Jules Hinton's Strange Trip (4)

Jules Hinton's Strange Trip: Chapter 4 by JCH and Kas
         The Walk-A-Mart parking lot was already pretty full. The populations from the surrounding small towns were probably pouring in to do their weekend socializing, Jules mused. Walk-A-Mart in the morning and the racetrack in the evening. What a life! He pulled the bike into a space near the entrance to the garden shop area. It looked as though more people were coming in and out there and would be looking at the motorcycle. In case someone wanted to take a closer look at it. He locked the helmet on the bike and fixed the band holding his ponytail in place.
         “Welcome to Walk-A-Mart,” he said with a smile, echoing the slightly mechanical senior citizen stationed at the opening to the outdoor garden shop. The old woman in the rainbow colored smock smiled back at him, catching his little joke. He could hear her voice continuing behind him hesitantly as she stopped a pair of women, asking to check their receipts. Was this someone’s idea of a joke? What corporate genius came up with the idea of putting these old people at the doors? What would-be thief would be intimidated with an old gray-haired woman or man, armed with only a page of stickers or a yellow high-lighter clenched in their fist? And what possible good did it do to these elderly greeters knowing that they could very well be the only thing standing between a shop-lifter on the run and freedom? He had worked in retail stores while he was in college and knew very well the kind of people that tried to get something for nothing.
         Automotives... somewhere in this huge store. He stopped to look at a new video running on a nearby television set--something about a dog that could talk and solve complex mathematical problems--and smiled at an attractive cashier behind a counter. Jules took one of the wide aisles running for part of the length of the store. The people looked the same. It wasn’t that it really stood out to him that often. Mostly in diners, but especially in these retail chains. They could have been the same locals milling about here as they were back home in Virginia. The faces looked the same. Or there seemed to be vague features in everyone that he saw that reminded him of people that he might have met or seen once before. Jules had often thought to himself that just once he would like to see someone in a diner or in one of these places that looked so different or startlingly out of place that he would have to do a double take. Maybe a clown in full attire for no apparent reason or an obvious drag queen. Anybody other than RuPaul. He looked around. No chance of that here.
         He walked randomly for a few minutes, finally pushing himself toward the pharmacy area. There were several old men and women taking turns sitting in a chair next to a device that measured blood-pressure.
         “Can I help you?” an overweight woman in a store vest asked. She had creepy-looking eyebrows drawn in haphazardly above her eyes, but a motherly glint in them. Probably contacts, he thought.
         “What do you have for headaches? Something that’s really going to work.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He needed some headache medicine, but had not remembered that until the old woman offered her services. He was here for other reasons. She turned, motioning for him to follow. The next aisle over held a huge section of pain-killers. A skinny young man with a scraggly goatee and almost no hair looked at them as they rounded the corner and frowned. Jules noticed the faded lettering on his t-shirt--”Trust No One.”
         “There ain’t no prices on any of these things,” he said, staring at her from behind cheap sunglasses. “I guess that means they must be free.”
Jules groaned inside. How he hated that. He had heard it himself a thousand times. Each customer that had made that remark to him, when he had worked in retail, had thought they were the only ones who had ever thought to say that. And that it was a hilarious joke.
         “Hold on a moment,” the woman told the young man, “I’ll get a hand-scan and check the prices for you. They’re redoing the labels on these shelves.” She half-turned to Jules, and pointed at the same section of counter. “Here are the name-brand and alternative pain-killers. I’ll be right back.”
        Jules nodded and started examining the wide array of the colorful boxes.
         “That’s it, man. Kill the pain,” the young man with the goatee said to Jules while they waited for the woman to return. “I’m about to head over to the grocery aisles and get the liquid pain killers, right?”
         Jules gave him the expected laugh response, and said, “I know what you mean, brother.” Then, he pretended to notice something down at the end of the aisle and casually walked away from the man. Idiot. He checked to see if anyone was standing near the birth control section and then walked over to make a quick selection. He had to laugh to himself. Jules Verne Hinton looking for condoms. He tried not to think too long and hard about why he was doing this, glad in a way that Nikki had decided not to come along. Somehow he thought it would be best at the moment not to examine his feelings too closely. After all, he had just met her, right? He wasn’t sure who she was yet or what she might want or expect from him. But it was always better to be safe than sorry. Or something like that.
