Chapter 28: Lori

I was going to have a wedding.

After I failed at what I thought was my one chance at being engaged. After feeling like an old maid for the past two years. After being left after everyone else on Earth vanished. I was in love. He loved me back. And now I was going to get married.

How? That question haunted me as Jamie drove the suburban towards Winter Haven. It was late afternoon and he wanted to get back before dark. So he said he was going to drive a little faster than normal.

I stared at the passing as I tried to make sense of the last two days.

Since my arrival in Jacksonville, I hadn't seen any other part of Florida. Our river trip and now the drive to Winter Haven were my first glimpse of some of the rest of the state, but I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to notice very much.

I remember crossing a big bridge that took us into the Orlando area. The city was as still as the grave as we drove through. You really couldn't tell if you were in Jacksonville, or Orlando. They both looked exactly the same. It was quiet, empty and depressing, if you let it.

Since yesterday, I had a new lease on life and was determined to make something of it. Jamie saved me. The world was suddenly less threatening.

The City of Orlando gave way to an area Jamie called The Attractions — the part of the interstate where you pass Disney World, Universal, Sea World and Wet & Wild. It was the longest stretch of motel rooms I had ever seen — the Holiday Inn, Hampton, Comfort Inn, Radisson, Sheraton, Hilton and Marriott and scores more. Along with the hotels and motels was a telephone book supply of restaurants and gift shops. They went on for miles without let up.

"Wow," I commented, "where did all these tourist stops come from?"

Jamie laughed. "When you grow up here, you don't even notice."

When we turned onto a local highway towards Winter Haven, I asked Jamie about the town.

"Winter Haven was established by wealthy northerners as a place to spend the winter. As soon as they bought the whole countryside, they planted citrus groves and made more millions.

"As the land became more and more valuable, the northern millionaires formed citrus cooperatives so they could share expenses and keep all the money. A bunch of them built mansions just east of town near an amazing botanical garden. They named it Bok Gardens; people visit it from all over the world. Their mansions are all built so they surround the gardens, almost as sentinels stand guard against the regular people.

His voice bore a tinge of anger. "The really rich build enormous fortunes and hate themselves. They spend their elder years securing everything for their kids who never have anything to do with them. Then they get interested in good deeds, just before they die.

"I get them when that happens. They feel the cold hand of the grave and discover a desire to build something that will survive after they're gone. Since I've been pasturing the church, their endowments have funded two senior living centers, a couple of clinics, a mission to Jamaica and a new church wing complete with a fine library