I was relieved to see the buildings. I rushed to the doors of the restaurant and walked by that fireplace and found the men’s bathroom in a corridor that barely separated the restaurant dining area from the bar and lounge area. The bathroom was made for one man at a time, but thankfully I found the door unlocked and the room empty. Afterwards I washed my hands and straightened up my hair and dried my hands.
I was still looking in a small mirror when I realized that I looked disheveled. I hadn’t looked in a mirror since this morning when I was leaving the motel that had that great indoor recreation area. I rinsed my face off, and straightened my loose clothes, shorts and a t shirt, my tennis shoes covered with dust. I left in a hurry, walking so fast past the dining area that I didn’t stop to look around. Out the big double doors I went, and out in the sunshine again, I was feeling less self conscious. After all, this is a vast wilderness, not a cotillion.
There were five buildings, the restaurant and lounge complex which contained a fancy visitors’ shop inside, the registration office, a small post office, the visitor education building, and two small buildings devoted to snacks, drinks, and convenience shopping. I walked by all of these buildings a couple of times because it was sunny here. I admired even the parking lot, the asphalt reflecting some of the sunlight my way.
The light made me squint, and I closed my eyes and looked up and felt the warmth of my face. It was then that I decided I needed a nap at some point. I just wasn’t running on all cylinders. I figured that I could stop and sit on a bench, so I did.
I was glad that I had my wallet on me because I wanted some coffee. I left the uncomfortable comfort of the bench and visited the small convenience store, in the cluster of buildings. For a couple of bucks, I bought a cup of hot coffee.
After sipping some of the black stuff, I started gulping it down. I was heading home now, and I needed a shower, a hot shower, and I’d better have hot water. I felt like getting cleaned up and dressed up.
I finally got smart. I decided to walk the road to my cabin, in order that I could memorize the layout of the automobile-wrenching craters. Subconsciously I stockpiled the information, big holes and small ones. I was even having fun with it, with the game. You know, you can make anything into a game, or perhaps that everything is already a game and you just have to realize it.