         He could smell popcorn from a distance, floating around the store from the direction of the Snack Spot, and his stomach grumbled. Jules avoided that part of the store and swung by the Automotive area to choose a relatively cheap red helmet. He would wear it and let Nikki wear the old one, the better-constructed of the two. He went a few aisles over to Sporting Goods and bought the first big bag he saw. Hopefully, it would hold all of his belongings and still allow enough room on the bike for Nikki.
          He stopped a few minutes at the novel section, looking for any of his favorite authors among the true crime and romance sections, an odd variety of topics to over-stock, he thought. Cool. A new book by Allan B. Irelands! He picked it up and looked at the cover. Irelands was one of his favorite fantasy writers. And a thick book at that. Jules flipped through the first chapter, catching the name of one of his favorite characters, and stuck the book under one arm as he headed toward the front of the store. He had never seen any books by Irelands in a big retail store like a Walk-A-Mart before.
         He could see the man with the goatee ahead of him, a shopping cart full of snack foods, beer, and frozen pizzas. Must have the munchies, Jules thought. A dozen paces behind him, standing just within the women’s clothing section, he could see a pair of men in ties and name badges who looked like store managers. They were pretending to be looking at a cheap, red lace teddy but were obviously watching the man as he stood in line at the checkout. Jules altered his course to take the next lane over where a young black woman with gold streaks in her hair was just bagging an old couple's purchases. The couple, both of them white and probably in their 70’s, were watching her carefully. They left with their bags without returning her cheerful farewell.
         “Hi, how are you doing today?” she said, as Jules put the helmet down onto the counter along with his other purchases.
         “Wonderful,” he said, using the same tone that she had greeted him with. The man with the goatee was smiling and talking a little too loudly to the cashier in the next lane as he put the contents of his shopping cart up onto the counter. Nervously. Something about the liquid medicine he was buying. Jules looked for the suits. They had moved to the door. The greeter was now at the service desk talking with the women behind the counter. Something was up, she knew.
         Jules absently handed his credit card to the cashier when she told him the price of his purchases. He noticed that other people were also watching the man in the check-out.
         “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t accept this.”
         It took a moment for Jules to register what he had just heard. He looked around to the cashier. “Excuse me.”
         “We don’t accept this kind of card. I think I need to call management.” She picked up the receiver that was beside the register.
         “What are you talking about that? I just used that card yesterday.”
         “I doubt you’ve ever used this card, sir.”
         Jules was angry. She was all but accusing him of some kind of credit card fraud. But why expect more from a Walk-A-Mart? There was a reason that not many college graduates worked at these big chain-stores. “Of course I have. It’s one of the most popular cards around.” The person behind him in line was getting agitated. Another thing Jules did not miss about working in retail. If she had been in such a hurry, why did she come here in the first place?
         At the door, the guy with the goatee was now being detained by an ever-growing crowd of Walk-A-Mart employees. Jules’ cashier saw this and put the phone down. “Do you have any money on you? Real money, that is.”
         “I guess that depends on your point of view,” Jules said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. He dug the money that Nikki had given him out of his wallet and handed it to her. She gave him his change and he walked out of the store. At least he was being allowed to leave. The guy being escorted toward the office by the suits wasn’t as fortunate.

         “You know all that greasy bacon will kill you,” Nikki said. She was eating fruit and a muffin and drinking water. “Come to think of it. Those eggs over easy won’t do much for your health either. Wait a minute. I hear something. Oh, it's nothing. Just the sound of your ventricles clogging.”
         “That’s all right. I guess if I’ve got to go, it might as well be from eating a dead animal of some sort, something that I like.” He took a sip from his coffee mug. “I never have understood all of these health freaks. My grandfather, my mother’s father, has smoked, dipped snuff and drank moonshine for the better part of his life and the old geezer is still alive. Of course, it might be because all of those chemicals preserved his body. But, he’s my hero. Live the way you want for as long you can. And then die.”
