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| August Klintberg, 2010 |
Nell had 3 tickets for a history tour in town, but at the last minute Kendall and Abbie turned them down. They were heading to the pool. She wished they had told her earlier. The tickets weren't cheap, but that wasn't the issue. This "Cabin with a View" airbnb had gone way up in price again this summer but Nell was happy to pay it. Even after 4 years, she relied on their company whenever she could get it.
She baby stepped the steep downhill, over roots and rocks and patches of mud. When her knees were on the brink of buckling she heard the cars on Hill Street and glimpsed a scrap of river between the aspens. On level ground, she sat on a bench and wiped off her sweaty face and neck.
A curly headed teen stood next to the tour guide who started immediately once Nell arrived. The boy resembled a younger Kendall, before Abbie came in to the picture. Quiet, curious, cheerful. Nell wished there had been time for friendly introductions. Names, at the very least. But the guide was off and running, comparing the various prehistoric artifacts in the display case. She spoke quickly but seemed to know her stuff. Curly and Nell teamed up to give support with nods, eye contract and myriad utterances of surprise. Really! Interesting! Hmmm.
She ate a late lunch at her favorite place in town. The waitress remembered her. Last year she had complimented Nell on her excellent use of chopsticks. Were Kendall and Abbie eating lunch by the pool or inside the air-conditioning?
After a stroll around the Main Street shops, crowded with tourists, Nell headed across the bridge to the botanical gardens. She wanted to walk to the azaleas, but the heat forced her to the gazebo for a rest. She watched a tween write his name on a pine tree with a permanent marker while his mom watched. She should have intervened, but those days were long gone. She lingered until closing time.
Back on the river bench, she weighed her options. There were no taxis, lyfts or ubers here and the buses did not go up the hill. Of course Kendall could pick her up but she couldn't stand waiting for his response while he and Abbie bantered back and forth about logistics.
Nell listened to the raspy chatter of the river. She switched her phone to do not disturb and slipped it into her bag. She folded her jacket into a pillow for a lie down and hoped for some star gazing.
Last year the stars were out in full by the time Kendall reported her missing. Officer Karl Dressler found her on this exact bench and drove her back to the cabin. She hoped he might be the one to track her down tonight. Maybe he would come in for a drink or a snack. That young man knew how to have a conversation. They were almost old friends by now.
