The Light at the End of the Tunnel by James W. Nelson Page B

grasped her warm and strong-feeling
hand, “I’m Nicole, and I’m with the man parking our minivan.”
    “I met him before I came in. A gentleman, I
must say.” Her smile increased.
    Nicole felt a fleeting rush of
jealousy— where on earth did THAT come from?
    “Did you get to the bathroom yet?” Sadie
asked.
    “No, I…I, was just standing here and admiring
your— our —home away from home, I guess.”
    “Well, come on. I’ll show you.” Sadie
gestured to follow, “So, you’ve come clear
from—where?—Nebraska?
    “Yes. Nebraska. We spent three days coming
down, though—we took a couple side trips. Might as well tour when
one has the chance, right?”
    “Right, so, unless you spent three nights in
a motel I bet you haven’t had a bath for a while. Just wait till
you see it. We have a shower and a bath—when I got here from
Oregon I couldn’t believe it…out here in the middle of
nowhere.”
    “Yes, it is,” Nicole agreed, as they started
for the bathroom, “How do you like it here?”
    “Riley’s good…” Sadie appeared to lose some
of her—Nicole could only think of winsomeness, as she at first
hesitated, then continued, “Some of his men, though….”
    Nicole stopped them, “Yes, what? Talk to me,
Sadie.”
    “Well, they’re men. They’re out here in the
high desert with no women, at least not the kind of women they’re
probably used to—I know! I’m categorizing them, and probably
unfairly. I’ve been able to keep them away…so far, anyway, and they are good teachers—and maybe it’s their baldness that bugs
me.”
    “’ Baldness?’ ”
    “They aren’t bald. They shave their head so
there’s always those dark whiskers—I look at them and I always
think skinhead!—but just the fact that they’re men, too, and I’m a
woman maybe keeps them thinking that, eventually, well, you
know.”
    “I do, Sadie. I’ve been fighting men off for
years, and I’m glad to have found my man.
    “So you two are together? I wasn’t sure.”
    “Well, we aren’t exactly together together, but I think we’re both planning on it.”
    “You think ?”
    Nicole wasn’t sure if she had been smiling,
or not, but she did feel her face change. Before that very moment
she had never felt really close to a man, not emotionally, and she
didn’t feel it toward the chaplain, or did she? She didn’t
know for sure, and she had not expected to have to stand up to
another woman in the manner she was feeling that she might have to
stand up to Sadie…
    “Ohhhh, I’m sorry, Nicole.” Sadie touched her
arm to move them along toward the bathroom, “I didn’t mean for you
to think that I’m out to get your man, cause I’m not. It’s just
that it’s good to see another gentleman arrive—so look!” she said,
“Isn’t that little bathroom just a sight for sore eyes? And we have
our own well and our power is solar, so unlimited hot water!”
    Nicole put her left hand on Sadie’s upper
right arm and turned toward her, “Thank you, Sadie,” then she gave
the smaller woman a short hug.
    ****
    The evening meal arrived. Everybody was
introduced. Four trainers sat at one table, and Riley Stokes joined
the chaplain and Nicole. A couple more minutes passed before a
fresh-looking Sadie arrived, joined the second table and sat next
to Nicole.
    “Sorry to be late,” Sadie said.
    “No problem,” Riley said, “I’ve said it
before: This isn’t boot camp, but we do like to run a tight
ship.
    “Riley was in the navy,” Sadie informed them,
and gave a bright smile.
    A sound of a metal spoon banging on a metal
cooking pot brought everybody to attention, as the cook lifted two
wooden doors that covered the counter where the meal was lined up.
Two of the trainers got in line, another man maybe ten years older
than Riley and another man maybe ten years younger. Both were
deeply tanned and close to six feet tall and less than two hundred
pounds. Sadie was next, then Nicole, then the chaplain, then