Belly of the Whale

MICHIGAN BLUEBERRIES

When I arrived in Chigago, I drove through downtown toward the waterfront. There was no parking and people walking and shopping everywhere. Awesome skyscrapers. The traffic was rather knarly. I saw on my map that there was a planetarium and a museum near the Lake. I still hadn't gotten a hold of Elle or Jamie R so I thought a planetarium show would be a nice way to spend the day. Since I was a kid I have always loved star shows.
I saw a show called "The Stars of the Pharaohs." Still no calls and the day was starting to pass away. I napped by the Lake and read Eco. When evening came, I realized that Chicago wasn't the place I wanted to be driving around in at night. Two choices: wait here forElle to call or start driving up towards St Joseph and hope Jamie calls. At least the second option would get me out of the city and back on the highway. Also Jamie had called me two days ago and left me a message, so I had more faith that she was actually around.
I hadn't kown at all when I would be arriving to Chicago, so I didn't tell them I was coming. I had no way of knowing whether they had any time at all. It was just chance. So, I decided to drive norht. The sun started setting behind me and my condition didn't improve. In two hours I reached St. Joe but still had no where to go. I bought some fastfood and resigned myself to a night on the beach, if I could find one. As I drove looking for a park of some kind - the phone rang.
Please be Jamie, Please be Jamie....."Hello."
It wasn't Jamie. It wasn't Elle either. Unexpectedly, it was Anne Presecan. I haven't mentioned Anne because I myself had sort of forgotten her. Months ago we realized that we may be in the Michigan area at the same time, but the last email I recieved from her led me to believe that I would miss her, and the phone number she gave me didn't work. She had been staying in a family cottage on Lake Michigan and I had been looking forward to seein her, an old friend from Missoula, but oh well. Now she was on the phone and I wann't sur what to think. "Where are you:?" I asked, not sure whether she was back home in California now, calling to see why I missed her.
"I'm in Michigan," she said. "Where are you?"
I smiled. What a coincidence. I hadn't seen this coming. "Well, I'm actually in Michigan too."
"Really? No really, where are you?"
"Well, I am just passing through St. Joe's." I couldn't believe it. She felt so close. "Where in Michigan are you?"
"St. Joes. Oh my god! I am just up the road. What are you doing here? You've got to come over. Like right now. You're just down the road...."
And so I was. About twelve miles. She was staying right off the road on which I was already driving - one turn was all it took. A beautiful little cottage in the woods. Was her grandmother's. Amazing view over Lake Michigan. Private beach below.

I stayed with Anne for the weekend. The blueberries were in season and we ate approximately ten pounds of them. I sat on the porch or by the Lake and read. It turned out that Jamie was out of town at a music festival and didn't get my message to her until she got back - a day or two after I had left. Elie's family had arrived the same day I had. She took them to a ball game and then had to work on Sunday. I didn't get to see her either. That's how it goes. Me and Anne - we ate with some relatives, walked along the beach, danced to some bluegrass - I evn went for a swim. Great fun, and not what I was expecting.....