Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
It was a little after seven in the evening when Amber made it to Big Cedar.
Her cheeks were still tear-stained as she thought of the tattered remnants of Honey that she’d stuffed into her suitcase. She’d learn sewing and would fix the bear if it was the last thing she did.
The good news was that she never had to see Donnie again! Thank God. And Honey would be repaired one day soon. There was no way she’d leave her best friend on the whole planet torn in two!
The bus didn’t linger, merely dropping her off at a bench on Main Street that had a tall pole attached and a sign that simply read BUS STOP. She was the only passenger to disembark and suddenly she felt very alone as she glanced around the tiny town.
From the looks of it, she could pretty much see all of it from where she stood.
Behind her was a historic building with the words GENERAL STORE on one of the windows. She could also see a building with a sign that told her it was a doctor’s office, a diner, and a house. Across the street was a fire station, sheriff’s office, and a mechanic’s garage. There was also a fenced-in area down the road, but she couldn’t make out what it really was.
In the distance, she thought she could see a couple of houses, but none of them looked like the cabin where she would be staying. Suddenly, she felt very alone.
She didn’t know anyone down here. True, she didn’t have any family or any friends back in Oklahoma City, but it was at least familiar. She knew her way around the streets there. Here, in this mountainous, tree-covered terrain, she had no clue where she was going. And if it was a far walk… well… there was some light now. But the sun was receding. In another forty-five minutes, it would be completely hidden. She couldn’t imagine walking those forest-lined roads all by herself at night.
She’d do what she needed to do, though.
She’d come too far on her adventure now to back out. Besides, she didn’t really have any other options.
“It’s okay, Honey. We’ll make it,” she told her stuffie, even though she was torn in two and in the suitcase. “One way or another.”
She didn’t have a phone to store information on, so she fished out the piece of paper from her jeans that she’d written the information on and walked to the covered porch of the store. She tried the door, only to find it locked, and then noticed the sign on it stated they closed at six.
She walked back to the bench and sat on it while she considered her options.
A car passed, but the person continued east until they disappeared. She looked both directions but didn’t see anyone to talk to. She imagined the town was busier in the summer. That area was big for tourists, and while not all of them probably visited a community as unique as Big Cedar, there were still probably more folks around.
It was only mid-spring, so things weren’t hopping yet.
But a moment later, she heard voices. She listened, trying to mentally follow them. They seemed to be coming from the direction of the fenced-in area. She got up and hurried toward them, rolling her suitcase behind her.
“Hello?” she called.
“Hello?” a woman on the other side of the tall, wooden fence answered back.
Amber smiled, wondering if she was about to make her first new friend in Big Cedar. But she found the gate locked, with a keypad on it demanding a code for entry.
A moment later, it clicked and swung open.
“Hello,” a woman said with a wave. Her hair was in pigtails and she wore a short, pink babydoll dress with plenty of ruffles and lace adorning it.
“Hi.” Amber’s heart beat faster. She was actually meeting another Little in person! It was a thrilling experience. Years of feeling alone in her Little nature had threatened to dampen her spirits. Yet she always tried to remain positive. Now, here in Big Cedar with another Little, she couldn’t help but feel as if that positivity had paid off.
She still had a long way to go, though, she realized. But this was a great first step.
“My name is Amber,” she told the Little. “I just got in town.”
“Hey, welcome to Big Cedar. I’m Alyssa. And these are my friends.” The Little stepped aside and waved Amber in.
Stepping through the gate, Amber found a park complete with benches, a swing set, a giant teeter-totter, and climbing structure that had a swirling side attached.
And everything was oversized, for adults!
It was a Little’s dream come true.
Alyssa introduced the other two ladies. “This is Grace and Mindy.” She pointed to each one as she said their names.
They waved and Amber returned the gesture, smiling from ear to ear as the euphoria of being around others like her settled in.
At least she assumed the women were all Littles. They were certainly dressed like it, with Grace sporting a babydoll dress, too, and Mindy wearing a short pink romper.
“Hi!” Amber said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice. “What are y’all doing?”
She immediately felt foolish for asking the question. It was obvious the trio had been playing on the playground before she interrupted.
