Dangerous Hilarity

by Sioux Dallas

  Irene finally admitted that she was tired and developing sore muscles because she was unaccustomed to driving so much at once.

  “Mom, please let me help you. I can drive as long as a licensed driver is with me. The boys will help me watch for signs and you can rest. You can’t go on this way.” Anna looked imploringly at Irene.

  “I don’t know, honey. You’re still awfully young.”

  “I’ve driven several times with dad and he thinks I’m a very good driver.”

  “Well, as soon as I get out of city traffic, maybe you can take it on the open highway.” Anna drove well and Irene gave a sigh of relief for the help she now realized she could count on.

  The next morning early, Anna started the drive before traffic picked up.

  “Anna, we’ll angle south and go through Oklahoma.”

  “Where you headed, Mom?” Tom asked through yawns.

  “I thought you might like to go to Arizona and see the Grand Canyon.”

  “All right!” Both boys were wide awake now.

  Herb had gotten AAA tour books for all the states they would go through. They had enjoyed reading the information and checking what they would like to see. Tom picked up the tour book for Missouri. “Mom!” he yelled.

  “There was so much good stuff to see in Missouri and didn’t stop for anything. President Harry Truman’s house is in Independence.”

  “Sweetie, we can’t possibly stop at every place of interest or we’d never get to Alaska, at least not for about a year. You know dad is anxious for us to get with him and we’ve missed him.”

  “Yeah, mush brain, we’d never get anywhere.” Tim punched Tom on the shoulder not saying he would have liked to stop at several places. The twins began to wrestle on the back seat which excited Galena to a barking fit. She climbed on them snapping at their arms.

  “That’s enough,” Irene ordered firmly. “I know you’re tired and bored, but remember we’re driving up here and watching traffic. You’re getting on my nerves and upsetting Galena.” The twins would have stopped several times an hour. They thought the time was going too fast, but Irene felt the time was dragging.

  “You keep forgetting, guys, dad’s waiting for us and he expects us to arrive on the day we agreed upon. Try to think of mom’s feeling and cooperate, please,” Anna reasoned.

  Much to the twins’ delight, Irene did agree to stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were many historical places to see; one being the home of Will Rogers just on the outskirts of Tulsa. Tim read aloud from the AAA tour book. “This is the last home for several Indian tribes, those that came from the east as well as those that lived in the area. Oklahoma got its name from the Choctaw Indians word meaning ’red people’. The nickname Sooner State came from people who illegally tried to make land claims in designated areas sooner than the people who obeyed the government date of April 22, 1889.”

  “Well, it was illegal, but you can’t blame them for wanting land and homes for their families,” Tom stated. “I wonder how the Indians felt. After all this was the land they had lived on for hundreds of years.”

  “The Indians were betrayed by people they trusted,” Irene explained. “They were hurt, confused, bitter and despondent. Some were old and tired and didn’t want any more trouble, so they gave in.”

  Tim nodded, looking sad, but continued to read. “Sequoyah, the Cherokee who wrote the first written alphabet for his people, came to Oklahoma in 1828 to live. He taught his people to read and write their language. Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th state in 1907. Since then Indians have been elected to both the state and national legislatures.” the twins settled down to read the remainder of the information silently.

  “Can we go to Oklahoma City? We’d like to go through the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center,” Tom said.

  “Yeah, and while we’re there, we can go through the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, but I don’t want to go by the building that crazy man bombed. I’d cry even it was a long time ago. That was back in 1995, but the fact that so many innocent people died, including babies, makes me sad,” Tim finished.

  “I know what you mean, “Anna answered him, “but we won’t have time to spend in so many places in each state. We’re going to have to sit down with the tour books and decide what we, as a family, truly want to see.”

  “Makes sense to me,” Irene said. “When we stop tonight, we’ll all go through the books together and decide what we can do.”

  Driving as much as they could, and not wanting to waste time, they pulled into Oklahoma City around eight that night. The twins took Galena for a quick walk and then returned to their motel room to feed her and leave her a fresh bowl of water. The family went across the street to a restaurant and were back in their room by nine thirty. They spread the AAA books out on one of the beds, with a map of the U.S., and read through the ones for Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

  As usual they had a room with two double beds. The twins slept in one bed and Irene and Anna slept in the other. Galena slept on the floor between the beds. The next morning they were eager for sightseeing. Galen was taken for a walk and fed. They went across for breakfast and took a tour bus to see the city.

  A little after one that afternoon, they were tired and ready to rest, but very happy that they had seen all they did. Galena was taken for another walk and the family went across the street for lunch. They came back to the motel and settled for a short rest.

  The twins did agree to go to the City National Memorial on Fifth and Harvey. It was built in memory of the victims of the 1995 bombing. They were impressed that there was a stone chair for each of the 168 people killed.

  “I wonder how Timothy McVeigh felt when he bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building and discovered he’d killed so many babies?” Tom mused.

  “People like McVeigh have no integrity or remorse and he probably didn’t feel guilty at all,” Tim answered.

