A CHANGE OF PLANS

#133 - Ted pulled over and called out the truck’s window asking her if she needed help, or a ride.

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A CHANGE OF PLANS

Ted was home from his job on an oil rig tender in the gulf. He was a roustabout laborer doing grunt work. He had seven days off before his next seven-day shift.

He was making good money. He got his own place. He would be making more money as a roughneck on the drill deck soon.

This weekend was the race. A big get together of airboats making the run from the public boat launch at Sabine Pass to the Prien Lake boat launch in Lake Charles, about 50-55 miles, across the tidal marshlands along the Gulf.

This is the fourth annual run having gained a reputation as a popular and fun event. It draws airboaters from as far away as Florida, from tour boats down to one seaters in the smaller race boats.

It started as a ‘fun run’ but last year, the sponsors put up money for the first three finishers. This put the event on the map. First place pays $2500.00.

The race would be hotly contested. Ted knew a few of the other racers. It wouldn’t be easy to beat a couple of them.

There are two checkpoints. One, near his house at Holly Beach, thirty miles east, and another north of the town of Hackberry where Highway 27 bridges the Intercoastal Waterway.

Only a few miles then remain for the final sprint up the ship channel to the finish. This is across open water and tricky if windy enough to make waves. Airboats are unstable in rough or choppy water. They are also faster over marsh grasses than on water – water has more drag against the boat hull.

The race will be won by how well the marshland is navigated.

Ted knew the terrain and waterways as well as anyone. He was raised in this marsh and knew the shortcuts. He thought he could win it.

At the 9 am start time, the tide would be past full and ebbing.

The racers were expected to do the distance in about three hours. The fun runners had all day.

Nash, Ted’s brother, arrived at 5 am and they trailered the airboat down the coast highway to the boat launch at Sabine Pass. Nash would meet him at the finish line with the trailer.

Boaters were already in the water at 7 am.

Ted registered for the race and paid the hundred-dollar entrance fee required of those competing.

He wanted some time alone before the race.

Nash stayed with the boat and trailer and friends while Ted drove the few miles across the river to Port Arthur for breakfast at the Pelican Roost, a diner he knew of near the docks frequented by oilmen and fishermen, farmers and duck hunters.

Ted sometimes took the crew boat out of Port Arthur to the tender he was working on.

Almost to the diner, he passed a young woman with two young children in tow, maybe three and four, walking along the road. She carried a suitcase in one hand and a bag slung across her shoulder.

Ted pulled over and called out the truck’s window asking her if she needed help, or a ride.

“I’m fine, we are almost there,” she said.

Her little girl and son looked tired. “Where to? I'll take you. Hop in, your kids look tired.“

She looked at him with her blue eyes, sizing him up, her dark hair blowing in the breeze. Ted was taken aback. He liked her right away.

“Okay. Thank you,” was all she said.

Ted opened the passenger door and the two little ones sat in the middle.

“What’s your names? I’m Ted.”

“This is Jeremy and Jennifer. I’m Tommie Jean.” The kids looked just like her.

“Pleased to meet you. Where to?”

“The shelter, over on 9^th Avenue and Shell Beach.” She looked straight ahead.

“The shelter? Why?”

“We’ll stay there until I can get the money for the bus to Georgia.” She still looked straight ahead.

Ted started toward the shelter.

“What happened? Where’s your husband?”

An awkward silence filled the cab.

“We are divorced. He’s gone and has stopped sending support. I kept the house as long as I could. Today we had to leave.”

Ted thought she was about to tear up.

He asked, “You guys hungry? I was going for breakfast. I’ll buy.”

Tommie Jean looked at him and he could see she wanted to say yes.

“Let’s do it. The diner isn’t far. You’ll feel better after eating.”

There was little small talk, mainly about Ted’s upcoming race.

The kids were ravenous, and she couldn't hide her hunger.

Knives and forks and eyes were focused on ham and eggs and oatmeal and jelly on toast and double syrup on pancakes.

Jeremy smiled at Ted. At Tommie Jean’s prompting, he and Jennifer said, “Thank you.” As did Tommie Jean.

She, they, captured his heart.

Ted thought. There is another option to the shelter.

“Don’t go to the shelter. I have room at my place in Holly Beach. You can stay there until you figure out the best thing to do. It’s better than the shelter.

”No pressure, no demands. I won’t bother you. My sister may be able to help.”

Looking deep into Ted’s eyes with those blue eyes of hers she said, “Why would you do that?”

“The shelter is not the place to go to.”

He knew he cared for her. She knew it too, and that, maybe, in the short time they had spent together, she had feelings for him, too.

She said “Okay” with her eyes.

“It’s done then. We’ll go after we finish up here. Y’all have room for cake and ice cream?”

The race had started by the time they arrived back at the landing.

Nash came up in a rush. “What happened? You’re late. The boat’s still on the trailer.”

After brief introductions, Ted told Nash what had happened.

Nash shook his head. “That’s just like you. You lost your entry fee, you know.”

“Yeah, couldn’t be helped.”

Hooking up the trailer for the ride home, Nash said aside to Ted, “Do you remember when you brought home that litter of pups? Not just one, but the whole litter. Dad was PO’d.”

“Yes. And I found a good home for all of them. We kept Barker.

“And this isn’t like that. I like her. A lot.”

Nash looked at him. “You are nuts, you know that. Tommie Jean isn’t one, she’s three. Do you know what you’re doing?”

“I’d like to think so.”

They piled into the truck for the ride home with Nash in the back seat crew-cab with the kids.

With full stomachs, the kids opened up keeping Nash busy with questions and conversation. It sounded like he enjoyed the back and forth with them.

Tommie Jean smiled at Ted.

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