A Website Featuring the Writings of Donna Schlachter 09/20/08
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A Website Featuring the Writings of Donna Schlachter 09/20/08 |
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Most people think accountants live boring
lives. |
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| Bear Cove was normally a sleepy little town, just the way Carly Turnquist liked
it; but not this morning. It had started out normal enough. Watching the leaves flutter to the ground outside, littering her yard, she added another item to her mental to-do list: rake leaves. Just what I need, something else to do. One more thing was exactly what she did not need. She really needed to finish the report for her last client, including the exhibit attachments. She had an office full of paperwork from this same client that needed to be filed and labeled, in case she ever had to testify on her findings. As a forensic accountant, that was always a real possibility. The only problem seemed to be in getting started. With her husband Mike out of town for the week, the quiet became a distraction. Getting to sleep last night, alone in their bed, had taken forever, or so it seemed. And then every creak of the roof, every pitter-patter of the cat's paws on the floor woke her. Only gone one night and already I miss him. I wish it was Friday. Still lost in her day dream, Carly jumped when the phone rang. Reaching for the phone, she heard a strange noise outside. Juggling her coffee in one hand and the receiver under her chin, she pulled back the lace curtain that covered the window over the sink. Mike's voice on the phone was music to her ears. "Hi,Carly. I missed you and wanted to hear your voice." Her breath caught in her throat. "Hi, love. This is a wonderful surprise. What are you doing?" She refilled her coffee cup before peering up and down the street. "I know it's still early there, but I just wanted to touch base with you before I left to meet with this client." Mike's voice warmed Carly's soul. "I got up early to put the finishing touches to this prototype and to my presentation. Crawford is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and I want to make him look as good as I can." "Have you had a chance to meet him yet?" The noise from outside didn't sound any closer. She decided it must have been that four car rush hour Bear Cove had each weekday. Dropping the edge of the curtain back into place, she reached for her coffee mug, wrapping her hands around it to ward off the autumn chill. "Yeah, we had dinner last night and ended up spending several hours going over the presentation so there wouldn't be any surprises today. Can you believe it, he had forgotten to tell me about new products they added to their line in the last month and I had to modify the program to add a second page to the ordering screen. He didn't leave here until midnight and then I still had two hours of re-programming to do." "Did you do it for him, or did you tell him that since this is just a prototype, it didn't have to be exact?" "He is so insecure, I figured the better I made him look, the better he'd make me look today. I managed to get a few hours of shuteye, and got up to finish it. You know me, I like to do the best I can. After all, this isn't just about us. The message at church a couple of weeks ago was about people being able to see God in what I do. I've been giving that a lot of thought lately." Carly nodded. She did know Mike. She hadn't met anyone quite like him. By eight in the morning, he had already been up for three hours. And he really did believe all that stuff about doing his best for God. Sometimes, his faith nearly drove her to distraction. Especially when it included her. Like this recent decision to attend church. He was really taking all this religion stuff to heart. "I know you want to do a good job. And I don't think it would matter who you were doing it for." Carly really didn't want to go into this whole God discussion with Mike now, and not over the phone for sure. When they had gotten married five years before, neither of them went to church or read a Bible. But lately, Mike had been hinting that maybe they should join the church they had been recently going to. When she thought about it, which she tried not to do, she didn't think she liked what she saw. Maybe this whole religion thing came from the fact that his daughter, Denise, volunteered at a Christian school where their oldest daughter attended. Denise and her husband Don attended church every Sunday and their three children went to children's church. No, church just didn't fit her. It's not that I don't believe in God. It just isn't normal to want Him in my life all the time. Is it? She changed the subject. "So what time is your meeting?" "Not until nine. How is your day looking?" Carly groaned. "I have so much to do, I don't know where to begin. I'm glad I don't have a real job." She smiled at Mike's laugh. Normally, she and Mike worked out of their modest home in Bear Cove, a small town on the east coast. They did most of their business by telephone, fax, or on the Internet. In fact, both had gotten their most recent assignments as a result of their web sites. Only occasionally did they have to travel much further than the post office or the bank to do anything work-related. "Don't forget to bring the car to the garage today." Mike interrupted her