volume one IN THE D U D L E Y C L A R K - Ohio Vine Tours

when they see one, so that should be OK. He yawns. It has been
a long, tiring day. He recalls how he barely slept last night. No
wonder he’s bushed. He yawns again. The windows rattle with
the roar of crashing bowling pins. His eyes droop.
If it’s going to happen, it better happen now.
He pushes his palms against his knees and cranks himself
erect. With the note in one hand and the Safeway bag in the
other, he steps towards his door.
He cracks it open and investigates the hall.
The hallway stands empty. The light above the B THRO M
sleeps.
He opens his door wider and steps into the hall.
With his heart in his throat, he settles the rustling plastic
bag beside the bar of light that lives at the bottom of door 28/
RR. Next, the note. He has no way to attach it, so he folds it
in half and sticks it inside the rabbit ear loops of the knotted bag
handles.
Should he knock?
“Special lasagna delivery, get it while it’s hot!”
Yes, he should.
Instead, he hurries back to his room and eases the door closed
and shoots the deadbolt home.
Vanquished by the day’s activities, he drops onto the mattress
and closes his eyes.
squeak
Tonight he will sleep. Sleep like a rock. This has been a big
day. A great day. He has turned a corner in his adult life. He
has hatched a plan unlike any he has ever hatched before, and
he’s followed it through.
He feels vaguely proud and strangely excited.
He is, in fact, as excited as he had been when, as a little boy
on Christmas Eve all those Christmas Eves ago, he had gone to
bed in his cardboard box believing Santa would think he had
been a good boy and finally bring him something.
ROY ROGERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY 10