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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Love stories / Romance
- Subject: Comedy / Humor
- Published: 07/27/2025
Travel Buddies (Part 1)
Born 1947, M, from Colorado Springs, CO, United States.jpeg)
Travel Buddies (Part 1)
“No adventure is complete without you by my side.”
-- Unknown --
Fred and Catherine Nemo were fed up with the cold. The brutal Colorado winter was taking its toll on both. Fred was tired of dressing like a mummy. Many days he wore three layers to avoid the bitter winds while trying to keep their property free of snow. More, the roads were frequently icy preventing him from doing his gig job driving a cab. Catherine, not a great fan of warm weather, especially the Summer, was nevertheless growing tired of boots, ear muffs, scarfs, heavy coats, and the seemingly never-ending winter that stretched from first frost in late October sometimes past Mother’s Day in May.
“Let’s go to Mexico!” Catherine suggested over coffee one afternoon, her face radiant with excitement and encouragement. Fred, taken aback, really enjoyed their periodic adventures—especially to the beach--but was usually hesitant about leaving their home. Going away for a week or two always made him nervous. His long-standing fears went something like this: “Anything that could go wrong around the place probably would…like what if the water heater cracked, flooding the basement? What if some rascal, rogue, scoundrel or thief ransacked their house? After all, Colorado is still part of the Wild West,” he reasoned. Deep lines creasing his forehead told of internal distress, one accompanied by the thousand-yard stare that Catherine knew meant he might need a bit more convincing.
“Mexico?” He halfheartedly enquired.
“Yeah, you know, Baja, sun, beaches, pools, working on your tan, totally excellent Mexican cuisine.”
“Totally ex… he stammered…you mean like real tacos... not ones from the local taco joint, that place with the faux Mexican décor?” asked Fred, his paranoia beginning to recede.
“And Margaritas.” She said with a sheepish grin.
“Molcajete?” he asked, his tastebuds popping in anticipation.
“Yep, not to mention fabulous seafood and all sorts of other epicurean delights.”
“Churros or Tres Leche cake for dessert?”
“Exactamente!” proclaimed Catherine in her best Spanglish. “You know what, if we go soon, we’ll be there for the Three Kings ceremony; remember that? The Mexican celebration of the visitation by the three kings to the baby Jesus.”
Fred did, adding. “Yeah, the grocery stores are stacked high with Three King’s cakes of all sizes. It sounds like this could be one of our most delicious vacations ever!”*
“Delicious and warm outside too. Let’s go!” She prompted.
“Okay, you line up a room, I’ll get the airline tickets and hit the bank for some Pesos.”
The next morning Fred drove to the local branch of ‘Empower Securities and Trust.’ Walking in, he was met with a cheery hello and a bright smile from the young greeter. Pretty, in her early thirties, she was out-going, and anxious to please. “Welcome to Empower Securities and Trust, the bank that powers your financial life. How can we help you today?” She enquired sweetly.
“I just gotta’ get some Pesos,” replied Fred somewhat gruffly, wondering why in heaven’s name a bank needed greeters when the teller windows were constantly understaffed.
“No problem, sir,” she cooed. “Head over to that window and the representative will be right with you.”
Fred joined the queue, scrolling aimlessly on his phone while folks conducted their business. The teller, a thickset, round-faced young lady was professional and efficient enough, but dealing with customer’s idiosyncrasies slowed things down. Soon enough it was his turn, quickly placing an order for a couple thousand Pesos charging them to their joint savings account.
The greeter, clearly bored, left her post by the door and came up to the counter asking, “So we’re you headed?”
“Cabo.”
“Ooh,” she crooned mischievously, “Any chance you need a travel buddy?”
Fred, at first shocked, but sensing she was just teasing, decided to play along. “Travel buddy?” He replied sharply. “My wife will scratch your eyes out…and I’ll be next.” He glanced up to see the teller smiling smartly, clearly enjoying where this might be going.
“Yeah, then there’s my husband,” the young woman said apprehensively.
“Oh, he would not be happy. It is Colorado, he is probably armed to the teeth. I can see the headlines now: ‘Cuckold husband suspected of shooting old blind man outside Empower bank.’”
“Empower Securities and Trust,” she dutifully reminded him.
“Right, then there’s this scenario. Your hubby lets me live, we’re both blinded by my wife, walking around with red-tipped canes and tin cups, selling pencils on street corners. Two gossipy old ladies pass by. One says, ‘Oh, ain’t it a shame, that poor, old blind man and his pretty, blind granddaughter reduced to begging.’ The other one goes, ‘Do ya’ think it’s hereditary?’ Meanwhile, we’re there sayin’ like, you know, ‘alms for the poor,’ stuff like that.”
“…then there’s that,” she admitted.
