Driving

The truck is packed, the last strap is secure in the back holding all of their camping equipment. They both can agree that it’s been too long since their last vacation. This time, it’s a trip up north. They are camping, but it’s at a resort so there are things that you don’t normally get while camping.

They settled into their truck and headed down the road at a steady pace. Not too fast, not too slow. After a while of the constant roaming, Leah decided that they should stop and get something to eat and drink for the road.

“I’ll pull into the next gas station or whatever pops up,” Tom responded.

Sure enough a Walgreens was close by. The store was on the opposite side of the vehicle on a forty mile an hour road. There were speeding vehicles approaching from the other direction. The parking lot was big and empty and the entrance was wide. Tom quickly observed all of this and quickly pulled into the parking lot before getting caught up in any extra traffic.

Leah was watching and decided that she needed to tell Tom that he pulled into the parking lot too fast.

Tom couldn’t ignore Leah. He felt like he did ok driving up until that point and he was just being prompt. He apologized and said that he would try to slow down on those kinds of turns, just to keep her happy.

They entered the Walgreens and bought snacks and drinks and got themselves all set back up to continue the trip.

After some radio listening and snacks on a long highway, the couple was startled by a rather larger than normal pot hole.

“I swear you hit every bump,” Leah said.

Tom knew this wasn’t true. I think she’s just used to driving herself around, Tom thought to himself.

They continued listening to the radio.

It started to rain it was beating down on their truck, where they had found themselves on a two lane highway, traveling at faster speeds. Tom noticed the wheels on the truck were not turning sufficiently enough.

“Hydroplaning,” Tom muttered.

Immediately after he had said this Leah sat up tall in her chair to look out the window like she was going to see the tire slipping on the water herself.

“Slow down!”

Tom was already in the process of the , decelerating the truck until there was traction yet again.

“You always go too fast when the road is bad,” Leah said.

“Don’t worry Leah, I was the one who noticed it anyway.”

It was quiet again except for the radio.

The heat had not let up. Tom had decided he had enough of the stuffiness. It was time to turn on the air conditioner.

The car cooled off and the air was chilling and breathable again, and soon they both had goosebumps. While Tom thought it was nice, Leah was starting to feel cold.

“Why do you always have the AC on so high all the time?”

“I’m sorry. It’s really hot outside. I’m not exactly small either,” said Tom shifting his 6’3” frame in his seat, “this sorta just feels nice to me so I don’t know…”

Tom and Leah settled back in. They were getting closer.

More time had passed and they had reached their destination. A smile came over Leah as she read the sign in the front of the resort. A sigh of relief from Tom signaled the end of the traverse.

Tom knows he doesn’t hit every bump. In fact, more often than not he is volunteered to drive everywhere they go. The journey isn’t alway a hassle, but they have eyes on each other, making sure each other is safe. Once they reached the place they are going, they don’t stop looking out for each other, but instead overlook the extra stress because now it’s time to relax.