Greta Gorsuch - Summer in Cimarron & Lunch at the Dixie Diner

Rhonda sat in her trailer. It was the same as every other day. She just sat in her trailer and looked out the window. There was not much to see. It was the same bare parking lot, same as yesterday and the day before. No trees. No flowers. No other people.

There were a few things Rhonda could see. She could see a big garbage dumpster. That wasnt so great. She could see the back of the Cimarron Highway Motel. It was a one-story building, maybe fifty years old. The motel was painted a light green on the front. The front faced Highway 64.

Rhondas trailer was at the back of the motel. There the motel was a dirty white. Many years of sand and wind and snow had worked on the old paint. She could see a few patches of pink under the dirty white.

The owner of the Cimarron Highway Motel and Trailer Park, Mr. Mikey Sims, told Rhondas brother Blue that the trailer park was a great place to stay for the summer.

There are two parts to my business, he said. The front is the motel. Its on a busy street, Highway 64. But the back is our four-star trailer park. Its real quiet, you cant hear highway noise. It has everything your sister needs. Quiet, privacy. We have a shower house, and a place to wash clothes. And its just $75 per week!

Mr. Mikey Sims did not mention that the Cimarron Highway Motel and Trailer Park was on the wrong side of town. It was the side of town that no one went to. He also didnt mention that there had been no guests at the trailer park for over two years.

It took Blue five minutes to decide Rhondas life. If he was going to a summer job in northern New Mexico, then Rhonda would stay nearby. They couldnt live together, of course. Blue would stay with his road crew. Rhonda would stay in Cimarron. It was a great place to spend the summer!

He picked out a four-star trailer park where she could stay, up in the mountains, with cool mornings. There were pine trees, and clear water. Lots of people wanted to live in Cimarron for the summer.

Rhonda had no words to say about this. Ever since her husband left her, she felt she had nothing to do. She didnt want to talk, or eat. She didnt care.

Blue, Rhondas big brother, told her younger brother, Well, OK. Let me take care of her for a while. We cant leave her like this. She lost her house. That husband of hers took all the money. She stopped going to work. Now she just sits around. So, Ill take her on, and then next year, you can take her.

Crosby, Rhondas younger brother, said something that no one could hear. Blue and Crosby sighed. There was nothing else they could do. They didnt want to talk about it, reallynot in front of Rhonda. She didnt care.

Now, Rhonda sat in a little trailer with no car, no telephone, and nothing to do. Blue left for his job, promising to come back on the weekend. As she looked out the window, she thought that the Cimarron Highway Motel and Trailer Park was more like a one-star place.

Crosby and Blue found a small, used trailer for Rhonda to stay in. There was not much to see inside the trailer. It had a small bed in the back. There was a small kitchen for cooking. There was a tiny icebox with fresh ice for milk and other cold foods.

Rhonda spent most of her time at the built-in table and chairs. They were blue and white, long ago. She could see out the window from there. There were some curtains in the windows. They were white-turned-yellow.

The trailer was pretty old. Someone used it for many years. Then, someone forgot it for many years. It probably sat in someones back yard for months and months, out in the sun and rain. The inside smelled wet and cold. There was some dirt on the kitchen table. Rhonda could not see what color the floor was. Maybe it was red and white, she thought.

So, on her fourth morning at the Cimarron Highway Motel and Trailer Park, Rhonda woke up. She didnt like the smell of the trailer. She needed to open the windows and the door. It took her a few minutes to understand the trailer windows. They werent like windows in a house that you just pulled up. These windows wouldnt push to the side, either. To open the trailer windows Rhonda had to turn a handle. It took a long time. But if she kept on turning the handle, the window would open slowly. Then she had to go to the next window. She got most of the windows open. Then, she turned the handle of the door and opened it, too.

It was cold in Cimarron that morning. But, the air smelled sweet and fresh. For a minute, Rhonda forgot she was in a bare dirt parking lot no one ever visited. She forgot the big dumpster. She could almost smell what was it? Pine trees? Having that fresh air in the trailer was a nice change. She turned around and went back to the small bed. She took everything off the bed and brought it outside. She wanted the fresh air smell where she slept, too.

Then, she looked at her icebox. She needed fresh ice if she wanted the milk to stay cold. She walked around to the front of the motel and walked in the door. An older woman sat behind the desk. She did not look up. Rhonda waited. The woman still did not look up.

Excuse me, Rhonda said. Rhonda hadnt spoken for such a long time, she was almost surprised to hear herself. The older woman was surprised, too. She jumped and looked up.

Oh, she said, in a high voice. I didnt hear you come in. She turned off her mp3 player and took out her earbuds. Can I help you?

For a moment, Rhonda felt bad. She didnt want to talk to anyone. But, she needed ice. She had to think hard about what she wanted to say. Finally, she said in a quiet voice, Im Rhonda. I live in the trailer park.

Oh, I heard about you. Im Viv, the woman said. She didnt seem surprised it took Rhonda so long to answer. She smiled and stood up.

She was a big woman, and her bright purple dress made her look even larger. Im sorry I havent walked back to see you. I have a little trouble walking. How are you doing? Viv said.

Rhonda moved closer. She could see the womans huge soft pink slippers. The ladys feet looked big and painful.

Viv continued, It takes me a long time to get anywhere.

Oh, Rhonda said. Then she said, Well, it takes me a long time to say anything. So were even.

Viv laughed. After a minute, Rhonda smiled a little. Then she said, in a small voice, Do you have any ice? I need some for my icebox.

Viv gave Rhonda a small ice bucket and pointed to the ice machine outside the motel door. Help yourself any time, she said.

Rhonda thanked her. She got a bucket of ice and returned to her little trailer. She poured it into her icebox. She felt tired, so she sat at her kitchen table. She felt the cool morning air move around inside her trailer.