The Drive

This is NOT running away. No way. It is buying time to think. THAT is what it is. No more. No less.

Sure.

Let's back up here. Start from the beginning. What a lousy day this turned out to be.

First, the alarm clock decides to go on vacation. Out to breakfast or something. So, I'm late for work. Again.

Second, my desk! Shoulda stayed home. What a pile of dung. And I wasn't talking about the paper. I mean the boss sitting on it waiting for me to arrive. Stupid alarm clock.

Third, while I'm out to lunch, finally, the car goes bonkers. In to the garage for a few hours. No one will come get me. The hell with it, I'm taken the rest of the day off. So there.

With the car finally repaired and my wallet less heavy, I head to the nearest market, buy a 12 pack of beer and some munchies, and off I go. No place in particular. Just ride.

I've been driving for several hours now. Hell, more like 4 and a half. Driving relaxes me. Don't know why I did not get myself a big rig years ago and earn my way on the road. I just love to drive. Or have a job testing Goodyears coast to coast. Someone does that I hear. Or driving RV's from the plant to the retailer or directly to the owner. Yep, that exists as well. Man, the freedom of the road. Time to think. No one breathing down your neck. Hey, what's that jerk?

I look down at the dash and there's a red warning light trying to get my attention. Wonder if it was yellow before it was red. Humm. O crap, another jerk. Engine dies. O crap. Pull off to the shoulder of the road.

I let the dust settle before I open the door to assess the problem. It's dark out now. Starlight. No moon. Wow, where did I drive to now? Open desert that's for sure. Lot's of that around LA. I'm probably in the high desert somewhere near Mojave. When I let the car just wander on it's own this is where I usually end up. I meander around the car but can't see a thing in the starlight. Best take a tour of the car's trunk to see want I have in there.

No flashlight. Great. No spare either. No flat either. Good. No tools except a rusty flat blade screwdriver. Might come in handy to stab myself. Great.

I go back into the cabin of the car. Let's see what I got in here. The glove box has all the usual stuff you'll never use in a lifetime. Like the owner's manual. Trip booklet. Wadded up kleenexes? Must be my girl friends. And a melted what's it? Eeewwwuuuw. Sticky. No flashlight. Great. I do have 7 beers left from the 12 pack. GREAT. And a bag of those disgusting yellow horn things. What was I thinking? The back seat is bare as the desert outside. No cell phone. NO CELL PHONE! So, I check under the driver's seat. I pull out a wrapped cigar. An expensive one at that. Saint Luis Rey. No Swisher Sweet this. Wooo Hooo! The car's cigarette lighter don't need gas to light this baby. And that's the problem. I ran out of gas. Dope.

So, I push the cigarette lighter all the way in, grab one of the beers, still cold, and the bag of horns. By the time I got the wrapper off the cigar the lighter popped out ready to ignite the end of it. That first drag was so good. So good. Well, no need to waste the stars outside. I open the door and exit with the lit cigar chomped between my teeth, the beer in my left hand, and supper of horns in my right.

Wow, the stars are so bright. And so many away from the glare of LA. The cigar drags well. I take a swig of beer. Pop a few horns in my mouth. Heck, they ain't all that bad. So now what. I can sleep well enough in the back. Someone will be by in the morning. Hey, it ain't so bad after all. I settle my right elbow onto the left front fender and pull another drag of smoke. Not bad at all.

The big cat saw an opening and leaped across the hood of the car. His right paw, with claws extended, grabbed the relaxed man by his right shoulder, digging the claws in deep. The cat quickly dragged his prey across the top of the hood and into the dark on the right side of the car. Then the cat ripped out the throat with his powerful teeth and jaws. His prey lay lifeless.

Then the cat caught another smell, so powerful he had to leave his kill to investigate. He found the bag of horns. HORNS. Hell yeah! What a day! Woo Hoooo!