40 comments/ 79354 views/ 42 favorites Two Ordinary People By: Dinsmore I received an anonymous challenge as follows: "Could you do something similar for 'little people', poor, struggling, problem ridden, ordinary looking, etc. Not going from victory to victory, but overcoming defeat after defeat. Ending not with wealth but a contribution of note to society." Within reason---yes. Recognize that regardless of their apparent station in life or their collective maladies and malfunctions, characters who are bland, ordinary, consumed by problems often of their own making, determined to be victims and wholly unremarkable are not very interesting characters to write about from my perspective. The idea that creating wealth is somehow failing to make a "contribution of note to society" is indicative of the of anti-hero "mediocre works for me" left wing socialist culture that has taken hold of our society and I reject it. While it's your right to jealously despise the very successful among us, to dismiss them as failing to contribute is simply wrong. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sam Walton, Ted Turner and even Donald Trump individually and collectively will have been shown to have made a far more notable contribution to society than the Dali Lama and Mother Teresa. Certainly their contributions have been more tangible and less symbolic. They created enterprise, jobs and technologies and brought important benefits to those at every rung on the social ladder. So this is a story about two relatively ordinary people facing real issues and dealing with the setbacks of life head on. I believe they have nobility and an ability to grow as individuals. They refuse to be victims or blame everyone other than themselves for their misfortunes. On the other hand to make them completely unattractive and unredeemable would make them unappealing and not very interesting to explore. I've been at both ends of the socio-economic spectrum from penniless to flush; I've enjoyed gleaming successes and dismal failures. I'll take ownership for both. An elder relative who I admired once said, "Diarrhea is real but I certainly don't want to read about it." Fiction is intended to create hopes and dreams and possibilities. "Real" is well covered on the evening news; I don't need or desire to be tied to it in my writing efforts. * * * * * "Hey Jack, is Jan around?" "Sure, Rod...what's the matter, something wrong with your lunch?" "Not a chance, Jack, fantastic as usual. I just wanted to chat with her for a few minutes." *** "Hey Rod, how's my favorite customer doing today?" "Oh, I bet you say that to all the guys Jan!" "I'm serious as hell. You are both my best and my favorite customer. You were one of our first; you spread the word among your friends and neighbors. Seventy percent of the lunch trade is from the company you work for. You even helped us get a regular catering business with your employer. You're a local, loyal customer...it doesn't get much better than that." "Hell, Jan, you've got the best wings anywhere, fresh Guinness on tap---not to mention an excellent assortment of draught and bottled beer. Everything on your menu is excellent. I like the atmosphere. It's close to home and work and your bartenders are a great group and good at their jobs. It's always a friendly, neighborly atmosphere. Your waitresses are efficient, fun and I'd have to say with no exceptions...adorable." "What do you do for a living over there at that big building Rod?" "Push paper in a mind numbing little cubicle; answer the phone and deal with pissed off people. I'm just another faceless employee number greasing the wheels of industry. If I didn't show up I'm not sure anyone would even notice." "What's on your mind?" "It's personal, Jan. Look you know me well enough to know that I've never been inappropriate with your girls past a little harmless flirting. They're all sweet; there is one in particular who I've gotten into the habit of tipping well more than twenty percent and I..." "Shelly?" "Shelly." "What's your interest in Shelly, Rod? She's commented on the tips and I've seen the way you look at her...follow her with your eyes. She is hands down my best bartender and waitress. Look, if you're looking for a little fun, a good time, well...I don't think Shelly's your girl." "Why would you say that?" "Look, Rod, nothing personal but you don't strike me as the 'one girl' kind of guy. I mean you often bring a girl in with you on the weekends, never the same twice, as I recall and while most of them are reasonably attractive..." "They're all pretty trashy?" "Uh, huh. And there is nothing remotely trashy about Shelly. This is a part time job for her; she does it to make a little extra cash and because she enjoys it. Her regular job is teaching elementary school. She has a heart of gold...the classic, 'good hearted woman'. She's been fucked over a couple of times by guys...who might be like you? She's not a trollop and she's not looking for a roll in the hay. Nor is she interested in being some jerk's trophy or arm piece." "Is she seeing anyone?" "Rod, I like you but I love that little girl. You're an okay looking guy and I'm sure you have no trouble getting laid. I would ask you not to consider Shelly as another notch on your bed post." "Jan...I like Shelly...I would like to get to know her. Look! I was in love once...head over heels. It didn't work out well at all. Over the last few years, well, you hit it on the head. I haven't been interested in anything remotely serious. The trashier they are the less chance they're ever going to pull on my heart strings. It's gotten old. I'm ready to jump back into the game...take a chance and I..." "Damn, Rod, I actually believe you...but if you fuck over that little girl I will personally remove one of your most valued appendages. She is the real deal and I'm still not completely convinced that you are good enough for her. I'm not excited about regular customers dating the staff. What possessed you to ask me?" "I don't know, I wanted to know a little bit more about her...if she was dating anyone...you know. I also kinda' wanted to ask if it was alright for me to...ask her out." "I'm not planning to let this become a regular practice and I'm still not completely comfortable with it. Do you go to church, Rod?" "Not as often as I should but I get there now and again." "Well, Shelly gets there a lot more often than that; she teaches Sunday school at this church." Jan said, scribbling the name of a church on a cocktail napkin. "If you want to get to know her, start there. And for Christ's sake, Rod, be honest! Don't feed her a line. When you see her there---tell her the truth as in, 'Jan told me you attended this church and I came here to get to know you a little better'...agreed? 'Cause if you lie to her...well let me put it this way, I'm going to tell her you expressed an interest in her and tell her that I told you where she attends church. She thinks you're an okay guy, beyond that, Shelly is not the kind of girl who falls for a man easily. You're going to have to prove your worth and convince her---and me for that matter---that you really do have honorable intentions. I don't know if the two of you will even find much in common. I don't sense you're cut from the same cloth. I'll say it again...I'm not sure you're good enough for her...she is a kind, honest, thoughtful, sweet, loving and unique woman, not a flash in the pan. She's pure gold." "Yes ma'am." Before Sunday came Friday arrived. Events made the pursuit of the adorable young Shelly and her sweet young hips a back burner project. What was it about her? She was cute but certainly not beautiful. Her hips were a little too broad and her tits were nothing to write home about. She was anything but the long legged, bubble butted '"snakes" he was normally attracted to. Her eyes...her smile...her voice? "Rod, I'm really sorry. The whole department is going to be outsourced. Those that are within two years of retirement, have unique skills or advanced training or are considered part of a 'protected' group will be offered opportunities to interview for other jobs within the corporation. You do not fall into any of those groups." "Where's