Roadies
Rest at Julio’s
The convoy reached Julio’s house on the outskirts of Yuba City at two-thirty in the morning. Exhausted from the trip, they sat in their cars for a few minutes. In the minivan Debbie and Amy said a prayer, giving thanks for their safe arrival.
*****
Rick opened the door. “Hey Seth, I’m going to check on Danny and Duke.” He walked across the street to where Cammy parked.
Danny got out of the car with Duke close behind him. “Dad! That was your car…”
Rick smiled when he saw them both safe. “Seven hundred and fifty a month for a car… Son, you have no idea how good that felt.”
“What are you going to drive now?”
“Drive?” Rick kneeled down to pet Duke. “Danny, look how fast things fell apart. We’re not even halfway to Stampede yet. ‘If’ we get there, do you really think we’ll ever get back?”
Danny’s eyes filled with water. “You mean no more Napa?”
Rick rubbed on Danny’s back. “I think those days are done son, but if we do get back, I’ll tell the cops those gang members took my car at gunpoint and crashed it on purpose.”
Nico walked by. “That’s a good one. It will work for sure.” He tossed Rick a purple bandana. “Here’s your evidence.”
The brightness from a porch light broke the momentary peace, making everybody look. A large man came outside on the porch. His silhouette stood even larger in the dark with the light behind him.
A smaller shadow with long hair poked her head from the door. “Honey, what’s going on? Who are those people?”
The man on the porch squinted and leaned to get a better view. “Seth? What in God’s green earth do you think you’re doing?”
Seth stood on the lawn. “Julio, Beth…” He walked closer to the porch. “Hi guys.” Seth looked over his shoulder at the group. “Sorry for the unannounced visit. We’ve had a hell of a day. Do you mind if we crash on the floor? We’ll be quiet. We’d like to freshen up tomorrow and continue on.”
Julio looked them over. “Well I don’t want your ragtag group sleeping on the driveway. You can spread out wherever you like. I’m going back to sleep.”
*****
The smell of bacon woke Seth from his sleep, but only to a state of semi-consciousness. The sound of it sizzling made him smile. He squinted, trying to wake up, but startled by others around him, he jumped up from the couch.
Julio walked into the room. “Easy big boy. You might turn around and hurt yourself.”
Seth tried to regroup. “I’m fine old man. Besides, did I tell you why we came?”
“No. Not yet.” Julio turned serious.
Seth shook his head. “It’s not pretty. I got a message from the commissioner telling me the Redskins are going to move to Sacramento and become the Queens. We’re here for season tickets.”
“Awe man…” Julio smacked his lips. “That ain’t right.”
Steward put his hands on his hips and looked at Seth. “I’ll say!”
Seth held his hand up. “It’s just fire department humor. No offense.”
Beth called from the kitchen. “Enough you two. It’s time to eat. Julio, please wake Andrew. I’m surprised the food didn’t wake him already.”
Julio grinned at the people in the room and shrugged his shoulders. “Yes dear.”
Beth and Debbie came into the room. They each carried a big round tray of food, and set them on the table. Debbie tilted her tray for everyone to see a huge pile of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, and even a few slices of salmon.
Julio eyed the food. “Wow! Now that’s a breakfast.”
Beth proudly spun the Lazy Susan. “Thank Cammy. I’ve never seen my kitchen in action like that. She really knows how to pull it all together.”
Andrew came around the corner rubbing his eyes. He said in a creaky voice. “What smells so good?”
Seth reached to shake his hand. “Dude! You’re huge. How long has it been since I’ve seen you?”
Andrew opened his eyes to a room full of more people than he expected, startling him a little. “Seth… I thought I heard voices.”
Seth introduced him to the room. “This is Andrew. He graduated recently from a tech school. In two more years he’s going into the Air Force as an officer. If we get lucky he’ll be stationed right here at Beale like Julio and I were a long time ago.”
Cammy brought a tray full of fruits and set it on the table. “Everything’s ready.”
Beth clapped her hands together and held them to her chest. “Well. Let’s have breakfast and get to know each other.”
