All Aboard! Romance on Route 66

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  Slim said, “I’ll have a peanut butter chocolate and a banana shake please.” Lilly looked at him and shook her head.

  “Give me a single scoop of vanilla with chocolate on the top please in a cup.”

  The little girl wrote it down in large cursive writing and made her way to the boss man with the order. Lilly guess she was in training and it was the boss’s job to make the shakes. She looked into the mirror and saw in the back of her lots of kids looking at the comic book revolving racks and other teenagers looking at the cosmetics hoping they would hurry and grow up so they could wear some lipstick.

  Hanging around outside were some older Elvis look-alikes smoking and telling, most likely lewd jokes about girls. Lilly noticed a pair of girls waking out with their long skirts swishing matching time with their pony tails. Stark white bobby socks rolled down to the tops of their saddle shoes blended nicely with their white shirts. Both before they left they bought some Juicy Fruit gum in the familiar yellow packs then sticking two pieces each into their mouths before venturing outdoors.

  In the meantime the noisy sound of a mixer stopped and the man poured the contents into a large glass made especially for shakes. He stuck both a straw and long spoon into the top of it and handed it to Slim along with the remainder in the stainless steel mixing container. The girl meanwhile was given the task of a single scoop of ice cream and topped with chocolate with a cherry gleaming red contrasting the dark chocolate resting on the peak. Slim used both the spoon and straw while Lilly used just a spoon to clean up her small glass bowl of wonderful tasting vanilla ice cream.

  Walking out the door Slim rubbed his stomach and yawned. Lilly poked him in the ribs and gave a false yelp almost running into a parking meter. They passed the theatre where John Wayne sat on his big horse grinning at you from the outside poster advertising “Playing Now.” Like, if you didn’t hurry in you will miss him beating to a pulp some bad guy in a black hat who stole cattle for a living. No doubt he stole the wrong cattle and he made the fatal mistake of taking Big John’s stock.

  Walking up to the motel Lilly said good night and kissed Slim on the lips, but not deeply. By the time he swung his long arms around her, she was gone inside leaving him standing there like a cowboy who had just lost his house to marauding Indians burning settlers homes in the old days of life in Oklahoma. He turned and walked back to his room and the lonely black bag now on the floor for his only companion for the night.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning dawned sunny without a cloud in the sky. The rain soaked country was fresh and clean. Birds were the first to claim control of the day swooping around feasting on the few worms slow to burrow underground. To anyone looking around on this fine morning would be hard pressed to believe a hurricane came through just a few days ago leaving in its wake a path of destruction from the Gulf of Mexico through Texas and the Midwest.

  Slim was the first to witness the morning glory having not slept one wink thinking about his precious Lilly. Lilly on the other hand, slept like a baby having read some marked places in the Bible from Frieda. She woke fresh and rested both in mind and body. She took a long hot shower and dressed comfortably for the day having peeked out the curtains and witnessed the beautiful day. Lilly put on a little makeup, like Sue showed her and left for some breakfast feeling hungry for the first time in days. Taking long strides she crossed the street to the restaurant where upon entering she found Jasper and Frieda already eating. Jasper asked her to sit down and join them. Lilly said, “I’ve never felt better in my life thanks to you two. I found comfort in my reading last night and Frieda here is your bible back.”

  “No, no it’s yours. I gave it to you for a present. Please take it as I don’t read much anymore as Jasper reads to me and I’ve come to enjoy his reading more than mine. Take it to remind you of all of us on this wonderful, if not, exciting trip across half the United States.”

  “I don’t know what to say. If you hadn’t been there for me yesterday and God last night, I might have abandoned this trip and taken an airplane to Chicago.”

  “Jasper and I have been called by God to do his work and our reward is your peace of mind and smile.”

  “Once again, thank you and I see a haggard looking future husband coming across the street now. Poor guy, he doesn’t understand much except his bus and love for people.”

  Lilly got up and made her way to the same table last night as Slim twice rang the bells coming through the door. He saw Lilly sitting waiting for him, he hoped and when she waved a school boy smile crossed his lined face. Unfortunately for the waitress, who was new, was on his way coming across the room and when she saw a side collision coming was only able to lose two of four plates of steaming breakfast to the floor. Slim felt something but his mind was on his future wife and in two more giant steps was at the table leaving in his wake an angry young girl glaring at his back. Lilly noticed a wash boy witness the crash and came running with a broom and dust pan to clean up the mess. Lilly reminded herself to pay for the spilled breakfast and tip the boy and the waitress after eating.

  Al and Sue, in addition to most of the other passengers saw the event and laughed at their friend Slim who by now was like a father leading the way across America; quite the contrary, when about a hundred years ago when the land rush was taking place going west instead of east.

