Jimmy Swann - Coming Home and Going Home

#81 - It’s crazy how things work out sometime.

Welcome! - I’m glad you are here. 

Our Story: Jimmy Swann has left Oakland, California. The previous few years had been an ongoing battle of eminent domain with the City of Oakland over his home of thirty years. The city wanted to redesign the street and neighborhood. His neighbors had already settled and moved on. He was the last one.  

He had also lost his beloved wife to illness during this time.  

Jimmy dragged it out in court as long as he could, but the city won out in the end. As the bulldozer moved in on his home, he moved into a rooming house, unsure of what to do next. A short time later he left by Greyhound for Tucson, AZ., and the Caballo Loco Ranch. He had his few belongings in a pack on his back, and some money in the bank.   

At the CLR, Jimmy quickly settled into his new life. He’d heard from his long-lost son. He and his wife and baby boy were coming to see him. His granddaughter was there. Carla, because of her illness, was going home to Florida.  

Jimmy saw some unusual activity on the trail down in the valley below his site and was going to check it out. 

Prev.Chap.#12 - Chap. #1 - Contents 

Coming Home and Going Home

Jimmy made it down the trails to the location he had plotted on his map. 

To the southwest, on Jimmy’s left, a hill rose steep and at its crest, was Jimmy’s place, just out of sight. That was a good thing. 

The trail ran along on the top of a rise along the hillside and midway between curves, a thicket of bushes and cacti and rock pressed out from the hill. This is where he had seen the runner’s lights meet. The X on his map. 

He dismounted Jack, tied him to a bush, and looked around. Good visibility up and down the trail. 

The thicket might have been five yards long by three and four deep, and up against the hillside. 

On the far side of the thicket, Jimmy saw a battery on the ground. A “AA”, like a flashlight uses. He bent over to pick it up and then saw a small piece of folded up paper a couple of feet deeper into the brush.  

He saw a crawl space through the brush. A tunnel, just big enough to crawl through. It opened wider at the far end and ended against the hill. 

Jimmy stood up, looking both ways. It wouldn’t take but a moment to get a look inside. The coast was clear. He got on all fours and crawled through the tunnel to the opening of the cubby hole. 

Two backpacks and a half full gallon of water were off to the side. 

Now he needed some time. He wanted to see inside the packs. What are the chances someone would come by now? It would be awkward. 

He would chance it. 

There was now more headspace. Jimmy was on his knees. The room was about four feet by four feet. Big enough for two.  Visibility through the brush was good up and down the trail. 

On the ground was an open packet of drink mix. And six pills.  

Jimmy reached for one of the packs and opened it. Inside were two gallon size bags full of pills. A few pounds worth, he guestimated. Same markings on each but in three different colors. Light blue, light pink, and light yellow.  

He guessed more of the same was in the other pack. 

He thought about taking the backpacks, or just the pills and putting rocks in their place in the packs. That would create a stir when found out. It would also let them know their cover was blown and scare the big fish away. 

It was best that he take no more chances. He had the info needed. He’d let the Border Patrol handle it. Just get away clean, asap. 

After returning the packs to their places, he picked up a couple of the pills that were on the ground and put them into his shirt pocket. He checked the trail and crawled out. 

In a few moments he was back on Jack and headed for the CLR. 

Jimmy got back to the Caballo Loco Ranch mid-afternoon and stopped at Owner Jim’s office to tell him what he’d found.  

Jim called the Border Patrol and related Jimmy’s findings. He got a number from them to text the map coordinates Jimmy had plotted. They said they would be out to the CLR by six o’clock. They wanted to see the location themselves. 

That gave Jimmy enough time to get Jack back to the corral to feed him and brush him down. It was a good ride. Both Jimmy and Jack did well.  

Then he walked the short distance to his Airstream. His legs were tightening up and getting sore from the ride. He wasn’t used to riding Jack with a saddle.  

A swirling cloud of dust followed a pickup, going above the “posted” 10 mph speed limit as it wound its way through the ranch. This activity would get the Ranch folk buzzing with talk. 