         “I don’t think I’ll take that chance. You don’t mind, do you?”
         “No. Go ahead. It’s a free world, baby. That reminds me of this guy I was reading about in some paper the other day. He’s going to become a father just so the kid can be a marrow donor for another one of his kids. Maybe. Like I said, I don’t understand the lengths people will go to just to stay alive. Cloning, genetic engineering, and all that.” He rolled his eyes.
         “So, let’s see if I understand you right. You wouldn’t do anything you could do if you knew it was going to keep you alive?”
         “I guess that depends. What would the quality of my life be?”
         She thought about it for a moment. “Same as it is today.”
         “Hell no. My life today doesn’t have any quality. Why do you think I’m halfway across the country from my home? What’s that quote? ‘If I died right now, I’d be the happiest man alive.’”
         “That’s sad.”
         He thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, I guess it is. I didn’t mean it that way. I was actually trying to lighten the mood a bit. I guess I failed at that, huh?”
         “You don’t have anyone waiting for you back at home, wherever that is?”
         “What do you mean anyone? A girlfriend or something? Nah. There’s no one waiting for me. I mean, my brother and the rest of my family is. And my friends. But if I never went back, it wouldn’t affect their lives too much.”
         “Gee, Jules. Are you trying to lighten the mood again?” She threw a rolled-up napkin at him. It hit him in the nose, then fell onto his plate. He tore the end off the straw wrapper and blew it toward her face. It caught her in the forehead. They both laughed a little too hard over this as they went to finish their breakfast.
         “We haven’t talked about our plans yet,” he said. “You said we would when we ate.”
         “Actually, as I remember, I said maybe we would discuss it after we got some food in us.” That grin again. She knew she was teasing him. He didn’t mind. Then, her face turned serious. “We can decide where we’re going later, but I do want to ask you something first.”
         It took a moment for the last part of her sentence to register. All he heard was, “We can decide where we’re going later.”
         “Why didn’t you make a move on me last night?”
         “What?” He had heard her clearly, but was still taken back by her directness.
         “I was just wondering why you didn’t make a move on me last night. I was surprised that you didn’t, that’s all.”
         “I don’t know. You’ve got to remember I was pretty out of it there for a while. I must have blacked out because I don’t remember everything, like at the club. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, believe me. And I guess I was worried that you’d reject me. I don’t handle rejection too well, so I usually have to be one percent positive that I won’t be rejected before I make anything that could even be construed as a first move on anyone.” He couldn’t really believe he had said that, had allowed himself to open up that way. It felt good. In a way.
         She smiled at him, satisfied with his response. “OK. Now for the big question, where are we going? I was heading east when we met.”
         “Not so fast. It’s my turn to ask a question. What would you have done if I had come on to you? Would you have rejected me?”
         “What do you think?”
         “I don’t know. That’s why I asked. I’d like to know, though. Believe me, I’d really like to know.”
         She took the last sip of water from her straw, looking at him intently, a mixture of amusement and seriousness. “I think I’ll just let you wonder on your own for a while.” She licked her lips, though Jules was not sure whether this was a deliberate move or not.
         “OK. Fair enough, I guess. You say you were heading east when we met? Any particular east? Northeast? Southeast? Or does it matter?”
         “I hadn’t decided for sure. I was pretty sure I was going to go to a beach, a quiet beach. Not Fort Lauderdale, or Myrtle Beach. But not too far up north,” she said.
         “North Carolina has some pretty beaches. They’re close to the South Carolina line, but not overly developed like the Grand Strand.”
         “That sounds fine. I’ve never been to North Carolina, but I’ve heard it’s nice.” He couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not. He hadn’t really thought about going that far. So close to his home. But he didn’t mind.
         “North Carolina it is, then.”
         They went back to the hotel room. Jules had seen the old man behind the counter downstairs and remembered to be out of the room no later than 11 o’clock. Then something struck. He had not seen the old woman, the woman who had checked him in a few days ago. He shrugged it off as he sat on the bed. Probably had had a couple of days off, he figured. Nikki went straight to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She had said something about washing her hair or taking a bath.
         “Is everything going to fit on your bike?” she asked through the door.
