Chet spent the next two days bumming around the area and getting the property information his father asked for just to get the task finished and off his plate. He was sometimes surprised at the things he learned about himself, and one of them was that he didn’t really like spending a lot of time alone.
He wandered through the botanical gardens in Fort Bragg and then took the historically restored Skunk Train into the redwoods, only to be disappointed that it didn’t go all that far or that fast. In his opinion, the thing was aptly named because it stank and wasn’t much fun. Mostly, the ride involved sitting in his seat and watching the trees go by at a pace where he could have gotten out and walked faster. The trees at the end of the line, where the train tunnel had collapsed years ago, were stunning, and he spent time following them up into the sky. But other than that, it was kind of lame. Still, it was something to do.
Killing time, that was all he was doing, and the truth was, he didn’t do it well. At heart, he was relatively impatient, and yet on Tuesday, the clouds rolled in and settled thick, the damp cold penetrating everything. Rather than go outside, he loaded up his iPad with books, got comfortable on the bed, and spent the day reading, ordering room service, and sighing to himself at his growing boredom.
Thankfully, Wednesday morning seemed brighter and less drizzly, so he messaged Darren and walked through town to get the things he wanted for dinner. At the grocery store, he and Darren shared a smile and a few words as he bought the meat he wanted to cook. “Do you want me to keep it here and bring it to the house with me?” Darren asked after checking behind him.
Treading Water by Andrew Grey Blog Tour
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then, he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.
Andrew Grey
