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The trailer will make more appearances, and is important for the future of the story.
Monday morning, I went for the blood test, as planned, and only missed a few minutes of the first period. Having a note, I was excused, and the day went on without issues.
Wait, do I really need to tell you how much I hate needles? Well, I do. I did then, And I will for the foreseeable future. Sue me.
I did tell Mindy about the plan for a trailer, and she was excited, but promised me to share her bed each time I needed.
I did tell her about the non-landed club and not being able to spend the weekend and to my surprise, she asked if I could ask my parents to come with us.
Of course, I promised, and when my parents picked me up, they told me that it was up to her parents.
It's situations like that which mean I couldn't wait to be an adult, but let me tell you what, now that I am one, it's a bit overrated.
We made it to their warehouse. It was both bigger than I thought, and smaller.
Somehow, I imagined it was this huge hangar with a rusted car under a tarp, forgotten into a corner and which, perhaps, my father and I could restore for when I was 16. Or maybe I thought it could be a place to have a rave for my 18th birthday.
Instead, it was about the size of my school's main gymnasium.
But that would wait... the only reason we even opened the door, was that in the door, was a mailbox slot, and in that slot, the key to the trailer was dropped.
After retrieval, we opened the trailer, which from the outside, wasn't too bad.
It's inside that the horror awaited!
My mother and I took a step back, and I think we were both crying from the smell.
"What the hell is that?", says my mother
I chuckled. My mother's language became a lot more direct since last week, and I like it.
"The fridge, I think. I hope.", says my dad.
He grabs from the trunk of a car gloves, a mask and two trash bags.
"So, here is the situation. If we want it, we can push it in the hangar and once the bankruptcy is cleared, it's ours. If we don't want it, he'll try to find a buyer, and the money he makes goes toward well... us. I feel like if we clean it, we win either way", he says
"I agree, if we don't die from the smell"
"I'll go in to grab the contents of the fridge, I think that's the worst. I might come out for air sometimes", he says, winking at me.
"We'll stay here for now", my mother proposes
We stand back, while my dad works in the trailer.
After a few minutes, he comes out with a tied trash bag which he dumps in the container by the building.
"He left a full fish in the fridge. From 2 years ago! Is he stupid?"
"We both know he is", says my mom.
On his next trip, my father grabs a bottle of detergent of some sort, a few rags and I see that he opens the windows to vent.
Sadly, he comes out soon after
"I need some air. The fridge is clean, but it still smells."
After a few minutes, he goes back in and comes back with a cooler, which he dumps in the container.
"He had two more. The lid was opened by the decomposition. I think it was the worst, since the fridge was in theory airtight", he said.
After a few more minutes, he invited us in.
The smell was mostly gone, but it didn't mean the place was clean.
"You weren't kidding when you said it was disgusting. Is the guy a pig?", asked my mother.
"Listen, he sort of apologized and explained, but now that I see, it doesn't explain everything"
My mother opens a closet, next to the restroom.
"His clothes are in there!", she says, shocked
I open a drawer and find plates. Dirty ones.
"That's it, he does live like a pig", my mother says
"He claims he got too many potholes on the drive back from fishing, got a flat, and ran out of gas for the fridge"
"It's a propane fridge?", my mother says, surprised
"Yeah", my father adds.
"Ok, maybe there is some hope"
"Why mom?"
"See Kiddo, the lots at most camping, including naturist ones, can have electricity, but on the drive there, you need ice to cool your food. That means that if we decide to go on a road trip, the fridge is only used for the nights, and the freezer is too small. We thus need to buy ice at every town, or get dry ice which is more expensive and colder"
"But not this one?"
"No, it can run on a propane tank, so you put your stuff in it at home, and it stays cold the whole way. Since we have a pair of propane range", she says, touching on the counter, "it means we can camp off grid, not that I would want to"
"I don't mind, it could be fun", says my dad
"That means no lights, or a generator and they are noisy. I think your dad has the fantasy of camping in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees"
"Hey, no neighbors", he says
"I think the trailer will do. The bed is small, but workable.", she says, touching the mattress at the back. She lifts it and finds storage under, with hydraulic pistons helping her do it. The interior has a small mattress in it and everything is clean.
"Wow, I didn't know this was here"
My father looks. "I think he didn't either."
