SATURDAY, APRIL 9TH - SATURDAY STORY

 SATURDAY, APRIL 9TH - SATURDAY STORY

APRIL 9, 2022 - SATURDAY STORY

I'm trying to write some fiction. This is a continuation of the last four Saturday Stories. Emmalee Smith and Penny Krause were teaching at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.  

*****

Emmalee had been invited to go apple picking with some of the folks from Afrodaddy’s Jazz bar on Friday night.  She had texted Penny to see if Penny would like to go along. Of course, Penny was in bed when Emmalee had texted but texted back at 6:30 in the morning that she would love to go apple picking - and of course, Emmalee didn’t see that until 10:00 on Saturday morning.  

Emmalee thought texting is nice - but this called for phone communication, so she called Penny.

Penny laughed.  “I bet you are just getting up”.

Emmalee said “Yes.  I went out bar hopping last night - and my head hurts”

In a friendly, but the mocking tone, Penny cooed back “Oh my poor baby”.  

That got Emmalee to laugh!!  “Okay, we are meeting the group, and trust me, you’ll like them, in an hour.  I’ve got to get myself ready and put something in my stomach.  Can I pick you up at about 10:40?”

Penny replied, “Let’s do it this way.  You get yourself ready, I’ll go through Taco Bell and get you breakfast and I’ll pick you up about 10:45.  Let’s see - do you want me to get you coffee or are you going to make it at your place?”

Emmalee replied, “You win.  I’ll make coffee here, and get the cobwebs out of my head.  I’ll bring a cup of coffee and a quart of coffee and I’ll be grubby looking.  After all, we’re going to be picking apples”.

Penny laughed, “Deal.  See you soon”.

*****

Emmalee went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror.  She thought, did I get run over by a truck last night?  She ran warm water into the basin and started waking up.  

She smiled as she put on her jeans - they were loose.  That aerobics class was paying off.  She was also thinking she’d help Penny get comfortable with aerobics - maybe she wouldn’t barf again.  

She picked a sweatshirt and then decided against it.  It was an old University of Illinois sweatshirt, that even for apple picking was a bit too grubby.  Then she tried a Mount Hood Community College sweatshirt.  It was okay - it fit good - but it was bright orange.  Nope, not this morning.  Finally, she picked out a muted blue - it didn’t scream, was maybe just a little nicer than the grubby look, and maybe Izaak might like that.  She blushed at herself - am I cultivating a new romance?  

Shoes were easy to pick out - she just had to make sure they were a pair, and voila - she was ready.  And, it was only 10:39!!!  She grabbed her cup of coffee and bottle of water and headed out.  Penny was already there with her hair in a ponytail and a big smile.  Emmalee was thinking ‘this really is a good friend’!!!

“Hey sweet Emmalee, are you ready for an adventure?” asked Penny as Emmalee came down the sidewalk from her apartment.

“Honey, I bet I can pick more apples quicker than you!” retorted Emmalee.  “And, mine won’t have worms in them”.

They both laughed.

Just want Penny expected.  Although just out of graduate school last May, Penny had realized that when relationships can have just a touch of edginess, they were going to last.  

True to her word, Penny had a bag of Taco Bell food for her as they set out for the Walmart parking lot about three miles away.  

Emmalee selected the bacon breakfast burrito from the bag - and almost like magic - it was gone!!!  

“Yum,” Emmalee said, as she grabbed the second breakfast burrito out of the bag.  “I don’t want to be eating in front of our new friends,” she added.

Penny asked (just as Emmalee had a mouthful of burrito), “So who are these new friends?”

It took a second for Emmalee to answer.  “LaToya, Micah, Janniece, Raymond, and Izaak”.  

Penny took in a breath.  “So, am I the only white person in the group?”

Emmalee smiled, “You should be so lucky!!  I think Raymond and Izaak are Hispanic, Micah is white and I didn't get to meet Janniece that well”.

Emmalee continued.  “Last night a dude put some knockout pills in my beer. Izaak, who is a bouncer, saw it and threw the guy out of the club.  He brought me coffee and then drove me home at night.”  

Penny was shocked when Emmalee shared about the knockout pills.

Penny said, “So some guy tried to drug you?”

Emmalee shuttered, “Yes, after the fact, it was scary.  Drug me, take me to his place, and rape me.  Yuck”.  Changing the subject, “Izaak is easy to pick out, but I’ll let you see!!!”

She blushed, “I’m kinda hoping, just maybe, that he likes me”.

Penny chuckled at that!!  “Ah, so now I’m the chaperone?”

They pulled into the Walmart parking lot and Emmalee got out.  It is pretty hard to miss her at 6 foot two inches.  The others weren’t there yet.  Penny and Emmalee got out of the car and continued to talk.

*****

An SUV pulled up, with Izaak driving,  Raymond, Micah, Janniece, LaToya, and Izaak got out and came up to Emmalee and Penny.  

