Jimmy Swann - Company is Coming

#76 - Carrie came and went. She was a joy to be around. She blew in like a storm a week after her call, stirred up the place for a few days and then she and Ben took off for the west coast. Yes,

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.  

In less than a week, Jimmy had a job on the ranch. And now, with taking care of the horses and going into Robles Junction once or twice a week, and getting Carla to Tucson weekly, Jimmy’s life took on a routine, and the days passed fast. 

He has received a letter from his son, Robert. They hadn’t spoken in years. 

Jimmy and Robert talked. Robert is sober and off the streets and is now married to Barbara. They have a newborn, “little Jimmy”. They’re in Wyoming, work is not good. At Jimmy’s urging, they might move to the CLR.  

Jimmy gets an Airstream. Carla’s cancer is not responding to treatment. 

Jimmy gets a call from her granddaughter, Carrie, in Louisiana.

 Prev Chap. #11 - Chap. #1 - Contents 

Jimmy Swann #12 - Company is Coming 

Carrie came and went.  

She was a joy to be around. She blew in like a storm a week after her call, stirred up the place for a few days and then she and Ben took off for the west coast. Yes, they hit it off.  

Jimmy was still rising early to meet with Ben at the observatory. Ben pored over his studies and Jimmy might have brought something to read. There was always the view. And quiet. It was a good start to the day. 

Carrie came along the first morning after she arrived and when she and Ben met there were sparks. 

Ben had but a few weeks now to decide about going to school or not. Going to California might be his last stand.  

They called from Big Sur a couple of mornings ago. Sounded like they were having fun. 

Jimmy was settling into his new site and trailer. Carla made the trailer look nice. Felt right at home. 

He added solar, enough to power the air conditioner, microwave and frig. And built an array stand out beyond the trailer for the panels. He could adjust the panels for maximum exposure to the sun as the seasons changed. 

He had the horses to feed and exercise. And his twice-a-week run to Robles Junction for groceries. His days became routine, and September was drawing near. 

Fred stopped going with Jimmy to get supplies. He worked around his place, was setting up a rock wall alongside his driveway. He had more projects in mind. 

There was the Wednesday night potluck, and the Friday night poker game. Attendance for both would pick up as the nomads and snowbirds returned for the winter stay. 

It became a habit to sit out at the table and read or surf the web. And watch the sunset. 

Carrie stayed with Jimmy in the Airstream. There was plenty to catch up on. 

She said, “Robbie would like to come see you.  

“Mom and her new beau are getting serious. I think they’ll set a date, soon. 

“We should be opening our clinic near Thanksgiving.”

He spoke with Robert regularly and he and Barbara had decided to come down to the CLR. 

They would arrive in about three weeks. The three of them would be in their truck camper. Jimmy thought he’d offer to trade places with Robert. Let them use the Airstream with him in their camper.  

Carrie and Ben should be back about that time.  

What a reunion, who would have thought? Jimmy had thought his family ties had come undone.

Jimmy took Carla to the med center in Tuscon for more tests. The results would decide the course of action she and her doctors would take.  

She was steadfast in not wanting another round of chemo.  

The next week in Tuscon, Carla got the results. They were not good. The doctors wanted to try chemo again, but Carla said no. Said she was prepared for whatever the results. 

It was a quiet ride back to the Ranch. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing. 

Only when turning on to the road to the CLR did she say anything. It came out fast.  

“I’m going to move back to my sister’s place. That would be best. I need to put the camper shell back on my truck for the move. It won’t take me long to drive to Florida. Not much other stuff to concern myself with. I can give it to the ranch. Jimmy, I’ll sell you my side-by-side! I’ll give you a good deal!” 

She needed to get her thoughts out. Jimmy was sorting it out as fast as he could. 

“Hold on, Carla, slow down,” he said as she began to well up. 

He pulled the truck over to the roadside, turned it off, leaned over and pulled her close. 

It was silent. 

She had it thought out. It was already decided. She would move to Florida. 

A summer rain was rolling in, and one thunderstorm let loose above them.  

Heavy drops, lightning followed by a quick flash and thunderclap, then a cloudburst, more heavy drops, a distant roll of thunder, and over in a few minutes. The desert drank it in. 

