on the back.

She said the keys were in the car, so needing my slim-Jim, I drove to the trailer to get my thin lock popper out of my toolbox and drove back over to Maria's trailer. She had one of those Dodge mini-vans parked next to the trailer. I looked inside and the keys were in the ignition. The back had toys in it, so this had to be the car. These were easy as you just pushed the slim-Jim down by the window, pulled it back until it stopped, pulled up, and pop, the door will open. I had to push the seat back as it was up too close. Crap, they were electric seats so they wouldn't go back at all. This looked like a fairly new car so I opened the glove box to see if there was something to tell me the year. The registration was in there and it said the car was only five years old.

I popped the hood to see what size battery it was. I almost laughed; the original equipment battery was still in the car. That was first and I could probably get one at the truck parts counter. With the few tools I brought with me, I pulled the battery out and went to the truck service center parts counter.