Giddyup at the Pony Cafe

Chapter 6

Karl braced himself, rubbed the goose bumps already forming on his arms, and then stepped into the icy shower. Brr. Get in and get out quickly. He had already lathered up so he didn't have to endure the frigid water a minute longer than he needed to. 

The motel's manager had apologized profusely yesterday for the mishap with the bed and had gotten them another room. The second room thankfully smelled fresher and the bed had held together. One downside of this motel was that the hot water was limited. They found this out very quickly. Karl had let Lottie take the first shower but even though she was quick, the hot water had run out before Karl's turn came.

 Another downside of the motel was the paper thin walls. Last night as he had tossed and turned thinking about how he was going to make his presentation to the council, he was serenaded on both sides of their room by a chorus of loud lumberjack snores. Lottie had fallen asleep quickly and didn't seem to be bothered by the noise. 

 The cold water on his face and face revived him. They were scheduled to meet with a realtor to view the restaurant mid morning. They had only gotten a cursory view of the restaurant since it was getting dark as they drove past last night. So he wasn't sure what to expect. He looked into the mirror above the sink as he shaved. He winced at the puffy dark circles under his eyes. Yikes. Hopefully I don't scare the realtor off. 

Karl looked over at Lottie who was sitting on the lone chair in the room. She was reading her devotional. One of her hands rested lightly on her expanding stomach.  She looked serene and tranquil. Karl wished he could relax as well. But he seemed to be born with a restless energy about him. Lottie's calm nature was one of the things that attracted him to her. She was able to put her worries aside and enjoy the moment. 

As if sensing his stare, she glanced up, "Ready to go?"

"I will be ready in five minutes." He brushed his teeth and then went to the dresser  to grab his keys and wallet.

The motel offered a weak pot of coffee and homemade muffins. They declined the coffee and each grabbed a muffin. They decided to stop by the grocery store and grab some fruit for breakfast. The town was waking up as they were heading out. The hotel clerk had drawn them a map of where to find the grocery store.  Karl made sure he went the speed limit. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be so lucky if he was pulled over again.

After only two wrong turns, they found a grocery store. The grocery store had a banner out front proudly proclaiming that it was locally owned. The prices unfortunately reflected that. Coming from the city, Karl and Lottie were used to having options when they went shopping. Karl picked up an apple and quickly put it down when he saw the price.

"The prices are pretty steep here." Lottie said quietly.

"Yes, I noticed that." 

With an eye on the prices, they quickly located what they wanted in their price range and went to check out. There was only one cashier on duty this morning, so they patiently waited as an elderly woman's purchases were rung up ahead of them. The cashier and elderly woman leisurely chatted about the weather and about an upcoming school event.

Karl was quickly realizing that the pace of life here was quite different then what he was used to. People didn't seem to be in a rush to get to their next appointment. He had noticed several locals catching up in the store. Several times as he walked through the aisles he had to maneuver around people as they stood in the aisles shooting the breeze. 

After paying for their purchases, they drove to a nearby park to eat. The park was mostly deserted at this time of the morning. A few young mothers with their kids were playing on the playground at the far side of the park. They settled on a bench and listened to the birds and the occasional shout of glee from the kids playing. They had found some bread, sliced cheese and some grapes to eat for breakfast. It wasn't a fancy meal but he was grateful for it nonetheless.