While Amanda’s first day at the bike shop was a blur, it was still the best time she’d had in quite a while. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed people. In the densely populated Northern Virginia area, she’d run into strangers nearly every day in some capacity or other. Since moving to North Carolina, she’d only seen a handful of people. Those guys on the construction site had been so nice to her. They were all trying to protect her and make it a good experience for her, but she was tired of being treated delicately.
This time of year the bike shop had shuttles nearly every half-hour for various trailheads and access points. The shuttles were long eighteen-passenger vans and each pulled a trailer for hauling bikes. Customers could show up with their own bike and pay for a shuttle or they could rent a package that included a bike, helmet, and a shuttle.
Once a customer was dropped off, the goal was to ride back to the bike shop, drop off their bike and pick up their vehicle. The bike shop was located right on one of the trails. Customers could literally coast off the trail and into the bay door where the bikes were stored. Most customers understood what they were getting into but, according to Ben, there were always those pampered customers who somehow expected they would be picked up along the trail if they got tired or if it started raining.
They didn’t.
Riding the trails was a true outdoor experience. Customers experienced the weather, the physical exertion, the bugs, and whatever other conditions they encountered on the trail. Despite how unpleasant some might find those conditions, thousands of people a day rode the trails during peak season. Ben’s family didn’t run the only shuttle service in town, and there were enough customers that everyone stayed busy and the businesses had a supportive attitude toward each other.
When Amanda arrived at noon, Ben showed her the handwritten log of bike rentals and shuttles.
“All of those are out already? Today?”
Ben nodded. “I told you it was busy this time of year. We’ve had families on vacations and a couple of children’s camps.”
“Well, I’m ready for it,” Amanda said.
“Did you get anything to eat already?”
“I did,” Amanda said. “I had a two-hour ride then grabbed some lunch on the way in.”
“Great. Sounds like you’re digging the bike.”
Amanda smiled. “I am. Riding these trails in the morning when it’s quiet is incredible. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever done in my life.”
“It is cool. That’s why all these people show up every day. People love the experience.”
“I’m hoping to work my way up to biking all the way to work,” Amanda said.
“You’d be riding home in the dark.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem on these wide railroad trails. I can stick a light on the bike and wear one on my head. I should be fine.”
“If you try it and then don’t feel like riding home, I could always give you a lift,” Ben offered.
“Then I might try it next week. I have to run it by my dad. He’s the paranoid type.”
Ben nodded in understanding.
People trickled in for the next shuttle and Ben walked Amanda through the process. For those who needed bikes, they helped them select an appropriate one and outfitted them with a helmet. Ben also taught her the cash register and credit card processing. Within a few hours, they were working like a well-oiled machine.
At four P.M. she took a half-hour break. She and Ben had to stagger their breaks to provide coverage for the shop so it didn’t present the opportunity for the two of them to hang out in a quieter setting. She walked a few doors down to a sub shop and bought a sandwich. The place was quiet at that time of day and she was able to snag an outdoor table along the nearly empty sidewalk.
She checked her social media accounts and caught up with the lives of her friends back home. Her old friends in her old life, who were going on without her. She liked and commented on their posts, and responded to the messages and comments she’d received on her own posts.
On a whim, she checked to see if Ben was on social media and found he was. She sent him a friend request. Scrolling through the public sections of his social media account, she found a lot of pictures of the outdoors and bike riding, none of which surprised her. Not that she was stalking him, but she didn’t see any pictures of him with a girlfriend, which surprised her.
She texted her dad, knowing he would probably be winding down at the construction site right now.
Amanda: Hey Dad. Love the job. Thanks for letting me take it. Your day OK?
He responded back shortly. She could imagine he was probably packing up tools about this time or making a materials list of the things he needed to bring to the job tomorrow.
Cole: Good day here. Glad you’re enjoying the job. You’re coming straight home when you get off, right?
Amanda: Yes, Dad.
Cole: Good. See you then.
Even if her dad shunned social media, at least he’d adopted texting. She couldn’t imagine having to call people every time you needed to relay information. Nor could she imagine what it must have been like in the old days when you could only call from home. No cell phones, no email, no social media. It was all so primitive. The very idea was as remote to her as the idea of travelling in a horse-drawn wagon.
She texted her friend Raven.
Amanda: What’s up, chica? I’m on break.
Nearly immediately, the phone rang in her hand and startled her.
“That was fast,” she said.
“How’s the job?” Raven said.
“Love it so far.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah, I’m excited. Working with the grumpy old men was kind of funny for a while but I needed a break.”
“No doubt,” Raven said. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too. That why you called?”
“No!” Raven gushed. “I almost forgot. I was talking to my mom about her social media accounts last night.”
“Did you mention my mom?”
“I mentioned you were going back through her account saving pictures.”
“Did you mention you thought she was having an affair?”
“No way,” Raven said, sounding offended. “That shit is personal.”
“I know. That’s why I was asking.”
“Anyway, she told me the social media site everyone used then was called MySpace. It became less popular when some of the other sites came along but she said everyone used to have accounts there. They would post pictures, their favorite songs, all that stuff. It was really old school.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” Amanda said.
“You should check it out and see if she had an account there and if it’s still available.”
“You haven’t checked already?”
“No, I haven’t. But check her married name and check her maiden name. MySpace may go back to before she was married.”
Amanda had never considered what that might look like, finding the things her mother posted before her father came along. “I’ll do that.”
“Tell me how it goes.”
“I tell you everything,” Amanda said. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Good. Love ya, girl.”
“Love you too,” Amanda replied, ending the call.
When she finished her meal she walked back to the shop. Shuttle customers from earlier in the day were arriving in small waves, turning their bikes back in and heading home. She jumped right into action, replacing the rental bikes on the racks and hanging up helmets. The afternoon and evening went fast. There was never too long a period between customers. In fact, she was surprised when Ben told her she could go on home.
She took a quick glance at her phone and saw it was right at eight P.M.
“How’d that happen?” she asked.
“It’s like that in the summer. The days are a blur.”
“It was fun. I liked it.”
“Great,” Ben said with a smile. “The help makes it more manageable. When you’re short-handed around here it can get out of hand pretty quickly. Customers are lined up and they get grumpy because they’re waiting. Shuttle schedules get screwed up. It sucks.”
“Well, I’ll see you same time tomorrow, I guess,” Amanda said.
Ben gave her a little wave. “Drive safe. See you tomorrow.”
Amanda walked back to the Wrangler and got inside. She settled into the seat and sat there for just a moment, letting the experiences of the day coalesce. For some reason, out of habit she supposed, she whipped out her phone and punched the button that would dial her mom.
It rang one time before Amanda realized what she’d done, realized her mother was dead. Realized there would be no more calling her.
She supposed it was because she hadn’t been many places by herself since her mother died. In her old life, it was part of her habit. When she got in the car, she’d call her mother and let her know she was starting home.
That was probably what she was doing now. She’d been planning to tell her mother she was starting home and what a great day she’d had. Sobs erupted from her with such violence it was like an attack of vomiting. There was no preamble, just the sudden rush of full on crying.
Despite the tears blurring her vision, she rushed to start the vehicle and get out of the parking lot. She didn’t want Ben to see her out there and wonder why she was still sitting there. He didn’t need her to see her like this. She wasn’t sure he’d understand. No one could understand unless they’d lost someone this close to them. She hoped he’d never have to understand this.
Never.