         “Sure. No problem.” Privately, he wasn’t so optimistic. He stood up and took inventory of his belongings in the corner of the room. He realized something may have to be left behind or shipped home early. The bedroll would be the first thing to go. But that was fine. He was going to have company. For the first time in a long while, he was not going to be alone.
         As he picked up one of the smaller bags, a book fell out, a translation of the Bhagavad-Gita, which he had picked up at a used book store not long before starting out on his journey. It had fit in well beside Siddhartha, Illusions and an assortment of other titles. He sat down on the end of the bed and began flipping through the book. He knew which passage he was looking for. It had been one of the first ones he had underscored:
An ignorant man is lost, faithless, and filled with self-doubt; a soul that harbours doubt has no joy, not in this world or the next.
         He stared at the passage. Self-doubt. He had been questioning his own sanity lately. But to what end? This journey he had taken, what purpose had it served? He was running away from his problems when he had left his home. Running away from his heritage, his future. But now it seemed he was encountering new problems. But Nikki was not one of them. He had been trying to make her one just to save himself from contemplating his true problems. Why had he been suspicious of her? What could she possibly gain from leading him on? Nothing. Unless she was bargaining on a ride. Which he could understand. That he doubted her story,as strange as it may be, had more to do with him than it did with her, Jules realized. Don’t judge people you don’t know by the example set by those you do know. That’s what Jules had always told himself. But he wasn’t living by it. Not now.
         She stuck her head out of the bathroom door. “See something interesting?” she asked. He wanted to tell her what he was thinking, but realized that would be stupid. How would he put it? ‘Nikki, I just wanted you to know that I trust you now. I didn’t at first. I had my doubts. I thought you were using me or something. Maybe wanted to rob me. But I don’t think that now. And I thought you should.’
         “Just thinking. That’s all.”
         He yawned and stretched. It was getting closer to 11 o'clock. If they were going to head out, they needed to go on and do it. But now he was having definite second thoughts. After last night, perhaps a long run on the motorcycle--more now that Nikki was coming along--was not the best idea. How smart would it be for him to be out riding under the sun barely twelve hours after passing out? How far would they get leaving so late anyway? Maybe he should rest another day or two. A couple of hours by the pool certainly sounded interesting.
         “Nikki, I have an idea.”
         The old man looked at Nikki, then at Jules, warily. “Staying another night, sir?”
         “Actually, I thought I would. I’ve already gone past the check-out time again. Plus, the hospitality. So I might as well.” Jules was about to hand him the credit card that he had tried to use at the Walk-A-Mart but decided to use a debit card instead. His on-hand money supply was running thin, he realized. He’d have to go by an ATM that afternoon.
         The old man took the card and put it through the machine. Jules held his breath while the card was being o-kayed, then put it back in his wallet and signed the receipt.
         Since neither had a suit and both thought something might be said should they decide to swim without them, another trip to the Walk-A-Mart was in order. Jules couldn’t wait.

         Other than Jules and Nikki, there was a man in an ill-fitting business suit by the pool. He was sitting at a table with papers from his briefcase spread out on a table with a laptop and cell phone beside him. Jules doubted the man could have looked more out of place if he tried.
         The door greeter had recognized Jules and tried to greet him before he could greet her. Jules was too quick though. He decided not to fill Nikki in on their little game. He had bought the first bathing suit he picked up that was his size--a neon green and orange one that he decided to buy purely because it was so ugly. Nikki took a little more time, commenting on the lack of a good selection more than once. She finally chose a black two piece, the most revealing one she could find, Jules thought--though at Walk-A-Mart, it wasn’t very revealing. Jules noticed that the moment she put it on back at the hotel. Still, she made the suit look good, he thought.
         After a few hours of sun-bathing and water games, they decided to get a bite to eat at Frasier’s. Ed was behind the bar.
         “Jules, how are you? Come to tell me you’re our new guitarist, I suppose?”
         Jules chuckled. “Actually, Ed, we’ve come to eat. And to find out if there’s anything to do in this town?”
         “There’s a couple of things. Your room got TV?”
         “Sure.”
         “That’s one of them. The Toad is the other. I don’t guess I could convince you to come back tonight, could I?”
