Shrill Hello from a Friend

After passing the man sitting in the opening of a small tent just off the road by the creek, I parked my car. When I first drove by, I saw a bent knee revealing blue jeans and caught part of a nose sticking up from inside.

Since I wasn’t sure who lived inside, I pondered who the person was and knew the man must be sweating and hot.

I carried dozens of cold Gatorades in my car, those intended for such moments. So I circled the block and returned down the road, pulling to the side. As I parked, another vehicle, an SUV, pulled up behind me.