“Then there’s that,” agreed Fred. The teller, now smiling broadly, worked to stifle a low chuckle.
Finishing up his transaction, they all had a good laugh and Fred went home, anxious to tell Catherine all about what he considered this hysterical experience.
Catherine did not find it funny.
“That bold, brazen piece of humanity!” was her first reaction. This followed by a string of curse words that made Fred happy grandchildren were not around.
“She was only being playful.”
“That flirtatious little harpy! Fred Nemo, you are seventy-eight years old. Don’t you know when a woman is hitting on you? Can’t you see when some young gal is looking for a Sugar Daddy?”
“Sugar Daddy? Uhh, I guess I missed the memo on that one.”
We need to change banks! She insisted.”
“Empower Securities and Trust,” quipped Fred with a pathetic attempt at lightening up the moment.
“What???” An angry and confused Catherine screamed.
“Travel buddy? The slut. I’ll scratch her bloody eyes out! And you’d be next!”
“I told her that.” reassured Fred, thankful there were no guns in the house.
“Hey Cat, chill sweetheart. After almost 40 years, I can assure you of one thing. That gal’s not ‘woman enough to take your man,’” responded Fred, quoting the popular country song. “No woman is.”
“You jerk…” was her first response. But that hit home, warming Catherine’s heart.
Mustering up his best ‘dreamy-eyed look,’ Fred reminded her, “Hey, you know you’re my girl, right?”
“Aww,” she cooed, slowly calming down. “Always and forever?” She asked blushing slightly.
“Forever and ever.”
“That tramp…”
“Forget her. You and I have always been the best travel buddies,” Fred said sweetly. So, what do ya’ say, let’s go to Mexico. You know, where it’s warmer, we can work on our tans and eat good tacos?”
“And have great seafood?” She queried, finally brightening up.
“Exactamente!” Fred exclaimed, with slightly better Spanish pronunciation. ”Let’s go on an adventure.”
“I’ll start packing!” Squealed Catherine as she headed upstairs.
To be continued…
*The Mexican people celebrate The Feast of the Three Kings each year on January 6th. Inside each cake is a figurine of the Baby Jesus. Finding the figurine in your slice means becoming a ‘godparent’ who has to offer tamales on February 2nd, the day said to be when Jesus was taken from the manger.
© 2025 Gerald R. Gioglio
Gerald R. Gioglio is the author of the Vietnam-era, social justice and antiwar memoir, Marching to a Silent Tune: A Journey from We Shall to Hell No. Available from actapublications.com and Amazon.com.
“No adventure is complete without you by my side.”
-- Unknown --
Fred and Catherine Nemo were fed up with the cold. The brutal Colorado winter was taking its toll on both. Fred was tired of dressing like a mummy. Many days he wore three layers to avoid the bitter winds while trying to keep their property free of snow. More, the roads were frequently icy preventing him from doing his gig job driving a cab. Catherine, not a great fan of warm weather, especially the Summer, was nevertheless growing tired of boots, ear muffs, scarfs, heavy coats, and the seemingly never-ending winter that stretched from first frost in late October sometimes past Mother’s Day in May.
“Let’s go to Mexico!” Catherine suggested over coffee one afternoon, her face radiant with excitement and encouragement. Fred, taken aback, really enjoyed their periodic adventures—especially to the beach--but was usually hesitant about leaving their home. Going away for a week or two always made him nervous. His long-standing fears went something like this: “Anything that could go wrong around the place probably would…like what if the water heater cracked, flooding the basement? What if some rascal, rogue, scoundrel or thief ransacked their house? After all, Colorado is still part of the Wild West,” he reasoned. Deep lines creasing his forehead told of internal distress, one accompanied by the thousand-yard stare that Catherine knew meant he might need a bit more convincing.
“Mexico?” He halfheartedly enquired.
“Yeah, you know, Baja, sun, beaches, pools, working on your tan, totally excellent Mexican cuisine.”
“Totally ex… he stammered…you mean like real tacos... not ones from the local taco joint, that place with the faux Mexican décor?” asked Fred, his paranoia beginning to recede.
“And Margaritas.” She said with a sheepish grin.
“Molcajete?” he asked, his tastebuds popping in anticipation.
“Yep, not to mention fabulous seafood and all sorts of other epicurean delights.”
“Churros or Tres Leche cake for dessert?”
“Exactamente!” proclaimed Catherine in her best Spanglish. “You know what, if we go soon, we’ll be there for the Three Kings ceremony; remember that? The Mexican celebration of the visitation by the three kings to the baby Jesus.”
Fred did, adding. “Yeah, the grocery stores are stacked high with Three King’s cakes of all sizes. It sounds like this could be one of our most delicious vacations ever!”*
“Delicious and warm outside too. Let’s go!” She prompted.
