The Longest Mile

Finally, the day had come. I get to bring her home! Mentally preparing myself as a nervous teen would for a first date. She was only a mile away or so I thought to myself "I can do this". I have never driven such a large vehicle could I even keep it in my lane. She was huge in my eyes but It had to happen. I couldn't leave her there being uncared for, she deserved better than that!
we drove to the lot where she sat. We checked the tires they seemed ok for the trip. I climbed in as I sat in the drivers seat the visions flooded back into my mind of a young man cruising the roads to freedom and she was the means of escape!

Turning the key she started much easier as if she knew her life was improving! I slowly put her in gear after she warmed up. I gently pushed on the throttle the tires spun on the wet ground and the gas pedal fell to the floor! This is going to be fun I thought. I opened the dog house which was not even attached to the travco and discovered a tiny two barrel carburetor where in my dreams there should of been a gleaming monster four barrel! There was a pound of eaten acorn shells strewn across the motor also. It was then that I noticed the box with the oil filled breather setting in it. Where the passenger seat should be. In my dream state I didn't see this huge box what else could I have missed? Checking the throttle linkage It all seemed ok but half way through it lifted and the pedal fell to the floor? I thought just get her home and I can fix that later. It was a short trip after all what could go wrong? I started her back up put her in reverse a little progress then the tires spun. After a eternity of forward to reverses and no luck! She was stuck! and good. We drove back home to form a plan.

We decided to call my stepson who just got an old four wheel drive Bronco. He said he could it. I told him it would be about ten pm to midnight. You would of thought I killed him those were the best hours for a teens social life! He reluctantly agreed. We pulled in about 10:30 pm and hooked up the tow cable and we both took off tires spinning the back of the Travco went sideways. I let off and he slowly pulled her out. I saw her reflection in the window of closed store across the street and all the dreams came flooding back in. We disconnected the cable on the shoulder and took off. It was then I realized my dream of driving as a teen hearing only the wind blowing was unrealistic at best. She reminded me of a dump truck driving by she was in no way quiet to say the least and the mud in the rear tires didn't help the tires balance but so far so good The brakes didn't feel the best so I drove slow and careful trying not to give more than half throttle...Luckily for me no one was out driving or so it seemed. We approached the main turn in this white knuckled journey and out of nowhere it became rush hour my heart pounding. I started my turn and you guessed it the pedal fell and I'm stuck in the intersection trying to grab the pedal to lift it back in the dark with more cars than rush hour watching the spectacle. Finally in the dark I got it fixed and gassed it only to see the low train overpass would she fit? I hadn't thought of that! The sweet dreams of yesteryear gave way to the nightmare that suddenly became my life I had visions of police cars and tow trucks and heckling crowds of people! I creeped up trying to will the bridge higher with my mind. Wait! there was no crashing sound or scraping....Whew she fit !!! Just a few more blocks and I would be safe from my torments. As we arrived home I decided to back her in. It is very different than a car I had to have the boy as I call him guide me in as none of the mirrors were adjusted to me driving...drivers ed 101. Ha we made it I thought, She was home. Now the real adventures begin.

Dreams

It all started on a sunny fall afternoon about twenty two years ago as a young teen boy with a drivers license and no car flew about town on a bicycle. A bicycle that his hands had created from the abandoned remains of one bike and another that he had bought for five dollars at a local garage sale. His eyes squinting from the wind blowing up the dust from the quiet streets of his small home town. Through the dust and blowing leaves I saw her all her shapely curves the promise of great adventure that any young man desires. Being a child of no real wealth I could only wonder and dream of what it must be like to sit behind the wheel of such a beauty and cruise the gentile curves of the country side I was raised in. I slowed and saw a man washing her as gently as he would caress his own wife. It was then I knew she was for me but how to get her. Was she for sale ? Would he part with the object of his affections? wait !!! what was I thinking I couldn't even afford a new bicycle!!! It was then I knew I had to face the sad and brutal truth, no money, no job and no prospects equals NO TRAVCO!

Fast forward. A forty yr. old man Driving taking his family for an afternoon drive talking with his wife about the weather and how nice it was to get out of the house for a while. His daughter looked out the window day dreaming as he had when he was young...What was that! Out of the corner of my eye a flash of light. Spinning to see what it was I caught a glimpse of an equally older beauty. Could it be? after all these years my heart raced as I tried find a place to turn around. My wife saying what is it and laughing at the giddiness in my voice. I drove back to the spot where I thought my hallucination happened. There she was covered in years of grime and neglect. It was her! What had happened to her why did he stop caring for her. Then I saw it this little white and orange sign with the most wonderful words in the world FOR SALE!!!! I quickly wrote the number down and drove like a nascar champion to my house and called the man who to my delight said he'd meet me there with the keys. I slowly drove back....yeah who am I fooling. I'm just glad no police cars were there to slow our official introduction. I paced like an expectant father in delivery room until he arrived. I think it took about nine months but he finally arrived I took the key in hand unlocked her and climbed in and made my way to the drivers seat. Nervously I sat in the commanders seat like some strange Star trek episode. Looking out the window I felt the rush of a teenage daydream streaming in of driving those familiar roads off into the unknown. I thought I heard my wife saying well are you going to start it?...Remember the story is as the teller remembers which due to emotion and various other factors such as daydreaming may alter. :)

I slowly turned the key as a bomb squad technician would hesitate on whether it was the red or blue wire. The starter whirred away and I heard a voice with softness of a jet crashing tear into my dream... Pump it said the male voice.... So after a few pumps and several attempts the engine roared to life. I was overjoyed it ran. Good enough for me now leave us alone! I was as happy as someone reunited with a long lost family member. After a few minutes I had to talk the man I told him I couldn't afford to pay in full at this time he told me I could make payments to him and after a certain amount I could take her home. I being the man of the family immediately looked with the eyes of a little puppy at my wife who nodded in approval...Whew! After the formality's We locked her up and went home.

I found myself driving the long way to the store to pass her and make sure she was still there and this wasn't a weird teenage dream that my mom was about to interrupt to tell me to go mow the yard as she had done many times in the past. My wife just laughed at the conjugal visits as she called them.The weeks went so slow it was torture waiting to bring her home.