Julio spun the tray and grabbed a piece of salmon. He held it to show everyone, and took a big bite. “I love salmon in the morning. The saltiness grabs you hard. We caught this last week. It doesn’t get any better than this unless you’re a bear.”
Cruz whispered to Seth. “What about bears?”
Seth chuckled. “Haven’t you seen the California flag? Just because it’s the same colors as yours doesn’t mean it is the same as yours.”
Cruz grabbed a white napkin, and dangled it to Seth. “Truce bro. We’re talking English, right? I just don’t want any bears thinking my tent is a Taco Bell.”
A tummy growled loud enough for everyone to hear, and everyone broke out in laughter. The group shuffled around the table. Some fixed plates and sat in the back yard, and some ate in the living room.
They started politely. “Pass me this.” “Pass me that.” But from the first bite the ravished group fed like a shark frenzy lasting less than ten minutes.
Everyone leaned back in a unified fullness. Little personal moments of satisfaction showed on their faces, with tummies bulging and bodies rested. Almost like yesterday’s danger had no impact on today.
Seth pointed to Julio. “Hey, remember that time we hiked in to Frenchman lake.”
Julio laughed. “I thought we we’re dead for sure.”
Cruz asked. “What happened?”
Seth scratched the back of his head. “Well, this is a little hidden lake up near where we are going. You have to hike to it through the woods. A few of the trees are marked so you can find your way. We took a cooler full of drinks and snacks. The first mistake we made was staying until sunset. It got dark as we tried to find our way back. Julio and this guy Maurice carried the cooler, and I carried the only fish caught that day.”
Julio added. “It wasn’t very smart trampling around the woods in the dark with a fish.”
Seth laughed. “It sure wasn’t. We got lost and started to follow a fire road. The next thing we knew, there was a real strong smell in the air, and we could hear something the bushes off to the side. Maurice recognized the smell and said it was a bear. We started walking faster, and we even sang church songs to try and scare it away.
Julio shook his head. “I have to say, I was scared.”
“You and me both. We kept walking for about fifteen minutes before we realized we should have gone the other way. While we debated going back we heard the howls of a wolf pack. That was scarier than the bear. They have a real haunting sound, and they move around fast. I’d say we moved pretty quickly. I just can’t believe I kept the fish. I should have thrown it into the woods.”
Danny held his arms open. “And what about the bear?”
“Oh it was still in the area, because we could smell it. It’s a very strong smell and I’ll never forget it. When we finally got to the car we had to sit inside and gather our thoughts, because all three of us were shaken up.”
Seth took his plate into the kitchen and set it on the counter next to the sink. “Thanks Beth. We reached the end of our rope last night. We’re so lucky to have made it here. I appreciate you letting us barge in.”
“Your welcome. It was a surprise.”
Julio walked by and handed Seth his plate. “I have some stuff for you in the garage.”
When the door closed Beth turned and set her hand on Seth’s. “Hey, what’s wrong with Megumi? I keep talking to her, but she doesn’t answer. Is she okay?”
Seth smiled. “Sure. She’s worried about her family back in Japan. We haven’t heard from anyone yet.”
Beth paused. “Oh. Her family is in Tokyo… I thought they lived up north.”
Seth scraped some eggs and a napkin into the garbage. “Nope. I lived up north. Five years in Misawa. Megumi is a Tokyo girl.”
Julio’s head poked in the kitchen from the garage. “Seth. Come and get your gear. I have tons of stuff you can take.”
Bruce brought a stack of dishes into the kitchen. “That was the best breakfast I’ve ever had.”
Seth turned to Bruce. “You can help Beth while I go stock up.”
“Stock up?”
Seth took the plates and set them on the counter. “Julio’s family all live within driving distance. They are always having huge family gatherings, picnics, and stuff like that.”
Rick walked into the kitchen. “That was the best Salmon I’ve ever had. You should make lox.”
Beth nodded. “Go with Seth. The lox is in the freezer.”
Rick laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
Beth started rinsing dishes. “Each season the guys go hunting and fishing, and everyone shares in the bounty. Go look in the garage. Wait until you see the freezer full of meats.”