  Their next stop was the Red Earth Indian Center. After all the walking they were ready to go back for dinner and to an early bed. The next morning they were eager to continue. Galena had been a good traveler. She had cooperated with every mile and every stop, but she was getting tired of being cooped up in the car and in motel rooms. It disturbed her that the twins were reading the books and ignoring her. With no warning, she jumped from the back of the wagon to the back seat and tore the tour books from their hands to shake and tear them. The twins yelled so loudly trying to get the book from her that Anna pulled over and stopped. Irene ordered everyone out of the car. “Take Galena for a walk, but stay right on this side of the highway where I can see you.

  The twins walked Galena and then ran back to the car. When they returned, Irene and Anna had made sandwiches. There were also fruit, chips and soft drinks. Galena was given fresh water and let lie in the shade of the car. They were afraid to go far off the road for fear of snakes.

  Back in the car Anna continued the drive into Texas. Their stop for the night was between Dallas and Fort Worth. The twins were thrilled to be in Texas because of the movies they’d seen and the books they’d read. They expected to see cowboys, cattle and gunfights just as they’d seen in movies. They were disappointed that the cities were as modern as they had in Virginia.

  The next morning they were up early and eager to sightsee. The first stop was the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial to remember the assassination of the president in Dallas in 1963. They then went on to Fort Worth to the Stockyard Museum. They rushed through the Stockyards Station Historical Walking Tour.

  “Oh, Mom, let’s go to San Antonio and see the Alamo,” Tom begged.

  “Please,” Tim whined. “We want to see it for ourselves. You don’t know when we’ll ever get this opportunity again and we are so close.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Anna stated. “You’re not the ones driving. Mom, shall we?”

  Irene thought for a few moments and finally agreed. The twins cheered so loudly that Galena began to jump from one seat to another barking.
Irene and Anna both spoke loudly at once ordering them to be quiet and get Galena settled.

  Chapter Seven

  Anna drove on south to San Antonio secretly pleased that they were going to see the Alamo. It was late afternoon when they arrived, so, Irene decided that they would eat, take Galena for a walk and rest.

  “Let’s call your dad and tell him where we are. He expects to hear from us every day and I’m sure he’s concerned about us doing all this traveling.”

  “This cell phone bill is going to be horrendous,” Anna observed. “We do need to talk to dad and let him know how far along we are.”

  After the call they went out to dinner and to look around the area. This was their first time in Texas and they wanted to see as much as possible in the time frame. Irene decided they had enough time to go through the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. The admission was eight dollars each. The 1881 museum was a step back into the old west. The twins reluctantly went to bed but were eager to get up early and see the Alamo.

  “Well, where is it?” Tim asked excitedly.

  “You’re looking at it, “Irene answered. “I told you it wasn’t what you see in the movies. They had to build a wall around it to protect it from souvenir seekers. The building is smaller than we expected.” She read from a pamphlet. “Established in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares, this was originally a Spanish outpost called Mission San Antonio de Parras. When the Mexicans took charge, it became known as Pueblo Alamo. In 1835 Mexican General Santa Anna came to the Alamo with the intention of destroying it. Texas General Sam Houston ordered Colonel James Bowie to destroy it and get his men out of the area to safety. Instead Bowie, determined to fight for Texas independence, stood his ground. In February, 1836 Col. William Travis and David Crockett joined Bowie with only a little less than six hundred men to fight Gen. Santa Anna’s four thousand plus. The patriots fought valiantly but the battle was soon over. One hundred eighty-nine Texans lay dead. The Alamo remains a symbol of Texas’ pride and independent spirit.”

  After the tour, they all agreed that it was worth it to see the Alamo and learn more about the history of Texas. They now had a better understanding of what the early people went through to gain independence. It was past time for lunch, so they went to a restaurant. The twins learned there was to be a rodeo in Lubbock. They begged to attend because they’d never been to a rodeo. Irene agreed and they went back to the motel to get Galena and drive on up to Lubbock. They were lucky to find a motel room with the crowds coming to attend the rodeo.

  The rodeo opened with riders carrying flags, trick riders, singers, chuck wagon demonstrations and draft horses pulling weights to show their great strength. The twins were almost in tears thinking the animals might be treated so badly. A man seated beside them explained what was going on and the Jackson family began to enjoy what they were seeing. They admired the spirit and determination of the animals to fight for the freedom from restraint. The bucking horses and the bucking bulls were awesome. Near midnight, they were tired and ready to crawl into bed. First they called Herb to tell him of their day.

  Anna was driving through northern Texas on the way into New Mexico when Irene decided they could stop in Amarillo.

  “Holy cow, Mom! Look! Are those real cowboys? There’s horses, too,” Tim yelped. “Did you see that cowboy get on his horse with one jump from the ground?”

  Anna smiled. “Guys, you’ve been watching too much television. Sure those are real cowboys, but nothing like you see in movies. Most of these men have college degrees and live in beautiful, modern homes. They probably carry walkie talkies for places where a cell phone won’t get a signal. They’re as modern as you are.”

