Long day's morning after

My day began and ended very similarly, but also very different. I left the house very early and went to the office and downloaded a loan package, then headed off to Cataula, a little community between Hamilton and Callaway Gardens to the north and Columbus to the south. The GPS kept trying to head me west to Newnan and then south on I-85 and I-18 to Cataula, but I resisted and went south to Zebulon, then west to Woodbury, then south again to Manchester, then west again to Ellerslie, then up to the borrower's house. As I drove through the early morning, the skies were grey, overcast and threatening rain. By the time the GPS led me to their house, the rain had begun.

The borrowers were a retired soldier and his wife. We sat in their dining room and he had a soft jazz song playing on the stereo. There were obviously no children present, the house was tidy and clean, and the whole experience was quite peaceful and pleasant. I almost didn't want to leave, but the rest of the day beckoned, and I headed back northeast to Griffin.

This afternoon, I had another closing scheduled in Warner Robins. Later in the day, they called and wanted me to drive to Fort Valley about an hour and a half later, which was nearby. I took this closing too and tried to contact the borrower at home and work, without success. Meanwhile the loan package for both closings arrived over the internet and I headed south to Warner Robins.

I arrived for the first closing and met with the borrower. Our visit was pleasant. Afterward, I headed west to Fort Valley. Meanwhile, I kept trying to call the borrower. I finally got a hold of someone at the house, but the borrower was nowhere to be found.

I made it to Fort Valley and didn't know if the borrower would call or even care to meet with me that night. I decided to go get something to eat, but restaurants are in short supply in Fort Valley, or at least restaurants which don't have a drive-thru. I stopped at a Capt. D's and ate shrimp and green beans and baked potato. I figured that was as close as healthy as I was going to come. Meanwhile, after finishing my meal and refilling my iced tea cup, I made another call to the borrower, who just happened to answer this time. He didn't want me to come to his house. He agreed to meet me at Capt. D's. So, I took my iced tea, grabbed the closing file, and waited outside in the drizzle.

He arrived and I informed him that it would be difficult to sit inside the restaurant, so we agreed to drive down to the Burger King and sit in there. We re-entered our cars and drove to the brightly lit Burger King parking lot.

As we walked into the Burger King, I realized that there was enough light inside to perform surgery or perhaps dry wet paint on a car. I followed the borrower to a table and sat down among the high school students, children, parents and assorted adults and pulled out the papers. We went through the papers, only interrupted by a young boy selling raffle tickets. His thick accent was foreign to me but the borrower clearly understood his request and pulled out a five dollar bill and filled out the raffle tickets.

We finally completed the closing and I headed out into the dark and drizzle and finally made my way home for the evening. It was a long day, but fairly productive. As I sit here in the darkness of the early morning and think about the day, I wonder if the car feels as tired as I do. If it had feelings, I am sure it would. Four twenty two. Long day gets longer. Stretches into the next. That's a headline for you.