Continuing with SO WONDERFUL AS WANT Ch. 11, Ex. 1 Likes, comments, shares appreciated. CHAPTER ELEVEN Plans to build a road linking Punta Gorda with Miami via Fort Myers had been on the drawing board for years. Dubbed the Tamiami Trail, the project had stalled in the talking stages when prominent businessmen couldn’t agree on its proposed path. With no paved north/south route, motorists were forced to travel at their own risk, often on old buggy trails meandering through pastures and swamps. Frequently forked and seldom marked, the primitive roads left many an unwary traveler miles out of his way and hopelessly lost. Thus it was with great trepidation that Drew journeyed south with nothing but a hand-drawn map from Zach to guide him. Drew was to bless his friend many times during the trip for that small scrap of paper. Three years after relocating lock, stock, and little black bag, Drew Cunningham had a well-deserved reputation in Fort Myers and surrounding communities as a respected healer and gentleman. His relationship with Zach and Dinah survived the unpleasantness surrounding his first visit, and they saw each other often; Dinah’s behavior was beyond reproach each time. To commemorate one such visit, Drew coaxed the entire family into a photography studio for a portrait. The photo, set in an antique silver frame, now graced his mantle; an identical one sat on Zach and Dinah’s bedside table. But the gift that thrilled Zach and Dinah the most was Drew’s old automobile. Now they didn’t have to borrow Corky’s truck, which had begun to smell disagreeably of pig offal. Even Aunt Clara was heard to exclaim how enjoyable the trip to and from town was now that they didn’t have to spend all day doing it. Pleasure aspects aside, this new mode of travel signaled the death knell to those dependent on river traffic for their livelihoods. With fewer customers, Aunt Clara stopped ordering new stock. Should a stray traveler happen by, he was rewarded with perfectly usable though dusty merchandise at cut-rate prices. For all intents and purposes, Finney’s Mercantile had gone the way of the horse and buggy. For those who could afford it, the automobile was simply a convenient source of transportation. And on this warm, spring day, as Dinah set up her ironing board on the porch, she thought about her plans for the weekend. Drew had invited them to a special children’s show at the Arcade Theater. If Zach could get off work, it promised to be a fun-filled event for the whole family. She’d just set iron to fabric when the children’s playful challenges intruded on her thoughts. New excerpt on Friday. Amz US link: amzn.to/HsXOds
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:55:50 +0000
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