Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
THOMAS
It’s March so it’s still cold and crisp outside.
It rained again today, as it’s done every day since I arrived.
As such, my walk from the hospital to the diner is a pretty soggy journey.
Turning onto Main Street is a sensation unlike anything I ever experienced at home.
New York streets are constantly busy. Pedestrians, taxi cabs, and cyclists are everywhere.
There’s a continuous hum of activity accentuated by sirens and honking horns.
The streets of Elk Lake feel nearly abandoned in comparison.
Opening the door to the diner is like walking back in time. Its raw vintage-ness appears authentic and not staged. The red vinyl booths are straight out of a movie from the nineteen-fifties. There’s even a juke box.
Looking around, I spot Kevin and Shelly in a back booth. I point at them before telling the hostess, “I’m meeting some friends.”
When I arrive at the table, Shelly stands up and gives me a hug.
“Look who’s here!” I can’t imagine she’s really this excited to see me, but one thing I’ve learned about the people of Elk Lake is that they’re very free in expressing their feelings.
There’s no passive-aggressive pretense that seems to thrive in big cities.
I return Shelly’s hug before extending my hand to Kevin. “I’m glad we’re doing this.” After driving all the way from the airport with him, I had the feeling I would be seeing him all the time. That hasn’t been the case.
“I thought life would slow down once the kids were out of the house,” Kevin says, “But the truth is, Shel and I like to keep busy.” He winks. “You know what they say? A rolling stone gathers no moss.” He looks down at his Green Bay Packers jersey and adds, “And look at that, no moss!”
The waitress comes over and Kevin orders an extra-large curd platter along with a pitcher of beer. When she leaves, he tells me I can drink whatever I want after, but the only way to enjoy curds properly is with an ale.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I tell him truthfully. Even though I’ve never been a big beer drinker, my new neighbor seems like a man to be trusted with this experience.
Shelly takes her napkin off the table and puts it into her lap. “How’s the hospital?”
“It’s fine. Good, actually. Just a lot different from what I’m used to.”
Kevin’s gaze narrows like he’s looking for a hidden meaning. “Hard to get used to, huh?”
“Yeah,” I confirm. “The reason I left New York was because I was reaching the point of total burn out. Which is not something I expected to happen by thirty-six.”
“Our son is thirty-six!” Shelly says excitedly. “He owns a house painting company right here in Elk Lake.”
“Collin,” Kevin adds.
“How many kids do you have?” I ask them.
“Three.” Shelly beats her husband to the punch. “Collin is the oldest. Then there’s Chris. He’s thirty-two, and Camille is twenty-eight. They all live in the area.”
“That must be nice.” I feel a momentary pang of guilt that by moving here, I’ve broken up my own family unit.
“It’s the only way we’d want it,” Kevin says. “Collin has three kids, so we get to see the grands grow up.” Both of my neighbors are positively beaming.
“What about you?” Shelly wants to know. “Where does your family live?”
The waitress brings over a pitcher and pours the beer into three glasses. When she leaves, I tell my new friends, “My parents and sister are in New York City.”
“They must have been sad to see you go,” Kevin says.
I take a sip of my drink before answering, “I don’t think they were thrilled.” I hurry to change the subject away from my disappointing ways. “So, tell me, have you ever gone to Happy Snaps?”
Shelly claps her hands together loudly. “Finley takes our family photos for us. Do you know her? Isn’t she lovely?”
I have no intention of mentioning my previous encounter with the photographer, so I simply reply, “She’s going to take a headshot of me tomorrow for the hospital.”
“Great girl,” Kevin says. “She loves her work and it shows in the pictures she takes.” I immediately feel guilty for being part of what must have been the worst day of her professional career.
“I’m looking forward to it,” I tell them. Which isn’t exactly the case, even though I am looking forward to seeing Finley again.
The waitress drops a platter of cheese curds on the table before asking, “Would you like to order your supper now?”
“We’ll wait a bit,” Kevin tells her, before looking at me. “You might like these so much you’ll want another batch for your main course.” I can’t imagine that will be true, but I don’t say as much.