the outsourcing company going to operate?" "New Mexico. We're not offering any travel or relocation and frankly that's a labor surplus market out there...and..." "And?" "Rod, like I said, I like you. I told you three years ago to get into night school and work on an advanced degree; to my knowledge you haven't done so. You're always on time--- never early---and you leave at the stroke of five. The big boss frankly doesn't even know who you are. You never really garnered any attention upstairs. You came here, a 'C' student from an unremarkable regional university. I know your extra curricular activities---you coach for the youth league I seem to recall---are very important to you but there never was a clear indication of where your priorities were. You never caused any problems and did your job adequately. You never volunteered for any of the restructuring task forces. Look, I'd like you to stay on until the end of the month. There's a small severance; its ten weeks, or two weeks for each year. Your benefits under ERISA will run out pretty quickly after your last day. You are fully vested in your 401k but not in the pension program. There is a contract with an outplacement firm to help you get back on your feet. I know this is probably a little disconcerting but you're young, you don't have a family to support and I'm sure you come out okay." "Do you mind if I go home now...an hour early?" "Not at all." "Thanks. I'll see you Monday." As Rod sat in the reasonably nice apartment which he realized he would soon have to vacate, he reviewed his assets and liabilities. He had few of either; his four year old truck was paid for. He owned a small plot of land just past the edge of town that hadn't really appreciated but he'd paid it off and thought maybe someday he'd build a house on it. He had a few toys he could sell. He didn't have any credit card debt and had paid off his student loan only a month earlier. He basically lived from pay check to paycheck, saving very little and having very little to show for the money he had made over the previous five years. He had a youth league game to get to. He stopped to chat with the director of the youth league, a man old enough to be his father. He brought him up to speed on his employment situation. "Rod, I don't know if you are interested and it sure as hell isn't enough to live on but the guy who mows the playing fields...well, he was illegal and he got deported and the board went ape shit when they found out we were employing illegal labor. I can't pay you much more than minimum wage; there's probably less than twenty hours a week. We have decent mowing equipment so you wouldn't have to provide any of your own stuff." "I'll take it." Rod replied without a second thought. Saturday he drove out to his property; it amounted to just under ten acres. Not remotely suitable for agriculture but, he had always thought, very suitable for a home. It was hillside property with a decent stand of old growth pine. He'd paid a little less than two thousand dollars an acre for it. He'd check with the building department Monday and see what the zoning issues might be. Sunday he went to church...Shelly's church. He had grown up being dragged to a church much like this one, even the same denomination. In spite of his travails he felt pretty good about life after the religious service...no job...no money...no girl...but what the hell. He stayed after the service for the free lunch. He spoke to Shelly; she joined him. "Jan told me you might come; I'm glad you did...thank you. What exactly do you do for a living again?" "Not much of anything right now; I just got downsized." Rod proceeded to fill her in on all the details including his new status as lawnmower man. "Rod, I'm so sorry. I'm a little surprised that you seem to be taking it so well...maybe it just hasn't hit you yet." "Shelly, I was not exactly the employee of the week or a rising star in the organization. I came in at nine, left at five and took my full hour for lunch. I did my job, probably no better than adequately, but I was never into it. Frankly I hated it and did the minimum required to stay employed and not much more. I spent too many nights at Jan's pub when I should have been going to night school to get an advanced degree. I didn't graduate from Harvard; I was a 'C' student at a regional university that no one has ever heard of with a BA in liberal arts. I was far more devoted to coaching Youth League sports than being a corporate animal. I don't have much on either side of the line, debt or equity but nor do I have a family, mortgage or whatever. I'll figure something out." Pursuing Shelly would unfortunately not be something he sensed he'd have much time for in the foreseeable future. He was unemployed, didn't have two dimes to rub together and was rapidly facing the realization that, to date, he hadn't made much of his life. He knew very well that he had absolutely nothing to offer her or anyone else for that matter. He went to the county offices over his lunch hour on Monday. "So here's the property on the map...here's the plot. I'm kind of wondering if I can put a trailer up there---to live in. I've got to vacate my apartment in a few weeks." "You're outside the city and it's more than five acres. It's zoned agriculture. If you actually build something on it you'd need permits but a temporary structure such as a trailer...I don't see any problem. A year down the road there might be some raised eyebrows as it would begin to appear other than temporary. Are you planning to ultimately build up there?" "I'd like to, but right now I've got to get a job...just got downsized and..." "Have you ever done any construction work?" "I worked construction during the summers in college; my dad was a carpenter and I'm pretty good with tools." "I don't know what you're looking for son, but the inspection department has a part time opening. It doesn't pay that well and there are no benefits. You'd be high on the list if an inspector position comes open. Of course you'd need to go to school and get certified. The county would pay for that if you are hired full time and in this state the tuition is pretty low; they evaluate your wages and charge accordingly. You need to be finger printed and take a drug test---and a basic reading and writing test. I can give you the application." "I'd like that." "We're open until six; after you return the application we'll send you to the lab to pee in a cup." Rod finished the application while waiting between phone calls back in his cubicle. He was pretty sure no one gave a damn. He was back at the building department by five fifteen. He took the fifteen minute literacy test and drove down the street to piss in the cup. He then drove over to the jail and got finger printed. He dropped all the required paper work off at the building department the next morning before work. "You're probably the most qualified applicant we have; no criminal record, questionable citizenship status or whatnot. By the way, do you have a trailer or are you looking for one?" "Looking." "Well, the builders always have several when they work a new development; they generally sell them off cheap rather than move them when the development is complete. You'd need to do a little rework inside to make it suitable for a home but they're well maintained. There's a builder a couple of miles this side of where your property is that I'm pretty sure still has one to sell. It wouldn't cost an arm and a leg to get it moved; you might have to do a little maintenance but other than that..." "Great, thanks! When might I hear about the job?" "I'll call you on your cell but by the end of the week, I would think." Over lunch, Rod went out to see if he could buy an inexpensive trailer. The builder was a decent guy; Rod quickly related his situation. The builder asked him questions obviously designed to determine whether he was full of shit. Evidently he passed. "So you've done some construction work!" "Yes sir." "We're moving our crews to a new site. I need someone part time who can handle complaints from new home owners. Most times it as simple as not knowing where the GFCI reset is, a loose pipe under the sink...minor