He'd seen better houses in San Francisco. Alexis quickly became disappointed at what was available to live in here in Dallas. But the realtor promised them that they could find something acceptable within their time frame. But Rick had to find a place quickly. He couldn't enroll Alexis in the school district until he had an address to give them. And he couldn't unload the truck into the new house yet, so he had to rent a storage unit. The first Saturday that they were there and he realized that they weren't going to find something right away and had decided to rent a storage unit and put all their belongings other than clothes in it. He has the directions for Public Storage on Swiss street and they arrive around 11 am. After all the paperwork is filled out Rick and Alexis drive into the facility and find their storage unit. It's on the ground floor which will make unloading a lot easier. The rate was good as well. A dollar for the first thirty days and $115.00 for each month after that. He was fortunate enough to rent a Ryder truck that had a liftgate on the back. It made it easier taking off the living room furniture, the washer and dryer, and the bed mattresses.
"Dad is that the last box?"
"No Alexis, there are about 10 more near the front of the truck. I'll slide them to the back and then you can slide them into the storage unit."
"I'll use the cart." Alexis struggled with boxes that were a little heavier than herself but she was able to move 7 of the 10 boxes in on her own.
"Alexis this is great! We have a lot more room than I thought we would." Rick said as he took in what she had done with the 8 x 19-foot space.
They had everything off the truck and needed to get to the Ryder rental office in less than an hour. He backed up the truck and turned around across from his new rental unit and headed for the exit. When he cleared the electronic gate, he stopped at the stop sign not knowing which way to go. He looked at Alexis who only simply shrugged her shoulders because she was just as lost as he was. Deciding not to stay in the parking lot anymore he pulls out onto Swiss Avenue and turns right. Somehow, he remembers Oak Street and turns right. After stopping at the stop sign at Gaston Ave nothing looks familiar to either of them anymore. He turns left onto Gaston and slowly moves down the street. Luckily there's nobody behind him so he can go slow being it's so early on a Saturday morning. But by the time he reaches Hall Street he sees ahead of them that there are pedestrian bridges crossing the road that this truck would not fit under. He doesn't want to take the chance of damaging either the truck or the bridges so he turns right onto Hall Street.
"Pumpkin, those bridges look too low for this truck to fit under so we're going to take this street down until we get out of here," Rick explains to Alexis.
"Okay, Daddy."
Rick drives down Hall Street and passes the Texas A&M College of Dentistry then he sees a very tall building that has to be a hospital. Somehow, he's wandered into a medical complex and he just needs to get out of here before he causes any damage to anything else. It looks like it's clear sailing down to the entrance to I-35 he hopes.
Xx
She's exhausted, she's tired, and she can't wait to get home to see her son. It's been a long Friday night and even though it was quiet they still had their share of emergencies to deal with. Nothing major it was just cases that needed a personal touch. A husband fell off a ladder while trying to fix his roof and ended up only breaking his arm but to be safe X-rays and a cast were needed. Jesse had a child come in and complain that her throat was hurting her. She ended up having tonsillitis and was scheduled for surgery the next morning. Kim and Kenzie decided that everything should be replenished in the ER so that was their task for the night.
She walks to her locker opens it, takes out her purse, hangs her sweater on the hook inside and relocks her locker. She turns and heads back towards the trauma rooms saying goodbye to Kim, Kenzie, and Jessie getting the same in return. Once outside past the double doors she sees a large white Ryder truck lumbering slowly down the street. The operator of the truck seeing her standing in the crosswalk stops to let her cross safely. When she does cross she gives a wave to the child with the red hair and she waves back. She gets to her car opens it up tosses her bag on the front seat and gets in. Starting the car she's quick to back up and pull out of the parking lot. As she gets to the parking lot 19's exit, the slow-moving Ryder truck has just passed her. When she turned right she is directly behind the slow-moving truck. When she sees the four way lights being activated and flashing brightly she knows that whoever is driving the truck is lost. She can't pass on the double line so she follows behind the excruciatingly slow-moving truck. She can see the light up ahead at the corner of Hall and Elm and the light is green, but the operator of the truck stops on the green light unsure which way he wants to go. She wants to blow her horn to get him to move but she figures that might scare him a little so being that there is practically no traffic coming up Hall Street towards her, she puts on her own four ways puts her car in park and gets out.
