“It ain’t the bed,” rasped the third sister Dolores. “It’s the damn heat. Can’t you turn up the AC just a little bitty bit?” She immediately followed this up with a coughing fit.
The van became quiet, and the women tried not to look at each other or Dolores. She had made a good run at it, but the cancer was starting to get to her now. It was only a matter of time. This weekend was supposed to be about enjoying some time together while the oldest sister was still able to enjoy anything.
Dolores’ daughter Trish reached up between the two front seats and cranked the air conditioning all the way to full blast.
Cathy who was already shivering, degraded to full-fledged shaking. Oh, how I hate these women. Couldn’t they have driven in separate vehicles at least? Why did all six of us have to cram into one mini-van for God’s sake? They all wanted to do everything together, but why do I have to be a part of it? I’m not a Biddle after all. I just married into the damn family. That would be over soon enough if everything went as planned. The image of Ruby’s face when she finally discovered what her daughter-in-law had done made Cathy smile despite her agony.
Stephanie, Martha’s daughter and always the mother hen, turned around from the second row of seats and caught Cathy’s eyes. Her face took on a look of concern and she reached back to put the back of her hand against Cathy’s face.
“You don’t look so good,” she said. “A little warm too. Are you coming down with a fever?”
With a supreme effort, Cathy smiled. “I’ll be okay once we get there, my stomach’s just a little upset with all the time on the road.”
Martha and Ruby gave each other a knowing look.
“Well it won’t be long now,” quipped Ruby from behind the steering wheel. “We’re almost in Foley, not more than a half hour from here.”
Cathy wasn’t sure if she could make it that long. She had some Percocet tablets in her purse that would stop the shaking, but she couldn’t think of a way to take one without someone noticing. Although she was sitting in the third row seat, Dolores was beside her, and sick or not, that old lady didn’t miss a thing.
“Why do you gals always come to Gulf Shores?” asked Trish. “You know there are lots of other places you could go. What is it about the coast of Alabama? I just don’t get it.”
The question was obviously for Martha. Although they had all been down there before except for Trish and Cathy, Martha had been vacationing there for over twenty years.
Martha didn’t immediately answer. Her eyes took on a far off look before a slight smile relaxed her face, “You know, I’ve just always loved the ocean. The peacefulness, the calm winds, everything about it.”
“I get that,” said Trish, “I like the ocean too, one reason I live on Nantucket. But you gals are all from Tennessee and Kentucky. I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you, but there’s a lot more ocean out there. It kind of goes all the way around.”
“I’ve been to some of those places,” answered Martha. “They’re flashy and loud and filled with busy people. I like Gulf Shores because it’s peaceful and because it never really seems to change.”
“Well they did build the mall out here a few years ago,” said Stephanie pointing at the gigantic Outlet Mall they were currently passing on their left.
“Yes, but that’s not Gulf Shores,” answered Martha. “If you’re ever more than rock throwing distance from the water, you’re not really in Gulf Shores.”
As if on cue, they drove over the bay bridge onto the long thin island. Cathy felt her stomach turn a little, not sure if she could make it to their condo before she vomited all over these noisy women. Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, she thought.
“Everywhere else you’re a tourist,” said Dolores slowly. “Here it’s like you’re a local. Even if you only visit a few days a year. It’s like a second home somehow.”
Martha grinned and nodded, “Yes! That’s what I meant, you’re not an outsider here even if you are. You can be a local for a little while.”
They were passing between t-shirt shops and oyster bars with flags whipping in the always constant, and almost always gentle, ocean breeze. Ruby turned off the air conditioning and put all the windows down. The sounds of sea gulls, wind, and crashing waves filled the van. The smell of salt nearly overwhelmed the senses, clean and refreshing.
Cathy expected Dolores or her daughter to complain about the wind and the lack of AC, but both sat contentedly. The serene looks on their faces made her want to claw their eyes out.
The road ended at a fork with nothing in front of them but sand, ocean, and beach bars. Ruby turned left and they passed tall condominiums and smaller beach houses on both sides of the road with the shimmering sunlit water a constant and steady presence to their right.
“There it is!” said Martha pointing, “The Oasis, you better slow down, Ruby, or you’ll miss it.”
“I got it!” hissed Ruby annoyed, but she stomped on the brakes hard enough to cause everyone to ride forward out of their seats and press against their seat belts.
“Yeah, I can see that,” answered Martha with both hands on the dashboard to keep herself from flying through the windshield.
Ruby whipped the wheel sharply to the right and bounced them up over a curb before sliding into a parking space. With a flourish she put the van in park and shut it off. “Here we are! Let the party begin!”
“Thank the Lord,” rasped Dolores, “I can’t wait to get out of this damn van.”
“You should probably take a nap, mom,” said Trish.
The old lady shook her head. “I’ll have plenty of time to nap soon enough. Let’s get checked in and have a look at the water.”
They all piled out of the vehicle and Martha went to the office to secure their room keys. Dolores climbed out of the van on her own, but didn’t protest when her daughter unfolded the wheelchair behind her. She sat down carefully and Trish pushed her over to where everyone else was admiring the condo’s large pool.
The sun seemed far too bright to Cathy and she thought she was going to faint.
“You okay?” asked Stephanie again.
Cathy wanted to scream at her to mind her own damn business. “I’m fine, just need to go to the bathroom, that’s all.”
“I bet there’s one in the office you could use,” said Stephanie pointing in the direction Martha had just gone. “Want me to go with you.”
“No that’s okay,” answered Cathy pushing up her sunglasses and clutching her purse. She walked briskly across the parking lot and into the sudden coolness of the office. The sharp contrast of the hot and cold environments was physically painful to Cathy. Couldn’t someplace just be warm or cool or comfortable? Why was everything either the Arctic or the Sahara?
Martha and the receptionist turned from their business to look at Cathy, who asked quickly, “Do you have a bathroom I could use?”
“Of course, hon,” said the receptionist. “It’s right down that hall there on the left.”
“Thank you,” said Cathy, hurrying off. Why did these southern ladies call everyone ‘hon’? Of course it’s short for honey, but that’s even stranger than hon somehow. Were they trying to say you’re as sweet as honey? Cathy couldn’t decide if that was disgusting or just plain silly.
She stumbled as she reached for the bathroom door handle. When it didn’t turn she felt a moment of panic and moaned. She twisted the handle the other way and was able to pull the door open. Cathy turned on the light and slammed the door shut, fumbling with the thumb lock. She then dumped the contents of her purse out onto the white linoleum floor.
There it is. Oh thank goodness. Cathy smiled as she reached for the pint of vodka even as waves of shaking washed over her. She spun the cap off and tilted the bottle back, taking a long greedy swallow. She didn’t want to stop, but a little of the fiery liquid went down her windpipe and she started choking.