Greta Gorsuch - Lights at Chickasaw Point & The Two Garcons

There was a knock on the door. Brian Longfield, the campground host, looked up from his newspaper. It was 7:30 a.m. Brian was drinking his tea, reading the newspaper, and looking out the window, all at the same time. There was another knock. Hello? Helloooo? came a high voice. Is this the campground host? Are you in there?

Brian got up and opened the trailer door. Outside was an old man, wearing a very old hat. He looked up at Brian in the doorway. His little blue eyes were even smaller behind thick glasses. Yes, said Brian. Im the campground host. Im on after eight this morning. Is there something wrong?

The old man said, Oh. Well, can you come now? Im in Number 23.

Brian didnt say anything. The old man waited.

Then Brian said, Whats the problem, then? He came out of his trailer and shut the door behind him. He came down the stairs. With the old man following him, he walked to the back of his trailer. He had his tools there.

The whole time, the old man talked about the problem he was having with his camper van. He took his hat off. Then he put his hat back on. Then he did the same with his thick glasses. There was something wrong with the lights. They wouldnt turn on. And maybe there was something wrong with the water at Number 23.

Brian listened. Sometimes he said, Uh-huh, to show he was listening. The two men walked to Number 23. It was a beautiful morning to walk through the park. The park had a lake. There were thirty campsites by the lake. Each campsite had a number. Brians trailer was Number 1. This was the campsite for the campground host. Then the numbers went up as you walked west on the campground road. There was Number 2, and then Number 3, and so on. Number 23 was a little far from Brians campsite. But that was OK. Brian liked being a campground host because he liked to walk. He liked lakes and trees. And parks like his park, Trace Park, had a lake, and lots and lots of trees.

Each campsite had electricity and water. If you had a trailer, or a camper van, you could have lights. Some trailers had a sink and shower. And some trailers had a TV and a refrigerator. It was like being in a small home. The best part was that you could sit by a beautiful lake. The park could be quiet. Campers at the park could wake up to the sound of birds.

Brian and the old man got to Number 23. This was a large, expensive trailer. It was older. You could tell it was out in the wind and rain for many years. But at one time, this was one of the best trailers you could buy.

The old man was still talking. He said, I cant turn on the lights at all. They went inside the trailer, and he showed Brian the lights. They were dead.

Brian went back outside and looked at the electricity for Number 23. Then he did a few things. From inside the trailer, the old man called, Oh, the lights are on!

OK, said Brian. What else? Then they checked the water at Number 23. Brian pointed at something and said, I cant repair this. You need to call a trailer repair service.

Oh, said the man. His face fell. Do you know anyone? Someone cheap?

Brian understood that the old man didnt have the money for a trailer repairman to come. There were probably a lot of small things wrong with his trailer. Now it was the big things going wrong. Electricity and water were big things. Brian said, Well, maybe I can try something.

The old man brightened up. He nodded.