Eden’s truck was over forty-five years old, so it was no surprise when the mechanic told us it’d take some time to track down a new axle. “Could be two days, could be a week. Part of that depends on how far away it is once we find it,” he said. According to the patch on his greasy coveralls, his name was Joey. “I can’t make any promises as far as time goes, but I’ve got a guy who’s great at tracking stuff down. He’ll find what you need, sooner or later.”
Eden sighed and slumped against the wooden chair in the garage’s dingy, cluttered office. As he rubbed the center of his forehead, I said, “Okay. We’re counting on you to get it as soon as possible, and in the meantime I guess we’re stuck here. Can you recommend a nearby motel, and maybe help us get there?”
“I sure can.” Joey dug through his desk drawer and produced a business card, which he handed to me. “This place is out in the country, and it’s real nice. It’s off-season, so you can get a whole cabin for the same price as a room at one of the places right near the highway.”
I said, “That sounds perfect.”
Joey handed me a set of keys and got up as he said, “As far as how to get there, I’m happy to give you a loaner car for the duration of your stay. Bernice isn’t much to look at, but she’ll get you around, no problem.”
I wasn’t even sure what Bernice was. It appeared to be some kind of frankencar, pieced together from at least three other vehicles in various colors. The overall result was basically an SUV with a long front end, like a Datsun 280Z stuck to a box. Fortunately, it was roomy enough to hold all my stuff, which we moved over from the bed of the busted pickup truck.
We stopped off at a country store for some groceries on Joey’s advice, before heading to the place we were staying. It turned out to be a collection of eight rustic cabins along a wide, slow-moving river, and the older couple who owned the property was absolutely delighted to see us. We were their only customers, and by their reaction it seemed to have been a while since anyone had stayed here. I could see why, since the place was in the middle of nowhere.
It looked nice, though. The couple had sunk their life savings into this place, after inheriting the land from her father. We basically got their entire life story while we were checking in. Then they gave us the keys to the farthest cabin in the row. According to them, it was the most private and therefore the best of the bunch.
We drove down a dirt road and parked beside our log cabin, which had a wide, covered front porch facing the river. Between it and the water was a grassy field, and in the distance were green, rolling hills. I said, “Well, if we had to get stuck somewhere, we certainly could have done a lot worse than this.” I was trying my best to be positive and upbeat. Eden nodded, but he looked like he had a headache.
The cabin’s interior was cute and homey, with warm wood tones, rustic decor, and cozy touches like lots of pillows and throw blankets. The main part of the cabin consisted of a living room that opened to a kitchen with a dining table. There was a stone fireplace, and the dark green sofa and chairs in front of it looked comfortable. Doorways on either side of the living room led to two nearly identical bedrooms, each with its own full bath.
In addition to my backpack and overnight bag, I brought one box of my stuff inside, because there were some playing cards and a few other fun things in it. Everything else could just stay in the frankencar.
After we put away the groceries, Eden muttered, “I should call my supervisor. It looks like I probably won’t make it back to work when I said I would.” He seemed rattled, which was unlike him. Normally, he projected calmness and confidence.
After a moment, I realized what was throwing him off. Eden was all about order. He liked everything neat, tidy, and planned out, including his schedule. Not knowing if we’d be here for two days or ten was totally outside his comfort zone.
“You don’t know that yet,” I told him. “Why don’t you give it a day or two? They might find the part quicker than you think.”
“That’s a good idea.” He turned to me and asked, “What do we do in the meantime?”
“The universe just dropped an unexpected vacation in our laps. Just look where we are right now!” I flung my arms out to indicate the charming cabin. “I say we relax and enjoy it. That’s literally all we can do.”