Turtle Rock

After spending Thanksgiving with Jeanette and family, I returned home for Christmas. Haywood’s health had taken a turn for the worse during my visit. He had been suffering recent setbacks from his battle with diabetes and COPD. Poor circulation in his legs led to amputations of his toes and later his leg. One evening while the three of us were watching television in the basement, he had fallen asleep in his recliner. It was then that I noticed just how bad he really was. His breathing was rather loud, gurgling with each exhalation, reminding me of both my parents shortly before they passed. Not wanting to upset Jeanette, I didn’t say anything to her about it. I’m sure she knew in her heart that the time was near.

On Christmas morning, Jeanette called with the news that he had died in his sleep on Christmas Eve. She then asked if I would be a pall bearer at his funeral. Of course I accepted. It was a great honor to carry this stellar man and honorable war hero to his final resting place.

Back again in Virginia, my stay was unexpectedly extended as there were a total of seven deaths within a matter of six weeks. Two of them included Mike’s mother and his cousin who lived across the road from he and a Jeanette, both of whom I had the pleasure of knowing over the years.

As I write this, I’m reminded of the time that Jeanette and I went with a small group of other family members to a nearby casino one night. Haywood and Oshie, Mike’s mother, were part of the group. Oshie had been playing a particular slot machine when Haywood asked her if he could give it a try. There was always a healthy competition between them and she reluctantly let him sit in for a few minutes. With his first tug of the handle on the one-arm bandit, Haywood hit the jackpot. We were all in disbelief. Oshie began to get upset to the point that she explained it away by saying there was a camera on that particular machine and the person watching noticed that he was a Korean War POW and felt sorry for him, giving him that jackpot. Her behavior was so funny, partly because she truly believed what she was saying. We laughed about that for years! The truth is, he was always lucky that way. I never knew anyone who won so much while gambling, especially with scratch tickets!

While visiting Lou and Carol, Pam revealed the news of our property purchase. I guess the pressure of keeping it a secret had become too much for her. I was probably just as surprised as they were, except for a different reason. She hadn’t discussed telling them with me. Not that she had to, but we usually discussed such things first. Understandibly disappointed, they both eventually realized it was going to make both of us happy to be able to retire with everything we always had hoped for. We gladly shared pictures and video of the property as they inquired. Lou and I talked at great length over the following months as he expressed pleasure in knowing that Pam and I were going to get out of California while we could and leave that mess that our political leaders had made of the state. By his own admission, he would have loved to be able to do the same but it was unfortunately too late for them.

Every eight to ten years, technology in my line of work, advances so much that it required updating my equipment, costing tens of thousands of dollars. Business has been so bad that I could no longer justify the investment. After 20 years in a career I loved dearly, I ultimately closed my commercial production business and retired. While being disappointed over having to close my business, I understood that it was nothing less than a blessing to have had two twenty-year careers that I loved so much. There are too many people that have but a single career in a job they aren’t truly satisfied doing.

I didn’t stay retired very long before deciding I needed something more to do. I guess I wasn’t quite ready for a rocking chair. After all, I was only in my early 60s. Feeling I could afford to be particular about what I would do, I decided that I wasn’t going to accept a position of leadership or management. I had had enough of that. My major hurdle, however, would be convincing the person reviewing my resume or application that I wasn’t as old as I appeared on paper. I could have documented my age as ten years younger and no one would have known the difference by looking at me, but my work history would have given it away. I wanted to do something different than I had done for the past 40 years so no machine shops and no television production this time around.

Deciding to apply for a position delivering meals to the needy, I had a time trying to convince them I was exactly what they needed. I interviewed for a job delivering snacks to the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs in Napa from Suisun, California. They were doubtful regarding my ability to handle 50 each, 100 pound ice chests every day. Being a retired bodybuilder of 20 years, there was no doobt in my mind that I could perform the tasks but they didn’t seem to be convinced after my interview. I was therefore, doubtful about getting that job so I applied for a delivery driver position with FedEx in neighboring Fairfield. Much to my surprise, I received a phone call regarding the first application. I was told that they wanted me for the job but was afraid that I wouldn’t accept what little they could afford to pay. Telling them to make me an offer, I suggested they let me decide. They did, and I agreed to their terms. A couple weeks into the job, they appeared pleased with my work ethic and I certainly was happy to be working again although I must admit that handling so many ice chests was physically challenging.

FedEx then called to set up an interview. After one month delivering snacks to the Boys’ and Girls’ club, and allowing money to be my compass, I went to work as a delivery driver for FedEx. The demands of driving 90 minutes from Fairfield to San Rafael and Sausalito five days a week and as long as 14 hours a day wore me down. After a year and a half, my knees could no longer take climbing in and out of that big delivery truck. Although my spirit was willing, my body, in its 60s, was clearly telling me that the time was now.

Following Madison’s graduation from high school, we took her with us to Virginia. One of the highlights of her trip was meeting her dad’s identical cousin, Bino. She couldn’t get over the likeness between them and insisted on getting a picture with him. We also took her to the cabin on the mountain where I was born and then to visit the property we had purchased. She fell in love with it and said she wanted to live there with us after finishing college. Of course, we were delighted to know this and made a deal with her. She could live with us in her own place on our property only if she cared for the animals we planned on having. She grew even more excited and said she couldn’t wait!

