Michelle
I was riding my motorcycle down a highway in Wyoming.
A RV engine cranked.
It was smoking.
I pulled over.
"Hey. You guys have a fire extinguisher?"
"No."
"Alright. Get back."
They moved back.
"Is the motor still running?"
"Yeah. We- We tried the heater to cool it off."
"Alright. Go turn off the engine."
I grabbed the mini fire extinguisher out of my bag.
"Okay."
The male turned the engine off.
I put the smoke out with the fire extinguisher.
"Okay. That should do it."
"Thank you so much."
"Yeah."
"I'm so embarrassed. I guess it just overheated."
The female sighed.
"It's all my fault. He wanted to stop in Utah to have it serviced. I said we should get back on the road."
"Babe, no. No. Don't beat yourself up. We both did. It's not your fault."
"Hey. If you guys want, I could maybe help patch you up and get you to the nearest truck stop." I suggested.
"Either of you know anything about engines?" I inquired.
"I know of an engine."
"Ah."
I chuckled.
"I'll get my toolkit."
He laughed.
"I'm- I'm Brian. By the way."
We shook hands.
"This is Gabby."
"Michelle."
"Thank God you're here, Michelle."
I grabbed my toolkit.
"So, Florida plates, huh?" I questioned.
"You guys are a long way from home." I pointed out.
"No. This is our home."
"Really? You live here full-time?"
"Going on a month now."
"Wow."
"Has everything we need. Kitchen, TV. Bathroom's roomier than the one in our apartment."
"Babe, you forgot the most important thing."
"Each other." They said at the same time.
"That's, uh... That's sweet."
"Thank God our fans think so."
Gabby chuckled.
"Your fans?"
"Yeah. We're travel vloggers."
"Oh."
"You actually might know our youtube. Van Life?"
"We're still building the brand."
"That's cool. I'm on Youtube. I'll follow you guys."
"So, what do you do for a living? Are you a mechanic?"
I laughed.
"Rank amateur, I'm afraid. I, um... I used to be a Firefighter."
"That's impressive."
"Yeah. That's run its course."
"Well, until you did some pro bono work on our smoking RV."
Brian chuckled.
"Until that."
"What do you think you're gonna do next?"
"I don't know. Um... I thought being out on the open road might help me find some clarity or purpose. But so far, all I've found is just-"
"More road?"
"Yep. Uh... Okay, Brian. Do me a favor and turn it over for me."
"Yeah."
He got in the RV.
Brian started the engine.
"Well, still sounds like a cat in a blender."
"Yeah. You can kill it. Kill it."
"Alright. Alright."
He turned the engine off.
"I, uh... I think I know what the problem is."
Brian got off the RV.
"Your AC's compressor's seizing up, the belt stopped spinning, and that's why it started smoking."
"So, uh... Can you fix it?"
"Not a chance. I can cut the belt and you'll be able to drive her. But until you replace that belt, it'll be like you're in your own personal sauna."
"We, uh... We spent last month in Utah."
Brian wrapped his arm around Gabby.
"We are comfortable being uncomfortable."
"Okay, then."
I cut the belt.
"That's it then. Good luck, you guys."
"Thank you."
"Yeah."
"Oh, hey. You forgot this."
He went to hand me the fire extinguisher.
"You should keep that. It might come in handy."
"Right."
Brian chuckled.
I grabbed my helmet off the handlebars.
They got back in their RV.
I picked a note up.
He started the engine.
Brian drove off.
I opened the note.
It said
"Help.
HE'S GOING
TO KILL ME."
I stared after their RV.