Page 5 of Forever Endeavor

CHAPTER 3

Billie

The tow truck lurched into Janus Lake. As advertised, it wasn’t a shanty town but a lost snapshot of Americana.

Quaint mom-and-pop storefronts hugged the tree-lined Main Street, diagonal parking lining each side of the quiet thoroughfare leading to the marina. There was a darling white church with a soaring steeple, a postage-stamp sized post office, a vintage (or was that meant to be ironic?) clothing store with mannequins in the window and the sweetest little candyshoppethat still spelled “shoppe” ye olde way with two Ps and an E. The waterfront was populated by fishing boats and bobbing leisure craft surrounding a colossal monument. Billie assumed it was the infamous statue of the Roman god, a two-faced fellow. Funny, she used to be married to a guy like that.

They turned into a junky lot, cluttered with vehicles and boats in various states of disrepair. “Sonny’s Auto Service and Small Engine Repair,” she read aloud the dingy sign over the three-bay garage. “You own this place? I thought you were a tow truck driver.”

“Owner, operator, head mechanic, tow driver, chief, cook and bottle washer,” he said. “Look, I’ve got some stuff to do, and it might take a while. If I were you, I’d wait over there in the bus depot.” He pointed it out. “The coffee shop is decent.”

Billie panicked. “But you said you’d look at my car right away.”

“Sure. Soon as I get back.”

“Seriously? That’s the best you can do?”

“Yup, that’s the best I can do and that’s your only bet.”

Grumbling at her misfortune, Billie slung her bags on her shoulder and began rolling her suitcase across the lot to the bus depot. To the right was the ticket counter. To the left was the coffee shop. She turned left and immediately stepped back in time.

Customers sat shoulder to shoulder along the laminate counter while others fit into aqua-colored vinyl booths along the mint green wall. The faded retro décor, untouched since 1970-something, was accentuated by the sounds of an easy listening radio station playing a Glen Campbell tune. Just as gentle on her mind was the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and sizzling processed meats popping on the grill. Her stomach growled.

She chose a booth to pile her bags into and then slid in, picking up a menu. A waitress with salt and pepper hair, a painted-on smile and a Dubble Bubble pink polyester smock held up a pot of – “Coffee?”

“Um, no thanks. But could you tell me what the soup is today?”

“Beef and tomato macaroni or creamy chicken gumbo,” she replied.

Neither gloopy option appealed to Billie. “Maybe just a ham on rye.”

“Mind if I make a suggestion? Try the tuna salad. It’s a blue-ribbon winning recipe.”

They give out blue ribbons for tuna?“Sure, why not?” Billie snapped the menu closed. She craned her neck to peer out the window facing the repair shop. Sonny had left her car in the lot before taking off in the tow truck again. Still no sign he’d returned. Resigned to wait, Billie unfolded a newspaper left behind by the table’s previous occupant. An upcoming by-election, lighthouse repairs and a missing dog were the week’s riveting headlines. She flipped through the recipe swap and the classified ads before landing on the police report, expecting a list of serious felonies like jaywalking and late library books.

The waitress returned with the sandwich, a glass of water and a slice of blueberry pie that Billie didn’t order but would’ve been a sin to refuse. “Looked like you could use some dessert, so it’s on me.”

Billie smiled and thanked her. Maybe this was the small town charm Sonny was talking about. Free pie.

“Don’t mention it and just holler if you need anything else, honey,” she said. “Name’s Yvette, Yvette of the luncheonette.”

Billie picked up the tuna sandwich and bit into heaven. It was a silky concoction with speckles of sweet pickle relish and flecks of celery with slivers of scallion for crunch. She didn’t stop until she reached the crust, and only then, paused for a sip of water before continuing until there was nothing but crumbs. It might’ve been the best sandwich she’d ever sunk her teeth into, or maybe she was hungrier than she realized. Either way, it was delicious. As she dabbed at the corners of her mouth, she noticed Yvette smiling at her from behind the lunch counter.

“What did I tell ya?”

“Truly blue-ribbon worthy,” Billie reported, embarrassed to have had an audience while she inhaled the food.

“Now, how about that coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”

Billie enjoyed her first forkful of pie, the sweet, juicy berries joyfully popping in her mouth as Yvette filled a mug in front of her. She nudged her chin toward Billie’s luggage. “If you’re here to catch a bus, you have a long wait ahead. The next one doesn’t come into town until Tuesday.”

“Oh, no, I’m here to catch a plane, not a bus.” Billie pointed out the window. “My car broke down on the way to the airport in Madison. I was supposed to be on an afternoon flight to the Dominican but instead, I wound up here.”

Yvette’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Of all places to be, I guess this is one of them.”

“I should be sitting by the pool at a four-star resort. But instead—”

“…you’re at the bus depot in Janus Lake? Gotcha. Life throws you an unexpected curveball sometimes. But why don’t you stick around for a few days? It’s really not so bad around here.”

---