14
Lila looked around at where they were. Ahead of them was a long, long bridge. It stretched out way over to what looked like the other shore of a big lake they were on. A lot of cars were moving on the bridge. Probably going into New York City, she thought. They were close now.
Other boats were around them on moorings in the water but no one seemed to be on board them. Everything looked empty and deserted. It looked like everyone had just gone off and left. Where was everybody? It was like the river coming down here. It was too quiet. What had happened this afternoon? She couldn’t remember very well. She got frightened about something. The wind and the noise. And then she fell asleep. And now she was here. Why?
What was she doing here? she wondered. She didn’t know. Another town somewhere, another man, another night coming on. It was going to be a long night.
The Captain came back and gave her a funny look and said, Help me get the dinghy in the water. I can do it myself but it’s easier with two.
He took her over to the mast and asked her if she knew how to use a winch. She said yes. Then he hooked a line from the mast on to the dinghy which was lying upside down on the deck in front of them and told her to start cranking. She did but it was heavy and she could see he didn’t like the way she was doing it. But she kept on doing it and after a long time the dinghy was hanging in the air from the line and the Captain swung it over the side of the boat. He told her to lower it slowly. She let out the line on the winch.
Slowly! he said.
She let it out more slowly and the Captain held his hands out to guide the dinghy into the water. Then he turned and said, That’s good. At least she did one thing right. He even smiled a little.
Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad.
Lila went below and from her suitcase got her old towel and her last change of clothes and her blow dryer and makeup. She wrapped a bar of soap from the sink into a washcloth to take with her.
When she got on deck again the Captain had a little ladder hooked to the side of the boat so that they could step down to the dinghy. She went down and got in and then he followed with some canvas tote bags. She wondered what these were for.
He hardly had to row at all. It was just a little way to the shore where there were just some wooden posts sticking out of the water and a rickety-looking wooden dock and a white building next to it. Back of the building was a hill that went up to a town, it looked like.
Inside the white building a man told them where the showers were. The Captain paid him for the mooring and the showers. Then they went down a long hallway and she went through the Ladies door. Inside was a sort of dark dingy shower and a wooden bench just outside. She had to look for a long time for the light switch. She turned on the shower to let it warm up and then took off her clothes and put them on the bench.
The shower was good and hot. That was good. Sometimes in these places all you get is cold water. She stepped under it and it felt good. It was the first shower since the Karma had been at Troy. She never seemed to get enough showers. Boats aren’t clean.
Men aren’t clean either. She cleaned herself extra well where the Captain had been at her last night.
He needed somebody like her. He smelled like a truck engine. That shirt he was wearing, it looked like he hadn’t changed it in weeks. She’d be doing him a favor to go with him to Florida. He didn’t know how to take care of himself. She could take care of him.
She didn’t want to get involved with him, though. She didn’t want to get involved with anybody. After a while they want to get involved, like Jim, and that’s when the trouble begins.
Lila dried herself with the towel and started to dress. Her blouse and skirt were wrinkled but the wrinkles would shake out. She found a plug-in by a mirror next to the wooden bench and plugged in her blow dryer and held it to her hair.
Manhattan was so close now. If Jamie was there he’d take care of everything. It would be so good to see him again. Maybe. You never knew about him. He might not be there. Then she was in trouble. She didn’t know what she would do then. She didn’t want to think about it.
She remembered now she told the Captain she was going to cook the supper.
That’s what he brought these canvas tote bags for; to carry the food. Maybe if she made him a really good meal he would take her all the way to Florida.
She put on her mascara slowly and carefully and when she was done she walked down the hall and around a corner there was the Captain, waiting. As she walked toward him she could see he looked better now. He was washed and shaved, and he’d changed that shirt.
Outside it had gotten dark. They walked under some street lights along the street up a hill. Some people walked by and didn’t look up.
It didn’t seem like a little town. It seemed more like part of a city. The street wasn’t very wide and was sort of dirty and depressing the way big cities get. When they got into the town she looked in some store windows and saw there wasn’t much to look at.
She thought she smelt French fries. But she didn’t see any McDonalds or Burger King or any place like that around.
Would she ever like some French fries! She was starving!
Maybe they could buy some, she thought. But then the trouble was they’d get all cold by the time they got to the boat. Maybe she could cook some. You needed something to cook them in, though. She asked the Captain if he had a deep fryer. He said he wasn’t sure. She hoped he did.
At the supermarket the prices were high. She got two expensive filet mignons and big Idaho potatoes and oil to make French fries from and some chocolate pudding for dessert and some bread for toast in the morning. And some eggs and some butter and some bacon. And some milk.
As she bent over to pick up the milk a shopping cart bumped into her. Lila said, Oh, I’m sorry. It wasn’t her fault, but the woman, who looked like she worked for the store just gave her a mean look and didn’t excuse herself in any way.
Lila got enough groceries to fill two big bags. She was starving. She liked to buy food anyway. She probably wouldn’t get to eat most of it.
But you could never tell. Maybe she and the Captain would get along tonight. Then they could go shopping in New York. She needed a lot of things.
When she finished filling the shopping cart she went to the checkout counter and saw that the checkout lady there was the same lady who bumped into her. With the same mean look on her face. She reminded Lila of her mother. Lila asked, as nicely as she could, if they could use the shopping cart to take the groceries back to the boat. It would be a lot easier than just carrying those tote bags. But the answer was No.
Lila looked at the Captain but he didn’t say anything. He just paid without any expression.
They each picked up a bag of groceries and started on their way out the door when suddenly there was a loud OW!! and then YOU LET GO OF ME! and then I’LL TELL MY MOTHER!!!
Lila turned and saw the store lady had her hand on a black girl’s collar and the girl was hitting at her and shouting, LET GO! LET GO!! I’LL TELL MY MOTHER!!
I told you to stay OUT of here! the store lady said.
The girl looked like she was about ten or twelve years old.
Let’s go, the Captain said.
But Lila heard herself say, Leave her alone!