“Just hanging out,” Alyssa replied. “Are you here to visit Big Cedar or just passing through?”
“She’s here for Big Cedar,” Mindy spoke up.
Amber grinned. “How did you know?”
“You’re a Little,” Mindy answered with a wry smile.
“How did you know?”
Mindy shrugged. “I can just tell. Little radar.”
All the women, including Amber, giggled.
“Did you rent a cabin?” Grace asked.
“Well, sorta,” Amber said. She was about to explain further when a buzzer rang out.
Alyssa ran to where her phone rested on a bench, picked it up, and tapped until the buzzer went off.
“Ah, man. We’ve got to go home now,” she said apologetically. “My Daddy said we have to be home for supper. Their Daddies are helping mine grill and we’re all going to eat.” Her eyes grew wider. “Hey, do you want to come? We always have room for one more!”
The invitation warmed her heart, but Amber didn’t want to impose. Plus, if she had to walk to her destination, she wanted to set out on her journey before it got any later. She was already afraid of the prospect of being on those dark roads alone at night. The later it got, the more afraid she’d be!
So, she smiled and shook her head. “No, thank you. I need to get to the place I’m staying. But I don’t know where it’s at. Do y’all?”
She held up the piece of paper with the info and rattled off the address.
“Rural Road 116 is about three miles away,” Grace said. “Just drive east about two miles, turn right when you see the big red barn, and then drive another mile and you’ll hit your cabin.”
Amber thought about mentioning she wasn’t driving but decided against it. She didn’t want the other women to think she was fishing for a ride. She didn’t want to inconvenience anyone. Plus, she was embarrassed.
“Thank you,” she said.
“We hope to see you soon, Amber,” Alyssa called over her shoulder as she skipped away with Grace and Mindy.
“Yeah. Come play with us!” Mindy said. “My Daddy owns the store, and our house is just down the street. It’s the white and blue cottage. Drop by anytime!”
Grace just waved and Amber waved back as she watched the trio get smaller.
She sighed. It would have been fun to have dinner with them, but she didn’t want to impose. She was kind of hungry, though. The tamales were good but had worn off hours ago. She still had some tortillas and fruit left. They would have to suffice for supper. She was thankful to have them. She’d gotten by on a lot less.
She looked east and winced as the road seemed to stretch on forever.
“Two miles that way and then another mile when I see the big barn,” she repeated.
Yikes! That was a long trek. Maybe it would be best to find somewhere to sleep and then start on her journey in the morning. As she took another glance around Big Cedar, though, she realized it wasn’t like Oklahoma City, where she’d spent more nights on the streets than she cared to admit. There wasn’t really a place to curl up and hide. She supposed she could sleep on the playground, but the gate had clicked shut behind her after she’d followed the Littles out. She had no idea what the code was.
It looked like walking was her best option.
Too bad the store wasn’t still open where she could at least buy a flashlight. She had sixty-three dollars left after buying her bus ticket. She’d have to stretch that and make it last until she found a job, but she could easily do that. Assuming there was a grocery store nearby. She could buy some crackers, maybe some cheap hot dogs, and a few cans of food to last her over a week, easily.
Again, she’d gotten by on a lot less.
“Probably good you can’t buy a flashlight,” she told herself aloud. “You need to save your money.” She took one more look down the road. With the sun behind her, it already looked mighty dark ahead. “You’ve got this.”
That’s when an idea hit her.
Were there any rideshares in the area? It was a tiny town, but Southeastern Oklahoma was a huge tourist destination. Surely she could call for a ride. While she didn’t have a phone, maybe they could help her in the diner.
It couldn’t be any more than ten dollars to go three miles.
It was a gamble, though. Going into the diner and asking would waste valuable time.
Then again, she would already be walking in the dark no matter when she started. She might as well see if she could call someone.
With that in mind, she started rolling her battered old suitcase in the direction of the diner. There were only two vehicles in the parking lot—a car and an older model black truck or SUV of some kind—but it looked to still be open.
Perhaps she could call a ride, get to the cabin, and still have enough money to eat on until she found a job.