Episode 6

OAK VALLEY

 

         It is Saturday morning and like many other communities - in Oak Valley it is Saturday also.  There is a slight breeze blowing across Meadow Muffin Lake and the pleasant chirp of the Warbler echoes off the Laurel.  Only a handful of folks are up this early and they can be found at Ed’s Mobil Café.  Once a thriving gas station - some years back it was converted into a not-so-thriving gas station, then finally into Ed’s Mobil Café.  Of course there is still the black rubber hose stretching across the parking lot that dings as each customer pulls in.  And there is a grease pit on one side of the grill and a lift on the other.  The lift is no longer in use.

 

          As our story begins we find Mountain Jake sitting at the end of the counter talking to Sal Manilla, one of the café regulars.

 

M.J.:  “…So you see, I got up there and the job was already filled.  I figured I had better come back down into town and get a job until the present High Llama is ready to retire.”

 

Sal:  “Look, Jake,  You need to get over to the Sears Home and Garden Center.  They moved all those patients over there and with all the regular Sears customers too, why it’s a madhouse.  They called in extra dollies from all the auto parts stores they could find, just to have enough to roll the patients around to where they need to be.  If it’s time to eat they are rolled over to the Snack Bar, if it’s time for their bath they get rolled over to the elevator and moved up to Toiletries.  When it is naptime - off to furniture they go.  Lots of beds, and little end tables and lamps already set up.  Those ready to be checked out get rolled to Shoes.

 

          I tell you, Jake, it’s a complete Zoo.  Dollies bumping into dollies, customer’s ankles getting clipped as emergency patients are zipped into Will Call.  Every other cashier area has been turned into a Nurses Station.  Although that’s not all bad, cuz you can pay your bill right there too.  Anyway, someone needs to get over there and take charge.  Phillip Derooms, Hospital Administrator just can’t handle it.”

 

M.J.:  “I’m not sure just what capacity I would… I mean, just what would I take charge of?”

 

(I’ve worked hard to get here, so enjoy it)

 

 

 Sal:  “Well of course - you’d be the Dolly Llama.”

 

 

Well…  Where is Wanda with that new material?  And what’s become of Sparky?

 

Tune in next time, when you will here our main character say, “Hey, you haven’t even introduced me yet!”