  Slim, still a little nervous sat down without spilling Lilly’s coffee or water. He decided to change his eating habits a little to impress her. The snarling girl waitress came over to their table glaring at him and Slim wondered what was eating her this morning? No matter, he ordered ham and eggs over easy with a large OJ. For toast a double stack of whole wheat and hold the butter, but lots of strawberry jam. Lilly just smiled and complemented him on his conservative breakfast, but Slim was oblivious to her tongue and cheek comment. Slim said, when the waitress left with their order, “Lilly I’m a new man this morning. When we get to Chicago I’m going to turn my resignation in and spend the rest of my life doting on you.”

  “Slim, are you sure you want to give up your job?”

  “Yes Lilly I’m sure. No way am I going to go for weeks at a time and then only be home for a couple days and then back out again. I’ve had enough of this life and I want to see the sun come up over the mountains somewhere every day shinning on our lives brings forth goodness and tranquility.”

  Lilly was impressed by his words and felt her man was reveling in her his heart and love for her. “Slim, tonight let’s think about an area where we could live that we both like. I would like to live in a small town where we can have friends and join a church. I know you have been all over the United States and I haven’t been anywhere, so you make the choice where we live and I will follow you,” she replied with a quiver in her voice and a tear in her eye.

  Jasper and Frieda were watching the exchange of conversation and Frieda said, “Jasper, I envy them and know their lives will be full of joy and happiness. As you can see Lilly has her Bible in her lap holding it tight with one hand and sipping her coffee with the other. God bless those two nice people.” Jasper nodded to her and his blue eyes sparkled with good feeling for both his wife and Slim and Lilly.

  Breakfast came and Slim dug in like there was no tomorrow. A bomb could have gone off outside and he would have never noticed. Lilly having just dried toast with a little jam enjoyed watching her guy so happy. The table looked empty compared to his usual breakfast and when he sopped up the last of the plate with his toast, he looked around for the next course. Lilly laughed and said, “Slim let it hit bottom and soon you will feel full.”

  Slim replied, “Yes, I know, but it tastes so good I want more; like I want more of you right now.

  Lilly blushed and quietly said, “Tonight let’s give the motel floor a workout.”

  Slim struggling to extract him to check his bus, left some money on the table for Lilly to pay the bill said, “Sorry I have to stand up as something is growing down there and I know it won’t go away if I s
it here any longer.”

  “Go my tall man and I will take care of the bill. See you at the motel later.” Slim gave her a quick peck on the cheek while Carl and his wife looked on.

  Carl said with malice in his voice, “Just look at that spectacle would you. They are acting like teenagers and not adults. I think it is disgraceful and I think I will tell him so when we board the bus.”

  “You will do no such thing Carl. You say one word and I will leave you in Chicago to fend for yourself. I’m tired of your mean words and I really thought you had changed when you were working in the kitchen helping the old folks. Now I see you are back to your ornery old self. Really you are impossible and I’m sick and tired of living with an old grump. This is my first time on a nice trip with friendly caring people and I for one will not let you spoil it for me. Oh, and by the way, Bill asked me if I wanted to tour America with him in his new car. I think I will tell him I would be happy to see the real America and meet people who care and not old fuddy duddies like you.” With that she got up and threw her napkin on his fat belly and walked out amid some clapping of those passengers sitting close enough to hear her tirade.

  Carl sat there mortified. His mouth hung open and soon realized he had a death grip on his water glass. He released his shaking hand and removed the napkin from his belly and hung his head. Then slowly he pushed back his chair and stood up reaching into his pocket for some change for a tip. The big spender that he was, he laid down a quarter and picked up the bill. At the cash register he fumbled in his billfold for some money, paid and left the restaurant with his fat chin on his chest.

  Al said to Sue, “Man I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes for the rest of this ride. If you thought the air conditioning was cold on the bus, wait until she walks on giving off the cold shoulder to Carl.”

  Sue quietly said, “I know how she feels, but maybe it isn’t such a good place to give your husband the works in public. However, he deserved it and now the die is cast.

  Last to leave the restaurant were Rick and Diane. Walking out Diane said, “Whew, I guess she told him where to get off. I could never imagine my mother talking to my father that way. Then again, my father would never act like Carl does either. Come on Rick, let’s enjoy our ride and forget about adults who pretend to have all the answers and are, in reality, struggling with their own lives.”

  “Boy is you right Diane. I would never treat a woman like that fat slob does. Where does he get off thinking he is master and ruler of his stinking little bank in no name America.”

  Hand in hand following the other passengers they made it across the busy street to the waiting bus sitting there waiting to run like the picture of the dog on the side. The baggage doors open like mouths on a shark waiting to be filled with easy prey along with the driver whose head almost reached the top of the windshield.

  Twenty minutes later Slim pulled onto Route 66 headed northeast. Slim picked up the mike and said, “Folks you are in for a special treat this morning. We will soon be on a stretch of Interstate freeway linking old 66 with interstate 44. I guess it is about a hundred miles of four lane roads and smooth as a baby’s backside.” That brought on a round of chuckles and Carl’s wife laughed the loudest sitting with Bill making sure Carl heard her having fun. Meanwhile Carl sat alone by the window looking out at the passing stores and then the stores faded into nothing as the freeway started. Looking inward he thought, why I say those things all the time. I really don’t mean it. I want to be a nice guy, but every time I open my mouth, outcome sarcastic words I really don’t mean. Watching the brown landscape with patches of green grass from the heavy rain he thought again to maybe retire. We have more than enough money to live well. He’d heard about some folks back east moving to sunny Florida soaking up the nice weather enjoying their retirement. I know, I will ask her if she would like to move down there. Maybe she will forgive me.

