Kara arrived at the Market shortly before 7:00 a.m. to the disapproving glare of her older sister Allie who was hard at work lugging crates of fruit from the back of her Grandfather’s truck to the makeshift tent.
“You’re late.” Allie said shooting her “the look” that she had inherited from their mother.
“I’m sorry. I was at Cammie’s bachorlette party last night and I didn’t get home until after 3:00 a.m.”
“So I heard.” Kara climbed from her car, coffee cup in hand and walked over to the truck leaning against the tailgate.
“What did you hear?” She asked, trying to sound indifferent when she knew that Allie knew better.
“I heard that you drank yourself into a stupor and then danced with the stripper. Macy Allen said you left with him and ended up with your legs over your head in the backseat of his Gremlin in the driveway.”
Spitting out her coffee Kara gasped. “That is not true!”
Rolling her eyes Allie grabbed another crate and headed in the direction of the tent.
“Kara!” Her Grandmother came from the direction of the tent, arms open wide, and a warm inviting smile on her seventy-year-old face. She enveloped Kara in a close familiar hug.
“I’m so glad you came. Your Grandfather and I were getting worried that you might have changed your mind.”
Kara squeezed her Grandmother back, the sweet scent of Jasmine filling her nostrils reminding her of her mother. Her Grandmother and Mother had worn the same perfume for as long as Kara could remember and it made her feel comforted to smell it now.
“I’m sorry I’m late Gram.”
“No need to ever apologize sweetheart, We’re just happy you’re here now. Grab an apron and help your sister with the last of the crates. The market opens in five minutes and we don’t want to disappoint our customers.”
Groups of people milled the field where the Market was set up waiting for the signal that they could start buying. Kara lugged the last two crates beneath the tent scanning the crowd for the familiar faces of her youth.
* * *
Nick wound up on a frontage road that was lined with cars and people all pointed in the same direction. Propping himself up in the seat he slowed down,
“Excuse me.” He shouted to a young couple walking along the side of the road with two small children in strollers. “Can I ask you where you all are going?”
“The Farmers Market.” The woman called back to him, pointing in the direction of the crowd. “It just opened.” Nick smiled back with a small wave and sat back down in his seat.
It was 7:00 a.m. in the morning and he didn’t have anything better to do. Pulling the convertible off of the road into a dirt field to his right, he parked along side five or so dozen more cars. Grabbing his sunglasses from the glove box placed them on his head and stepped from the car following the crowd.
* * *
Allie was pissed, Kara could tell. Everytime her older sister moved past her to reach for an orange or some grapefruit for a customer she would bump hard into Kara’s hip, or step on her foot. And then shoot her the nastiest look followed by a sarcastic “excuse you” that made Kara want to puke. It was so ridiculous that they could be twenty-six and twenty four years old respectively and still act like they were in grade school.
They had never been the best of friends. Allie was studious, smart and levelheaded. She had always taken the safe path carved out for her by their mother. High school, a college degree in business management and a job at a bank that paid well and gave her things like insurance and a 401k While Kara on the other hand was spontaneous, free-thinking and fun like their father.
She too had done the high school and college route, getting a degree in early childhood education, which allowed her to teach Kindergarten a local grade school. But her real ambition in life was her art and a burning desire to travel the world. And with the help of the inheritance she had received from her parents she planned on doing just that once the summer was over.
“Excuse you.” Allie moved by Kara elbowing her in the ribs causing her to drop the dozen peaches she had pooled in her apron for Mrs. Klinger.
“Oh dear, I don’t want those now.” Mrs. Klinger said as Kara stooped to retrieve the now bruised produce.
“Don’t worry Mrs. Klinger I’ll get you some new ones, we’ll just throw these out.” Or shove them up Allie’s ass is what she wanted to say. Moving over to the crates with the peaches Kara counted out a dozen more and placed them in the brown bag. Then walking back to the front of the tent she passed the bag to Mrs. Klinger taking her money and giving her a big hug.
“Thank you sweet girl.” Mrs. Klinger backed away leaning on her cane for balance. “And Kara I was so sorry to hear about your Mom and Dad. They were such beautiful people.” Kara nodded blinking back tears as she patted Mrs. Klinger's gnarled hand.