The rain knocked the dust down and cleared the air, leaving it smelling sweet and earthy. 

Jimmy said, “Carla, I’ll drive you to Tallahassee.” To which she said, “I was hoping you would.” 

Back at Carla’s, she put together a quick dinner and they moved outside to eat and talk it over. They talked through the sunset into the night. Carla was at peace. 

She would get her medical records for her new doctors in Tallahassee, and one more set of status tests, in two weeks. The results in another week, and then she’d be free to go. Just load the camper onto the truck. By then her moving concerns would be taken care of. 

That would put their departure for Florida at about the same time as when Robert and family and Carrie and Ben would arrive.  

They would leave after everyone was settled in.

He told Fred what was going on and Fred said it was no problem with the horses and grocery runs. He was concerned for Carla. They had been neighbors a few years now.  

He also thought it a was good idea for Jimmy to do the driving.  

He told ranch owner Jim pretty much the same thing plus the fact that Robert was coming down. Jim knew already that Jimmy and Robert had connected again. They would want to rent a space for the winter.  

Jim said, “That’s fine. Be glad to have ‘em. Still plenty of space. You know the routine.” 

At that, Jimmy remembered the application background check. Any trouble with the law that Robert might have had would show up in the report. It made him anxious. 

Jimmy added, “Carrie and Ben will be back soon. You’ll drop by, right?” 

“Sure, I'll come by. You’ll have a good time with your family, I’m sure. 

“Say, what do you think Ben will do? He was charmed by that girl of yours.” 

“I know. She likes him, too. I don’t know what he will do though. He was still undecided about his schooling and now, who knows?”

Jimmy wanted to take advantage of the time and place. 

It was an easy three-day drive to Tallahassee. About 1800 miles. Next day he’d fly to New Orleans for the day, next day rent a car and go early to New Iberia for a brief visit to see Caroline. Robbie would be there. Then back to New Orleans for a couple of days before flying to Tucson. A busy week. 

From Jimmy’s campsite, the land to the west, north, and east, heavily strewn with rock and cactus, sloped off steeply to the valley floor a couple hundred feet down. To the south, his road led down on a gentle slope, maybe seventy-eighty yards long, to the rest of the Ranch. 

Along the flanks of the Sierrita foothills, to Jimmy’s north and east, are a couple of hiking trails winding their way along and up and over the mountains. Jimmy’s seen ATVs, hikers, horse riders, and runners. Seeing runners was not uncommon. The hills were good for training runs. He’d seen groups of runners before.  

His binoculars could bring them just close enough to tell male or female. The trails might be half a mile away. He made a mental note: Get stronger binoculars. Infrared would work. 

On two evenings, back-to-back, Jimmy was outside later than usual, and darkness had settled in. The valleys were darker still.  

He saw a green light on the trail on the far side of the valley. Moving at a good pace. He’d seen the same thing the previous night. 

He watched the light bounce and flicker in and out of sight as the runner, he guessed, made his way on the winding trail.  

Another light appeared ahead of the runner.  

They met. The lights almost touched each other focused directly in front of them for a few seconds, then went out. All was dark. 

Twenty minutes later, just as Jimmy was about to call it a night, the green lights came on and the runners departed back up the trails in the direction they came. He could tell because the lights emitted a slightly different shade of green.  

Now he was curious, drawn to the spot across the valley where the lights met. He got the coordinates from Google.  

Four more runners followed over the next week. Same thing, around the same time. He scoped the trails during the daytime when he could. Only at night as far as he saw.  

Jimmy was almost certain it was drugs. Fentanyl, probably. Around here, with all the trafficking going on, it was easy to think it.  

The runner headed north could get to Robles Junction still in the dead of night to meet his connection. He could easily carry five-ten pounds. That’s a lot of pills. 

He’d ride Jack down there tomorrow after the morning’s work.  

They had to go through the CLR to catch the connector trail down to the trail Jimmy was going to scout. He figured four-five miles round trip. It would be a good ride for him and Jack. 

He told Fred what he’d seen and where he was going. He’d tell Jim on the way out in the morning.

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