In the shower, everything that happened the previous evening replayed over and over and over in my head. It was then that I realized that while I had been unconscious the security guard had apparently done stuff to me as well. I reached down and adjusted the water so that it was a little hotter; it stung my flesh but helped me to control my emotions. I think maybe subconsciously I was trying to burn any remaining essence of the security guard from my flesh. I kept telling myself that since I was only shirtless, the guard probably only jacked himself all over my chest. He probably used my shirt to clean himself up before going to find Meek.
“Maybe that’s when I pooped.” I said aloud but not loud enough to be heard by my too friends.
I showered and used the cream rinse just like I was told and left my wet GoodNite in the bathroom trashcan for Housekeeping to find later. I hadn’t even noticed until this very second that the one from last night was gone and a new bag was in the trashcan. Maybe Momma Destiny took it out in the night ’cause it was stinking even through the plastic bag.
I came out of the bathroom wearing a towel and found the two of them reclining on the bed and watching the news. Thankfully, it wasn’t about us.
“You just missed it. They had us on TV. We’re international criminals!” Meek exclaimed with a laugh and way too much pride.
“Still?” I asked as I reached into the package and pulled out a fresh GoodNite.
I started back to the bathroom with it, but thought better and just dropped my towel right there and stepped into it. When I looked up, Meek was smiling like a goofball.
“They were saying how there are people all over saying our parents, well your grandparents, should let us alone and let us compete in the surfing competition. They were holding up signs and everything.” Meek said.
“No way!” I exclaimed with disbelieve.
“Yes way dude!” Meek said back, “We’re famous!”
“Yeah, but this will make it even harder when we do get to California.” Destiny commented.
“Even with you looking like… well like my big sister and me with these blonde locks, I still look very much the same. People will recognize this face…” I made a frame around my face with my hands, “the second I step on the beach!”
“I got an idea about that.” Meek said, “Actually, I was thinking about it before we left. I was watching this really old movie and this guy; he was about Alvin’s age…” Meek was talking to Destiny at this point, “…and anyway he was really pale and had to pass as someone from India. They used something called Walnut Oil to dye his skin darker.
“I’m already naturally dark.” I said with a tone that made me come across like a smart ass.
“Yeah, but I’m not.” Meek argued.
Destiny got off the bed and began to pace back and forth still only wearing her bra and panties, and yes, now that I knew to look for it, from the back there was an obvious tuck job going on.
“What?” Meek asked her.
“I like your idea Mindy-Lynn.” She said, obviously addressing Meek by his drag-name.
She tapped a long red fingernail to her lips. “But first, let’s get all our stuff into the truck, don’t leave anything behind that will give anyone a clue that we were here or that the two of you have changed your appearance.”
Destiny went to pay for the room while Meek and I got dressed, cleaned the room, and took everything to the truck. I even went back to the bathroom and got last night’s wet GoodNite out of the trash.
I was surprised when we stopped only a couple blocks away at a hardware store and the mystery only deepened when we bought every can of white spray-paint they had; both flat and glossy finish.
We then stopped at a Walgreens where Meek and I were left in the truck for a couple minutes. Momma Destiny returned and tossed a small plastic bag up on the dashboard.
Destiny then took us to breakfast at McDonalds for a fast meal after which we drove out into the middle of nowhere.
“Why are we stopping here?” Meek asked.
“Well, just in case they are looking for a rusty gray pickup truck we’re going to give it a makeover and spray everything that isn’t chrome or glass.”
The sun was just coming up, causing the coolest red, orange, and golden colored sky as we began to paint bomb Destiny’s pickup truck. Boy did we have fun. Although it wasn’t a professional paint job, the truck looked a hundred times better than it had. The three of us stood back and admired our handy work. In a little more than an hour, the three of us had completely covered every bit of gray and rust with bright new white paint. We had to use the ice scraper on the windows to get off the over spray and I had managed to spray a little bit of paint on one tire, but over all we did a good job.
