Chapter 4 – Fields of Gold

During that turbulent summer full of change, Nelly decided she needed a stable and reliable source of income. If her dream of attending college and becoming a teacher was to be realized, she had to start saving for her tuition. She couldn't count on her father and she would never ask aunt Linda. Having a few choices of employment between a hamburger drive-in and a video store, babysitting seemed to Nelly like the most pleasant way to earn the money. She felt that she could relate to kids, keep them occupied and happy, that this was something she could do well. In a small town like Charming, Nelly knew her family history would not encourage most parents, so she decided to beef up her credentials with first aid and CPR certifications. As July came to an end, she enrolled in courses offered by St. John's Ambulance.

Classes were held in the basement of St. Thomas Hospital. Nelly walked into a large, nearly empty room covered in white tiles. The walls were lined with anatomical charts and first aid instructions, long and narrow metal tables stood in neat rows, each containing a torso of a CPR dummy and intensifying the feel of a morgue. The room seemed cold and hollow, and Nelly found herself craving human contact, so she gravitated to the only other person there, a thin girl with a mass of dark, black hair and sharp, curious eyes. Nel set her stuff on the table next to the girl's and then waved to her, "Hey, I'm Nelly Hathaway."

"Hi," the girl gave her a tight smile, "Tara Knowles."

"Tara?" Nelly repeated before stopping herself, thinking of a big white plantation house she'd been reading about recently in Gone with the Wind.

The girl named Tara rolled her eyes, but not without a bit of humour. "Yeah, my mom is a big Scarlet O'Hara fan. She wanted to name me after her, but thankfully my old man intervened."

"Well, it's unique."

"So is Nelly." Tara smiled at her, seeming more friendly. "How did you get it?"

Nelly smiled back, but only shrugged in response. She never really thought of her name. "I'm not sure, I never asked."

"You're not interested?" the girl's eyes narrowed.

"I just don't think anyone knows."

"Your mom would know for sure."

"My mom is dead." Nelly said quietly. Saying that stopped hurting a long time ago.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Tara looked ashamed, "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's ok, you didn't know," Nelly soothed, feeling bad for Tara's discomfort. "And it's been a while. In any case, I never gave it much thought."

Nelly was glad that the topic was definitively closed as more people began trickling in on the heels of the instructor who made a loud entrance into the classroom.

As they gathered their stuff before they left for lunch break, Tara smiled at Nelly sheepishly, "Listen, this place is giving me the creeps. Wanna get some lunch in the caff?"

Nelly agreed gratefully. At the hospital cafeteria, Tara grabbed a bag of chips and a Diet Coke, and then the girls settled on a bench outside, thankful for the sunlight and its warmth.

"Don't you have any real food?" Nelly asked appalled, as she opened her thermos of tea and pulled out a slice of banana bread she made.

"My mom's not much of a cook & neither am I. Besides, I don't see all the major food groups in your lunchbox, missy."

Nelly gave her a crooked smile, "Touché." and received a bright smile in return.

"So why are you here?" The dark-haired girl asked with a frown.

"I needed a job and settled on babysitting, so CPR and first aid seemed like good skills to have."

Tara just nodded in understanding, while Nelly asked, "How about you?"

"My mom thought this would be a good idea. She's a nurse."

"Do you want to be a nurse too?"

Tara gave a short, sarcastic snort in response, "No, not a nurse. I see how hard my mom works. She's practically the doctors' slave and is paid pennies by comparison. No, I want to be a doctor, make the decisions, run the show, get the big bucks. And get the hell out of Charming."

Nelly was astonished by how well this girl knew what she wanted. And by how completely determined and jaded she was about it.

Tara continued, scoffing, "Nice name for this fucking cesspool, Charming..."

"Why do you hate it so much?" Nelly asked thoughtfully, hoping to uncover more under the dark sarcasm of Tara Knowles.

"I mean the irony of things. There's nothing charming about a place divided by race lines and ravaged by bikers and gang wars. How long have you lived here?"

"Long enough to know that the MC runs this town. It's kind of hard to miss," Nelly confirmed vaguely, thinking of the forbidding compound and her aunt's boyfriend. "Apparently they used to keep peace and order around here..."

"Yeah, like a doberman herding the sheep."

"My aunt's boyfriend is a Son." Nelly offered the information cautiously. "She wants me to stay away from the club."

"And have you?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" She was perplexed by the suggestion.

"Weren't you ever tempted? You know, this idea of the forbidden fruit?"

"I try to stay out of trouble if I can help it." Nelly replied vaguely, but she thought of the trouble her father and Simon brought home. Why would she go looking for more?

"You've got more brains then I do, then." Said Tara with admiration. "Cause as much as I hate 'em, my boyfriend is one of them."

"Why are you with him, then?"

"Aww..." Tara half moaned, half sighed, her eyes softening as she smiled. "He's gorgeous, and sweet, and such a gentleman."

"That doesn't sound like a typical biker."

"Well, he's not one of them yet." Tara shrugged, "But he's a nice guy and he's totally dreamy."

"It sounds like he's worth the trouble." Nelly smiled, amused by the other girl's reaction.

"He's my kind of trouble." Tara laughed, and then added more seriously, "And I wouldn't change a thing about him."

With brief breaks, the CPR class lasted the entire day and Nelly was grateful she didn't have to endure it alone. When they were finally dismissed in the evening, the girls parted reluctantly.

"You're all right, Nelly." Tara smiled at her with a crooked, warm smile. "You should come and hang with me and my friends. I know this guy who'd be perfect for you. Here's my number. Call me."

Nelly smiled back as she took Tara's number and waved her goodbye. Weary of any match-making and aunt Linda's misgivings about the MC, Nel was fairly sure she'd never see Tara again. She let the little slip of paper fall into her oversized hobo bag and disappear forever.