“Love Walt? That will never happen. Is it really Saturday? I thought it was Friday. All I do here is go down to the coffee shop and eat and come back here to my room.”
“Isn’t anyone else there?”
Mary Lou sighed. “Because of the holidays, no. There’s an older couple and the people who work in the coffee shop. They got stranded, too. Thank Heaven they still have food here. I am so tired of bean soup. And it’s cold.”
Eileen sat up straight. “Surely there are some things you can be thankful for.”
“Oh, please. No sermons, now. I can’t handle it. God knows everything, so why am I still here when I want to be home so badly?”
“Aren’t you thankful that you got the contract signed?”
“Of course I am,” Mary Lou said, bristling.
Eileen added, “And you have a nice room.”
Mary Lou countered, “I have a rustic room.”
“Do you have hot water—”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I really do want to hang up now. Bye.”
Sunday, December 30
Zedlav, Alaska
At two o’clock in the morning, Mary Lou woke with a start. Strange colored lights danced on the ceiling. Fear gripped her. Her eyes followed the path to edges around the drapes. She gingerly made her way across the room and peeked outside, not knowing what to expect.
The dark sky blazed with color. She caught her breath and threw the drapes open. Amazing!
After fifteen minutes, she walked backward to sit on the bed and stare out the window in awe at the Northern Lights. This is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this in Denver. Eileen would love this. Wave after wave of color filled the sky. She laid her head on her pillow, all the time keeping her eyes on the window.
And then it was morning.
White light rays pierced the window, and Mary Lou knew she’d slept late. It must be noon. I might as well keep sleeping. There’s nothing to do but wait. But last night was incredible. I’ll never forget what I saw. She reached for her laptop to check her messages.
An email from Larry. “Hey, sis. We just wanted to thank you for the gifts.”
Mary Lou sighed. Bless Eileen. She delivered the gifts.
Larry continued, “Sharon loves the slippers. Bunnies are one of her favorite animals. She says you’re her favorite sister-in-law. Don’t tell Eileen. Oh, and thanks for the croaking frog. I didn’t know they could croak ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ The boys got a laugh from that one. They say thanks for their model planes. We missed you for Christmas. Hurry home.
“One time I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.”
Mary Lou groaned. Larry, you are so annoying with your puns.
She replied, “Saw the Northern Lights this morning, and that’s no joke.”
Monday, December 31
Zedlav, Alaska
Another day in Alaska. Mary Lou took a hot shower and inspected the clothes she’d arrived in. She pulled on her black slacks and sweater. These are getting pretty ripe. She remembered seeing a washer and dryer in the hallway just past her room.
Sorting through her clothes was easy. Everything in her suitcase needed laundering. She found a plastic bag for dry cleaning on the rack just inside her door and filled it up. It was still dark. She felt like she was barely functioning, but she was determined to accomplish something that day.
She filled the washer with clothes, then she needed quarters. She left the clothes in the washer and went down to the lobby for quarters and soap. On her way back, she passed the older man—half of the couple that had also been stranded. He nodded, and she smiled back.
When she got to the laundry room, she found her clothes on the floor in front of the washer, which was ten minutes into the wash cycle. Her temper flared. The old man did this! Men! How inconsiderate can you get? The plastic bag was nowhere to be found. She gathered her clothes and went back to her room, making note of the fifty-two minute wait for the cycle to end. She dumped the clothes on her bed.
Time for breakfast. I hope I don’t see them in the coffee shop. I don’t know how I’ll react. I might smack that turkey. She entered the coffee shop and found the nearest booth.
The waiter was familiar by now. “Good morning. What can I get you?”
“You can get me out of here!” Mary Lou grumbled.
He laughed. “Are you saying you want to go snowshoeing?”
Mary Lou grimaced. “Funny. I need coffee. And chocolate. Do you have any chocolate chip cookies?”
He rubbed his chin. “Uh. How about pancakes with chocolate syrup?”
She lit up. “Yes! That sounds perfect.”
He brought her coffee within minutes. “Here you go. It’s New Year’s Eve, and we’re having a little party tonight. Everyone who is stranded is invited. It starts at nine until after midnight. We’re going to make snacks and serve cider and drinks of your choice. It’s on the hotel, so you should come by.”
Mary Lou sipped the coffee. “I just might do that. Thanks.”
After her late breakfast, she went to the lobby to find something to read. She ended up with tourist magazines and brochures of all the sights to see in Alaska. She entered her room in time to take her laundry back, and she found the washing machine empty this time. She immediately started it and sat in the nearby chair.
The dryer churned. Mary Lou watched the clothes go round and round, trying to think of a way to let the offender know how displeased she was with what he had done, taking her machine. The very idea. I should throw some chewed gum in there. That would fix him.
She fished around in her purse and found a package of gum. She unwrapped a piece and stuck it in her mouth. While she chewed, she picked up a People Magazine and flipped through it. She added another stick of gum. When the gum was soft, she stood to open the dryer. A young man hurried past her to open the dryer. “Sorry, were those your clothes in the washer earlier? I am so sorry, but we’re stuck here with twin babies, and I had to get those diapers in the wash. Again, I apologize. My wife is about to go nuts. We can’t wait to get out of here. Let me pay for your laundry.” He reached for his wallet.
Mary Lou swallowed the gum. “Oh, that’s not necessary. It’s fine.”
He rushed out with the diapers. Mary Lou loaded the dryer with clean clothes. Doing laundry for his family. Poor wife. I would be crazy, too, if I got stranded with twin babies. What a nice guy. Not many of those around. She pushed the start button. At least I’ll have something clean for the party tonight.
She spent the rest of the day watching boring television and walking the halls of the hotel. She went to the exercise room, and the older couple was using the treadmill and rowing machine. Finally she took a nap.
The buzz from her cell woke her. A message! Bobby! She rushed to open it and found a text from Joe. “Thinking of you today as I’m home with family. Looking forward to your return. I owe you big time. We’re surfing the net today to find a new piece of yard art for your backyard collection.”
You owe me—you got that right! It had better be a fantastic piece. I already have seven pinwheels. She dropped the phone onto the bed and dressed in her clean clothes to go down to the restaurant.
After