stuff. The simple stuff you fix---if it's more extensive, you write it up and call it in and we send out a regular tradesman based on the problem. It's part time, it's evenings and it doesn't pay that well nor have any benefits. We'll put your name on a business card that says, 'Associate Builder' and I'll give you a cell phone and a basic tool box. As I said, after hours, probably no better than twenty hours a week." "I'm in!" Life for Rod continued albeit a very different life than he might have foreseen a scant few weeks earlier. The builder virtually gave him the trailer. Since he only had to move it a couple of miles it didn't end up costing much to get it moved. He enrolled at JC in the building inspection certification classes. Using his pickup truck he gradually moved all of his things to the trailer for which he had built a rudimentary block foundation. He had no water, sewer or electricity. Power came first. He was shocked to find out what it would cost him to get electricity to his trailer from the nearest transformer. "Wow! I don't have that kind of money. Isn't there any way to get it done cheaper?" "Well, you could rent a ditcher, buy the underground cable from us or anywhere you want to but we don't mark it up, lay the cable and stub it out, install the meter according to code..." "I just started working for the county code department..." "That'll help, I would think you could get it signed off for a heck of a lot less than the normal fee or even for free. Anyway, you do the grunt work and our guy comes in, checks that you hooked the meter up correctly and then ties in to the transformer." "How much less?" "A hell of a lot less...five hundred to a thousand?" "As opposed to five grand? I can handle this." The next Friday he begged a Ditch Witch™ from his builder-boss. By nine o'clock that evening he was done. Three days later he had electrical service. The following Friday was his last day sitting in a cubicle as his former job officially ended. Life fell into a routine. Sunday morning he'd mow grass, then clean up and it was back to church and Shelly; Sunday afternoon he mowed the remainder of the Youth League fields. Monday morning and ever weekday morning it was off to JC for classes. Monday afternoon like every weekday afternoon he was on the clock for the building inspection department. Each evening from roughly six to ten he was answering panic calls from new home owners. His job with the county involved checking up on building sites to be sure that the builders were correctly following their permit schedule; he was not yet a real building inspector but his boss and the other generally older inspectors cared enough to show him the ropes. He'd spend at least an hour a day on his own time following a real inspector around to learn the tricks and traps. It was on one such ride along that the subject of sewage came up. "Rod, a licensed contractor is going to hit you eight grand to install a code correct sewage system. Now there's roughly a grand in materials and a lot of sweat work but it's the EPA certification that you end up paying for---often a quarter of the cost. Legally, you can do the work on your own property as long as it's to code---and all that information is in detail back at the office. You'd need a half a day of dozer or Bobcat™ time depending on the soil. You have to have percolation samples run but that's not a big deal in these parts. A few hundred bucks worth of perforated tile and the concrete tank---the most expensive part. I do have a friend who is in that business and I'm sure he'd sell you the materials at cost or slightly above. He usually has some concrete tanks lying around that while still serviceable have a nonfunctional flaw that a developer wouldn't accept." Two Ordinary People Two weeks later, Rod had a functioning septic system installed on his property and connected to the trailer. His severance pay was dwindling rapidly. He'd borrowed a small dump truck and gotten the builder rate from the nearby gravel quarry for the gravel required. He found a sewage contractor who had done some county work who signed off on the EPA piece for a hundred dollars cash. One of the inspectors he had traveled with signed off on the project for the county. He had a toilet...he just didn't have any water to flush it with. The builder he worked for called and said he'd come over and pick up the Bobcat™ to save Rod a trip since he needed it not far from Bob's property the next day. "Have you a water source? There ain't a municipal line within miles." "I guess I'm ultimately going to have to drill a well but I can't afford it right now. I did pick up a used glass lined storage tank and I'm pricing tanker delivery. I don't need potable water yet, just a way to take a quick shower and flush the John." "This is limestone country; a hill like this has to have one or more springs on it. You might have to dig a little but usually you can find a damp area and..." And they did find a damp area. Fifteen minutes later the Bobcat ™ had excavated a small pool...and the pool was slowly filling with water. Another half an hour with shovels and the two men had found the rock-surrounded source of the water. They both sampled the clear cold flow. It was sweet and pure. "Rod, you'll want to take a sample over to the extension and have it checked but there's no earthly reason why a source this far up should be anything but e coli free. Look, my mom and dad had a setup off of a spring like this up on their farm in Michigan. You need to drop a catch basin in right below the water flow, and then pipe it down to the house with a storage cistern in between---well, hell, your used storage tank will handle it! I'd put the tank up here and pipe down to the trailer---it should give you excellent water pressure. You'll want to be sure to trench below the frost line so I guess you're going to be borrowing my Ditch Witch™ again next weekend?" And then came Sunday and church and lunch with Shelly. It was the closest thing Rod had to down time. She was adorable...her smile...so damn nice. She came over to the Youth League field that afternoon and brought him cold, sweet tea. She was becoming his friend...he was sure they were friends. He was also very sure that she deserved better than he could ever give her. Jan had been right; Shelly was a precious jewel...pure gold...and he was a loser living in a used construction trailer without running water. He had three part time jobs and absolutely no future. He wasn't good enough for her and came to the conclusion that it would be unfair to pursue her. But Sunday church...lunch after...she came and watched him coach...he wanted her so desperately but knew it just wasn't going to happen. Monday afternoon when he drove up to his trailer after his county work he was shocked to find that someone had dug a 48" deep trench from the spring down to the trailer and left a suitable load of PVC pipe. A note from his builder employer said simply, "I had another job over this way anyway and the PVC was left over from a job site." Friends...the people he had once worked with in that big building...were they his friends? None of them had spoken to him since he left. Of course they had their own issues to deal with but he had to accept the fact that no one he had formerly worked with had really been a friend. One or two of the other coaches were, "part time" friends, share a beer at Jan's, slap each other on the back and then home to their families. Not one had ever invited him to their house for dinner. He didn't know what their spouses looked like. As the weeks rolled on and turned into months he realized who his friends were. The older guys down at the building inspection department who genuinely cared about his progress and gave of their own time to help him learn the job. They had all invited him to their homes, shared their dinner table with him and made him feel like family. The builder he worked for. A guy he was taking classes with who might someday be his workmate and who had suffered a similar fate at the hands of corporate America. He was starting to forge friendships at Shelly's---his—church. He had joined the church and was now a regular member. The