Xx
The second he sees the car door swing open he knew she was not happy with him. What he saw coming towards him was a woman who was at the end of her rope dressed in blue hospital scrubs.
"Pumpkin, it might get a bit scary in a minute or two so just let me do all the talking okay?"
"Why Daddy? We're only trying to get back to where the truck goes. Why would you need to be doing the talking at the intersection?"
Rick looked over to Alexis and was about to start explaining when he heard a knock on the side of the door. He turns to his left and looks down and sees her with her arms crossed across her chest. She's a short little thing he'll give her that. But he rolls the window down as she climbs up on the running board holding onto the mirror and the door handle.
"Howdy, Y'all! How are you doing?" The stranger asked.
Rick turns and looks at Alexis not believing what he's hearing. "Y'all?" who uses that anymore? But all he can see is Alexis's smile.
"Actually we're both doing fine ma'am, how are you?" Rick replies.
"Oh, there's no need to be so formal sir you can call me Kate instead of ma'am. So, I don't know where you're from, but in the great state of Texas when a traffic light is green we usually drive through it and not stop on it. Kate said with the start of a small smile forming on her face.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Kate. It's just that I'm trying to return this truck and I know I made a wrong turn coming out of the storage area. By the way, I'm Rick and this is Alexis, my daughter."
She really wanted to go home after a long night but he looked like he was really lost. And she knows exactly which Ryder facility he needs to go to.
"I really should be getting home but how about if I let you follow me to the Ryder facility that you need to go to? It's just a little north of West Dallas about 7.5 miles away from here. And then I can give you a lift back home because honestly you seem like two decent people and that's what people here in Texas do. We help people."
"I don't know what to say other than thank you very much," Rick said.
Kate hops down off the side of the truck and starts walking back to her car. She gets in and pulls around the Ryder truck and waves as she passes him to follow her through the green light. She turns right onto Elm Street and goes all the way down to another Street he can't catch the name of and soon they are on the ramp that leads to Route 366 West. Once they travel on that for about a mile and a half there on the entrance ramp for I-35 East heading north. They drive on that for about four and a half miles and he sees Kate exiting at 432 B. They come off the ramp and turn left at the traffic light onto Route 356 and then they make a right on Iron Ridge Street and a left on Halifax Street and in less than 30 seconds they're pulling into the Ryder truck rental facility. Kate pulls into the office area and parks while Rick drives past her and into the rental area for trucks. As he parks the truck a representative meets him as he gets out of the truck with a clipboard and paperwork to check in his rental. Once all the paperwork is complete and he is free Rick is walking with Alexis back to the front parking lot where he sees Kate leaning up against her Explorer.
"See I told you it wasn't that far away from where you were so you weren't really that lost," Kate said.
"Kate, I might have never found this place it's impossible to know the area after only being here for two days," Rick complained.
"So if you don't mind telling me, where are y'all from?"
Alexis was the one to handle the answer to that question so she jumped up and said, "San Francisco!"
"I see. West Coasters. That explains a lot."
"Yes, ma'am West coasters born and bred. Do you have an issue with us being from the West coast?"
"No, not at all. Just happy to have someone seeing the light that's all."
"The light?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah you know, when you see what you've been missing all along. That's why you moved here to Texas right?"
"Well we were looking for a change, so I guess you're right."
"So Kate where are you from?" Alexis asked.
"Well, I was born here in Texas. Spent all my life here."
"Oh," Alexis said.
"Alexis is it?" Kate asked. When she saw the girl nod she started again.
"People who live in Texas are proud of the state they live in. I'll bet it's a lot like where you and dad are from in San Francisco. You are very proud to be from there just like we are proud of Texas." Kate explained.
Rick knew that would only be a matter of seconds before it happened. And he was right. Alexis looked at him and he picked her up and held her tight.
"Rick is everything okay?" Kate asked not knowing what she did wrong.
"It's a long story, Kate. But I'd appreciate that ride back to where we are staying if you are still offering."
"Okay. Where would that be?"
"The Crowne Plaza in downtown Dallas."
"I know where that is. Come on let's go."
Kate, Rick, and Alexis are soon off to the hotel that they are staying at. Most of the way back Kate keeps looking over to Rick wanting to know what it was that she said wrong. By the time they pulled up to the hotel, Rick gave her his thanks and opened the door to get out.
"Rick, I hope to see you around Dallas sometime."
"Maybe Kate. But If not thanks for all your help."