chain of thought. "Car? To the garage?" Her mind raced as she visualized the calendar. Moving quickly to the end of the counter where she kept her day planner, she rifled through the pile of mail and bulk fliers still waiting to be dealt with. Something else to add to her list for today, a list already longer than she cared to deal with. "Yeah. I mentioned last week I wanted to have Jake do an oil change. It's way over the three thousand miles. If you think of it, ask him to check the other fluids, too. Our appointment was for....shoot! Twenty minutes ago. Don't tell me you forgot." Carly gritted her teeth before answering. "I forgot. Because it's not written on the calendar." Mike laughed before he answered. "Guilty as charged. Can you make it over there quick? You know how Jake can be if we mess up his day." Carly considered the day already planned out. "My list for today didn't include a trip to the garage to deliver the car and then one back later to pick up the car. Can it wait until next week?" "No, Jake is booked solid next week. He's got the school board bus fleet coming in for their annual servicing. Some kind of county requirement. He only had the one opening and it's for today and you are now .... twenty-five minutes late." Carly knew defeat when she saw it. She might try to argue the point with Mike and would defend her stand with Jake, but she knew she couldn't argue against the school board. She sighed loudly. "Okay. I'll get dressed and drag my poor exhausted bones out into the cold. And when my client fires me because I can't get their file back to them and I lose the case because I can't find any evidence, you can support me into my dotage." They played this game often. Carly acted the part of the martyr and Mike made fun of her whining. He didn't disappoint her now and laughed heartily. She loved his deep belly laugh. Even as he spoke, Carly could hear laughter bubbling beneath the surface. "Just get over there, pronto. I love you and I'll call later on to check up on you." "Aye, aye, captain." Carly lifted her right hand in a mock salute. "I saw that." He paused. "Listen, check the movies at the theater and let's go to one when I get home later this week. Maybe Saturday night? Love you."And then he hung up. Carly held the buzzing receiver in her hand a few moments longer, wishing to hear his voice again. Once again, Carly had reason to be glad they worked together and were seldom separated by distance. How do people manage who travel all the time? The change in dial tone jolted her from her musings. She checked the clock on the stove. Thirty minutes late. Knowing Jake's attitude towards people who kept him waiting, she decided to forego a shower and pulled on her jeans and a sweatshirt. She looked for her car keys, shoving aside the pile of flyers and catalogues that threatened to take over her kitchen counter. Why is it I have such a mind for numbers and organization and still manage to lose my car keys at least once a day? Several expired coupons drifted to the floor, and Doc came over to investigate. He sniffed at the papers, then rolled onto his side, mashing the fragments into the floor. Crazy cat! Loves the smell of ink. Shoving her hand to the bottom of the pile, she felt the bundle of keys and pulled it out triumphantly. Turning towards the door, she heard more strange noises outside, closer this time than the last time. Loud music played, horns blared, and people shouted. Some of the voices sounded angry. What in the world? Curiosity building in her, she went out on the front porch and waited for the source of the noise to come closer. This being a Monday and a school day, there weren't any children on the street. Across the street her neighbor Mrs. Winters peered out her window. Mrs. Winters usually knew more about Bear Cove's daily happenings than anyone. In this case, however, the expression on her face showed her surprise and confusion. Welcome to the club. Carly started her car and drove towards the sounds. Other people apparently wanted to know what was going on as there were several other neighbors on the streets walking in the same direction. Carly nodded to Fred, her neighbor from two doors down, and to one of the Wilkinson kids, home from college for a semester. When Carly rounded the corner to Main Street, she pulled over to the side of the street and parked her car. The town's two police officers tried to control traffic without much success. A large parade-style float sat in the middle of the street, mired in people and cars. It couldn't go forward; it couldn't go backwards. The younger of the two officers, a short Hispanic woman who Carly knew slightly from church, called to her from across the street. "Coming out to watch the excitement, Carly?" Carly nodded. "You know how it is in a small town, Maria." She crossed to where Maria held back the curious onlookers. "Everyone wants to know what's going on at all times. And if they can't find out, they'll make it up." Maria Beckwith nodded. Being the only Hispanic and the only female police officer in town hadn't made her move to Bear Cove last year easy. Even being married to a native of the town probably hadn't made the transition much easier. Bear Cove didn't warm up to strangers easily, as Carly remembered from her arrival nearly five years ago. She made a mental note to invite Maria and her husband Greg over for dinner.. "Don't I know it." Maria inclined