old fella' that ran the youth league who always looked out for him. He had decided to pass on the corporation's outplacement; he had attended one meeting and it felt like an AA session. He'd didn't need psychobabble and was pretty sure he didn't belong in another cubicle. And then there was Shelly... "I want to see where you live, Rod." "Babe, I live in a trailer...a used trailer outside of town. There's not much to see and I'm not really set up for entertainment." "First, thank you for calling me babe! In all the weeks and months that you and I have sat here on a Sunday having lunch together you never once showed any real sign that you were..." "Interested in you as more than a friend?" "Yeah." "Trust me, that was not my intent on day one. I had every intention of chasing you until I caught you. It used to be that I couldn't take my eyes off of you at Jan's...only went there when I knew you were working. What am I talking about, I still can't take my eyes off of you! When you would bring me my Guinness and smile, my little heart skipped a beat. But, I got canned and now I'm holding down three jobs including mowing grass for a living and...oh, Shelly I like you a lot! I mean I thought you were the most adorable and cutest girl I'd ever met. I had no idea until I started coming to church here and we got to know each other how really amazing and special you are. You deserve the world, the moon and the stars! You should never have to settle for anything less than the very best. I like you too much, love you---as a friend---to let you end up with..." "With you?" "That's about the size of it." "Don't I get any say in this?" "What...what do you mean?" "Rod, I remember the first time I met you at the bar. I wasn't very impressed to be brutally honest. You were almost thirty years old and you were still playing...still being a kid. You didn't take anything terribly seriously. You were nice, not unattractive but always a little too quick with the glib line and the fake smile for my taste. I wasn't that excited when Jan told me you were, 'interested' because I wasn't. I really didn't expect to discover any real substance...values...principles. 'Never judge a book by its cover' my granddaddy always said. You've grown up a lot in the last few months since you lost your job. You may live in a trailer and hold down three part time jobs but I'll take the Rod sitting across from me right now any day over the 'old' Rod." "Okay...I have a bunch of Youth League grass to go mow. I should be done by six, I did half of it this morning before church. I just realized I don't even know where you live! I can..." "Rod, I assume you have some way to cook in your trailer? I'll pick up something for dinner; we'll cook dinner together---at your place. Here!" Shelly drew Rod a quick map. "It's the house at the end of the street, old and small but a house with a real yard...I hate apartments. Pick me up whenever you get done---grass, sweat and all. You can clean up while I start dinner. We're actually going---after nine months---on a date." Rod arrived a little after six and helped Shelly load a cooler and picnic basket in the bed of his truck. She was wearing a sun dress and sandals; her blond hair was in a pony tail and she wore no makeup. His heart skipped a beat. She leaned across the seat and kissed him...her soft, warm hand caressed his face...he knew he was in serious trouble. It was their first kiss. *** "Oh my God, Rod! It's beautiful...the view....the trees...I had no idea. The way you talked you were living on a vacant lot next to the dump...not that it would have mattered. But this is unbelievable!" Shelly was ecstatic...giddy...grinning from ear to ear and her smile lit up the entire hill side. They carried the food into the trailer. Rod had reworked the entire interior to make it resemble a home not a construction office. He'd acquired a lot of extra unused decorating materials from his friend and employer and done a very good job of giving the single wide a sense of style. "Wow!" "Wow?" "I'm hiring you as my decorator...did you do all of this yourself?" He nodded. "I'm going to clean up. When I get back I'll give you a walking tour of Rod's ten acre hillside before it gets too dark." "Is the water safe to drink?" "Not only pristine but possibly the best water I've ever had; it comes from a spring about a hundred yards away. I'll show you after I change." By the time Rod had showered and changed Shelly had finished prepping everything for dinner. "I need ten minutes notice and we can eat. Let's get that tour you promised." "What's that over there?" "Well, it's the beginning of a dream. I think the county is going to take me on full time in the next few weeks. I passed my certification test and have completed all of the course work to be a building inspector. Starting pay isn't close to what I used to make in the 'big box' but my cost of living has decreased substantially and I gather there is an overtime opportunity. I may just keep cutting grass, I enjoy it and they sort of depend on me. I'm probably going to have to quit working for the builder. It might even be a conflict of interest but it's every week night and...who knows. Anyway, once I have a real job I'm thinking of building a house up here. What you see is the foundation...I've already stubbed out the utilities to the foundation. At the proper time it won't be a big deal to run the water, power and sewer lines over. I'd like to buy one of those Log Cabins 'in a box' and construct it on that site. The only problem is, I won't be able to afford the whole 'box' so I'm going to have to do it in pieces as I get some cash...one log at a time." "That's a big foundation...how big is this thing going to be?" "It's going to be a one story with very high ceilings and if you notice, part of it will be full basement and part crawl space. The idea is, I can add on to it without doing additional foundation work. Certainly under 1,500 SF to start but the foundation work would ultimately enable me to double it. It'll take me a year to build it alone, part time but at least I've got a roof over my head while I'm working on it." "I own my home outright. That's why I first started working at the bar so I could pay off the mortgage. It's nothing special but it's all mine." "Yeah, well you were the smart, practical little piggy and I was the moron who paid rent for five years and ended up with nothing to show for it." "Possibly not a mistake you will make again?" Shelly chided. After an incredible dinner Rod and Shelly sat on the couch together. Their arms were soon intertwined. The warm softness of her sweet lips addled his brain and took his breath away. Her scent made him almost gasp. Very unlike the old Rod he cooled things down just as they were leading in a certain direction...the direction of his bed. "Oh, Shelly, you do not have any idea how much I want to..." He gently broke their embrace. "Uh, uh...we're not going there...not tonight...not now...I'm taking you home before I do something I will regret." "Don't you want to..." "Take you to bed? Make love to you until the sun comes up? Hell yes! Look babe I don't know if there is a chance for us. Right now I'm pretty sure I don't deserve you but if there's the slightest chance that I can ever be the man you deserve...I don't want to screw this up...I know I couldn't deal with losing you as a friend." "Very sweet, Rod. I was very ready to take the short walk to your bed. Don't sell yourself short. Thank you for the respect...being a caring friend. Just know that I want to see you again...explore the possibilities." Rod walked Shelly to her door and carried the cooler and basket inside. They kissed and held each other at the door. Not staying in Shelly's arms was the hardest thing Rod had done in a very long time. Monday evening Rod got a call to attend to some home owner's problem in the upscale section of the new development which he was responsible for. He had rung the door bell and was waiting for a response. The man who answered seemed frazzled and befuddled. He didn't recognize Rod; Rod recognized him. It was his old boss's boss, the "big boss". "Thank you for getting here so quickly! My wife is going