“Do we have enough hot chocolate packets?” asks Emma curiously investigating under the cushions of the benches to find flares and tools in the back of the Disaster canteen.
“I put about twenty boxes in the storage area under sink. Do you think that will be enough?” returns Harriet as she balances herself between the stainless steel sink and opens a large cardboard box that is half her size full of cookies from the local Food Bank. “The hot coffee is ready to go in the holding tanks. I made both decaffeinated and regular.”
“As you know Grant is supposed to be here in a few minutes to help us. I talked to him just minutes before I arrived. He had to finish up a few things at area command but he is on his way. Jane offered and is coming along too which will be good since we really need the help. I asked if he would pick her up on the way here which he didn’t seem to mind.”
“It’s too bad Robert wasn’t able to join us because of his work schedule at the mall. He’s the one who really knows everyone very well and how things should be and go” considers Harriet as she counts the cups to make sure more aren’t needed from the pantry and adds more quietly as an afterthought “He’s so much fun too . . .”
“Hey! How’s everybody tonight? Long time, no see . . .” warmly smiles Grant hopping up on the rear steel textured bumper and entering the canteen. He instinctively turns around and offers a hand to Jane to help her up the big step into the truck “Mrs. Dashing gave me the keys so I am ready to go when you are”.
“I think that we are about stocked and packed. How about you, Harriet?” asks Emma checking things off the list on the clipboard in front of her.
“I’m good!” exclaims Harriet excited about the upcoming night’s adventures eager to meet new friends and see old ones as well.
With a joyful step and swinging keys in hand with years of various large and unique key chains from different travels to disasters around the country in several states, Grant takes his place in the driver’s seat, starts the ignition, and pops in a burned CD that he brought with him.
Grant motions to Jane through the window. Jane chooses to sit in the comfortable gray passenger seat beside him as Emma and Harriet travel on the gray plastic benches in the back with the other supplies. This time Harriet remembers to buckle her seat belt.
As they pull out of the parking lot, the voice of Willie Nelson begins “on the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again, the life I love is making music with my friends and I can’t wait to get on the road again . . .” Harriet giggles in the back as the music is blasted through the speakers and echoes throughout the vechicle.
As Grant taps on the steering wheel “End of the Line” by the Traveling Willburys begins “Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze. Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please . . .” As they go along the bumpy road up and down, a cabinet door swings open and empties an entire box of Equal sugar packets on the floor. Harriet and Emma raise their eyebrows and smile at each other in common agreement, as Emma states “this is going to be a long ride”.
As the disaster canteen makes a sharp turn leaning Emma and Harriet to the side carefully bracing themselves between the stainless steel counter and the wall behind the front of the cab, Johnny Cash’s voice booms “I’ve been everywhere, man, I’ve been everywhere, man . . .”
With the passing of a few more knocks and a bump another cabinet door breaks loose, ketchup and mustard packets fly out of everywhere and rather drastically pelt and attack Emma as she tries to protect herself with the palms of her hands. Oblivious to the scene behind him, Grant continues to unabashedly sing the lyrics to every word in the song with great vocal enthusiasm so that everyone can hear him.
As the canteen slowly comes to a stop at the next traffic light both Emma and Harriet look at each other and sigh for momentary relief from being shifted and shuffled, in the speakers the Beach Boys melodically sing “Kokomo” in harmony with each other as the canteen jerks and starts to take off again. “I like this one!” exclaims Harriet excited because she knows all of these lyrics by heart and sings along with them adding her own alto part.
As she is thrust forward and slams back against her seat amused at Grant’s driving, Jane subconsciously laughs looking out the side mirror to help him as he switches lanes in the large awkward contraption, “I think that I am in a geography class and getting ready for a review” Jane states trying to focus her thoughts elsewhere. Grant turns to her and winks pleased that his musical efforts have been noticed and appreciated.
Unaware that he has just cut off the car behind him, “Traveling Man” with Ricky Nelson starts as Grant lip syncs the words “I’m a traveling man, I’ve made a lot of stops all over the world, and at every port I own the heart of at least one lovely girl . . .” He sings animatedly to Jane sitting next to him entertained by his absurd antics of grasping his heart and looking like he is in mock pain and then tottering his head side to side to the music until the vehicles accidently rubs up against the curb of the sidewalk shaking Grant back into reality for a moment.
Charmed Emma loudly asks Grant “Have you been planning this for awhile?” leaning over so he can easily hear her speak over the music through the entrance door of the cab.
Diverted for a moment, Grant smirks looking back for a second and not keeping his eyes on the road as the canteen slowly glides into the other lane again, “No, but I did think that some traveling music might be fun tonight. I’m hoping that all of you are enjoying it as much as I am!”
Noticing that they are near their intended location Jane points, “I think that we are almost here. It looks like there is a spot to park just up ahead” remarks Jane as Grant finds a large space to park along the sidewalk and rolls a couple of tires over the curb leaving the canteen at a peculiar slant.
Glad to have finally safely arrived, Grant gets out of the driver’s seat, shuts the door and stretches. Aware of the incline, Emma places her hands on her hips and sarcastically states “Well, this is going to be interesting tonight.”
“At least when the coffee container is near empty, we won’t have to tilt the jugs” practically observes Harriet trying to find the positive in things with a giggle observing the large metal containers that hold gallons of hot liquids leaning at a severe slant.