"The mattress?" I ask
"No, the storage! A ton of storage. Like, we can put canned goods, foldable chairs, suitcases, anything we need to carry but don't want in the car and doesn't need a fridge"
"It's deep enough for a cooler", my dad says
"It is.", my mom agrees.
My father finds the clamps on the table, and unhooks it from the wall, hooking it so it fits between the sofa that serves as chairs.
My parents then grab the stowed mattress, still in a plastic bag, and put it on the table, which fits perfectly. The mattress even has rounded corners on one side to fit the sofa.
I sit on it, and then lie on the mattress.
"Not bad", I say, despite the plastic cover.
My mother looks and finds a railing on the ceiling. She opens a little door, and a drape serves as a door to isolate the bed from the kitchen.
"Neat", she says.
Like the mattress, it is clean.
"I vote for it", I say
"Me too", says my dad
"I think it's acceptable. Let's put it in the warehouse, and we'll handle the cleanup another day"
"Agreed", replied my dad.
"How will we even move it?", I ask
"The forklift!", says my mother.
We get out of the trailer, and my mother gets into the warehouse, where she opens the garage door next to the main door.
It's not a dock, it's flush on the ground.
My father goes to the connector at the front of the trailer. There are two chains on the side, attached to a hook. He unties it.
I look, and my mother arrives, driving a ridiculously small forklift. I am almost disappointed! It's not the big ones I saw in movies or TV shows.
It's also rather slow.
She gets in front of the trailer, and lifts the forks to the same height as the chains.
Using carabiners that were secured to the forklift, she gives them to my dad, who hooks the chains to the trailer, really tight.
Once done, he lifts the legs under the connector and the trailer moves a little, but not much.
Eventually, he gives the green light to my mom, who back up, pulling the trailer and turning it slowly around, so it enters the warehouse via the garage door.
She expertly places it against the wall.
My father closes the garage door, and finds an extension cord.
With my help, while my mother unhooks the forklift, we plug the master electric supply of the trailer to the wall.
This allows starting the ventilation of the trailer, and to our surprise, the fridge!
"It's a dual supply fridge!", says my mom, excited
My father checks the fridge and claims it's a three-way.
"What does it mean?", I ask
"Propane, 12 v or battery if you prefer, and 110 volt or wall supply. That's expensive", he says
"You know", says my mom. "If we put a microwave, we could almost camp here this winter", she says
"Honey, the place isn't heated well"
"No, but the trailer can be. There is both an electric baseboard and a propane heater", she says, after checking. "Look, there is a panel for AC, Steven. The cabins don't even have it!"
"But I thought you liked the heat when nude", my dad replies
"No, I dislike the cold when nude, and the heat when clothed. That's what I said. I am too cold nude on some nights, and when wearing clothes in the summer, I sweat in it"
"You weren't complaining Saturday night"
"It wasn't that cold, and there was a fire. My point is, I never said I enjoyed being too hot when nude. Just that it was better than being cold nude or hot clothed"
"I see, but why would we even camp here?", my dad says. "Around our stuff for work, with no pool or anything"
"No windows either..."
We both get it. It would allow us to have a naturist camping ground in the winter.
"You know the company in the Czech Republic that makes the spa adapter they are always trying to get us to import"
"It's horrible, Kylie, and super expensive"
"Yes, but we could ask for a sample, to test here"
"Oh my God, Kylie. It's weird and ugly"
"I know. But we could have our little haven. Just for us"
"I'll consider it", says my dad.
We make plans to clean the trailer, and get out.
"Want to try the forklift?", my mother says
Of course, I do!
Sadly, she gave me a 15-minute lesson on how to drive it. I was getting it!
It's not that complicated.
I finally got the green light to move a little, raise and lower the forks, and turn around.
That's it.
"We'll go slowly. Perhaps soon, we'll go to the newest warehouse we rented. It's bigger and the least filled up. In fact, we are in the process of consolidating everything there"
"I'd love that."
"And it's our fastest... it came with the warehouse", she says, winking at me.
I look at my dad.
"Don't look at me. She's the driver"
"You never drive them?", I ask
"I wouldn't say never, but usually, your mom is more precise, and faster."
We left the warehouse, and it's only in the car that I remembered that it was an option to undress, but we hadn't. Perhaps next time?