bananas. The electricity seems to be out in the bathroom and the kitchen...I've check the circuit breakers...I don't know what the hell is wrong." "Let me take a quick look." Rod had dealt with this problem innumerable times. "Your wife wasn't by any chance drying her hair, ironing or using one of those curler warmers before the problem occurred, was she?" "Why yes, as I think about it, probably all three!" "Okay, well first let's be sure all three are turned off and unplugged." Rod knew that the electricians his builder employed were liberal in their installation of GFCI circuits and that it was not uncommon to find a bathroom wall socket that was GFCI protected not only at the socket but upstream at another point in the wiring, often in another bathroom. It was overkill and not remotely unsafe but it rendered that particular circuit very sensitive to power fluctuation and GFCI worked by sensing minor differences in the current entering versus leaving an appliance. You had to find the tripped GFCI the farthest "upstream" and closest to the main panel box and reset that one first before any of the ones down stream would reset. The answer was in the upstairs guest bathroom. Once he reset that one the one in the master bath reset without problem. He then quickly tested each circuit to determine which sockets were on different GFCI streams. "All three of those appliances are high current draws with variable and highly fluctuating demand." The executive's wife had joined the party. "In the master bath not every wall socket takes the same path to the main box or the same circuit breaker. The electricians anticipated this type of appliance load so if you plug the hair dryer in here and then the warmer over here, you should be fine. The iron needs to be someplace else possibly in this hallway connecting the bed and bath." It had taken under five minutes to fix and explain the problem. The homeowner and his wife thanked him profusely and the man walked him to the door, even trying to slip him some cash which he politely refused. "I can't thank you enough. We're going to a special party and...I swear you look familiar, have we ever met?" "We have sir; I used to work in a department under you...the one that was out sourced about ten months ago. There's no reason you should remember me. I was not a very remarkable employee...nothing special." "I'm really sorry about..." "Don't be! Look, right now I'm holding down three part time jobs, going to school to get a professional certification and living in a single wide but I'm fine---happier than I've ever been in my life, albeit dirt poor. Frankly I hated my job. I spent all day listening to phone calls or reading emails from unhappy people. Unfortunately I had no power or authority to ever solve their problems. If their problems ever were resolved no one ever told me. All I did was document and refer. I went home every day miserable and had to drag myself to work the next morning---never one minute earlier than required. In contrast, while I do admit to missing the paycheck, you are smiling, your wife is happy and I was able to fix your problem in a matter of minutes, therefore, I am smiling. Here's my card. I work every weeknight from six to ten. I've written my cell phone on the back so you can call me directly rather than calling the work desk. I only work in this development so I'm never that far away. Call me if you have any problems with your beautiful new home. Good night." Life was good, Rod thought to himself as he headed to the next homeowner with a crisis. Life gradually got even better. An opening occurred at the inspection office; Rod once again had a real job with a real paycheck and decent benefits...and he loved his work. The boss said it would be okay for him to keep working for the builder as long as he didn't personally sign off on that builders work sites. Since his builder friend was building a new development one county over there was little chance of conflict. He invited his builder boss out for a beer and wings at Jan's. He hadn't been there in close to a year. Shelly was working; she waited on them. Rod introduced them. "That's very obviously a very special friend you have there, kid...you've got good taste." As Rod began to talk, leading up to telling this man who had become a real friend that it was close to time for him to quit he also told him about Shelly...where they were in their relationship...where he was in life...where he had been. "Rod, I've been there. Twenty years ago I went to work for a big national builder and ended up locked away in a windowless little office in the basement. I hated it and it showed and they let me go. I was devastated...wasn't sure I would make it. I took a job as a miscellaneous carpenter with another builder. It wasn't easy but this year I'll build and sell close to one hundred units and I love what I do and the people I work with. I'm not a millionaire but my wife still works and we're just fine. In terms of your little lady friend...she obviously likes you...a lot. Don't dawdle...don't let that kind of woman slip away. You'll regret it for the rest of your life. I've been there too. You're going to quit on me, aren't you?" "It's funny...I really don't want to. I love this shit! I go home at night and I've accomplished something---solved peoples problems, simple to us, earth shaking at the moment for them. Even with the full time job with the county I won't make anything close to what I used to and I could use the money but I need a life again and if I'm going to ever have any chance with that adorable little blond..." "What are your hours going to be with the county?" "Monday through Friday, seven to three thirty with half an hour for lunch which I don't have to take if I don't want to. I'm still cutting grass which I also enjoy but now hopefully I can get some of it done during the week." "Look, my wife works in corporate America; she doesn't need to anymore---she likes to. While her job is technically nine to five she leaves the house at seven and doesn't get home until six. She takes her job and her company very seriously and I love her for it. Try this on for size. I cut back your hours and increase your pay. You've done such a good job in that development that the call load had dramatically decreased. You leave the county job, work for me from say, four to six and I'll pay you more for fewer hours than I'm paying you now. I'll trust you on the clock; if you get there a little early, or get done a little early that's fine. In return if there's a new homeowner in crisis mode you work a little longer. You've got a good way with people and you're saving me the money of having to send a tradesman over who often doesn't have the people skills you have. What do you say?" Rod said yes. Now he was wondering if his third job was one he could afford to keep. The money wasn't anything special but it was cash flow. He was having second thoughts. The director of the youth league helped him make the decision the next evening. "I've got something to show you, Rod." He said as the walked behind the League office. "I convinced the board we needed to upgrade. What do you think?" Two Ordinary People "You are kidding! That's a real tractor, the genuine John Deere; that'll cut the mowing time in half...which does bring up a touchy subject..." "I know. You got a real job again. Look, you do a great job and you are as much an integral part of this League's family as anyone. I sold the board on a contract arrangement as opposed to hourly. Flat rate contract which is more than your bringing in now, not a lot but still more and you can get the job done in half the time. Please say yes; this league needs people like you around." Rod said yes. As the first year anniversary of Rod's new life came around, he rented a equipment trailer and purchased himself an anniversary present. He bought and laid the first log on what would someday be his log cabin home. It was during the weeks leading up to that event that two other things happened that represented major mile stones. Rod and Shelly had advanced in their explorations on his old couch. Their ardor had dramatically increased as the amount of clothing they ended up with