by Roger Bourke White Jr., copyright 2010
Humans have found many places on Earth that they can live and thrive.
The west desert of Utah is not one of them.
For thousands of years the sun has arched over that land of flat muddy soil, too alkaline for grass or cow, man, or horse.
But the west desert of Utah is between two places where humans thrive nicely: St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. So when the Pony Express businessmen of 1859 wanted the fastest route across the Untamed West, they chose to lay their route over that otherwise worthless chunk of land.
The Pony Express lasted only eighteen months … replaced by the telegraph. And the land was once more completely barren of humans for nearly a hundred years.
But memorials to the Pony Express were built along its route to keep people busy during the Great Depression, and a dirt road was built to connect the abandoned way stations so tourists could come see.
A few do … and this is the story of two of them.
Gregory Dawson has a nice SUV as well as a nice job. He also has a passion for photography that he can sustain and a significant other, Nancy Ellsworth, who can sustain herself.
Gregory is showing Nancy the wonders of the Old Pony Express trail. They have driven west then south out of Salt Lake City to pick up the trail near Faust, Utah, and headed west again. The plan is to follow the trail west into Nevada, pick up Alt US 93, drive north into Wendover, and spend the night there. A bunch of wilderness picture shooting, then some gambling and a show … all in all it should be a good time for two people who know each other well.
It should be … but as they drive along the dirt road in the west desert, Greg seems to have a lot on his mind, and so does Nancy. The drive thus far has been long and quiet, too quiet.
Greg looks at Nancy and says, “This scenery is really something, isn’t it?”
Nancy humors him. “Yes, it’s really something, isn’t it.”
More silence, then Greg whips out his cell phone and dials.
“Jack? Greg here. Yeah, I’ll be out of touch shortly. I’m out in the boonies with Nancy, literally … Pony Express Trail, west of Tooele. You won’t hear from me again until we reach Alt 93 in Nevada, south of Wendover.
“Are those trade show presentations getting done?
He adds sarcastically, “Christmas is coming and so is CES, you know.”
He sounds reassured by what he hears. “OK, sounds good, catchya Monday.”
He hangs up.
Nancy stares straight ahead, but says, “You shouldn’t cell-phone while you drive.”
Greg gives a macho reply. “Who am I going to run into out here?”
Nancy lets it ride. Looks out the window. Gets out her own phone.
Animated and friendly, she says, “Dahlia? Hi. Nancy. Yeah … way out … with Greg, for the day. Say, can you check on … Hello?”
She looks at her phone. She’s lost contact.
A little smug, Greg says, “I hope it can wait … I can turn back if it’s important.”
Nancy looks out the window, bored. “It can wait.”
There is silence again as the journey continues.
There is silence, but there’s a lot of thinking going on.
Greg is thinking, “Nancy’s nice, but … is this relation going to go anywhere? We’ve been hooking up for six months now, and I see no fire in her anymore. Is it time to cut bait?”
He looks over and smiles at her.
Nancy is thinking, too. “I like Greg, and I think he’s a good catch. But he’s always so involved with his work.
“Do I really want to be spending more time with him? Raising kids with him? I’ll end up a soccer mom doing all the kid raising myself, and then an empty nester, with no career to start up again. Is this what I want?”
Greg looks ahead down the road and says, “Looks like a good view spot coming up, let’s take a break there.”
They pull off the road at a monument and picnic area labeled Simpson Springs. They get out and stretch their legs, then Greg heads off to a nearby view area with this camera stuff.
As he sets up his camera, Nancy thinks, “God! Why am I out here! I need to be finding myself a man who I can make a family with! Well, I guess it’s not the first time I’ve wasted a day.”
Greg shoots a couple pictures and looks back. He frowns because Nancy hasn’t come up to join him on the view point, where the view really is better.
Greg thinks, “Is she that much of a social butterfly? If it’s not career or networking, she’s not interested?
“This is incredible scenery, nothing like it anywhere else in the world! I’ll have these pictures on my website in two days … people will be drooling over them … and she can’t wait for this to be over!”
Greg comes back to the SUV and they both get in silently. Greg drives off in a bit of a hurry.
