Saturday, March 19, 2022, Saturday Story

 Saturday, March 19, 2022, Saturday Story

I'm trying to put together a story - so I'm still trying.

*****

Emmalee Smith and Penny Krause were teaching at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.  They had bonded over a donkey basketball game and become friends.  Today's story looks more at that early stage of friendship.

*****

It was a strange and interesting friendship - the tall black artist from Chicago and the much shorter white farm girl scientist from Idaho.  After their donkey basketball game (and mushroom research fiasco), the two single women (in a world of students and married teachers) became friends.  

That Thursday, in between biology labs and art classes, they met for lunch at the college cafeteria.  When Emmalee asked what Penny’s favorite meal was, Penny thought for a while.  

Penny said, “Hmmm, probably pizza”.

Emmalee asked, “okay, what kind?”  

Penny answered, “Just about any kind - but mostly with meat, peppers, onions, cheese.”

“How about the Hawaiian Pizza, you know the one with Canadian bacon and pineapple?” Emmalee came back with.

“That’s okay”.  Penny answered.  “Again pretty much anything”

It was just a casual ‘getting to know each other’ experience until at the table next to them, there was a clatter as a girl tripped and her tray slammed down to the floor, and spaghetti with meat sauce flew over the floor.

There were three guys at the table, and it looked like one of them tripped the girl.

“Go back to your home country”, the tallest boy said, a young man with a “Make America Great Again” shirt.  

The other two guys at the table laughed at the female student.

The girl, who wore a hijab, was spread out on the floor.  Immediately, Emmalee and Penny rushed to help her up.  As she got up and was supported by Penny, Emmalee turned sharply on the young men.  

Emmalee said, “You tripped her intentionally.  DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN”.  At 6 feet even and as a former college basketball player, the black Emmalee was in the young man’s space.  She was very sensitive to discrimination and bullying and she was irate.

The young man backed away a little from the confrontation with Emmalee.

“It was only a joke”, he stammered out.  

“It WAS not a joke.  Plus your comment shows you to be insensitive and bigoted,” said Emmalee.

“Hey, all these f*cking immigrants are ruining our country”, added the young man.

You could just about see steam coming out of Emmalee’s head.  “Yay, probably just like the black slaves your great, great grandparents grabbed out of their native lands.  Buddy you are barking up the wrong tree”.  

She continued, “What’s your name, show me your ID”.

The young man stammered, “I’m (aah) Bob.  I don’t have my ID with me today.” 

Emmalee said, “Do you have a last name Bob?” (She was pretty sure he was making things up).

Again, he stammered. “Smith”.

Emmalee grabbed her iPhone and took a picture of the student and then of each of his friends.  

“You can’t do that,’'' the young man said.

“Yes I can, I’m a professor here and I don’t like harassment of other students just because they are different from you”, was Emmalee’s retort.

The young man turned away from Emmalee and said “C'mon guys, let’s get away from here.”

Since she had the picture, Emmalee let the three men go.

*****

Meanwhile, Penny was tending to the young lady.  

Penny introduced her to Emmalee.  “Emmalee, this is Aliyah Olginara.  She’s a bit shaken up.”

Diana Peyton was the head cafeteria staff on duty this lunch and came over to see what had happened.  Seeing the mess on the floor, she called back for a mop.

“What happened?” asked Diana.

Emmalee spoke up.  “There were these three guys here and one of them tripped up Aliyah and she spilled her tray.”

Diana looked at Aliyah.  “Are you okay honey?” 

Aliyah answered, “Just a little shaken up”.  

“Did they trip you?”, asked Diana.

Aliyah blushed.  She didn’t want to cause any trouble.  But, she added, “Yes, I was just walking to a table and the one suddenly thrust out his foot and tripped me”.

Diana asked Aliyah, “Do you know them, or have you seen them before?”

Alijah, with her head down, nodded and said “Yes, they are in my composition class.”  