decreased equally dramatically. On one of the last nights in which their activities would be relegated to the couch and after both had shed their final garments he made love to her with his mouth, kneeling at her feet, almost dizzy from the effect of her musky female essence. Without comment she had reversed their positions and taken his hard cock in her warm, wet little mouth. She had teased him...taken him to the edge so many times and brought him back before finally engulfing his painfully hard cock and sucking him dry. He had pulled her to him...making love to her mouth...she had whimpered...her breathing was almost a series of little gasps. She took him by the hand and led him to his own bedroom. And they made love. Rod and Shelly spent more and more evenings and nights together more often than not on Rod's hillside rather than in her house. Life fell into a comfortable routine. He worked his three jobs and she worked her two during the school year. They became friends with other couples not unlike them, some married, some not. Some of them were friends that Shelly worked with, others friends that Rod worked with. Most often an evening's entertainment occurred at someone's home. Rod had never felt happier or luckier in his young life. One Saturday morning as he awoke before Shelly after another incredible night together he examined his financial situation as the coffee brewed. Even with three jobs he wasn't making what he once had. Still, his living expenses had dramatically decreased. No more rent due at the first of the month on an over priced apartment. Utilities amounted to electricity and his cell phone. He seldom if ever drank the evening away at Jan's or spent money on junk and toys. Eating out was a thing of the past. He had to chuckle as he realized that in spite of everything he actually had some savings...a new experience for him. He enjoyed his jobs and liked the people he encountered and worked with. He had real friends for possibly the first time in his life. He had a real girl friend...an amazing woman...and it was time to move that relationship up to the next level. Shelly came out of the bedroom. He couldn't help staring. "I didn't mean to wake you babe. I was going to let you sleep in." "I never could stay in bed when the smell of fresh coffee was in the air. What are you doing?" Rod just kept staring. "You are so damn beautiful." "My legs are too short, my tits are too small, my hips are too big..." "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I love your legs, your tiny tits and your amazing rear. Don't change a thing for me. You're perfect just the way you are." "You are prejudiced and not remotely objective." "I love you." "I love you too baby and I love to hear you tell me that. You do often when we're...fucking. It means even more when I'm sleepy eyed and my hair is a mess and I need a shower." Shelly settled in beside him on the small banquet with her cup of coffee. "I'm just going over my financial situation. I've actually got a little money saved for the first time in my life. I'm not flush by any means and I'm holding down three jobs." "Show me." Shelly looked at the numbers. "I'm impressed! That'll buy a few logs!" "Well, I was thinking more in the direction of a ring and..." "No!" "Huh?" "Oh I'm not saying no, that getting married to you hasn't crossed my mind. I'm saying no, don't spend your savings on a ring. It's not what's important right now...to either of us." "But...when a guy and a girl..." "If you're nudging up your courage to ask me to marry you, you don't need an expensive ring to close the deal. There are a few things you need to know before we get there...some things you don't about me...my childhood." "I love you. There couldn't be anything about you that would make me not love you." "Maybe...maybe not. You listen and I'm going to talk. You might have noticed that I don't talk about my family...my parents very much. You need to know that I have no idea, nor do I really care any more who my father is or was. My mother had me out of wedlock; she was a tramp, plain and simple. She had other issues dealing with life. She would dump me off on relatives for long stretches of time. I even spent time in foster care. She seemed to get her life together and wanted me back; she had finally found a man to marry her. That man..." Shelly's eyes filled with tears. "Baby, it's okay." Rod said holding her. "It's not okay, Rod. My stepfather began to touch me at a young age...he raped me the first time when I was only thirteen. She knew it was happening and didn't do anything to stop it. I tried to talk to people about it...teachers and such but no one seemed willing or able to do anything. There was only one person that seemed to believe me and offered any kind of help. There was a resource officer at the school, a cop, a much older guy, older by at least a couple of decades than my mother. He put me in touch with someone at children's services who listened and gave a damn. You know how it works...he said, she said...unless there is proof...catch him in the act...medical examination immediately following. The resource officer gave me his phone number...told me to call him night or day. My stepfather started drinking every night and beating on mom. Usually that would be followed by a trip to my bedroom...he'd rape me repeatedly...sodomize me...make me do very bad things. Then one night, just after my sixteenth birthday I made the decision to stop being a victim...I..." Shelly was almost sobbing. "This isn't easy Rod; it's been years since I talked about it." "Go on, sweetheart... it's okay." "That night he had beaten dear old mom badly...split her lip...both eyes swollen shut...broken bones...he came to my room...leering...telling me I was just another slut like my momma. To make a long story short I ended his life with six inches of a fish cleaning knife straight through the heart. I called the resource officer...then 911. He got there about the time the cops and the EMTs arrived. Mom was obviously in terrible shape. They were going to arrest me for murder. The woman from child welfare showed up. It wasn't like I hadn't told people what was going on. I was never charged. They were going to put me in foster care. The resource officer and his wife offered to take me in. Child services let them. I never saw my mother again...don't know or care if she is dead or alive. Just before my eighteenth birthday, more symbolic than anything, they adopted me. They are my parents...they're getting on in years but they're the only parents I've ever known and I love them more than you can imagine. I want you to meet them; they live about an hour from here. I couldn't let you meet them until I told you the truth." Shelly paused to regroup and collect her thoughts. "Rod it was a long time before I even considered or attempted a relationship with...with a man. My early attempts were ill fated. Sex is part of a loving relationship but sex for me hadn't ever been about love. I dated some losers but even when I went out with decent guys one of three things happened. I pushed them away, the sex didn't work or, they couldn't deal with my history. Then you came along. You didn't push me to go to bed with you. You were caught up in your own inadequacies, didn't think you were good enough for me. I made the first move, as I recall, almost nine months into our relationship. I was scared to death, terrified that the old demons would come back. They didn't. You made love to me...tender...special...magic...no man had ever done that before. With you, the sex became not just something I 'had to endure' but something I enjoyed...looked forward to...needed. Shelly paused again. "Still sure you want to put a ring on this little girl's finger?" "Don't move! I'll be right back." Rod went into the bedroom returning with in a couple of minutes. "Baby, I can't even imagine the horrors you endured. I was never molested as a child but nor was I exactly a planned or desired addition to the family. I've long since reconciled my feelings for my parents. I don't hate them. We're not terribly close but neither are we estranged. I was fortunate in that my grand parents doted on me and loved me