Later, LT had been having problems at work, subsequently losing his job with the town of Danville. I went to his house to see if I could help him. He was very upset and reluctant to talk about it. He eventually told me that they let him go for health reasons. I wasn’t buying that as I know that you can’t be fired from a government job because of health reasons. Pam and Diana had told that he had a drinking problem and that’s why he lost his job. He wouldn’t let me help so I realized he just wasn’t ready. Before leaving I told him I would be back in a few days to check on him.

When I returned, he refused to answer the door. Shortly after I drove away, he called me on the phone to let me know he was home but too busy to answer the door. I proceeded to tell him that I realized he wasn’t ready to deal with the root problem, but when he was, he could call me and I would help.

About one week later, in early February I flew back to visit Jeanette. Valentines Day evening, I was in bed when I received a text from Pam asking me to call her. Noticing how late it was, I knew something was wrong. She said she had tried to call me but it wouldn’t go through. Stepping out the back door of the basement, I called her back and heard the worst news a parent could ever hear. She told me that “LT was dead.” Josh had called to tell her that he had been trying to call him on the phone and he wasn’t answering. He then asked her to go check on him. She did and found him lifeless on his bed. I immediately told her that I was going to book the next flight out and call her right back to let her know when I’d be home.

Jeanette had also gone to bed. Mike was in his recliner, the living room where he spent practically every hour of the day. Not wanting to wake him, I went directly to Jeanette’s room to let her know. After telling her the news, I told her I was going to book the next flight back home. Returning to the basement, I was so distraught that I couldn’t even book a flight on my laptop. Jeanette got up to tell Mike the news before coming downstairs to check on me. So distressed, I had to ask her to book the flight for me.

As soon as Jeanette gave me the flight information, I called Pam to let her know and find out if she was okay. She assured me she was as well as could be expected and staying the night with her parents. It wasn’t long before Dinah and Susan arrived to help me through this most difficult time. Approaching 3AM, they had been there for a couple hours or so and had to head out to get some sleep before going to work in the morning.

Jeanette accompanied me on the flight in the morning. Thank God she did because I was a complete mess. We got the last two seats on the plane all the way in the back. I remember little else about the flight as I spent nearly every minute with my face in my hands. Jeanette was a godsend! I couldn’t have done it without her.

It was only a few weeks after LT’s funeral that Diana informed us that she had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died just before Christmas. Her body was cremated and the ashes were scattered at sea. Pam and I paid tribute to her by adding her name to LT’s tombstone. We were both completely devastated. I, for one, wasn’t handling the losses very well and began to self medicate by drinking in the evenings. With LT and now Diana gone, we could at least count our blessings that we still had Madison. At least there was some comfort knowing that she would be coming to live with us after she graduates college.

Taking a job driving for Uber, I was making good money, more than I could have imagined, honestly. However, it wasn’t about the money for me at that point. I enjoyed conversing with the riders, which often times led to my telling them about Jeanette’s enduring journey to find me.

When COVID hit, everything changed for the worse. Nearly overnight, the roads and highways became eerily vacated. Cities looked like ghost towns and few people were requesting Uber. Those who did however, now seemed to be angry and mean spirited. Maybe it was due to being closed in and having little personal contact outside their close family members. Drivers and riders alike, were required to wear masks. We had to spray everything inside the vehicle after each rider.

Trying to breathe with a surgical mask was difficult for me, but I found some relief by slipping it down, off my nose, always pulling it back up before the next rider entered the vehicle. One rider reported me on the Uber app, claiming that I didn’t wear a mask during their ride. Uber sent me a warning that I could be terminated for not being compliant. I never drove without it on my face. I couldn’t take that chance of getting COVID and giving it to Pam who because of her diabetes, was a high risk. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that would have happened. Several days later, when I arrived to pick up another rider, it turned out to be a no show. I reported it as such so I could be released from that ride. I later learned that the rider who failed to show up reported that they wouldn’t ride with a driver that didn’t wear a mask. Of course, that too was a false claim. I was warned that a third report like that would lead to my dismissal. I had been driving Uber for a year and a half by then and everyone of my reviews were excellent up to that time. I didn’t want to risk losing my job over false claims so I quit. It was just before Christmas and Pam was planning to retire the following February. Deciding to fully retire, it was our plan to sell everything as soon as she retired and move to Virginia where we would build our log home to our needs and desires.

Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, our real estate agent hosted an open house, immediately after it was listed. We held an estate sale on those same days making for some pretty heavy foot traffic that weekend. We sold everything we could so we wouldn’t be taking much back with us. Pam wanted to start from scratch with our new home in Virginia.

The following Tuesday, after three bids had been submitted for the house, we accepted one of the two that was higher than our asking price. The third offer was exactly the amount we were asking for.

Jeanette, Mike, and David arrived from Virginia, hauling a trailer for the things we decided to keep. Roberta, their neighbor from across the road also came along for the road trip. at the end of that week. Pam’s last day at work was Friday, March 13, one month after her original retirement date. David and I loaded the trailer and hooked it up to my truck before we were on the road Sunday morning. At long last, Pam and I were now part of the mass exodus that resulted in 360,000 – 400,000 people leaving what was once the golden state.

More to come