Chapter 2

Back to the grind, then. This was the time instant messaging was becoming popular and we found ourselves chatting constantly, sometimes for hours on end. One day I received an urgent message from him. He told me he was about to be evicted from his apartment. They had raised his rent a few months prior and he wasn't able to pay it now on his unemployment benefits. He hadn't paid for three months and he knew the sheriff was coming for him. He had to throw what he could into his truck and take off. So, goodbye for now. He would be in touch whenever it was possible. It was six months before I heard from him again.

His message:

            You're my first!

I finally got my internet back and you are the first person I'm writing to. I got out of town and went north about 60 miles to the smaller town of Whispering Springs, up in the mountains where I lived once long ago and still have lots of friends. I am living as the caretaker on a great property out in the woods.

The owner, Bill, is only here in the summers. He has a really nice little log cabin and he needed someone to help out with the property, 80 acres, and keep an eye on it while he's away. This is great! I had a phone line put in and ran my own line from the electric pole. I give Bill $150 a month to pay for the electricity. There is a fresh water spring nearby and a river to fish in.

I managed to find a camper for the back of my truck and a 13 foot travel trailer and I have set them up with an enclosed space in between where I have put in a wood stove. One of my walls is all thermo pane glass that I found at the dump so I can just sit by my fire and stare out into the woods. I ran hoses from the spring so I have running water inside and I have a really great outhouse set up outside. I think you would approve.

 

I told him I had found a buyer for my house, was about to quit my job, and in about five months time I would be moving north to a border town and staying with a cousin. I had sold off everything except some clothes, linens, dishes, tools, small furniture, and the music, books and art that were most important to me. He told me how much he loved music and books and it was good that I kept those.

We went back to connecting every day, talking about this and that. He started sending me pictures of his place there in Whispering Springs. It was so beautiful, so many trees. He would also send pictures of meals he had made. One of his favorites was eggs on toast with tomato, onions, and cheese. He was even growing his own tomatoes and onions. What a great life.

Five months later came the day he sent the message that would change my life.