in a way that my parents...just didn't seem to be able to do. They raised me for all practical purposes...both have passed on. I have only one thing of value from my family. My grandmother gave it to me on her death bed. She never took it off. It's not terribly valuable but it means a lot to me...I want you to wear it if you will. I want to put this ring on your finger. Shelly, wear this ring...accept this from me...from my heart...it's the only thing of value I have other than you...I love you...I'm begging you to marry me...be my wife..." "You don't need to beg, baby. I decided a long time ago that if you ever got around to asking the answer would be an unequivocal---YES! The ring is beautiful...what it means to you is even more beautiful...thank you." Rod and Shelly held each other for a long time. Shelly spoke first. "Take me back to bed...make love to me...fuck me...now!" As special and tender as their love making had become, this time it was even more special as both lovers finally let go of their fears and doubts and allowed the last vestiges of their inner being to be completely revealed. Life continued for the newly engaged couple and with each passing day both knew that providence had allowed them to find each other. A couple of months later they were again together early on a Saturday morning. "Rod, there are people who would spend good money to spend their honeymoon on this beautiful hill side. The time will come down the road when we will go on a belated honeymoon. Let's save our money now. Speaking of money...here...I was going to just deposit it in our joint account but..." "What is this?" "It's silly for us to have two homes; I mortgaged my house and rented it out. Hell, the rent covers the mortgage and it's kind of an investment. Most of my stuff is already here in the trailer anyway...the rest is in a storage unit until we have room...I'm moving in---officially. With what you have saved and this I think we might just be able to buy more than one log this time." "Honey, your house...you'd paid it off for gosh sakes...it was so important to you..." "Not remotely as important as that one that you and I have been dreaming about...the one we're going to live in...raise a family in..." That evening Shelly and Rod were invited to dinner at his builder-boss's house. The two couples had become good friends. Shelly was telling his wife about their plans to finally put a sizable down payment on the log home. They were so close to the asking price but a few thousand dollars short. "Shelly, exactly who are you planning to buy it from?" Shelly told her. "Shelly I'm sure we have some connection with those folks; they also sell pre fab metal structures which we use around the country. We must have some kind of a deal with them. Call me at the office Monday." Shelly called her Monday during her lunch hour. "Shell, let's me be sure I have the correct model number and such." The numbers agreed. "Here's the bottom line---not delivered---but I'm working on that. Can you swing it?" "That's much less than we were told. Yes! Yes with a little left over for interior work. How..." "You were being offered retail—this is at wholesale. Look, here's my contact. It turns out that we do a lot of business with them. Here's the address; write the check and get it in the mail and I'll get back to you when I find out more about what delivery will cost." Shelly was so excited that she couldn't wait to tell Rod. At the last minute she decided to surprise him. Tuesday the builder's wife called back. "I got the delivery worked out. You two better hurry up and set the date for that wedding. My husband just gave you an early wedding present; he's handling delivery. It will be about four weeks; they don't have them just sitting around---they make and assemble the kit when they get the order." "We just did; not very formal but we're getting married after the service at our church in three weeks. We're sending out the invites this weekend." Three weeks later, Rod and Shelly were married. The elderly couple who had raised her as their own flesh and blood attended. Rod invited his mother and father and was surprised when they accepted and attended. Everyone from the county office came as did a surprising number of people from the youth league. Shelly's friends from school attended. A number of builders, tradesmen and homeowners who Rod had gotten to know were also there. In all over two hundred people were there. The reception was at Jan's pub. There would be no opening of wedding presents. Rod and Shelly had clearly indicated on their home made invitations---no gifts. There really wasn't anything the newly married couple felt they needed or had room far. There actually was something and several of the reception attendees, their good friends, whispered conspiratorially about just what that might be. The old gentleman who ran the youth league did give the couple a special present; he cut the grass himself the day before so that Shelly and Rod could have the day of their wedding for themselves. In the early evening back at the trailer the two lovers explored each other's naked bodies with a new found sense of wonder and excitement. It was every bit as magic as the first time...and would continue to be so for a long, long time. Monday morning both went back to work. The builder called Shelly late on Friday as she was driving home from school. "I've got it! It's all locked up in my secure lot. I'm thinking it makes sense to bring it up first thing in the morning. Is that okay with you?" "Absolutely! We're early risers." The next morning as Rod was having his morning coffee and trying to make sense of his bank statement, Shelly joined him. She had heard a large truck slow down and make the turn up the winding dirt road to their trailer site. "Honey, according to this statement..." "Come outside with me and I'll fill you in." At a little after six in the morning, he heard it too and then saw it. "How in the world...?" "We have very special friends, Rod...very special friends. One of them got us a deal on the house...wholesale...there's even a little left over. You're going to be very busy today and every Saturday for a while I would think." If you've never seen a house on a truck delivered, it's pretty fascinating. The driver backs up, raises the bed and as it starts to slide off, drives forward hopefully at exactly the right speed so that the building materials plop to the ground softly with little more than a little stirring of dust. The driver knew his job and put the sixty foot cargo down without a whimper. They thanked the driver who refused a tip and moved their chairs out to the big pile of logs to finish their coffee. Both heard a vehicle coming up the dirt road at the same moment. They walked out to investigate. It was their special friend, the builder and his wife. And then another pickup truck came up the dirt road...and another, and another and within a few minutes close to a hundred trucks and vehicles of every assorted size were massed in front of their trailer. Shelly and Rod were speechless as several of their very special friends walked toward them grinning from ear to ear. "You said no wedding gifts, but that ain't right. A bunch of us started talking at the reception at Jan's...she'll be here a little later with food for everyone. I think we just might have picked out the right wedding gift and it ain't a toaster oven or a wok. The guys at the building department are all here; people you work with at the youth league, parent of kids you've coached. A bunch of my tradesman who really appreciate the fact that you handled all of those little problems that they didn't have to deal with. Several other builders and contractors that you treated decently on the job who wanted to pay you back for being a straight shooter. A bunch of people from Shelly's school—even a couple of homeowners you helped out. Get your boots on son...we've got a house to build." How long does it take to build a prefab log cabin of around fifteen hundred square feet? With over a hundred people almost all of whom have construction skills, well, it takes a day. Rod and Shelly's eyes stayed decidedly moist for most of the day. The workers