Dreaming of Daisy

Chapter 3 - The Start of Sophomore Year

"Early Monday morning, til Friday at five
Man I work, work, work but I don't climb, climb, climb
Boss man can shove that overtime up his can
All I want to do is put a drink in my hand"

(Drink in My Hand  -Eric Church)

It was officially the end of another summer and James was as single as could be. His latest relationship had ended in disaster. Which was all too frequently the case. As so often does, this meant a transformation of his social circle.

James had been dating girls for the past two years and it seemed he was always in a relationship. To end the summer this way felt different, even if he knew perfectly well that the pattern he followed was all too predictable. First, he met Daisy. Second he would find another girl that wasn't Daisy to distract him. Next, he would date that girl. While dating that girl he would realize she wasn't Daisy. Then he would inevitably torpedo the relationship, and they would break up. It was rinse, lather, rinse, repeat, and a recipe for disaster.

His sights that summer were set on the cute brunette, Hailey, who worked as an office girl. Since he finished his cadet training for the summer, he split his weeks between working at the amusement park, and wandering around the city attempting to entertain himself.

On this particular day he was in the parking lot. It was about 11:30 in the morning and the cars were rolling in now. He was out with Allen in the grass waving them up to the line. A few white whispers of clouds would occasionally work their way to shore, but offered no shade or solace. Allen, James, and the other parkers toiled away in sweaty sunscreen, with occasional sips of the dollar sweet teas that Kyle had purchased for the group on his latest snack run. Parking cars was a job rich in both hardship and reward.

It was probably very similar to being a cowboy in the wild west before it was settled. To the inexperienced parking attendant, or cowboy, the jobs appeared to present nothing but a vast wilderness of limited resources and long hot days. Just like the cowboys were surrounded by large unruly herds of cattle, the parkers were surrounded by large unruly herds of tourists. The thing about cattle was, they were much easier to communicate with than tourists. You couldn't whip or brand tourists. Neither parkers nor cowboys had backup in either endeavor either. The cowboys had their lassos, six shooters, and trusty steeds, while the parkers had their reflective vests, cones, and trusty radios.

On the other side of the coin, both ventures offered great reward. Being a cowboy meant a decent and honest living, and general sense of freedom and adventure out on the open plains. Being a parker meant you could make 10 cents above minimum wage, and have general freedom from park management.

An inexperienced cowboy could lose his heard, or even his life if he wasn't careful. Indian attacks, harsh weather, or even a stampede poses great danger. To the inexperienced parker, a severe sunburn, or losing control of the flow of traffic were the greatest enemies.

Yet those parkers that existed during those years weren't inexperienced. They possessed a veteran knowledge of the traffic patterns, how to manage the busy days of the year, and a keen instinct for running the parking lot. They came prepared with Igloo water jugs, Banana boat SPF-60, and a general thick skin to deal with angry tourists faced with the prospect of free parking, moderately priced family amusement, and an overall miserable day with their whiny children.

James looked at Allen and guiltily admitted, "I think I like that office girl."

Allen pulled the blue Honda up to the white line, flawlessly giving the thumbs up as it was right on the line. After he looked up and said, "Well, why don't you date her then?"

"I think I still kind of like Daisy too," James said as he waved the next car down to Allen. "Plus, I asked her to go to the festival with me last week and she said she had to work her other job."