“Thank you so much Mrs. Klinger. And I’ll see you tomorrow morning right?”
“Bright and early. Mr. Klinger and I will probably finish this whole bag of peaches on the way home in the car!” Both of them laughed as Mrs. Klinger walked away and another customer filled in the space vacated by her.
“Kara could you hurry up, we have a lot of people waiting and we don’t have time for you to just sit around and talk all day.” Allie moved up alongside of Kara shoving her out of her way so she could get to the boxes of oranges.
“I’ve had enough. I don’t need this shit from you Allie.” Standing back Kara stripped off her apron and threw it to the ground. “Grandma, I’m going on a break.” Grabbing two apples she stopped to kiss her Grandmother on the cheek before storming out of the tent.
* * *
Nick walked down the row of tent after tent, his sunglasses now shading his eyes from the intense morning sun.
here were tents selling fruits, vegetables and home made beef jerky. There were also tents with people hocking mason jars filled with fresh sweet smelling salsa, dried herbs and even one tent with dogs and cats in need of a home.
Stopping at the animal tent he bent down to scratch the head of a lonely looking mutt with black scraggly hair and smiled.
“Hey boy, you look like you could use a day at the spa.” He said with a laugh as the dog wildly began licking his hand and arm. “What’s his name?” A kind looking man sat in a metal folding chair beside the dog holding his leash.
“His name is Toby, someone found him last week wandering the highway. His owners must have dumped him out by the side of the road.”
“Man, that’s sad.” Nick replied taking hold of the mutt’s snout and giving him a big kiss.
“No Nick, we don’t have room for that dog in the car, let alone the money to feed him.”
“He can have my food Mom.”
“Nicky just tie him to that tree and get the hell back in the car. Somebody will come along and see him eventually and they’ll give him a good home.”
Nick walked across the street, away from the beat up old Chevette that his parents had bought for $200 from a neighbor, the dog in tow. He was so sick of moving from town to town with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the few necessities that they could fit in the car with three kids his parents and a dog. He would have gladly given up his He-Man doll and even one of his sisters so that there was room in the car for that little dog.
“I’m really sorry boy.” He muttered stooping down to scratch the scruffy black dog under the chin. “I tried to keep you, I really did.”
“Nick, get your ass moving we don’t have all day.” Looking back to the car Nick’s mom was waving at him to hurry from the driver side window, an irritated look on her face. While his father sat glassy eyed in the passenger seat staring straight ahead.
“Someone will give you a good home boy, don’t worry.” As Nick looped the frayed rope around the tree the dog looked up at him with sad eyes that said he understood and he forgave Nick for what he had to do.
With a kiss on the top of the old dog’s head Nick turned and ran back across the street to the idling car. Climbing in the backseat where his sisters lay curled up sleeping he wiped a stray tear from his cheek as they pulled away.
“He’s a really cool dog. Reminds me of one I had as a kid.” Nick said to the guy giving the dog another kiss on the head.
* * *
Kara walked along the row of tents her mouth turned down in a semi frown her eyes blazing with anger. Screw Allie, she thought taking a bite from the apple in her hand. Who needed her and her holier than thou attitude anyway. She would put up with it for the summer for the sake of her Grandparents but after that they could go their separate ways and Kara didn’t care if she ever saw her sister again.
Making her way towards the tent set up to help the shelter animals find a home she was anxious to see if the scraggly black mutt she had found on the highway the week before had found any takers.
She spotted the dog right away, sitting back on his haunches enjoying some kisses and hugs from a blonde guy in a sleeveless black shirt, tan shorts and a pair of teva’s. Walking up behind the guy Kara smiled at the man in the chair and pointed to the dog.
“So has Toby found a home yet?” She asked, taking another bite from her apple. The man shook his head.
“Not yet Kara, but it’s only been an hour we still got all summer to find the little guy a home.” Nick stood up wiping his hands on his shorts and turned to face the girl.
“Hey are you the one who found this little guy?” He asked, pulling his sunglasses up onto his head and flashing her a sweet goofy grin.