Sagehen Mesa - Part 4 - Anton Dexter's Personal Problems

 I’m Anton Dexter, and while I’m not a native to Sagehen Mesa, I’ve been here for a couple years. Me and Guadalupe have been renting this older house on the coast and just trying to get our feet under us. 

Now before you go thinking me and Guadalupe have something going on, think again. Guadalupe and I both grew up in the foster care system and met at the last foster home for both of us before we aged out of the system. We were both in the same boat, our birthdays being just a couple weeks apart. Nothing like having your support system yanked out from under you and being expected to hit the ground adulting, and finding housing and a job to support yourself. Guadalupe is like a sister to me, and while we went our separate ways for a time, we kept in touch. 

I went to the big city of Bridgeport and tried my hand at becoming a professional photographer, but I’m not too savvy about business and self promotion and all the things it takes to become a freelancer, and the competition was fierce! I struggled - man did I struggle! The city can be cruel, I tell you. 

Guadalupe stayed in the town of Toledo, where we were last in a foster home. She met a kindly widow who had a big house and lived alone, so she offered a room. 

This woman had connections and helped Guadalupe get a part-time job at the spa in town. (I also hear the woman had a spoiled daughter who had moved out and never visited or called until the woman moved Guadalupe in, then boy was she attentive! I think she was afraid the woman would give away her inheritance to Guadalupe.) After the woman died, the daughter took over the house, and kicked Guadalupe out. Guadalupe did actually inherit some money from the woman, which enabled her to move here and secure a lease on this house. 

Guadalupe wanted a fresh start and Sagehen Mesa reminded her of where she lived as a child before the shit hit the fan. She invited me to move in and split the rent with her. This was easier said than done as I had no job and no nest egg. I took the first job I could find - a bedpan cleaner at the hospital. Guadalupe found work at the school as a teacher’s aide, and together we have managed to make ends meet. I hate my job though and am still looking for something better. 

Sagehen Mesa is a decent town, but single women are scarce. That’s why Dr. Ellen piqued my interest when she first arrived. She is a wonderful, caring woman and not too hard on the eyes. She really wants to help people.

I’m sure rumors have circulated about my meltdown when Dr. Ellen said she didn’t want to go out with me anymore, but I assure you I am so over that now. I think I took it so hard because I’ve had to face a lot of rejection growing up and I don’t react well to it. 

You see, my dad walked out on me, my mom, and my siblings when I was five. My older brother Tyrone joined the military as soon as he was old enough and never kept in contact with the rest of us. He had his own demons to deal with I guess. Mom, desperate to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads, got caught embezzling from the company she worked at and ended up in prison, which is how me and my sister ended up in foster care. Me and Sasha were placed separately and lost contact with each other. I hope things worked out for her.  I’d really love to see her again. As for me, I was bounced around from one foster home to the next and never felt connected to a family or a place. Guadalupe is the closest thing I have to family these days. 

Guadalupe is religious and drags me off to church on Sundays. They needed someone to play piano, and I happen to have some skills in that area, having a friend in Bridgeport who gave me some lessons for free. I like playing music, so it’s good to have a gig to look forward to, even if it is for a handful of tone-deaf singers who butcher the hymns. 

Guadalupe likes to play music too, and is pretty good at the guitar. She sometimes plays at open-mic night at The Pit Stop. We’re thinking of getting a band together if only to play in the summer music festival here in town. 

Josie Williams, the old woman who preaches at church, has a daughter who just moved to town and is my age. Josie was talking her up and bragging on her and heavily hinting that I should ask her out. 

Her daughter Hannah is mighty fine, I admit, but I hate being set up. What if we don’t get along? What if Josie only asked me because I’m the only single guy in town that she knows? What if, like Ellen, Hannah ditches me too? I’m just not sure I’m ready to take the chance. 

Guadalupe threw a house party and invited Josie and Hannah along with others, so I had the chance to talk to Hannah, and we got along pretty well, but we’ll see. I’m still feeling the burn from being dumped by Ellen and am not sure I want to risk disappointment again. 

Speaking of Ellen,  she’s been having some open houses and inviting the townspeople to get to know her. She’s begged me to show up and talk her up, promising we don’t have to  interact with each other if it would make me uncomfortable. I ran into Hannah at one of the open houses, and I admit, I’m liking her the more I see her.

She says that, like me, she’s not happy with her line of work either. There’s a big difference between learning methods of teaching and actually doing it. Rather than teaching academics, she’s thinking she would rather teach PE or be a coach. Either that or turn to a life of crime. 

I sympathized and told that crime doesn’t pay - my mother could attest to that, but maybe she should consider coaching. Life’s too short to be miserable in your job. She decided to apply as a coach and asked me to meet up with her after her interview. She got the job!

We celebrated with a picnic on the school grounds. I was surprised by the number of people who were showing up with musical instruments and playing out on the grounds that night. Hannah explained that it’s what they called a hootenanny, and anyone who wanted to participate just showed up and jammed with each other. It was something new they were doing this year for the Summer Music Festival.

She had even brought along her bass. Lucky for me, I had my keyboard in my pocket, so we could jam together. I felt like we made beautiful music together and asked her if she'd like to join the band with me and Guadalupe and perform for the festival. She agreed.

I think I’m really falling for the girl. 

Now I need to follow my own advice and find a job I like.