|SUNDAY STORY| This Route 66-based story, written by OC,SHs founder, was started in 2010, after his September 2009 Route 66 road trip. The last original chapter (#32) was written in May 2012; he added 1 more chapter during his The Rocktucky Files trip to Kentucky this past August & will write more soon. CHAPTER 2: Arriving When they (him, his parents & 2 siblings) first moved to town after the renovations to the building were completed, the local folks were not quite sure what to make of the new family. The local newspaper was quick to inform everyone of the newcomers ... especially since they were city folk moving to small town USA, hoping to make a go along a small stretch of famed Route 66. The townsfolk figured the new family was in for a culture shock, but they werent. His Dad had taken time to educate his kids about Route 66 & the importance attached to even the smallest of towns. So, none of them were shocked at the relaxed life. Truth be told, they were all eager for the change from the big city life. But, they werent prepared for the cold shoulder they received from locals. The first month his parents business was open, they only had one visitor. It took his Dad quite some work, & the entire family some sacrifices, to convince the locals they were not the enemy ... that they were, indeed, truly enthusiastic about & held an infectious passion in Route 66. Just a few short months later, a visitor to the town would never have guessed the family of 5 had ever lived in a big city. CHAPTER 3: Goodbye As he pulled his big, old 1976 Caprice sedan into the driveway of the home he shared with his Mom for 5 years ... the same house his parents purchased when they moved to the small town ... he realized his cell was still stuck in his pocket. He pulled it out & noticed a missed call. But, as he was about to hit the button to see who had called, his cell phone blinked again. The display showed the incoming call as sis. Yeah? he answered. She is gone, his younger sister whispered. I tried to call you..... Silence. He couldnt speak. Instead, he glanced at the dashboard of what had been his Dads pride & joy for so many years to see how much gas was left, & quickly said, Ill be there soon. Have you called... Yes. I talked to him while a song was playing. He said he was going to call Kyle to see if he could do the rest of his show so he could take the next flight out of Nashville. OK. I will see you soon. Here we go again.... He ended the call & backed the Caprice out of the driveway; the half-tank of gas would be plenty to get him back & forth one more time today. He had planned to park the Caprice & grab his other car, but he didnt want to take time to switch cars now. Besides, the Caprice was at the center of the family for years, before his Dad bought a 1990 Dodge Caravan, which was then replaced by a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria. Of those, the Caprice was the only one still in the family. As he headed down the road, he turned the radio on to AM 650 to see if he could listen to his brothers show. His brother, the youngest of the 3, had been the first to have enough of the small town life ... heading for a big city. He loved older country music & landed himself a job at Nashvilles WSM radio, the premier radio station that, at times, can be heard for miles. The station came in ... but just barely. The first voice he heard, though, was his Moms: ...has been tremendous. Because of that, my eldest son has agreed to help me keep the business open for a year so we can continue the tradition & greet people if they want to stop. It was the recording his Mom had done for his brothers show after his Dad died. The support they had received at the time was overwhelming, & at the urging of the local Route 66 Association, he had agreed to quit his job & help his Mom full time at the business to greet Route 66 travelers as they explored the famed roadway. He had agreed to 1 year, but with all of the fellow Route 66 people stopping in to see his Mom after his Dads death & the daily trek of Route 66 explorers, 1 year quickly turned into 3. Then, his Mom became ill & he had to rely on others to open the business ... which is why he had decided to put the business up for sale. His brother then spoke: That was my Mom, about 5 years ago, speaking after Dads death. A few moments ago, I received a call from my sister to tell me that Mom has died. Kyle is on his way to the Opryland Hotel studios to handle the rest of my show. Once he arrives, I will turn the reins over to him, & I will head to grab the next flight out of Nashville to my home town. Now, dont worry, I WILL be back. After a long pause, his brother spoke again: And now, for Mom, Patty Loveless, How Can I Help You Say Goodbye? ___ Check our destination page daily: Old Cars, Strong Hearts
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 22:00:00 +0000