Take it on the Run Chapter 3

That first night we found a Laundromat for a shower and then went to Safe-Way to stock up on groceries and to set up a little house keeping. Now you may be wondering about the showering at a Laundromat, but it is true, for $2.00 you could get your own private shower for 15 minutes. So feeling refreshed we went back to our cabin and set up house. I believe this was a Thursday night that we arrived in town, and later that weekend it would be the annual Summer Solstice Celebration.

Jacques had gone to school in Fairbanks the previous semester and stored some of his stuff with various friends. Throughout the next few days these friends stopped by to drop off his stuff and to wish us well. This is when I met Tyler. Tyler was of legal age and he worked at Burger King, he rode his bike to work every day, down a big hill to work and up the big hill from work. He was like that cat you fed one time, he always knew when dinner was and he always had a little something for you if you threw some food his way. He and I hit it off really well, not in an inappropriate kind of way, in the way that young twenty- some-things often do, drink, smoke, hang out type of way. Tyler had a trailer for his bike and would haul water up to his cabin. He was always up for a good time and was an enjoyable friend.

During this transition time, Jacques and I began to look for jobs with various hours we interviewed at Fred Meyers, at Safe-Way, for Merry Maids, and at the farthest most Denny’s in the world. We both took jobs at Denny’s working different shifts. This was fine, because I would drop him off for his shift and bring the car and my bike with me to my shift and he would drive the car home and I would bike home when my shift was finished. There were bike paths everywhere and we only lived a few miles from the Denny’s. By a few miles I mean like 5 or so.

I began saving money as I was earning it hand over fist, working the midnight shift during tourist season. I was able to buy the afore-mentioned bike, and help out with rent and groceries. During this time, we also had met some phreaks that we worked with at Denny’s and began hanging out with them. They were always up for a good time when we were not working. Jacques and I also would spend hours wandering in the woods at Fairbanks University and taking car rides up to the Artic Circle and just getting out and hiking all around.

On one such journey, we drove to Circle, Alaska. It was awesome to visit a real Native village. On the way home we suffered a flat tire, and we had a spare but it went flat too. We drove about 75 miles on this flat tire, until we got back to Fairbanks, when we pulled over and were going to hoof it back home, some nice stranger stopped and took me home and took Jacques to get the tire repaired and then back to the car. This was one of the first experiences with the nice people in Alaska.

Meanwhile my dad had sent me a letter asking me to explain to my relatives back home that I was on a vacation in Alaska, and that I would be returning soon and not to worry about me. He still wanted me to come home, he was very scared for me knowing what the real world was full of, as I was yet to discover.