brought their most valuable assets, their skills and the time. Some also brought building materials, a left over load of pipe, a pallet of sheet rock, a roll of vinyl, a load of ceramic tile, a pallet of unfinished red oak floor boards. An incorrectly ordered fireplace assembly...plumbing fixtures...studs, insulation, doors, a water heater...A rental truck from Home Depot showed up with a furnace---top of the line. The driver of the truck was the old "big boss". "It was the least I could do when I heard about this...I'm not very good with tools but pretty good with a check book. Rod, I'd really like you to come back to work for us...not what you were doing before. Look, you were right on target. The outsourcing has been a dismal failure---for exactly why it struggled when you were doing that crappy job. We're bringing it all back inside...redesigning it...your old boss has left to pursue other opportunities. I'd like you to come back and head up the department. Who are all these people, anyway?" "Friends, Doug, very special friends who got together and decided to give up their Saturday to give us the most special wedding present we could have imagined. Doug, I appreciate the offer; it's very tempting. I'll talk to my wife about it...she's that grinning and adorable blond standing over there. My gut says no...I'm pretty happy with my new, 'post corporate America' life." Doug the former "big boss" stayed the rest of the day to help out. He wasn't very handy with tools but was a hard worker and by the end of the day a passable builder's gofer. Rod filled Shelly in as they broke together for a quick lunch. "You said no, didn't you?" She inquired. "I said probably no but I needed to check with you first." "It's your call." "It's our call, Shelly, we're husband and wife. I want to say no, you have to know that but it's a lot of money." "Do we need that money?" "Well, I've got the woman of my dreams sitting next to me, half a dream house in front of me and more friends than I knew I had. I've still got three jobs but I confess that I enjoy all of them. I don't need any toys; with our combined incomes we're putting a little away every month...I'm thinking for a nursery, next. No, we don't need it...we're pretty rich if you ask me." Two Ordinary People "You've got that right! I would have supported you if you had decided...thank you for not." Later in the afternoon, Doug chatted with Rod as they were taking a water break together. "It's no for sure isn't it Rod? I'm not surprised." "Yes sir. I don't have a lot of spare time but if you want my advice feel free to call and I'll give you my thoughts. I'm pretty sure my life has all the riches I could ever have dreamed of." "How in the world did we let you get out the door?" "That was two years ago...a very different Rod...a Rod I now know I wasn't that fond of and that didn't bring that much value to your company. Thank you again for your generosity...it means more than you know." "Rod, do you like country music?" "As a matter of fact I do." "There's a line I heard the other day on the radio driving home from the office about, "a man I'd be proud to know". I'm very proud to know you Rod and also envy what you've got. Let's stay in touch...screw business...I don't mean it that way...you're someone I'm proud to know and want to know a lot better. Any chance that trailer of yours is going to be for sale?" "We haven't talked about it but you'll be the first to know." In the late afternoon, to Rod's complete surprise an electrical company service truck pulled up with a work order in hand. Another friend...the guy at the electric company Rod had met so long ago. In short order new electrical service had been established to the new house. His boss at the county walked up to Rod with a stack of paper. "Your building permits, buddy, sign every page." Before the daylight failed the water and sewer were tied into the new structure. More people showed up to help. Many worked well into the night finishing as much of the inside work as was humanly possible. By early Sunday morning Shelly and Rod had a home. There were still a lot of little details to finish but after a few hours sleep, his county boss came back and certified the structure as habitable. Rod and Shelly caught a few hours of sleep together before church. It was the largest attendance the small church had ever enjoyed. Many brought covered dishes and stayed for lunch. After lunch Shelly and Rod drove back to their new home. "What do you think we ought to do with that trailer, babe?" Rod inquired, noticing that others had shown up while they had been at church to move furniture over to the new house and were just departing. "Why did you buy that trailer in the first place, Rod?" "I needed a place to live...a roof over my head." "Rod, right this minute we are two of the luckiest people in the world. How many times have you heard from the minister at our church about people who have had a run of bad luck...members of our church...houses burn down...people lose jobs? I wouldn't mind making it available to people in need. Plus it was the first place any man---you---made love to me and I might just want to sneak over there for old time's sake every now and again!" "I like it...it just makes sense." "Speaking of making love...we haven't yet...in the new house...and if you aren't too tired...I'm really horny!" "I have never heard you use that word before...but it does get me excited..." "Well then, carry your bride across that threshold and fuck me silly! I feel incredibly nasty...want to try some new things..." "Well, I guess if a man's wife is going to go all hormonal on him it doesn't get much better than this!" "Oh you have no idea what you are in for my love, no idea. Just for the record...about those hormones...I haven't checked but I'm pretty sure..." "I need to get to work on that nursery?" "You have a few months. And just in case I'm wrong...well...there is a lot of day left...and, well, just to make sure...you know just this once, well, ah, I love sucking your cock but I really have one place I want your..." "In that sweet little pussy of yours?" "Oh, yeah...every time you can get it up until we both pass out. And to think I once thought I might be frigid! Not anymore, big guy...not any more." "Saucy little minx!" "Your saucy little minx...no one else's...my knight in shining armor...my savior." "I'm pretty sure you saved me, baby." "No, I didn't. You saved yourself. I learned to love you like I never thought I would be able to love any man." "We'll debate who saved who later...right now..." Rod's strong hands caressed Shelly's full posterior...he reached around and unzipped her church dress...found her moist little slot...nuzzled her soft neck and they'd only gotten as far as the front porch. "Yeah...oh, yes...take me here, baby...fuck me right here...from behind...bend me over and just fuck me baby...get those clothes off...I want you now!" By the time the two lovers awoke early Monday morning to leave for their respective jobs they had christened virtually every room in their new home...including the nursery to be which was suitably finished and occupied by a new family member just a little less than nine months later. They had to add on to the house shortly thereafter and on other occasions as the years came and went as other new arrivals blessed their special life. Rod still cuts the grass at the Youth League; he's gotten several promotions at the county and will in all likelihood take the department over when his boss retires in a year or so. Shelly is an assistant principal at the same school and will quite probably be promoted to principal in a couple more years. Rod still works part time for the builder; he calls on new homeowners and teaches them about their new homes. They've added to the log cabin several times to accommodate their brood of four. Sometimes the trailer is occupied by a family in desperate straights. When it's not Shelly and Rod steal over in the dark and make love in that same bed that they first made love in. Rod and Shelly would tell you without reservation that they are positive that they are the richest couple on the planet. It's pretty darn hard to argue with them.