Shelly picks up the first curd. “There are three standard sauces—honey mustard, ranch, and pepper jelly.” She dips her bite into the pepper jelly and pops it into her mouth.
The expression on her face is one of pure enjoyment.
Picking up her beer, she takes a sip and swallows before telling me, “That’s how it’s done.
The curd first and then the beer chaser. ”
Kevin and I follow suit. He dips his into the ranch, so I choose honey mustard. “Huh,” I say after finishing my first bite. “It’s kind of like mozzarella.”
“These are tangier and less salty,” Shelly assures me.
“Not as stretchy as mozzarella but, wait for it, they squeak.” Kevin bites into one, relishing the sound.
I try both the ranch and pepper jelly before declaring, “I like them.”
Kevin raises his glass and toasts, “Welcome to Wisconsin, Tommy! You’re as good as a native now.”
I’m not sure about that, but I do know I will always remember cheese curds fondly. I ask my companions, “What do you all do around here for fun?” I have yet to go anywhere other than the hospital or the grocery store, but I’m looking forward to venturing out.
“Oh, my goodness,” Shelly says. “There’s a lot.” She itemizes, “In the winter you can go sledding, ice skating, skiing, or snowmobiling. In the summer, there’s swimming at the lake and fishing. Golf, if that’s more your bag.”
“I love the fall,” Keven adds. “Wait until you see the leaves change color here. It’s perfection!”
“What about spring?” I inquire about the current season.
“It’s kind of wet out right now,” Shelly says while wrinkling her nose like spring isn’t where it’s at.
“You could go to the movies or bowling,” Kevin suggests.
Shelly sighs. “The park district offers a pottery class.”
“Darts at the pub,” Kevin interjects.
I laugh. “It sounds like you’re pretty much just waiting for summer at this point.”
My new friends nod their heads in unison. “Pretty much,” Shelly agrees.
The waitress comes back to check on us and takes our dinner order.
While the curds were enjoyable, they’re sitting in my stomach like a lead weight.
That’s why I opt for a salad. Kevin and Shelly both order burgers.
My mother would be appalled that any of us are eating more.
She’d be half-way home on her way to the Peloton in her closet to burn off the already-consumed cheese.
The evening flies by in a flurry of chatter. I like Kevin and Shelly very much. Living next door to them will be like having a second set of parents close by. When it’s time to go, Kevin asks, “Where did you park?”
“I haven’t gotten a car yet,” I tell him.
“I was wondering about that. I haven’t seen one in front of your house.” Shelly confirms the stereotype that people in small towns are aware of everything.
“I might need to take a driving refresher course before I get one,” I confess. “There’s not much occasion to get behind the wheel in New York City.”
“Kevin teaches drivers’ ed in town,” Shelly says excitedly. “He can help you.”
“I sure can,” her husband agrees. “I can do it without having you sign up, too. I wouldn’t want you to have to pay.”
I don’t want to take advantage of him so I say, “I’m happy to do it officially and take the class.” As long as I can fit it into my schedule. That’s another thing about being an ER doctor. Shifts change from week to week so it’s nearly impossible to have standing engagements, like taking classes.
“You wouldn’t have to take a Wisconsin driving test at the DMV that way,” Shelly offers. “Just show your certificate and your Wisconsin license is as good as yours.”
After paying the check, I tell them, “I’ll see when the next class starts and let you know.”
My new friends give me a ride home and drop me off in my driveway. “Thank you for such a fun night,” I tell them.
“Thank you for supper,” Shelly says. “Have fun at Finley’s tomorrow.”
I’m not sure if having fun will be on the menu. In fact, I’m convinced it’s going to be more awkward than anything. But it will be good to see her and put her mind at ease that there are no hard feelings about our first session.
“I’ll see you both soon,” I say before getting out of the car.
After walking to my front door, I put the key into the lock, feeling a new sense of optimism about life in Elk Lake. Sure, it’s slower paced and absolutely nothing like Manhattan, but there are good people here who help to make it feel like it could be my new home.
Yet for some reason, it feels like a lot depends on how things go tomorrow.