Greg tries to make conversation again. “How’s your mother doing?”
“Do you care?”
Greg says honestly, “Not much.”
Nancy apologizes. “I’m sorry, Greg, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Greg says calmly and coolly, “So do I.” He puts his hand on her leg, rubs it a bit. He smiles. “We used to have a lot on our mind together.”
Nancy smiles back neutrally, not warming, not hostile, still just bored.
Greg blurts it out bluntly. “Nancy, do we still have anything?”
Nancy doesn’t answer. She looks out the window.
Silence again.
Greg looks ahead, sees something. “Another view area, let’s do some lunch there. I’m hungry.”
Nancy says nothing.
The SUV pulls into the view area. There’s a picnic table and they lay out a simple meal. Greg sits on one side, Nancy on the other.
Beside them, looking north, is a wonderful view of the sage-covered desert descending down into the completely barren salt flats.
Greg and Nancy both look north while they eat.
Greg muses about this history of this place. “It’s hard to believe people used to move stagecoaches along this road. One or two wagon trains tried this route, too, but there wasn’t enough grass and it was too muddy. They nearly died.
“A hundred years ago, the people who came here didn’t want to. They came to move through this land as fast as they could. All they saw here was wasteland.
“Now we come out here because we want to … and treasure the view.
“It’s such a change, such a change … and the change is all due to how technology affects our lives.
He says decisively, “I want to do this same kind of change with my company. Do you understand that, Nancy? I want to make a difference, and I want that difference to change how we all live … make it better.”
They were both looking north and now as they look back to face each other, seemingly out of nowhere there is a girl standing at the south end of the picnic table! She’s a young girl of “charming child” age—five to eight—good looking, and well dressed for playing in a suburban back yard. She is not dressed for hiking; she does not look tired, dirty, sunburned, or desperate; she does not fit into this scene at all.
“Jesus!” Greg shouts.
Nancy yelps “Oh my goodness!”
The little girl remains calm, says nothing.
“How did you get there!” Greg whips out his cell phone, ready to call the cops … but … “That’s right, the cell phone isn’t working out here.”
Nancy says to Greg in a commanding way, “Not so fast, Greg. Let’s find out a little.”
Then she says to the girl in a gentle, talking-to-a-lost-child way, “Who are you, dear? What’s your name?”
At first the child doesn’t answer. She looks at the food on the picnic table. Then she says, “I don’t know yet,” and keeps looking at the food.
Nancy shows no reaction to this odd answer. “Would you like a sandwich, dear?”
The girl nods yes.
Nancy says, “Sit down by me and have a sandwich and a drink.”
The girl does so, and eats and drinks heartily.
Greg frowns. He says to Nancy, “How did she get here?”
Watching the girl, Nancy says in a mildly happy way, “I don’t know.”
“What do we do with her?”
“Well, we can’t just leave her.”
Greg looks around. “We can if her parents show up.”
“Greg!”
“Just commenting.”
The girl eats and ignores the conversation.
Greg looks around even more. “Man, this complicates things.”
Nancy looks warmly at the child and strokes her hair. “I don’t see how. We take her with us … turn her over when we get to Wendover.”
Greg sounds frustrated. “And do we get thrown in the slammer there for kidnapping when her parents show up?”
“Greg! We are rescuing her!”
Greg rolls on, “This could be for reverse ransom. Pay us and we won’t accuse you of kidnapping.”
The girl finishes her sandwich and looks up innocently.
Nancy says decisively, “Well, we can’t leave her.”
Greg relents. “No … we can’t.” He looks around one last time, still worried. “Let’s move out.”
Nancy takes the mystery girl to the SUV. She walks along obediently and comfortably, no worry on her face. They all get in, the girl in the back, then drive off west again.
***
Eventually they stop at another view point. Greg gets out his camera and equipment again. The girl seems very interested in it.
She says, “Whatcha doin’?”
Polite but cool, Greg says, “I’m taking pictures.”
The girl follows him when he goes to the view point. Greg sets up and shoots.
The girl looks where the camera is pointed and sees nothing but empty mud flats. She asks, “What are you taking pictures of?”
“The scenery”
The girl looks again. “There’s nothing there.”
