The Club

CHAPTER 18

We're driving down the highway out in the middle of nowhere and I'm pretty sure there are shacks off to my side. These run down tiny little houses that have seen better days are stacked relatively close to each other. I wonder if there's something historic about these? Or if they've long since been forgotten. I'm lost in the story of the buildings when I don't notice Graham has turned off the highway toward the shacks.

"What are we doing?"

He ignores my question and keeps driving down the road getting closer and closer to his obvious destination. Are we allowed out here? This surely can't be safe to go trespassing out here. When he still doesn't answer my question, I do the only logical thing, I raise my voice a little louder. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you," he replies with a nod of his head.

"Why didn't you answer me? What are we doing?"

He reaches for the knob on the radio and turns the music off. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, I wait on baited breath for him to give me something. Anything. "I didn't answer you because I knew you wouldn't like my answer. This is where we're staying tonight."

"What do you mean this is where we're staying? That can't be legal."

He barks out a laugh that lasts longer than makes me comfortable. He must notice the unease on my face because he stops laughing and reaches for my hand. "I don't know why you would think it's illegal. This is the Shack Up Inn. This used to be an old plantation that has been restored. I figured since we're here why not get the complete Robert Johnson experience and stay in a shack while we're at it."

"Please tell me I'll at least have access to a shower and toilet." I glance around our surroundings again and I cringe at the thought of crouching behind a tree to relieve my bladder. I'm all for camping, not that this is a campground, as long as I can use a modern bathroom. I don't require anything fancy but working plumbing is a must.

"I think there might be some out houses. And I'm sure there's a pond nearby."

He brings the car to a stop and my mouth falls open. He can't really be serious right now. I grab his arm and force him to look at me. "No way. Not happening. Turn this car around right now."

He laughs again. What is so God damn funny? "You should see your face right now. Erika, I'm kidding. I did say this place was renovated. So don't worry your tiny little head. There are twenty-first century amenities here."

I punch him in the arm and he barks out in another laugh. Yeah real funny, buddy. Almost giving me a heart attack. Pay back can be a real bitch especially once I find out what he's afraid of. Maybe a spider on his pillow. But gross that would require me to actually touch one of those things. I'm more of the torch your house down rather than deal a with spider kind of girl. Hmm...I'll have to come up with something else.

While I've been lost in my head he apparently checked us into one of the shacks. I'm shaken from my thoughts when he knocks on my window on his way to the trunk to get our bags. If there's one thing this trip won't be short of, that's an adventure and I fully intend on having one. Who knows how long I have left. I might as well go out with a bang. I finally get out of the car as he drags the luggage up to the small structure immediately in front of us. I've got nothing left to lose so I might as well follow.

I step foot into the small room and I'm overwhelmed with my surroundings. Although the area is cramped it's surprisingly homey. There's one bed, a small kitchenette, and even an upright piano. Graham has the bags on the bed and he's exploring the tiny room when it hits me. "There's only one bed?"

He brings his arm and rubs the back of his neck while bowing his head. "Yeah, this was the only room they had available. I can sleep on the floor if you want. Or we can go somewhere else. I thought this would be kind of cool but now I'm thinking maybe I was wrong."

"It's fine. And don't even think about sleeping on the floor. We're both adults and fully capable of sharing the same bed."

He nods his head and starts walking toward me. With his hand on the doorknob he stops and turns around. "Go change your clothes. We're going to see some sites." I start rifling through my bag to pull out an outfit when he walks back in. "And wear something comfortable. We're walking."

He chuckles as he walks out the door leaving me standing there no doubt with my jaw on the floor. We better not be going far. My normal exercise routine consists of walking from the elevator to my apartment door. I'm in the public eye and I should be more vigilant about my health but if I could choose between sleeping in an extra hour or getting my ass on a treadmill, sleep always wins out.

I grab a clean pair of cutoffs, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap. I know it won't do much to hide my identity but something is better than nothing. After being in the car for so long I turn toward the bathroom for a quick shower. A little freshening up will wash the travel off me and make me feel like a whole new person. Or at least a cleaner version of myself. Why do I come up with crazy ideas like this?

***

I don't know how I talked him into this. Graham said he was along for the ride and would do anything he could to help me figure all of this out. And now here we are, in Clarksdale, Mississippi standing at the famous crossroads where Robert Johnson made his deal. It took us almost an hour to walk here but in this heat it felt so much longer. I'm drenched in sweat and dirty from the dust but I don't care. We're actually here right now and it's so surreal. For all intents and purposes, this is where it all started. He stood here with guitar in hand and traded his soul for his career. Or that's how the story goes. I wonder if he knew he was signing his life over when he made the deal?

I don't have any ideals that the devil will suddenly appear for me just because I'm standing in this spot. But I have a connection to all of these people and I want to get a feel for what happened to at least some of them. And maybe, just maybe I'll figure out what I can do to ensure I don't follow down the same path they did. Even though it's sweltering out here, a shiver travels down my spine thinking about how little time I have left. I can't let myself become another member of the infamous club. I don't want to go down in history as another musician who died too young. Another fucking statistic.

Graham stands back somehow knowing I need this moment to myself. Cars drive around us as we gaze upon the monument on a little patch of grass in the middle of the intersection. It's kind of kitschy with the guitars and "The Crossroads" signs but I like it. I close my eyes and attempt to feel something, anything, while standing here. A car horn sounds in the distance breaking me from my zone and I open my eyes. "This is isn't working. I don't really feel anything here."

"How are your feet feeling?"

Talk about a change of subject. I wriggle my toes inside my Converse anyway. They're a little tired but we have to walk back anyway so it's not like I have any other options. Unless he suddenly decides he's going to carry me all the way back.

"They're fine. Are we heading back now?"

With a smile and a shake of his head he replies, "If you're up to it, I was thinking we would go somewhere else. It's down the road a bit so we'll have to walk for another twenty minutes or so. If you're too tired, we can walk back, though."

"This is an adventure, right?" I look behind us in the direction we came from and look forward to where he motioned. I know what's behind us but I have no idea what's in front of us. I would much rather spend this adventure to its fullest and discover what lies ahead. "Let's go for it. Please tell me I can at least get something to drink wherever we're going."

"That I can promise."

He turns to walk away and I'm tempted to reach for his hand. I have no idea where those feelings come from but I immediately stamp them down. This is Graham McKenzie. The geeky boy I went to high school with who always had a crush on me. But the man standing before me is nothing like that high school boy and it's throwing me for a loop. I won't do that to him though. Why start something with my death looming in the future?