Arkansas Road Trip 2009 - Part Two

In the woods at Blanchard Springs Caverns

Lying naked in a tub of excruciatingly hot water with two teensy washcloths to cover me as I’m about to be ‘exfoliated’ by a pierced and tattood stranger named Erma pretty well defines the word ‘vulnerable’ for me.

Erma coarsely commanded, “Give me your leg”. I did as I was told as she began my exfoliation with a loofah from hell. All the while I couldn’t help but think how surreal this whole experience was to me.

Working my feet, legs, arms and back with vigor, I determined early on that it was time for a little ‘small talk’.

• Me: “So Erma, how long have you been doing this sort of thing?”
  
• Erma: "Well, during my incarceration, just outside of Little Rock at ‘Hawkins’, I found Jesus as my personal saviour.”
  
• Me: Enthusiastically saying, (but thinking, ‘oh shit’) …“That is wonderful! Good for you!"


• Erma: “So I decided to turn my life around and move here to Hot Springs”


• Me: “Well that is just fabulous! So how long have you worked here?”


• Erma: With a wide semi-toothless grin, “’bout three weeks.”


• Me: (Gulping) “Well then, best of luck to you.”

vul·ner·able
adjective

1. that can be wounded or physically injured
   
2. a. open to criticism or attack a vulnerable reputation
   b. easily hurt, as by adverse criticism; sensitive affected by a specified influence, temptation, etc.

Etymology: LL vulnerabilis, wounding, likely to injure (also, in pass. sense, vulnerable) <> L vellere - Dictionary.com

Unfortunately, I was now an informed client.

My mind was racing with thoughts of "Women in Chains" and the thoughts of beatings, gruel, cold concrete, iron bars and the like.

I ended my conversation with Erma. She had a job to do and I was speechless. It worked for us both.

Following my bath, Erma passed me on to a coworker who appeared to have a full set of teeth and no visible tattoos. I was wrapped, pampered and massaged. It was a good day.