June 26, 2020

All week long I was looking forward to Thursday because there was a better than 50/50 chance we’d hear some good news about retrieving our RV, which is in Dallas getting worked on. Still.

This is Week 4 in Smalltown, Arkansas, and I have been ready to leave for about four weeks. I was trying very hard to keep my expectations at bay, and if anyone voiced anything remotely hopeful about Felix being ready to roll today, I’d answer, “I’m from Missouri, so ‘Show Me.’”

It’s been 25 days since we delivered the rig to NIRVC (National Indoor RV Center) for routine maintenance and a couple of repair issues. We had an appointment, so what’s taking so long? I suspect it’s that they sold 50 Class A motorhomes in May—a store record—and I imagine it is a whole lot more profitable for them to prep 50 $400,000 units for delivery than to piddle around with our older rig. But I could be wrong.

Nevertheless, it’s not ready to go today, so we’re not driving to Dallas. Dave was told to call back this afternoon because “they were getting close to being done.” Again, Show Me.

Well, that news was disappointing, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Resigned to remaining here for who-knows-how-much longer, I passed the time by watching TV for a little bit and then went outside and FaceTimed with my granddaughter, Maeby, something we do a few times a week. She is a ray of sunshine and talking with her always lifts my spirits.

When I came back inside the house, Dave’s face said it all. There was some bad news to tell me. He had just learned that a friend of ours had died that morning from the coronavirus.

I couldn’t believe it! For some reason, I’d just been thinking about Hugh and Mary Jane earlier this week for some reason. I didn’t know why; maybe it’s because she had posted on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that they just celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary. There was a photo of them on their wedding day, she looking radiant in her wedding gown and he sporting a big, white cowboy hat, looking every bit the handsome Southern gentleman he was. They were happily retired and were just enjoying life together. Who could have ever predicted that just a couple weeks later he’d be gone?

We originally met them last March when were making our way back to Kentucky from Texas. They are also RVers and part of a network of hosts who generously offer overnight space at their property at no cost to RV travelers passing through. We stayed a couple of days at their little slice of heaven, nestled amongst the pine trees in southern Mississippi. Hugh and MJ could not have been more hospitable. You think I have a big smile? Hugh’s made mine seem small.

And then last summer, we had a serendipitous reunion at the campground where Dave and I worked. They had driven over to the Land Between the Lakes from the RV park in Eddyville that they were staying at to check out Hillman Ferry, having no idea whatsoever that that was where we were. I remember how happy it made me to see Hugh and MJ again—they were the nicest people. We had short but very sweet visit, and then they went on their way.

It angers me that the Covid-19 guidelines have all been discarded by many as though life has returned back to normal when statistics clearly prove otherwise. The war against the invisible enemy is far from over. I’m sad that it took my friend’s life when he had so much living left to do, and the thought of his grief-stricken wife breaks my heart. I’m grateful to a certain friend who called this morning to check on me. She asked me to tell her about what kind of person Hugh was, and after I told her she said, “Well, I guess God needed another angel.” Those words of comfort were exactly what I needed to hear.

There’s so much that isn’t making sense these days. Not just in my little world, but everywhere, it seems. I feel like I can’t do much more than pray, which I’m doing more and more. And I’m not even religious. But it’s the only thing I can think of to do when there’s nothing else I can do.

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on Felix. Until next time…Peace and Hugs. -Maria