Both Jane and Emma put on red “Doing the Most Good” aprons and get out the supplies for the evening. “I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but the aroma of dark roasted coffee is one of the best smells ever” shares Emma taking in a deep long breath.
“I agree, but if I have too much caffeine my hands shake and I can hardly play the piano” offers Jane from personal experience “But the chocolate sure smells good too. I think that I’m going to need a cup of that soon! Did we bring any marshmallows?”
“I picked up a few bags of colored marshmallows at the grocery store because they are my favorite before I came. I thought that it would be a nice unexpected treat to add” explains Jane making a cup of hot chocolate for Jane from her surprise cache.
Grant pulls out the canopy from the side of the truck and turns on the vibrant glaring lights on top so that people will know that the Canteen has arrived.
Motivated to gab and chatter while feeling a little crowded in the canteen, Harriet jumps out the back of the truck. “I’m going to meet some friends!”
“Harriet, wait! Why don’t you bring someone with you? We’re further down than usual because this is a new area tonight!” suggests Grant a little concerned but Harriet has already made up her mind and is already on her way down the street but doesn’t hear him.
A few people knowing that the canteen will be here tonight from when Robert told them last week, stop Grant who is setting up some loud speakers outside so that everyone can enjoy some music to talk for awhile as they are use to doing with Robert. He loses sight of Harriet but can’t seem to excuse himself from his new acquaintances that he is enjoying talking to.
Mr. Beaujest, one of the men who are a regular weekly visitor to the canteen, cautiously mentions that Harriet is already a block away “You might want to keep an eye on our friend. I will ask a few of my buddies to try to watch out for her as well. There are a few new people around and I don’t know what they are like yet. I don’t want anything to happen to one of our favorite Sallies”.
Graciously Grant thanks them and looks around. He notices Harriet three blocks up the street waving and greeting everyone with a friendly smile as she passes them along her journey. A few moments later, Harriet is bending down and reaching her arm out while she is trying to get a little calico kitty to come to her. The kitty quickly runs into an alley way with Harriet closely following behind.
Feeling a little concerned in that no one is watching because Emma and Jane are diligently busy serving cold homemade sandwiches and chips, cookies, and hot chocolate or coffee, Grant hurriedly walks to catch up to try and find out exactly where Harriet went off to.
Determined Harriet follows the baby kitty quite a ways down the dark dirty alley to a dead end blocked by two rather large rusted gray and greenish garbage bins with stacked stinky black bags of trash from the eight story buildings. As Harriet bends down to pick up the kitty that is nibbling on some small scraps abandoned on the asphalt, Harriet suddenly feels that she is not alone. For the first time ever being out on the canteen in many trips, she is uneasy and uncomfortable.
Harriet slowly stands up and notices two unkempt young and disheveled men coming towards her. Instinctively, Harriet cautiously walks backward down the alley towards the direction where she originally came from. As Harriet looks at them, they do not seem as kind as the people that have become her friends just a little ways up the street.
“Harriet!” Grant loudly yells from the other end of the alley observing that Harriet is not alone tensely adds “Everyone is looking for you!”
Immediately Harriet turns and anxiously runs towards Grant hugging him as she finally reaches him. Grant puts his arm around her shoulders and walks with her back to the canteen relieved that she is okay “Next time let me know when you take off to go somewhere and one of us will go with you.”
“It was stupid of me to leave the group. I should have stayed with everybody else” as Harriet comments to Grant “I really do know better. The kitty was just so cute. I was thinking of taking her home. I’m sure that Alice Hammer wouldn’t have minded. She likes cats and this one was so tiny and adorable.”
As they walk up the street, Emma observes the whole scene from the serving window of the canteen. It dawns on her that Grant and Harriet might make a very cute couple together. She thinks to herself “I need to suggest this to Harriet. What a great match they would be for each other! Anyways, I’ve heard Jane is interested in some ‘Allen Dixon’ from Grant himself and a few other people too, so dating Grant seems like a wonderful opportunity for her.”
“We were worried about you and came to find you” advises Mr. Beaujest “You need to stay around us and you will be all right. It is not so good to walk off by yourself. We’ll take care of you”.
Everyone sits around and chats for awhile. Grant is the biggest conversationalist of all. He is the last one back in the canteen while the others patiently wait for him to conclude his last conversation with Mr. Beaujest. As the evening finishes, all the coffee and hot chocolate, sandwiches, chips, as well as the large box of cookies have been given out.
This time before Jane has a chance Harriet takes her place in the passenger seat next to Grant. In reality, Jane is slightly disappointed but really doesn’t mind not having a clear view and being scared out of her wits again in the front seat on the way back to the Devon Outpost. Jane and Emma finish cleaning up in the back before Grant awkwardly pulls out after many attempts back and forth to clear the disaster truck. The canteen finally bounces off the curb with a great thud.
In an effort to ease the tension he slightly feels from the others, Grant turns on the stereo again with his CD playing “Drive it On Home” with Toby Keith. Harriet enthusiastically remarks “I think that I know a line dance to this! Do you know it?” as she tries to demonstrate the foot work from her constraints of her belted seat.
“Yes, we’ll definitely have to do it together sometime” encouragingly smiles Grant relieved that Harriet is okay as he starts to move his shoulders as well as the steering wheel to the music.
Harriet is pleased that Grant was able to rescue her and shares the story many times with Jane and Emma on the way home while they talk over the music of “King of the Road” with Randy Travis singing in the background as the canteen sways down the road.
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