Part Six – Stranded.
With Amber steering, I managed to push the Jeep a few hundred feet up the road. “Thank god.” I said, as I saw a large parking lot a few feet ahead. “Parking Lot.” I yelled to Amber and pointed to the left. She again gave me the universal OK. By the time, we got the Jeep into a parking space I was thoroughly winded. Out of breath, I panted “That’s my, exercise, for the day.”
I leaned back on the fender of the jeep. It was snowing harder now; the flakes were the biggest I had ever seen and felt good on my face. Amber got out and leaned on the jeep beside me. “That was exhausting.” She said, and then “No power steering.”
“At least, you, didn’t have to, push that heavy sucker, up a mountain.” I managed to get out between pants.
Amber turned to face me. “What’s wrong old man?” She poked me in the belly. “Out of shape, are we?”
“I’m old, I get to be out of shape.” I responded catching my breath.
“Oh, you’re not that old.” She said as she stood on her toes and kissed me on the cheek. She quickly turned and walked toward the trail ahead.
I reluctantly pushed myself off the Jeep and followed. “Oh yeah, tell that to my back.” I whispered to myself wishing I had brought my pills.
The trail ahead was covered in snow. You could not tell it was a trail except for the muddy footprints left by people walking back and forth. There were at least twenty people walking to end of the trail and back. Each group that passed by were engaged in separate conversations. Some were speaking Spanish, and there were some speaking a language I could not make out. Farsi, perhaps? I fell in line behind Amber and started up the small slope to the top of the trail. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure I was behind her.
About halfway up the trail I noticed a sign describing the view. Snow was all the way to the top of the sign and someone had wiped enough away to be able to see the face of the sign. Considering how tall the sign was, I guessed we were walking on top of at least four feet of packed snow. At the top of the trail, with snow blowing in wispy trails, you could just make out the scene below. “Isn’t it beautiful.” Amber said as she turned to face me.
The view was of the mountains in the distance. We were high enough to see the tops of clouds. They had settled in and around the mountain peaks and looked like bleached white cotton. “Take a picture.” Amber said as she nudged me with her elbow. I had forgotten to bring my camera from the Jeep and was not about to walk back to get it. I still had my iPhone in my front pocket, so I pulled it out and started snapping pictures, pausing every few seconds to blow the snowflakes off the camera lens.
“Let’s take a selfie.” I heard Amber say.
If she only knew how much I hated the word selfie, let alone the actual act. The word sounded too much like masturbation to me, and I guess in a way, it was. “Oh honey” I thought, “I caught little Johnny taking a selfie in the bathroom again.”
Making sure we had a good backdrop, Amber grabbed my free arm and pulled me to her side. I raised the camera in that egotistical self-portrait pose and snapped our picture. “Let’s see.” She said as she pulled my arm down. “It’s good, don’t you think?”
“Sure.” I said, smiling slightly and not letting on how disgusted I felt.
“Was it good for you?” I thought, as I chuckled and slipped the phone back in the pocket of my hiking pants.
“What?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you later.” I answered. “Let’s head back to the Jeep.”
I tried to start the Jeep again. It turned over, but wouldn’t catch.
Watching the slow parade of people walk to top of the trail and back, we sat in silence for at least thirty minutes. Amber had the collar of the jacket pulled up around the sides of her face, which was red with cold. Every now and then She would sink below the collar and become fully cocooned inside the jacket. She looked like a turtle, sticking its head in and out of its shell. I retrieved the blanket from my backpack and had it wrapped around my shoulders. In the end, it was me who didn’t wear the right coat.
I had been trying to start the jeep every few minutes. Hearing my failed attempts, a brown skinned man started walking towards me. “Vapar Lock.” He said in broken English as he approached the Jeep.
“Yes.” I said, nodding my head like an idiot. Amber poked me in the ribs with her elbow.
“I will try to help you?” he said.
“Sure.” I said, “At this point I’ll take all the help I can get.”
He walked to the side of the jeep toward the gas cap. “Let the pressure out, and It should start.” Then, “Did you know your gas cup is loose?”
“I know,” I answered. “I was trying to prevent Vapor Lock.” Over pronouncing the word vapor. Another jab in the ribs.
“No.” He said, “You loosen the gas cap after vapour lock, not before.” He tightened the gas cap and walked around the Jeep toward me. “You can try it now?” he asked.
I pumped the gas pedal a few times and turned the key. The Jeep started right up and I heard a giggle from the turtle sitting next to me.
I got out of the Jeep and held my hand out toward the man. “Thank you.” I said, bowing slightly to him.
“You’re welcome.” He said, smiling, and taking my hand. “And you do not have to bow to me. I’m from Pakistan, not Japan.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” I said, embarrassed, “Thanks Again.”
I was startled when he suddenly yelled, “Vapor Lock!” in a proud voice as he had finally gotten the word right.
“Got it.” I told him.
He walked off towards his group and they all began speaking to him in their native tongue. I listened for a minute, staring at the group. Every once and awhile I could make out the words “Vapor Lock.” I smiled and got back into the Jeep.
Short Stories