         “Yeah, sure. Right after I beat my head against a brick wall.”
         After leaving Frasier’s, they went back to the hotel room for a late afternoon nap. Neither had slept good the night before and the lazy day by the pool only made them more tired. As they lay in bed, they talked both about leaving for North Carolina later that night instead of waiting until morning, to “escape the sun,” as Jules put it. They also talked about going back to the Horny Toad after all, though Jules said he’d cut back on the drinks. No decisions were made and they soon fell asleep in each other’s arms.
         A ringing headache forced him awake. He was thankful for the aspirin he had picked up at the Walk-A-Mart the morning before. He took two with a plastic cup full of water from the sink in the bathroom, then thought about it for a minute and took two more. The phone rang. Who would be calling him here? He raced to pick it up before it woke Nikki.
         “Hello.” He sat on the bed.
         “Hey, bro. I’m glad I caught you.”
         “Tim? Is that you? How did you get this number?”
         “Very funny. I’m glad to hear your voice too, buddy. Anyway, I talked to my dad like you asked. You know, he still thinks of you as his son...”
         “Tim, what are you talking about? I haven’t talked to you in more than a week and I didn’t tell you where I was going. I didn’t know where I was going. How did you find me?”
         There was a long silence on the other end. Jules looked at Nikki. She was starting to rouse awake, so he moved to the end of the bed as far as the phone could reach.
         “Jules, this isn’t funny. You called yesterday. Said you had passed out at some club the other night.”
         “I did?”
         “Yeah, you don’t remember? Said you had been on stage and passed out. Too many Tom Collins or something. You called from the emergency room.”
         “That happened. I had to go to the emergency room, but it turned out to be nothing. But I don’t remember calling you.”
         “Yeah. You were real worried,” Tim said. “Asked me to ask my dad about it. He said it might not be anything, but that maybe you should think about coming home. His ex-brother-in-law is a doctor, you know. One of the best in town. He’ll check you out. He may even give you a discount.”
         Jules already knew there were things about that night he could not recall. But they all happened at the club. That could be more easily explained than this. He thought he had been all right by the time he saw the doctor.
         “Are you still there, Jules?”
         “Yeah, I’m here. Listen, Tim, I met someone. We were thinking of heading to the North Carolina coast. I hadn’t even thought of going home anytime soon.”
         “Jules, you know that I love you, right? We may not be blood-related, but we’re brothers, best friends. I only want what’s best for you. And I think that it’s best for you to come back to Virginia. Besides, everyone has been asking about you. You don’t know how tired I am of giving them the standard Jules update all the time. But seriously, come on home, man. I miss you. We all do. You’ve been gone too long.”
         Nikki sat up and stretched herself awake with a yawn. She saw the look on Jules’ face and knew something was wrong. She walked on her knees to the end of the bed and sat behind Jules, massaging his neck and shoulders.
         Jules breathed in heavily, then let it out slowly. “Maybe you’re right, bro. Maybe you’re right.”
         “I know you’re not going to decide right away. But will you let me know something as soon as you decide?”
         “I’ll do that. Tell your everyone I said hello. Maybe I’ll see you soon.”
         He held the receiver in his hand long after he knew Tim had hung up. Just when he thought he had everything under control. No. That wasn’t it. Just when he had decided to put what was happening to him out of his mind, he couldn’t ignore it anymore. How could he forget a phone call to his brother? Nothing made sense anymore. And it hadn’t for a while.
         “Nikki, did I make a phone call last night at the emergency room?”
         “I don’t know. Did you? I wasn’t with you the whole time, remember?”
         “I must have then. I mean, I obviously did. The only thing is that I can’t remember it at all. That was my brother. He wants me to go back home.” He turned toward her. “Do you remember when you told me you were a good judge of character?”
         “I have to be, hitching rides and all.”
         “I think that good judgment went out the window with me. I’m a crazy muthafucker, Nikki. I mean, I’m gone. I’m certifiable. I’ve lost my mind.”
         “What are you talking about, Jules? If you’re still worried about it, don’t. It was probably just a strange reaction to the alcohol and the aspirin. It could happen to anyone.”