Two Border Patrol officers pulled up to Owner Jim’s office just after five o’clock. 

They picked up Owner Jim and drove over to Jimmy’s. 

The pills were ID’d as “rainbow fentanyl”.  

They walked over to the steep northeastern side of Jimmy’s site and looked down and across the valley. With the sun behind them, and with binoculars, the meet place on the trail below was easy to see. 

They talked briefly about the situation, the officers said they would keep them advised, thanked them, and departed.  

Above the "posted” speed. 

The days before Robert and family, and Carrie and Ben’s arrival went by slow.  

Jimmy saw runners three more times, but not in the last week or so. He was curious as to why. 

Carla and Jimmy went to Tucson for her last tests. Results next week. She was feeling better as most loose ends regarding her move were tied.  

They would load the camper onto her truck in a few days.  

There will be a “goodbye” get together at the next potluck. Then they’d leave early the next morning for Tallahassee. 

Jimmy met Robert and Barbara and little Jimmy early morning at the CLR entrance. They were on the road most of the previous night. 

It was a solemn, yet joyous occasion. His son had come home. There were tears, mostly from Barbara. 

Robert towed a 12-foot trailer frame behind his camper truck. He said he was going to build it out into a camper trailer.

Barbara smiled, looking at Robert with an “Oh boy, this should be good.” look in her eyes.  

Barbara’s lightheartedness countered Robert’s serious nature. Little Jimmy had Barbara’s countenance. 

They rode with Jimmy in his side by side, that he had bought from Carla, as he led Robert through the Ranch up to his site. 

His truck camper was set up nice. More than adequate for the three of them. They had the routine down.  

Barbara and little Jimmy stayed at camp while Robert and Jimmy went down to tend the horses. They met Fred. Robert stayed talking with Fred while Jimmy headed for the corral. 

They hit it off. It was decided that Robert would take care of Jimmy’s chores while he was gone. And he would help Fred with his driveway project.  

It’s crazy how things work out sometimes. 

Over the course of the day, they met Carla, some neighbors, and Owner Jim.  

Jimmy and Carla drove around the Ranch showing Robert and Barbara its layout. 

When talking with Owner Jim about renting a site, Carla suggested Robert take over hers. Jim said that was fine. Robert filled out the application - Jimmy got a spike in his heartrate, hoping for a good background check. 

Robert was excited to have found a place to set up for the winter. And to have a source of income. 

Carrie and Ben arrived early afternoon the next day. What a reunion it was with Robert and family. It had been years. Carrie knew that Robert had been away a long time, his whereabouts unknown. 

And what was no surprise, Ben and Carrie were now an item. You would think that they were married the way they fit in together. 

But they were not bunking together. Carrie said that when they left for the coast, they stopped at the Robles Junction general store and Ben got another tent. The whole time they were gone, they slept in separate tents or rooms when at a motel.  

“He’s a strange one,” she said, and with a smile added, “I like him a lot.” 

Carrie would stay in the Airstream while Ben returned to his campsite and truck camper.  

Ben had decided to go to Rabbinic university back in New York. It would please his father and he would see for himself if he could handle it. It would be a busy life. At least he had come to a decision about it. He would start in January. 

He’d leave for New York come November, a few weeks away. 

Carrie would stay until then as well. She was soon to begin her veterinary practice in New Orleans. 

Jimmy wondered what would become of their relationship. Only time would tell. 

Carla got her last lab test results for her new doctors. Her status was unchanged. Her camper had been loaded onto her pickup. She was ready to go. 

Robert was now familiar with the horses. He would use Jimmy’s side-by-side for the grocery store run to town. Fred would accompany him the first time to Robles Junction. 

He’d move his rig over to his new place, Carla’s campsite, in a couple of days. 

Robert would pick Jimmy up at the airport in Tuscon upon his return.  

Carrie and Ben had time to themselves. 

By the evening of the “farewell” potluck, Carla and Jimmy were ready to depart the next morning. 

The potluck dinner for Carla was both a happy and sad occasion as Carla and friends said their goodbyes. 

With dawn breaking they drove under the CLR crossbar and headed for Tallahassee. 

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