Diana helped Aliyah get another meal (on the house).  Emmalee and Penny went to their Thursday afternoon classes.

*****

Emmalee and Penny had made plans for Saturday.  Penny as a biologist was granted access to take samples of Trout Creek, Buck Creek, and Cat Creek on the east side of Sandy River.  It was forecast to be a nice day.  Penny had waders so she could go out in the streams.  Emmalee took her Nikon camera and was going to take shots of the scenery.  

The creeks were part of the watershed of Mount Hood.  The Oregon Department of Natural Resources did have sensors on the various streams but encouraged scientists like Penny to take samples that could indicate if the sensors were functioning properly.  

They met for breakfast at IHOP on Troutdale Road.  They were driving Penny’s car today - a 2017 Honda Fit. It wasn't very roomy, but as a scientist (and still paying off some college debts), it got great gas mileage.  Emmalee took the passenger side and immediately slid her seat back to give her legroom.  

Although Emmalee had been at MHCC longer than Penny, she generally went west - mostly to the downtown hotspots in the City of Portland.  Penny as a smaller town girl liked to hike and as a biologist got connected to environmental groups like the Department of Natural Resources.

They ordered at IHOP and chatted about what they might find on the streams and backwoods today.  

“Watch out for ticks”, Penny warned Emmalee.  “I’ll help check you over when we are done.”

Their breakfasts arrived, and Emmalee promptly drizzled some Tabasco sauce on her eggs.  Seeing Penny looking incredulously at her, Emmalee suggested that Penny try it.  Penny did try a little Tabasco on one of her eggs and immediately reached for her coffee to put out the fire in her mouth.  Emmalee laughed at that.

“It's an acquired taste”, Emmalee said.

Penny responded, “In that case, I guess I don’t need to acquire it”.  She laughed too.  

On the other hand, Penny saturated her pancakes with syrup and butter.  Emmalee commented on that and they both laughed again.

This was becoming a nice easy-going friendship.

**

Across the restaurant was a couple with two elementary school-aged children.  The lady wore a colorful hijab.  Seeing that, Penny asked “Have you heard more about Alijah?

Emmalee said after her classes she sent the pictures she had taken of the bully and his friends and the information to the Dean of Students’ office.  She had gotten an email back that they were pursuing the issue.  

“Why do some people have to be so hateful?”Penny asked.

Emmalee smiled and said “Honey, we don’t have time for that issue.  I’ve been spit on, called the ‘N-word and worse.  It is a hateful world out there.”

Penny nodded, and they finished their breakfast.

Penny asked, “Are you ready for an outdoor adventure?”

Emmalee’s answer came quickly “Bring it on”.

*****

Penny’s Honda Fit got off on roads that Emmalee wasn’t sure were even roads on the foothills of Mount Hood.  There were ruts that Emmalee thought might swallow Penny’s little car.  But Penny seemed oblivious to the ruts but managed to escape all but the smallest ones.  

Watching for a pull-off/parking place next to Buck Creek, she slid into a place about 15 feet from the stream.  

Penny explained, “These are public streams and there are frequent fishermen here. We’re lucky today to find a parking place near the stream.

Penny went to her trunk and got out some paraphilia - rubber gloves (so she wouldn’t contaminate the samples), vials to collect water samples, a thermometer, and a notebook.  She handed the notebook and a pen to Emmalee.  Putting on her waders, Penny maneuvered to the center of the stream.  The water was icy cold, even in October.  The sun had melted the snow and ice off Mount Hood for the summer and it was running in the streams.  Soon the winter snow would begin on Mount Hood.

Penny took the temperature - 39 degrees (and relayed that back to Emmalee).  She had put labels on the vials, so held the first glass tube under the water for a minute so it would adjust to the water temperature and then filled it up, and then a second tube.  She capped the tubes and wandered back to the shore.  

She found a rock to sit on and put a tablet in the second tube that would be used to verify the water’s purity and pollution.  