“Okay, you line up a room, I’ll get the airline tickets and hit the bank for some Pesos.”
The next morning Fred drove to the local branch of ‘Empower Securities and Trust.’ Walking in, he was met with a cheery hello and a bright smile from the young greeter. Pretty, in her early thirties, she was out-going, and anxious to please. “Welcome to Empower Securities and Trust, the bank that powers your financial life. How can we help you today?” She enquired sweetly.
“I just gotta’ get some Pesos,” replied Fred somewhat gruffly, wondering why in heaven’s name a bank needed greeters when the teller windows were constantly understaffed.
“No problem, sir,” she cooed. “Head over to that window and the representative will be right with you.”
Fred joined the queue, scrolling aimlessly on his phone while folks conducted their business. The teller, a thickset, round-faced young lady was professional and efficient enough, but dealing with customer’s idiosyncrasies slowed things down. Soon enough it was his turn, quickly placing an order for a couple thousand Pesos charging them to their joint savings account.
The greeter, clearly bored, left her post by the door and came up to the counter asking, “So we’re you headed?”
“Cabo.”
“Ooh,” she crooned mischievously, “Any chance you need a travel buddy?”
Fred, at first shocked, but sensing she was just teasing, decided to play along. “Travel buddy?” He replied sharply. “My wife will scratch your eyes out…and I’ll be next.” He glanced up to see the teller smiling smartly, clearly enjoying where this might be going.
“Yeah, then there’s my husband,” the young woman said apprehensively.
“Oh, he would not be happy. It is Colorado, he is probably armed to the teeth. I can see the headlines now: ‘Cuckold husband suspected of shooting old blind man outside Empower bank.’”
“Empower Securities and Trust,” she dutifully reminded him.
“Right, then there’s this scenario. Your hubby lets me live, we’re both blinded by my wife, walking around with red-tipped canes and tin cups, selling pencils on street corners. Two gossipy old ladies pass by. One says, ‘Oh, ain’t it a shame, that poor, old blind man and his pretty, blind granddaughter reduced to begging.’ The other one goes, ‘Do ya’ think it’s hereditary?’ Meanwhile, we’re there sayin’ like, you know, ‘alms for the poor,’ stuff like that.”
“…then there’s that,” she admitted.
“Then there’s that,” agreed Fred. The teller, now smiling broadly, worked to stifle a low chuckle.
Finishing up his transaction, they all had a good laugh and Fred went home, anxious to tell Catherine all about what he considered this hysterical experience.
Catherine did not find it funny.
“That bold, brazen piece of humanity!” was her first reaction. This followed by a string of curse words that made Fred happy grandchildren were not around.
“She was only being playful.”
“That flirtatious little harpy! Fred Nemo, you are seventy-eight years old. Don’t you know when a woman is hitting on you? Can’t you see when some young gal is looking for a Sugar Daddy?”
“Sugar Daddy? Uhh, I guess I missed the memo on that one.”
We need to change banks! She insisted.”
“Empower Securities and Trust,” quipped Fred with a pathetic attempt at lightening up the moment.
“What???” An angry and confused Catherine screamed.
“Travel buddy? The slut. I’ll scratch her bloody eyes out! And you’d be next!”
“I told her that.” reassured Fred, thankful there were no guns in the house.
“Hey Cat, chill sweetheart. After almost 40 years, I can assure you of one thing. That gal’s not ‘woman enough to take your man,’” responded Fred, quoting the popular country song. “No woman is.”
“You jerk…” was her first response. But that hit home, warming Catherine’s heart.
Mustering up his best ‘dreamy-eyed look,’ Fred reminded her, “Hey, you know you’re my girl, right?”
“Aww,” she cooed, slowly calming down. “Always and forever?” She asked blushing slightly.
“Forever and ever.”
“That tramp…”
“Forget her. You and I have always been the best travel buddies,” Fred said sweetly. So, what do ya’ say, let’s go to Mexico. You know, where it’s warmer, we can work on our tans and eat good tacos?”
“And have great seafood?” She queried, finally brightening up.
“Exactamente!” Fred exclaimed, with slightly better Spanish pronunciation. ”Let’s go on an adventure.”
“I’ll start packing!” Squealed Catherine as she headed upstairs.
To be continued…
*The Mexican people celebrate The Feast of the Three Kings each year on January 6th. Inside each cake is a figurine of the Baby Jesus. Finding the figurine in your slice means becoming a ‘godparent’ who has to offer tamales on February 2nd, the day said to be when Jesus was taken from the manger.
© 2025 Gerald R. Gioglio
Gerald R. Gioglio is the author of the Vietnam-era, social justice and antiwar memoir, Marching to a Silent Tune: A Journey from We Shall to Hell No. Available from actapublications.com and Amazon.com.
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