  All noticed Bill and Carol were going a little overboard sitting together talking about where they would go first after picking up the new car. Herm and Viola thought it quite out of character for two adults to act that way. Viola leaned over to Gloria Slick and said, “Isn’t that just disgraceful the way she is acting. Doesn’t she realize she is over fifty and more like sixty putting on a display of bad manners? Even in Germany during the war we never see anything like such as we are seeing now.”

  “Yes, I’m appalled at what we are witnessing and I’m thinking about when we stop next telling her what we all think.”

  “Good idea Gloria,” Hugh said. “They both should know better and Bill is acting like he is in his second childhood. Truly disgusting, if you ask me. At dinner tonight I will put a bug in his ear and explain the spectacle they are doing in front of all these nice people. Jasper and Frieda are not happy listening to them and to make matters worse they are sitting in back of them.”

  Lilly listening to all of this felt sorry for Carl and couldn’t for the life of her understand Bill going along with her antics. Then again, maybe he was so starved for love it felt good getting some attention for a change. He always said his wife was a lush and spent all her time and money at the club coming home late in a taxi waking him up telling him what a no good SOB his was. None of your business Lilly she said to herself. I can’t think of where or why we should stick our noses in their lives.

  Slim, leaning back humming a no name tune stuck in the right hand lane at a constant fifty five relaxing on the smooth new interstate. His thoughts drifted to the future if he was driving across country on roads like this: so nice and easy to drive. Man I would be in heaven he thought. Then his face dropped thinking that he would be missing all the little towns on the old road. What is going to happen to those little towns when the freeway passes them by? My god they will dry up and only the big cities will survive drawing tourists into big city life. Change is always just on the horizon. Americans are always looking for something bigger and better; like his bus: bigger and nicer. Then he thought, maybe this is my last trip and the shock of it scared the hell out of him. What about all his friends along the many places he stopped and ate or stayed the night? Will I ever see them again? His look if someone could see it was drawn and sad. A tear fought its way down his cheek landing on his long leg as he looked in the right hand mirror to see his location on the road.

  Rick noticed something bothering Slim and asked, “Hey Slim you all right?”

  “Yes, never better,” he lied. “I just was thinking about where to stop for lunch.”

  “You love to eat and I love to watch you eat,” said Diane laughing.

  “Well, Diane you will get a special treat tonight as we hit one of the nicest places to stop for the night. And the food is out of this world. Pure Iowa beef and the specialty of the house is pot roast.” He went on to say, “But for lunch we will have nothing special. They make a good cheeseburger and shake.”

  Rick said, “Sounds good to me. I love a good hamburger and I heard about Midwestern beef before from one of my friends who passed this way a year ago.”

  “How do you like this stretch of freeway? It’s the wave of the future and before long you will be able to drive coast to coast in half the time it takes now on the old roads.”

  “Well, I’m not sure I like it very much,” Diane said with a soft voice. “I kind of like the old roads where you can see much better and all the roads go through small towns. Now we fly by them without a glance that they are even there. No people to wave to as we drive through town. Even the landscape takes on a now you see me and now you don’t like a blurry camera in a movie house. Oh well, my mother calls it progress and who am I to argue.” Diane fell silent and Rick knew she was thinking about her parents and her condition. She told him last night she was going to tell her mother the truth and hope she and her father would understand. Rick remembered telling her he would stand by her and even though they didn’t know him, he wanted her parents to believe she wasn’t alone.

  Slim also felt her hurt and thought what if she were my daughter? How
would I take the news my daughter was pregnant? I don’t have an answer to that and probably pass it off to my wife to handle. Naturally I would not scold her as it would be a little late to do anything about it. Marriage I suppose. Isn’t that what people do these days if a girl get pregnant? How would they live? So young and with a baby coming the man would have to find a job and what kind of a job would you get with no experience? He thought back when he was that age just beginning to sweep the floors at the Greyhound shop and making so little money he could never pay the rent on a small apartment much less a house.

  Slim came out of the doldrums as the exit sign in bright white letters on a dark green board said: “Tulsa.” And along with it in smaller letters it said: “Business Loop.” Slim slowed down and pulled off the freeway reaching for his mike to inform the passengers it was time for lunch. Slim was driving slowly along the “Loop” while glancing into his passenger mirror he saw his tribe making ready to stretch their legs; and to walk around a little to work up a hunger. His stomach was growling and his mouth watered for a big juicy hamburger. His face fell thinking Lilly would not like him eating his beloved French fries, but then maybe he would have two burgers to make up for the loss space in his belly as a big smile lit up his face pulling into his favorite burger joint.