Greg says patiently, “But it’s pretty.”
The girl continues looking … and sees a sun-bleached skull looking like it’s ready to be part of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting. She points, “Is that pretty?”
Greg looks at what she’s found, and is impressed. He sets up to take a picture, “It is! Good job!” He moves the zoom lens on the camera.
The girl asks, “What are you doing?”
Greg is still patient. “I’m changing what the camera sees. Would you like to see?”
The girl nods enthusiastically. Greg helps her look through the finder as he zooms. She is having fun and Greg is looking comfortable.
Watching the two of them, Nancy warms to Greg. She likes seeing him be good with kids. “You’re being very patient with her.”
Greg looks up at her, a little confused, thinks “Ah hah!”, and says, “Not really, she’s being a good learner.”
Greg shows the girl more and they both have fun. Nancy watches, happy. After a while, Nancy brings over a bottle and some cups.
“You two must be thirsty by now.”
Greg says “Thanks” and he and the girl drink heartily.
Finally Greg announces, “We should be moving on.” He breaks down the camera and tripod to carry them back to the car.
The girl reaches for the tripod. “Can I carry this?”
Greg smiles. “Sure.”
The three head for the SUV, the girl walking with Greg this time. They are all looking a lot more relaxed, comfortable.
As they are driving along this time, Nancy looks back at the girl. “You still don’t know your name?”
The girl pouts and shakes her head.
Nancy thinks, then announces, “Let’s call you … Alana. Does that sound good, Greg?”
Greg nods. “Sounds good to me.”
The girl, now Alana, looks happy, “Alana … I like that.”
Alana reaches over and hugs Nancy. Nancy laughs. Greg smiles.
They drive some more. Everyone looks more comfortable.
Nancy muses, “Greg, do you really think your work will make a difference?”
Greg looks at her a moment, surprised at the question. “Hey … it’s a high tech startup … anything can happen … but … yes, I really do.” Proudly, he says, “If this company takes off, it will make a whole lot of peoples’ lives a whole lot easier.”
Nancy moves a bit closer to Greg. Greg puts his arm around her.
Greg murmurs, “I think Alana’s parents have done a nice job raising her. She’s not so bad.”
Nancy cuddles even closer.
Greg looks around for a moment, turns, and gives her a kiss.
As he does so, Alana pops up behind them. “Hey! You shouldn’t kiss while you drive,” she teases, then giggles.
Greg and Nancy break off and laugh.
Again Greg asks, “Who am I going to run into out here?”
Alana says, “Well … me!”
They all laugh.
***
A sign says “Alt US 93—3 miles” and shortly after there’s a “View Area” sign.
The sun is setting. This is the final stop in the boonies. It’s time for a spectacular sunset shot that will highlight the whole trip.
SUV pulls over, all get out, and carry the camera equipment happily to the view point.
They shoot pictures and clown around.
They’re about to go back to the SUV when Alana gets serious and says, “I have to go now. Thank you.
“You two are really good. … And somehow I think I’ll see you again.”
Greg and Nancy look at each other, confused, surprised. Greg shrugs.
Alana sounds like a girl running from the kitchen to outside when she says “Bye.”
She runs ahead behind the SUV.
Greg and Nancy walk up to the SUV happy and relaxed.
Alana has vanished!
As they check thoroughly, it’s clear they’re feeling like a team again. Amazed at what’s happened, but happily working together.
When they’re convinced Alana isn’t just hiding, they think about what they’ve seen.
Greg pulls out the camera, pulls the memory stick out of the camera, drops it to the ground, and crushes it with his foot.
Nancy’s face is questioning.
Greg frowns, but says confidently, “Somehow … I don’t think those were going to come out.”
Nancy cuddles up and kisses him. He takes her in his arms and kisses her back passionately. When they come up for air, they get in the SUV.
***
Many months later, Greg and Nancy are in a birthing room with their just-born child, both smiling.
Nancy says, “She’s beautiful.”
Greg agrees. “Um humm…”
Then he says to the baby, as if he’s picking up a good-looking woman at a party, “Hey … have I seen you before?”
Nancy laughs. “Greg … meet Alana … again.”
The End