My god what a day! As promised, I took Bella to Port Angeles and we checked as many dumpsters as we could. We stopped on the way to get trash bags and washing up gloves. I wanted the shoulder length ones they use for cleaning up biohazards and hazmat suits, but the Thriftway does not carry them. Rest assured I shall be writing to the manager regarding this oversight.
It took aeons to drive to PA in her junk pile truck, but Esme was using her van, leaving me no choice. Bella loves her truck so much but god, it's awful! It smells like wet carpet and exhaust fumes, the noise and interminably low speed meant I had a burgeoning migraine by the time we got to Port Angeles. I kept that to myself though, and put on a smile for Bella. Looking at her did help the pounding in my head ease a little. She is so beautiful and good. Her smile makes everything easier.
She was excited to see what we could find, though I was doubtful we would even cover the gas money.
We started at a home goods store, Bella immediately wanted to get into the dumpster. I tried to tell her I forbade it and a small spat ensued. I pointed out how much broken glass there was in the trash and Bella decided perhaps I was right after all. She pointed about as I hunted, making sure I looked through things to her satisfaction. We managed to salvage some picture frames, the electronics from a broken ceramic lamp and a cushion with a small tear that I pleaded with her to leave in the trash where it belongs. I hope to sneak the cushion away as well as the filthy rug and death trap lantern she insisted upon adding to our supplies gathered from Craig's website. I shall wait until her hunger for rotting homewares has been satiated and then have some sort of 'accident' I think. This plan has the added appeal of the possibility that Bella may shout at me.
The second dumpster stop, at a home centre, yielded six rolls of tar paper, which was more than enough for the entire cabin roof. It seemed new and we had no idea why they were thrown out, one has been opened, but is still perfectly usable. This find was very fortunate as we not only needed waterproofing for the roof, but it would cost almost $200 new, meaning we can sell any left over with Craig, and raise a little extra cash that way. We found a box of tiles too, about half were broken but many were still in good condition. Bella said that she and her mother used to make mosaics over furniture they found on the roadside in Phoenix, either using or selling them, and that she would like to use the broken ones in that way. My migraine was definitely worthwhile!
Encouraged by the finds, I held my breath and rummaged a bit more, turning up a long outdoor extension cable which had a clean slice through the insulation in one spot. I think I can fix it safely by shortening the wire. There was a display board that Bella told me to turn over. Clever Bella! There were four bathroom faucets set into it, I asked Bella which she liked best and broke the display housing to release the treasure. She asked if we should take the others to sell or use, so I took those as well.
By the time we returned to the truck I was in a better mood, but was flapping my hands a lot, bothered by the thought of having touched garbage, even with two pairs of gloves on and the smock I had fashioned from Thriftway garbage bags.
Bella produced a large tub of baby wipes and told me to clean my hands as she drove to a bathroom goods store. There wasn't much there, but the dumpster, though filthy, smelled nice! We found some candles with broken glass jars in a paper bag. Bella wanted them anyway, so I removed all the glass and put them in the truck for her.
After 16 more baby wipes and a very nice thank you kiss from Bella, we were at our next stop, a plumbing supply place. There we found some used metal fittings for water pipes and off cuts of plastic piping I might be able to use for the bathroom or kitchen sink. Bella knew we needed pipes and cables the most so was very pleased with herself for finding this store. I still had a migraine, but I was also enjoying seeing Bella get excited about 'treasure' as she calls it.
We didn't have any luck at the next four stops and Bella needed to rest a little, so I took her to a coffee shop so she could get a drink, eat a snack and use the facilities. We chatted about what we needed and where we might find it. I mentioned wanting washing machine parts and Bella said she had an idea where we might have a good chance of finding one, at a junk yard on the way to Sequim. She told me she had been there once with her father to find a part for her Chevrolet Death Tap.