         He wanted to tell her that it was more than just that night. It was everything. It was the night in the desert. The boots in the hall. The ever-changing hotel rooms. But he didn’t tell her any of it. She’d leave as fast as she had arrived if he did. And he needed her right now more than he had needed anyone in a long time.
         He tried to smile. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”
         They lay back in bed holding one another.
         “So, are you going?” she asked after a while.
         “Where?”
         “Back home like your brother wants you too.”
         “Eventually. But we’ve already made plans to go to North Carolina. I don’t plan to back out on my word.”
         “You can, if you want to. I mean, I can hitch to the coast if I want.”
         “I wouldn’t let you do that. I don’t want you to hitch anymore. You may come across another crazy guy like me.” He tried to smile. “There’s another reason I’d go back home.”
         “The blackout?”
         “Yeah. And the headaches." And then it all started pouring out. "My father had a brain tumor. I was real young, so I don’t remember it. My mom told me about it though. It was real bad. Bad enough to make him kill himself.”
         “Jules, I’m so sorry.” Nikki had a pained looked on her face.
         “His mother was crazy, too. They had to institutionalize her when she was still fairly young. In her forties. So there’s a history of craziness in my family, in my blood, that I can’t ignore. Maybe I really am my father’s son. Maybe...”
         She kissed him to shut him up. “Jules, you’re not like your father. You’re not going to get a tumor just because he did. But, if you really are worried about it, then maybe you should go and get checked out. Maybe it would make you feel better.”
         “But what about you?” Her eyes were glistening slightly. Was she about to cry?
         “I’ll go with you. That is, if you want me to.”
         “You would do that for me? I mean, we just met.”
         “I am a good judge of character, Jules. And I want to prove that I’m right about you. Besides, Virginia is right there at North Carolina.”
         It hit him quickly. “How did you know where I lived? I never told you. Did I? Wait. Let me guess. At the Horny Toad, right?”
         “Yeah.”
         “Figures.”
         Nikki said she wanted to take a shower, then they would go get something to eat. The day by the pool had made her hungry, she explained, adding that she normally did not eat as much as she had that day. Jules just looked at her and said that he didn't either, though it really wasn't true. She went into the bathroom, closing the door opened her.
         He sat on the end of the bed and began flipping through the thin selection of channels on the TV. In the background, he could hear her turn the water on, then hear the curtain being pulled shut as, he guessed, she stepped into the shower. He turned the volume up on the cheap model, hoping to drown out the sound, but to avail.
         "Jules?"
         He stood and walked to the door before replying. "Yes."
         "Why don't you come in?"
         "Uhm... O.K." Jules swallowed hard as he opened the door. He could see her outline through the flimsy curtain. He leaned against the closed door. "I guess since you sat in on me taking my bath, I should get to do the same now, right?" He thought it sounded like a silly thing to say even as it came out of his mouth.
         She poked her head out of the curtain. “That’s not what I meant. Why don’t you come all the way in?”
         He undressed quickly and stepped into the small confines of the shower. The water was hot; he had noticed that the moment he had opened the door to the bathroom. She put her arms around his neck, pulled him close and kissed him. Her mouth was soft and warm; her body, the full length of her, pressed against him.
         “We can do this outside,” he panted, his desire rising.
         “No,” she said. “Right here. Right now.” Her hands were roaming down his back.
         “I meant outside the bathroom, in the hotel room, in the bed. I have protection.” He wasn’t prepared for the hot water that was coming down on his back to suddenly turn ice cold like it did and it caused him to let out a little yelp. Wordlessly, they moved out of the shower. Then, he saw his billfold lying on floor beside his jeans. Yes! He always kept a spare there. He had never known why. Until now.
         “Here, I’ll put it on for you,” Nikki said. “I don’t think it’ll be too hard. I mean, it shouldn’t be too hard... uhm, you know, for me to put this on. Not that you... I mean, obviously, you’re... Well, you know.”
         He put his hands around her waist and hiked her up on the counter. She wrapped her legs around him as he stepped into her. It didn’t matter that the shower was still on. Jules wasn’t going to be paying the water bill anyway.

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