her head towards the traffic jam now blocking Main Street in both directions. "Missed you at church on Sunday" "I drove Mike into Portland to catch his flight. We decided to spend the day together instead....." Even to Carly the excuse sounded lame. Why does it seem everyone wants me to do the God thing? "That's not the whole truth, Maria. I just don't seem to fit in there." "If I let that stop me from going places, I'd be a prisoner in my own house." The gentle rebuke came with an even more gentle smile. "I know all that. But I'm still feeling my way through this whole God thing. I believe in Him, and all. I just don't know where He and I fit together." "Greg said he invited Mike to the men's group last week." Maria's husband had recently been hired as the assistant pastor at the church Carly and Mike had been attending on and off. Mostly off, since Carly always seemed to find a reason not to attend. Carly nodded. "Mike mentioned it. He sounded like he really wanted to go and then the client called and he had work to do ....." "There will always be something to take you away from God." "Mike did say he will definitely go the next time, though. He marked it on the calendar." Carly looked around, seeking a distraction. She had never been comfortable with talk of religion and faith. "What's going on, Maria?" Carly pointed towards the center of the congestion, once again glad to change the subject. "Not sure. We got a call about a traffic jam." Maria's soft laugh sounded like the tinkling of a small waterfall. "Traffic jam, in Bear Cove? Hard to have a jam in a one-horse town." Maria stopped, her face turning red. "Sorry, I forgot..." "Don't worry about it. Remember, I'm not a native. I know what you mean," Carly was glad to change the subject. "Still, it's always better to let natives disparage their town than for a newcomer to do it. I'm still a newcomer here, you know, even though I've lived here five years and I married a native and I'm not ..." Now Carly's face turned red. Once again Maria laughed. "I know, you're not a cop, right?" Ever the diplomat. "Let's change the subject, okay?" Carly pointed at the float. "What's that for?" Maria shrugged. "Some kind of promotion. We just got here before you did, so we haven't found out much yet." "I saw both police cruisers here. The whole force has been called in?" Once again it struck her funny that the entire police force consisted of two people. Maria nodded. "Yes. The chief is over there, trying to find out who's in charge." "Don't you need some kind of permit for a parade or demonstration?" "We checked. They were issued one first thing this morning." "First thing? It's not even nine o'clock. Who issued the permit?" Carly's curiosity peaked. The voice close behind Carly made her jump."Personally hand written out by the mayor is what I heard." She knew without looking it belonged to the police chief, Victor Blom. He laid a strong, meaty hand on her shoulder. Victor had decided to run for police chief over twenty years ago after his wife died. Although he said he just needed a reason to get out of bed every day, he did a good job and had run uncontested ever since. Tough on potential criminals and good with kids. That seemed to be all the townsfolk of Bear Cove asked for in a police chief. Victor fit the bill perfectly. A native, he'd worked on the city force before retiring. Carly didn't think she'd heard right. "Since when does the mayor do anything, especially hand-write out a parade permit?" Chief Blom nodded. "I know what you're saying, Carly. Still, the paperwork is in order and done this morning. I may not agree with it, but there it is." He shrugged his shoulders in resignation. Carly understood a little about the bureaucracy in larger towns, having worked in Portland for many years before marrying Mike and moving to Bear Cove. "So what's the parade about?" Maria spoke up. "Some kind of new development on the outskirts of town." Chief Blom scratched his head absently. "They couldn't bring it in town because of the building ordinances and such. Apparently they bought some property and want to build some sort of entertainment facility out there." Entertainment facility? Carly had never heard of such a thing. In her experience, a person only used ambiguous terms when they didn't really want people to know the truth. After all, was it a movie theater, a spa, or, heaven forbid, a casino? Music blared from the display, which Carly couldn't quite see from her angle. Moving closer to get a better look at the float, her jaw dropped. There were nearly-naked men and women dancing on the float! A large banner read "Bare yourself in Bear Cove". A tinny-sounding recording played and Carly strained to make out a few snatches of the words: ‘adult entertainment community', ‘first of its kind in the state', ‘express your individuality' and ‘get an employment application here' were a few phrases she could hear. What was happening? Was it some kind of nudist colony? Here, in Bear Cove? Who would want such a thing? What kind of people would it attract? Why would the mayor think that Bear Cove would want such an establishment? Why would he approve a parade permit, encourage them? Carly didn't have any answers to these questions, but she knew one thing for sure -- a nudist colony was coming to Bear Cove -- over her dead body! |
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This site was last updated 09/20/08