‘Yes’, Penny thought, ‘Izaak has to be the big guy - big enough and strong enough to be a bouncer.’

Izaak came up to Emmalee and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.  Turning to Penny, he said, “You must be nickel or quarter or somebody”.  

Penny laughed “Just ‘Penny’.  Of course, she had heard it before, but years ago she stopped being offended at the joke.

They all said ‘hi’ and got into the vehicle.  Somehow, Izaak had told the others to leave the front passenger seat free for Emmalee.  Penny’s brain was working overtime - ‘hmmm - he’s a smooth operator. 

The middle seat was a bench seat, with Raymond on the left side by the window, LaToya in the middle, and Penny on the right by the sliding door.  Micah and Janniece sat in the back seat.  They seemed to be a pair already.  They were holding hands as they talked quietly in the back seat.

LaToya asked “I understand that you teach at Mount Hood Community College.  What do you teach?”

Generally, Penny would give the funny answer of “I teach students”, but she just answered simply, “I teach biology.  Many of my students go on to health careers, so I do general biology, then human biology and advanced life sciences.”

LaToya replied, “That sounds interesting. I’m a Systems Analyst for a sister institution.  I work at Portland Community College.”

Penny replied back with a grin, “And that sounds interesting to me.  Do you do some programming too?”

This time LaToya grinned, “No coding unless I have to.  I used to code a lot, mostly in C++.  But now I’m more of a business analyst, how we can do things more effectively and more efficiently and save money.”  She rolled her eyes.  “You know how academic institutions like and need to save money!!!”

Penny replied, “I hear you”.  

Raymond joined in, “I’m a financial analyst for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.  So actually I’m a little of each of you - health care, and analytics!!!”

The girls laughed.  The three chatted friendly until their first stop.

*****

Meanwhile, Izaak and Emmalee were getting to know each other better.  Izaak had tried out for the Olympics but didn’t get picked for the weightlifting team. 

Izaak shared with Emmalee, “I’m working up to be the head fitness trainer at Ironside Training, and I’m investing in the club to be a part-owner.  I’d like to own a series of heavy-duty training clubs.  I still compete, but only on the regional level.”

Emmalee was pretty quick on the thought - “I bet you have oodles of trophies”.

Izaak reddened a little - “Yeah, I have a few trophies.  If I could sell each trophy for a hundred dollars I might be a rich man”.  He laughed and added, “Or I might be able to put gas in this gas guzzler of a vehicle”.

Izaak asked, “So, what is your favorite type of art?”

Emmalee said.  I am a painter.  I have done a few sculptures, but almost always working with oils and paint.  Recently I’ve done murals. I’ve been selected to be a Black Lives Matter mural in Gresham.  We are hammering out the details with the city.  I want to include a lynching scene where a black man was lynched in Portland only to be found innocent months later.  I’ve also done work in graffiti, and advertising arts.  I worked at State Farm when they did ads with Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, and I did some of the artwork.”

“I did a show on campus about graffiti that was well received and I’ve been asked to do it again for the Portland Public Library.”

Izaak answered, “Impressive.  And, what do you do for fun?”

Emmalee laughed, “I don’t have time for fun.”  She paused.  “I do aerobics on campus, and I run five miles almost every day.  Does that count as fun?”  Another pause, and with a casual smile she added, “I’m probably the top apple picker in the State of Oregon.”

That broke Izaak up.  “Well, you might have to defend that title today, because I’m pretty sure I’m the top apple picker”.

*****

Izaak guided them onto exit 31 for Multnomah Falls.  

After parking and stretching, Izaak challenged the group.  “I’ll race you to the top viewing site”.  Micah, Janniece, and Emmalee took him up on the challenge.  A little way into the race, the outcome was decided.  Emmalee with her long legs and her regular running quickly got ahead of Izaak, and Micah and Janniece decided to stop at the first viewing site, and you can’t run at full speed when you are holding hands!!!

There were a lot of people at the falls this morning enjoying a great autumn day.

“STOP”, Emmalee heard a voice ahead of her and arrived just in time to see a boy, maybe about ten walking out on a ledge near the second viewing platform.  And, just as quickly, she saw the boy slip off the ledge and down into the ravine.  

“HELP MOM”, called the boy.  Emmalee was there first.  The rocks were wet from the mist from the falls.  The mom was at the ledge crying as Emmalee approached.  The boy was hanging onto a tree root that was wet and he was trying to scramble to a better spot when he kicked out some rocks underneath him.  

“I’ll help,” said Emmalee.  “Can somebody call either 911 or the visitors center to get help.”  She didn’t quite know what she was going to do, but something needed to be done before the boy slid down more into the icy water coming off of Mount Hood.  

She was looking for good places to get down to the boy when Izaak arrived.  Taking off his belt, he gave it to Emma and said.  “Hold on to me, we’ll make a chain and then throw the end of the belt to the boy.”  