Emmalee shivered a little as she wrote down the measurement.  The sun was still warm, but the coolness of the water permeated the air near the stream.  She went back to Penny’s car and got a sweatshirt.  The two sat on rocks near the stream.

“Isn’t it so peaceful?”, asked Penny.

“Yes”, replied Emmalee.  “Not at all like my hometown, Chicago.”

They watched as a trout broke the surface of the water.  Some water spiders were sliding along the surface of the water.  The brook made a gentle sound as it moved quickly downhill.  

Emmalee broke the silence, trying to get to know her new friend.  “Did you ever have a serious boyfriend?”

“Not really”, replied Penny.  “I dated Troy during college.  He was going to be a doctor and had about six more years of college before graduating and really didn’t want a serious relationship.  He was in a fraternity, and I was his date for a lot of their events.  In graduate school, I focused on my studies and thesis and didn’t date much.  I guess I thought once I settled down, I could date more.”  She turned to her friend and asked “How about you?”

Emmalee said, “I was engaged to Michael, a basketball player on the University of Illinois team.  He was nice but had an ego as big as the sun.  He was a big deal - at least according to himself.  There were others, but not quite to the same level as I was with Michael.”

Penny nodded in understanding and agreement with Emmalee.  After a few more minutes, Penny said, “Well, we better move on if we are going to take ten samples today.”.

*****

They moved upstream along Buck Creek a couple of miles where a little stream joined Buck Creek.  Penny parked and went through the brush to get close to the water in the smaller stream.  

She explained.  “Years ago, seemingly there was a prospector on this little stream that thought there might be gold.  If we go upstream a little ways we can see what was the start of a small mine.  But, he didn’t find much of anything and abandoned it.  I’m checking the water here just in case some of the mining he did put any toxins or foreign items in the water.  

Again, she waded into the stream.  The temperature was just a little colder at 38.7 degrees.  She again filled two test tubes, and in one she put a tablet just like before.  

As they got ready to leave, Emmalee saw a glint of gold in the stream and since Penny had on her waders directed her to the spot. It did seem to be a small fleck of the precious mineral. They looked more but didn’t see any more gold at that spot.

*****

As they stopped, Emmalee got some great pictures of streams, rocks, woods, and even a few trout jumping out of the water. She was thinking she could get enough to do an outdoor exhibition.

*****

They made the other stops and it had warmed up a little although it was still chilly.  But not all was well.  Penny had two more stops to go when she slipped on a mossy rock and fell into the water.  Emmalee found her way into the stream to rescue her and got soaking wet as well.  Emmalee’s teeth were chattering for the soaking and they decided to give up for the day.  

Cold and wet, they jumped in the car, turned the heat on full, and drove back to Gresham. 

When they reached the main road, Emmalee, now a little drier and a lot warmer, turned to Penny and said “Other than getting soaked, that was a fun day”.  The two of them laughed.

 Penny dropped Emmalee off and then headed to her apartment.  Running in, she stripped off her clothes and enjoyed a hot shower.  

Yes, she thought, that was a fun day.

*****

Back at the campus the next week, they were called into the Dean of Students' office for the tripping of Alijah and gave their observations.  Cory Pankin was the bully who tripped Alijah and ended up with two assignments - doing a story on diversity and Islam and conducting community service at a diversity program on campus.

Maybe Cory would change his mind and attitude towards others.  Emmalee and Penny weren’t sure but it was out of their hands.

****************

End of today’s story.

Okay, I’m trying to get a longer story of Emmalee and Penny’s experiences as two different women become friends.  For the next few weeks, I’ll be trying out some ideas.  (You don’t have to read or like it, but I hope you do!!!).

I have written some other fiction in the past - not very good, but you learn by doing - so I’m going to keep going.  The more I write, hopefully, the better I’ll get!!!

LOVE WINS!!

Karen White

March 19, 2022