“Now, we need to deal with one very white girl!” Momma Destiny commented.
Meek made a sound like a small kitten which made me giggle because I’d already figured out what she was about to do to him.
Out there in the middle of nowhere, with everyone in Heaven looking down, she made him strip naked. I was surprised when Meek didn’t put up a fuss at all. I guess he’d figured it out too.
“Now, baby honey, get Momma that bag off the dash please.” Destiny said to me.
When I brought it, Meek was covering his privates with his hands and looking up at the sky while whistling a senseless tune.
From the bag came a brown bottle of something called Old English furniture polish. Beginning at his toes, she used cotton balls to die every inch of his skin. You might think I stayed and watched, but to be honest, Meek didn’t need me watching as Destiny died his privates and the inside of his butt crack. Sometime later I’d get to see just how good of a job she’d done transforming ‘White’ Meek into ‘VERY Bronzed’ Meek.
Once that job was done, he redressed and climbed into the truck where I had been sitting and napping.
“How do I look?” Meek asked, not knowing I’d dozed off.
“YIKES!” I exclaimed, “MOMMA DESTINY! MOMMA DESTINY! THERE’S A STRANG GUY ABOUT TO KIDNAP ME!”
Meek pretended to paw at me and pull on my arm like he was trying to drag me out of the truck.
“I’m going to chop you up and sell you as hamburger to McDonalds!” he said in an evil voice.
“Eeeeew!” Destiny exclaimed from the other side of the truck.
Meek had managed to drag me all the way out of the truck and was tickling the life out of me.
“NO TICKLING!” I screamed and tried to get away.
I finally broke free and ran about ten feet from him.
“You look like my friend Ben.” I told Meek.
“Is that good?” Meek asked.
I shook my head, “Nope! He’s dead!”
“HA HA!” Meek laughed mockingly.
“Alright my pretty!” Destiny said to Meek while sounding like the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz, “Back into the truck and your little dog too!!”
“Shouldn’t we let the truck and Meek dry?” I asked, having missed that Destiny had just referred to me as a dog.
Meek jumped back and pointed a trembling finger at me. Acting frightened, he stammered out, “Eeek a talking dog!”
Finally getting the dog reference, I let out a loud bark at Meek and then growled at him.
Destiny swatted my backside with a stick and laughingly reprimanded me with, “Bad dog!”
Having just been beat with a stick, I playfully rubbed my bottom as I looked up at Destiny; I gave her my biggest and best puppy dog eyes while making a whining puppy sound.
Laughingly she pushed me away and told me to get in the truck.
I busted out laughing as Meek answered my previous question, “Nah, I’m dry and the truck can finish drying while we’re driving Toto.”
“My thoughts exactly!” Destiny added while petting my head.
Laughing hard, I hopped into the truck via the open passenger door and sat there panting like a dog eager to go for a car ride. The two of them got a big laugh out of that.
As we started moving, Destiny popped a cassette tape into the dash radio and a moment later Michael Jackson could be heard singing ‘Ease on Down the Road’ from ‘The Wiz’. All three of us began to sing along with the song. All three of us were singing at the top of our lungs and I was surprised that I knew most of the words as did Meek.
Our second evening with Destiny turned out to be mostly uneventful that is until late into the day. We stopped twice for gas and drove for hours and hours. After we’d been on the road countless hours Destiny was saying how tired she was getting. Jokingly I suggested she let me drive for a while. Well she thought that was a brilliant idea and pulled right over. We had to adjust the bench seat so I could reach the peddles, and still be able to see to drive. It made Momma Destiny and Meek all scrunched, but not too much. After only two minutes of drivers’ training there on the side of the highway Destiny had me put the truck into gear and merge back into traffic. Poor Meek was scared to death over there on the passenger side. Destiny would give me instructions every so often but for the most part, she let me drive for the next two hours. It was one of the greatest moments of my life!
In time, they both calmed down and intermittently took catnaps while I continued to take us closer to California.