Rick followed Seth into the garage. “Man, you have your own Big-5 sporting goods store.” He turned and looked at the wall behind him. “How many fishing poles do you have?”
Julio ran his hand down the wall-mounted array. “Fourteen here, and a few more in my brother’s boat. Some are fresh water. Some are for the ocean.” He pointed to one. “I pulled in a hundred fifty pound halibut near Angel Island with this one.”
Seth patted Julio on the back. “Dude, I’ll never forget that day we took your dad fishing in Tahoe. How many trout? Twenty-four? Twenty-seven? What a day.”
Julio pointed to a smaller pole near the back. “I used that pole. My dad used the one next to it. He always talked about that day. I think it was one of his favorite memories.”
Seth squeezed Julio’s shoulder. “That was our day, and that’s basically where we’re going now.”
Julio pointed to the other wall, past the bows and arrows to a security locker with an impressive display of guns. “Do you want to take a couple of those?”
The room hushed, and everyone focused on Seth. “Nope. We’ll raid your fishing supplies. And we’ll pack as much of your camping equipment as we can… But I don’t want us to get into the gun scenario. We aren’t Waco. We only need to make it a couple of months. We plan to live off the lake.”
“Are you sure? What if the fish aren’t biting?” Julio asked.
Seth made individual eye contact with the others around the room. “The fish bit for us before. They’ll do it again if we are supposed to be there. We don’t need any shootouts. We need to be stealthy and safe. We’ll stay out of sight with all your camouflage goodies. Leave the violence to the fanatics.”
“Alright, but I advise against it.” Julio held up a fishing pole like a sword. “Hey, Megumi can be your security. I noticed she is a ninja now.”
Seth corrected him. “Ninja’s wear all black and sneak around. She’s dressed like a samurai. I brought the Shinsengumi coat back from Japan. The rest of the outfit she pulled together. I think she did a pretty good job.”
Danny pulled his head out of the fridge. “Seth… Why is she dressed like a samurai?”
Andrew added. “Yeah Seth. It looks a little weird.”
“Don’t worry guys.” Seth looked back toward the door. “Megumi is fine.”
Julio shook his head. “People running around dressed like a samurai usually aren’t doing fine.”
“Let me explain.” Seth cleared a space on the workbench. “When we lived in San Francisco we watched a Japanese drama, Shinsengumi. I mean every Saturday night for a year. We did not miss one episode.”
Rick dropped his chin and rolled his eyes to make contact with Seth. “A year of samurai movies, really?”
Seth’s eyes widened. “Yeah, but not like a bunch of different movies. It was one continuous drama. It was called Shinsengumi. You see… our history only goes back two hundred and fifty years. Japan’s goes back over twenty-five hundred.”
Bruce came in the garage and froze at the sight of all the sporting goods. “It’s a Big-5…”
Danny asked. “What’s Shinsengumi?”
Andrew picked up a pole and jested toward his dad. “And what does that have to do with her dressing like a samurai?”
Seth shuffled a little to get comfortable. “It happened in the mid eighteen hundreds. The Japanese were divided between staying with the ways of the samurai, or to allow the west into their country. It was a real critical point in their history. The ‘Shinsengumi’ were among the last samurai to defend against opening the doors of Japan. They wanted to protect their culture and heritage. It took a year to tell their story. It was a very powerful show. It touched both of us pretty deep. Want to know something else? One of the samurai’s final stands was in a place called Aizu.”
Danny tilted his head like a puzzled dog. “You mean Aizu is named after a samurai?”
“No. Aizu is a place. The samurai there were among the last to fall. Here’s one more thing. Megumi’s mom’s side of the family is from Aizu. That’s one of the reasons it was our dream to open a bed and breakfast there.”
Julio rubbed his chin. “So Megumi thinks Tahoe is her Aizu?”
Seth looked at him. “No man. . . She knows it. We may be telling ourselves we’re going camping, but she knows this is where we make our stand. I’ve been telling you the fallen angels are coming for how many years now. Shinsengumi can be viewed as a similar story in a different metaphor. It may be told in her culture, but the context is fitting to the end time events we are experiencing. Things like this have happened throughout history so we would all have an example to recognize the day when it comes.”
