Dale spread the blanket over the sand and sat down leaning against a driftwood log. She pulled her sleeping bag up around her shoulders. The waves were angrier than usual, storming across the stage in front of her. The wind tossed sea spray across her face and played tangles into her hair. Drops of salt had already started to collect on her lashes and she lowered her eyelids to look through them. Some children laughed across her line of vision dragging a kite behind them. Their bathing suits were slightly too big for their skinny frames and she wondered at their endurance of the wind. She smelled weed from up the beach and found a group of teenagers circled around, passing a joint. She scrunched down further in the sleeping bag. She watched the mist roll between her and the blue sky. She closed her eyes and heard the chatter of birds and tourists. The waves held rythm as she drifted into the edgeland of dreaming.
This place was strange and new. For the first time she wasnít unhappy at being alone. And she had found her first hideaway. Mo.B curled up next to her, tucked in the folds of the blanket. He’d tired himself out running around the car she borrowed from a friend. Dale guessed he’d never done the car ride thing before. He sighed and his little puppy paws twitched.
She awoke to Mo B.’s low growl and poked her face, nose first, out of the bag. Max stood there, blanket and book in hand. Short-lived loneliness.
“Hey. There you are. I hope you don’t mind. Mo fumbled his way to his feet, body shaking in recognition of a friend.
“Nope, not at all. What time is it? Feel like I’ve been asleep for awhile.”
“It’s around 3. How long have you been here?” Max paused as the wind teased her. She stuck out her bottom lip alittle. “It’s cold.” She spread out her blanket, sat on half of it, and wrapped the other half around herself.
“I got here sometime around 11.”
Max held out a book. She obviously planned to do some reading herself, and didn’t want to be bothered. They let out Meat’s line and settled in to read. He was rolling in the sand. Enjoying the grit in his fur as Dale enjoyed the salt in her hair.
“Can I pet your dog?”
“Sure.” The tawny six year old had appeared in front of them, the way only six year olds can. The kid reminded Dale of Peter Pan. He had the surfer kid look. Skin that was both tanned and dark from the sand, brown eyes, and he probably had brown hair too. The sun had streaked it blonde. Mo B. liked her immediately. The two began playing, the kid would give his ear a soft tug and Mo tried to tag his hand.
“You can take him for awhile if you want. Please don’t go too far though, if you can’t see me, that’s too far.”
“What’s his name?”
“Meatball. But I call him Mo B.” The kid lifted an eyebrow and gave Dale a grimace. He was pulling on his shorts and shaking sand out of his t-shirt.
“Well, I haven’t come up with anything better yet, and for some strange reason… oh, go away. Take my mutt for a while.” Mo planted his butt in the sand and looked back at Dale. “Go on. Git.” He wheeled around and started running, pulling the kid behind him. Max chuckled. Then,
“Ick. Children.”
“You’re always saying that, but then you say you want a baby.”
“There is a vast difference between my child, singular, and other children at large, plural. All I want is one. One child, that I will name Sam either way.”
“Just like you, eh?” Max smiled.
“I was in line behind this really pregnant woman at the bank this morning… hmmm.” She looked out at the ocean, caught in an image of herself in young motherhood. She groaned suddenly.
“What?” The kid picked up a stick and threw it down the beach. Mo B. watched it, ass-in-sand. He looked back at the kid. He hadn’t learned fetch yet. Bad male, Dale smiled to herself.
“I’m going to have to stop smoking pot for nine months.”
“You’re going to have to stop smoking altogether.”
“Oh, I don’t mind that. It’s ganja abstinence that bothers me.” The kid threw the driftwood again. Mo chased it this time and picked up the stick in his mouth, wrestling with it in his paws. The kid walked up to him and the puppy whirled and jumped away.
“Anyway, I’m quitting smoking now that I’m out of school.” Max had just graduated a few months ago.
“What are your plans now?”
“I don’t know. Find somewhere I’d like to settle in for awhile. The desert, or maybe Boulder.”
“I was thinking of moving again.” Max turned to look at her before the sentence was even over.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“Dale, you just got here.”
“I don’t like it really.” She had the annoying realization she was talking out her ass.
“Paradox will not survive another move. You chose this area so carefully. Where will you go? Seattle, the music scene up there is played.”
“I know. Its just a passing wish. I hate feeling so unsettled.”
“What’s your problem? Why did you come out here to begin with?”
“I don’t want to deal with my father.”
“So why did you come out here?” As usual, Max got right to the point.
“To get as far away from the theatre as possible.” They both knew that was an excuse. Dale grinned lamely.
“And?”
“And to deal with my father. But now that he’s calling me to say hi, and telling me about his daily life, I just don’t want to be involved.”
“He’s your father no matter what. There’s nothing that’s going to change that.”
“But I don’t remember him.”
“He remembers you, and maybe he has something to say about it.”
“Maybe.” Dale looked down the beach again.
“Maybe you know that too.” She paused. “Does this have anything to do with your sister?” I was silent. “Do you not want to talk about this? We don’t have to talk about this.”
“No, I don’t. But you’re good for me. You don’t let me escape. I don’t even know what to call him. And I know I have to meet him face to face. I just don’t know how to handle it.”
“It’ll work itself out Dale.”
“I know.”
“Let’s read. Hey look at that kid.”
Her mutt was dropping a driftwood stick at the kid’s feet. He picked it up and threw it down the shore. Mo B ran after it.
“Well. Only ten minutes.”
“Smart dog”
“Good kid.” Max nodded. Dale looked over the horizon, the mist had cleared alittle. There was a freighter moving over the water in the far distance. Max got out her book.
“You’re reading that again?” Dale looked at the battered copy of “The Ladies of the Club”.
“Hey. It’s my favorite book.” They settled into the blankets. Dale closed her eyes and listened to the wind blowing the water up onto the shore.
Some feet pounded close around the blanket, and Mo B dog licked her face.
“Great dog. Thanks.”
“Anytime” Max answered, “What’s your name?”
“Jodi.”
“I’m Max, and this anti-social lump is Dale. Meatball belongs to her.”
“See ya around.” With that he wandered away. It wasn’t long ëtil Dale couldn’t hear her footsteps. Meatball flopped down and pushed her over, demanding space again on the blanket.
“Hey- Spacehog.” Max reprimanded.
“Is it my fault this beast is getting so big?”
“No. It’s your fault he’s spoiled.” She put her arm around her mutt and scratched his belly.
“Hey, did you bring any weed?”
“Of course.”
“Oh, good.”
“I’m going to keep reading though.” Max was so good at demanding what she needed, and Dale was glad of it.
“Good. I’m going to keep daydreaming.”