I heard the sound on a Monday . Or was it Wednesday?
I wasn't completely sure.
During the week, my days seem to melt together until they eventually disappeared.
It was a hot day in Texas
Sticky
It made me feel more sweaty. The air itself was thick. The heat surrounding us seemed so dense. I sat in the back of the moving truck. Feeling every bump and pothole that laced the street. Causing the truck to wobble and tumble as we made our way down the road. I watched from the back as the driver lit up his cigarette.
A cloud of smoke made its way towards me before escaping out the open window.
Darian
The driver who continuously honked the horn as he waved at the passing traffic.
Lin
The passenger sitting to his right, laughing hysterically. The two of them seemed to be happy in that moment. I stared blankly at these two, trying to understand the humor in the situation.
But the only thing that I found was irritation. I reached in my backpack , pulling out a joint of my own making. Placing the herb in my mouth, my taste buds thirsty. Mouth watering. I grabbed my portable torch, igniting the paper in the back seat.
Tasting the smoke as it moved all over my gums. I made that smacking sound with my mouth. As if I were trying some dessert for the first time. I inhaled deeply. The vapor flowed through my snout like liquid, only to watch it leave as a cloud, only for it to vanish before my eyes.
Soon the once annoying laughter of Darian and Lin didn't bother me at all. The drug entered my blood stream. Soothing my muscles , my aches that irked my body with pain. That sticky heat from the Texas sun didn't seem to phase me anymore.
I passed the smoke to Lin, he was the older guy in the group. Probably in his 40's . Bald head, turtle like features in the face. Lin would always complain about something. The way the weather was that day. How many move jobs we had on schedule . Darian, the younger but older gentlemen. His mood was always , cheerful, comedic, playful. He reminded me of a class clown. Always aspiring for the crowds attention. And when I say crowd, I mean . Lin and I.
The cigarette was discarded thankfully , sent spinning out the window . Crashing into the Texas asphalt. Lin would only puff on the joint for about 5 to 10 seconds before passing it over to Darian. But in my opinion, Darian preferred the nicotine.
The smoke finally made it back in my hands. The joint colliding with my lips, sending a burst of smoke into my lungs. I began to cough, choke even. With each cough, the more and more my body relaxed. The lower and lower my eyes became . I stared out the truck window , watching all the land pass by. All the country that stretched out for miles.
I didn't understand how people could live out here. Live in this open space, with nothing but land. Nothing but hay for miles on end. I was born in the city lights , the vibrancy that existed within the buildings, the people . The life of the city. It was different out here, maybe that was it. The peace and quite. The isolation, the nature.
We turned left into this dirt pathway , leading to a house that seemed to be going through construction. The structure was nearly finished . Maybe the pathway needed some cement to be laid down, create the driveway. But as far as the house. It had to be at least 98% done. We pulled in , nothing but trees and wilderness surrounding us. Dirt began to arise from the ground, like a mist of pure soil. The dust floated around us like fog on an early morning . Hovering just above the surface.
We reversed towards the end of the house. Backing the bed of the truck towards this ledge that led to the pool. The couple , hearing the movements of the truck made their way to the noise. Exiting out the patio door by the natatorium. The couple seemed quite aged, in their mid 60's. A man and woman. The old pair, watching like hawks for us to exit the transport vehicle.
The smoke was already gone, stashed away in my backpack pouch. The windows were rolled down during the session so we didn't reak of it. I grabbed some cologne from the same pouch coating myself with it just in case. People who didn't tend to smoke usually had a nose for it. not knowing how'd they react it was better to be safe than sorry. Darian, the talker. Went straight to the couple . Introducing himself, then Lin and I.
"Hello, My name is Darian & this is my team Lin and Cameron" Lin and I both revealed a friendly smile while standing slightly behind Darian .
"Could you please give us a look at the property ?We need to have some insight of the area so you can give us some direction on where you want certain things" Darian was a small guy, probably 5'6. He wore those sleek sunglasses . The ones a bicyclist would wear or maybe a pitcher in baseball. His hair was dirty blonde. Frizzy , uncombed . Maybe even matted together like he jumped out of bed five minutes ago.
The man didn't say to much, he just smiled and nodded. The woman seemed to be in control.
"Of course just follow me this way" She leads the way towards the patio door .
"You have a beautiful home ma'am, especially the custom lagoon" Darian added while he stepped inside. Lin and I began the regular routine. Opening the back of the truck to reveal the things needed to fill the house.
Mattresses , dining room furniture, dressers . All kinds of things. All wrapped securely in blankets that were taped from all angles . Boxes filled with dishes and other miscellaneous things. Together we unlatched the ramp needed to walk the furniture down. It was a slightly heavy foot path.
With bulging lines that led down horizontally. The lines needed for grip as we made our way down the slope. The ramp could be sleek, sometimes combined with the heavy weight of the furniture pulling us down awkwardly. I grabbed the roll of protective carpet. Lin began to make his way inside . I followed. Leaving a trail behind me leading towards the ramp.