Andrew asked. “She sees the fallen angels as the foreigners?”
“Now do you get it? She didn’t freak, and she’s not weird. She’s in a zone few humans get to experience. I assure you she is dialed in tighter than any one else. She knows this is a Kamikaze mission.”
Beth opened the garage door a couple of inches. “You guys got to see this!”
Everyone followed her into the living room, where Julio grabbed the remote. “What’s this? Every channel is the same.”
“I was downloading a class outline for school. I turned the television on, and this. . .”
“It looks like a college recruiting film, or infomercial.”
“It sure does.” Seth commented.
Beth leaned toward the television squinting at the details. “Look at all those different religious uniforms. It looks like they’re attending classes…“
Seth shook his head. “That one looks like a high-priest. Whoa, this classroom has a Rabbi. Aaaaugh! That’s Jesus teaching on a hillside. What is this?”
Text scrolled across the bottom of the screen. “The kingdom of God is upon us. Our Father is coming back. Heaven is a place where everyone can study and share their culture with other cultures. You will meet and learn from the greatest teachers history has to offer. We are currently taking registration for those wishing to pre-qualify for heaven. You are truly a chosen generation.”
It repeated a couple of times. Julio turned to speak, but stopped when Andrew came from his room all dressed in camouflage. “Now what? Did Megumi inspire you?”
Andrew stood at attention. “Dad, my brother is serving overseas. I have two more years of school before I even start my career. This might be my only chance to do something for my country. I can’t do much here in Yuba. If Seth is right and there’s only a couple of months left, am I to just sit here and watch?”
Julio cleared his throat. “But your family is here, son.”
Andrew relaxed his shoulders and turned to his mom. “My family will always be here. I will be here too, but I need to go camping with these guys.”
Beth looked for her baby boy, but he became a man. She caressed his cheek with her hand. “You make me a proud mom….” Her eyes welled, and she hurried back to the bedroom.
Andrew looked down and the room got quiet.
Steward walked in the room with a flower arrangement. “Hey, check out these flowers.”
Seth looked them over. “Those are beautiful Steward. When did you go to the store?”
Steward giggled. “I didn’t go anywhere… Some of these are from the yard, and some of this over here is from the field down the street.”
Julio took the arrangement and placed on the center of the dining table. “Beth is going to love this. I can’t believe you just made it. I love it.”
Seth gave Andrew a pat on the back. “Okay, don’t worry Julio. Andrew will be fine. He’s with us.” He turned to the people in the room. “I think it’s time we load up and go.”
Thirty minutes later Julio walked them outside where everyone thanked him for his hospitality before climbing in their cars. Andrew came out with his duffle bag. “I’m not saying good-bye dad, because I’m coming back… So how about we shake hands, and catch up in a couple weeks?”
Julio reached out his hand. “Deal son.”
Andrew shook, but Julio pulled him to his chest and hugged him. “I love you son.”
Andrew squeezed his dad. “I’ll be fine. You taught me well.”
Seth cleared his throat. “Come on girls.”
Julio and Andrew followed Seth to his truck. Seth tried to chuckle. “I’m glad you do a lot of hunting and fishing. We’re outfitted quite nicely for Tahoe life.”
Julio swallowed hard. “I knew you would be back there some day. Make the most of it this time, even if it’s short.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
Julio looked around. “I’ve spent too many months in those woods. If what you say is true I want to be here. My family is here.”
Seth climbed into the Tundra and rolled down the window. “It’s a good day to go camping.”
Julio put his hand on Seth’s arm. “One more thing Seth.”
Seth starred straight ahead. “Yeah?”
“Take care of Andrew.”
“Of course. Tell Beth I’ll try to have him back in time for the Queen’s home opener.”
They both tried to laugh. Seth kept his eyes forward and started his truck. The refreshed convoy turned left at the corner. Julio waved with his left hand while wiping his tears with his right.
Seth waved out the window knowing he saw Julio for the last time. Megumi placed her hand on Seth’s shoulder. He wiped his eyes and sniffed. “That’s my best friend.” He tried to say… but he choked on the words and cried for more than five miles.