We drove out through the suburbs and I told her I could smell copper through the air vents. I rolled down the window, sniffing and honing in on the location until I could hear the thoughts and sounds of a home renovation underway. Having pinpointed the right street, a few minutes later we were parked at the end of the road. I hissed "Pipes!"
There was a small open dumpster on the kerbside that was overflowing with debris from the construction. We drove by and I stood up, hanging out of the window, to get a good look inside. Bella told me to 'sit the fuck down' and that I looked 'like I was 're-enacting Titanic.' She may have been right in hindsight.
It was almost five in the afternoon so we waited in an adjacent street while I monitored the dumpster and workers, who were packing up for the day. As soon as I heard them leave we trundled back to the spot at an infuriatingly slow pace. It took almost a whole minute!
Luckily it was nearly dark, so we had only to wait until the street was free of pedestrians and the residents were all inside before getting to work. I was as quiet as possible, lifting the broken bathtub off the top of the dumpster and setting it on the street momentarily without drawing any attention. Bella was silent, she knew I was monitoring the surrounding people in case we were spotted and just pointed to a few things she wanted. We got enough copper piping to make the water heater, although it was badly mangled out of shape. We also found more faucets, a mirrored bathroom cabinet, a bathroom extractor fan that could possibly be repaired, a window blind I thought was ugly but took at Bella's insistent pointing, and some off cuts of metal sheeting.
The baby wipes were all gone by the time we reached the junk yard, but my migraine was finally relenting. Bella stroked my hair and asked me if I was calm enough to go inside. I assured her that I was, but upon seeing all the garbage and filth I shrieked in terror. Fortuitously this brought the owner out of his grotto of garbage and Bella spoke to him about getting washing machine parts, some pipes and cables.
We followed the directions to the appropriate junk piles and I hauled out a filthy washing machine with a broken housing. I could see the parts looked fine and smell that the motor had not burned out on this machine, so I lifted it into the truck, pretending to struggle and making Bella giggle at my display. We found the extra pipes we needed and half a spool of electrical wire that would complete the essential materials for the cabin to function. Bella let me pay, I bargained to the lowest price the junk ogre's muddy thoughts told me he would accept, so as to get the best possible deal.
We left the junk yard at six and headed immediately to the closest supermarket so that I could wash my hands. After twenty minutes of scrubbing I had long since emptied all the soap dispensers and had managed to stop hissing, so I emerged from the dank putrid men's room. Bella was waiting with a cart full of baby wipes and hand sanitizer, as well as an air freshener for her truck (thank god!). I paid and she said that since I had been so good it was ok if I drove home, but that I wasn't to destroy the engine in the process. I was ever so pleased at this, Bella is so kind.
She slept on the way home, snoring peacefully with the rumble of the engine as I wound our way back to my house in half the time it would have taken Bella and six times as long as it would take me in the Vanquish.
Bella didn't wake when I unloaded everything into our garage and only awoke when I pulled up in her driveway and gently kissed her cheek. She yawned adorably and looked at the dashboard clock. It was just past seven and Charlie would be home any minute, so I reluctantly left her once she was safely inside.
I have emptied the hot water tank while taking a long shower with something called a Scrub Daddy I picked up at the store earlier. It tickled a bit, but now I am quite shiny! It is almost time to go to Bella's for bedtime. I can hardly wait!
Commenters get a gentle cheek kiss from Edward as they sleep.
I won SECOND PLACE in the public vote of the Song To Story contest, with my oneshot interpreting this month's song, Fire by Sara Bareilles THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who voted for me and to Frannie Walsh for hosting. I'll be posting the oneshot under my own name (the contest is anonymous) so you can find it there. It's called Feel the Cold Before the Fire. I've never entered a contest before, or written anything besides this fic, so having people vote for my story really means so much to me.
This is my 200th chapter of The Journal of Edward Cullen! The next chapter is a special one to celebrate ;)
Thank you to my wonderful readers and the two best betas I could ask for: itsthatkindofanight & and wh1teow1 please show some love and read Moirai, a reimagining of Twilight for the new decade!