Looking around he saw some others that looked relatively fit and strong.  He yelled out to them. “We’re going to make a chain.  My girlfriend is strong, but not as heavy and can get closer to the boy.  I’ll be here on the platform as the anchorperson.”

Soon there were about forty belts being tied together. Izaak and another man braided them together for more strength. Emmalee wrapped the end around her right hand so it wouldn’t slip and with her left hand held on to a man who was going to be next to her.  Three others were part of the chain.  Emmalee did notice that the man next to her had hiking boots with treads.  That would help.

Carefully, she stepped down off the ledge.  She slipped but the man held her from going farther.  Her feet went out from under her, but she held on to the man - and to the rope of belts.  They inched closer and she found a place where she could stand.  

“Don’t let go on your tree root, but with your free hand - grab this,” Emmalee said as she tossed the belt rope towards the boy.  But, the throw was too far to the left.  

Throwing it again, the boy got it.  “Hang on, wrap it around your hand”, she commanded.  And then she slipped again, and the boy slipped too.  He was getting real close to the pounding of the waterfall.  If she didn’t get him soon, he might just fall another two hundred feet being battered by the water and cut by the rocks.  

On the fourth try, the boy who was crying so hard and with the mist in his eyes could hardly see the belt rope.  

“Wrap it around your wrist.  We’ve got you”.  Emmalee called.

This time it mostly worked well.  The hiker held her left hand and seemed to have a good location.  The boy caught the belt rope and the chain of people with Izaak at the end pulled hard. Izaak had wedged himself around a tree trunk - with one leg on each side of the tree and had his big hands wrapped on the last of the belts.

“Hold on tight”, she could hear Izaak’s booming voice. 

Emmalee slipped again, but the hiker man kept hold of her.  

Inch by inch, they worked their way back up the steep slope.  Emmalee found a place to stand, the hiker man was now at the ledge and in the back, Izaak, the bodybuilder was anchoring the action.  

It seemed like hours, but it really was only about three minutes, the chain had the boy back on the path.  The boy and mom were crying and hugging.  Emmalee was hoping that mom wouldn’t start reprimanding him yet - and she didn’t.  A woman in the crowd was taking pictures. The chain congratulated each other as a paramedic from the visitor’s center arrived.  After high fives and praise for the team, the paramedic guided the boy and his mother down the path.  He might already be in hypothermia from the cold mist and would need to be examined.  

Emmalee could see blood on the boy’s left leg - probably cut from a jagged rock.  He would be all right, but she had really saved the day.  

Izaak and Emmalee hugged.  They then separated the belts and handed them back to their owners. One heavier man with a long belt claimed, "I'm sure it was my belt that saved the day". The rest of them got a laugh out of that.

Emmalee pushed Izaak back and looking him straight in the eye asked him, “You said my girlfriend will get to him.  What did you mean?"

Izaak answered by putting his lips onto Emmalee’s lips and kissing her.  

Emmalee was thinking - ‘maybe this is alright.”

****

Now it wasn’t just Micah and Janniece holding hands, but Emmalee and Izaak held hands as they went back down the trail.  Emmalee was wet, cold, cold and muddy, and deeply satisfied.

*****

Back at the visitor center, Penny and Raymond looked at Emmalee in surprise.  

Before anybody could share, Emmalee said “I didn’t get to finish my shower this morning and thought a shower under the falls might help.”  Penny and Raymond didn’t get the joke but the rest did.  Izaak and the hiker man (whose name was Josh) pulled Penny and Raymond aside and told them the story.  

The paramedic came into the room beaming.  Looking at Emmalee “You saved his life.  We’ve had other cases of kids getting off that ledge and getting washed down the falls and dying.  There is an ambulance coming to take him to Portland.  He has some hypothermia and some cuts and scrapes but should be just fine in a few hours.”

The lady who had taken the pictures shared them with the paramedic and visitor center staff.  The boy’s mother came into the visitor center room and hugged Emmalee, Izaak, and Josh.  “You saved David’s life - THANK YOU”.  The lady taking pictures took a few more with the mother and the rescue crew.

They stopped for a cup of coffee in the Multnomah Falls restaurant where Emmalee’s heart stopped pounding at 200 beats a minute.  She gave Penny a knowing wink as Izaak sat beside her - it was indicating ‘I’ll tell you more later.

**** 

Finally warmed up, they got back in Isaak's SUV and headed to Hood River. Emmalee had found a thrift shop right off the Interstate highway and made Izaak take her there.  

Ten minutes later, Emmalee had new jeans (or at least new to her), and a warm lumberjack shirt.  Somehow Izaak had lost his belt in the melee and bought a newer belt.  Penny got a pink baseball hat for Emmalee. It suited her just fine.

*****

On to the apple picking - next week.

*****

Karen adds - one more episode in Emmalee and Penny’s story.  As you know I’m trying to write more fiction.  

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen

April 9, 2022