  “Aw, don’t spoil it for us, Anna,” Tom answered

  They stared at horses tied on a side street while traffic and modern buildings were all around. Anna pulled to the curb and stopped. The twins quickly opened both back doors to get out, but Galena beat them. She ran around the corner toward the horses making funny whimpering noises.

  “Get Galena,” Irene yelled. “She’s never seen a horse and probably thinks they’re big dogs.” These were well-trained working horses that were accustomed to ranch dogs and all sorts of animals, but Anna was not aware of that. Irene ran after Galena and burst out laughing as she came around the corner. “Tom,” she called, “bring the camera -- hurry.”

  Tom ran back to the car as Tim slid to a stop beside his mother. He, too, burst out laughing. Galena was running to each horse giving doggy kisses on each nose. The horses were nosing her and being friendly.

  “What’s so funny?” Tom panted as he ran back with the camera.

  Irene focused the camera and took pictures. “Something to remember about our trip to show daddy. Galena’s first introduction to horses.”

  Gathering her troop back into the car, Irene drove to the edge of town to a motel. “Like us, Galena is bored and tired. Walk her and then we’ll eat dinner. All three of you go and stay together. I don’t want anyone getting lost or distracted by something.”

  The next morning the twins walked Galena while Anna filled her food bowl and put down fresh water. Galena was left in the room while her family went for breakfast at the same restaurant they had dinner the night before. The twins were ecstatic to find cowboys eating breakfast. The men were glad to talk to them and answer questions. After eating, some of the men went outside to stand by the children for Irene to take pictures. They thanked the men and reluctantly prepared to travel on.

  Irene drove on to the west. In less than an hour they were crossing into New Mexico. Galena was sitting happily in the front seat looking out the window while Anna massaged her neck and ears. Tom and Tim eagerly opened the AAA book of New Mexico.

  Reading to himself, Tom blurted. “Hey, I didn’t know this.”

  “What? Why brother mine, I thought you knew everything,” Tim teased.

  “Laugh, you fool, and show your ignorance, but listen to this.” Tom read aloud. “New Mexico is the site of the oldest white settlement in the western U.S. In 1609, two years after the funding of Jamestown, Virginia, Spanish colonists established the city of Santa Fe. For more than two hundred years the Spanish ruled all of the southwestern part of our country.”

  “Wow. Are you sure?” Tim questioned. “I thought whites settled in the east and moved to the west. I know Indians and Spanish were here together, but I’ve never heard of the white settlement.”

  “Actually,” Irene told them, “I read somewhere that the Norsemen were here long before that. We’ll probably never know how many and who landed in our country before written records. I do know that Jesuit priests came down from Canada to work with the Indians during the early 1400s. The priests left meticulous, beautifully hand-written notes.”

  Tim continued with the reading. “Ancient pueblo ruins and cliff dwellings show that the area was inhabited long before the discovery of America. Acoma, the sky city, is a village built on a sheer cliff that rises 357 feet above the plains. One can still visit by climbing a ladder and going into the three-story adobe houses dug into the cliffs and reinforced with mud carried on human backs in hand-made baskets. Lots of Indians return today for ceremonies and festivals on the spot.”

  They discussed the difficult life of these early people and then read on. “A part of the Pueblos, the Zuni, live on a reservation west of these ruins. A smaller group, the Navajos, are on a reservation in the northwest of the state. A third is the warlike Apache who caused people to build high in the sides of the cliff where they could climb up and then draw the ladder up after them to be safe from attacks.”

  “Mom, can we visit one of these reservations?” Tom asked.

  “Sorry, we can’t stop. You’ve been to the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina.”

  “Aw, well, we’d better stop and give Galena a potty break. She’s acting antsy.” While Galena took a potty break, they got out and stretched a few minutes. Back in the car Anna took the wheel to drive.

  “Aw, gee,” Tim mourned, “if
we were farther south we could see Fort Selden, the remains of a frontier military post built to protect travelers and those settling in Mesilla Valley from Indian raids. Later railroads were built and travelers used Fort Selden to rest and make connections to other types of travel. From 1884 to 1886 young Douglas MacArthur lived on Fort Selden with his father who was the fort commanding officer. Today Rangers, in costumes, show people over the museum and give talks.”

  Irene was enjoying her sons reading about the history of the country. “I’m glad your dad got us the tour books. You’ve learned a lot of interesting facts and they’ve given you something to do on the trip.”

  All three children voiced their opinions and agreed that they appreciated the books. Later in the afternoon, they crossed the border into Arizona. Irene thought they were doing well and suggested they stop early. Galena jumped out of the station wagon and began to run in circles.

  “Poor old girl. She’s tied in knots. I bet her muscles are stiff,” Anna observed. “She’s not used to being in an enclosed space as long as she has on this trip, even though she’s been a good traveler.”

  “Let her run, but keep an eye on her so that she doesn’t get hurt or into trouble,” Irene cautioned. She left the children and dog in a grassy area and went to a nearby motel to register and ask about a restaurant. Coming outside she was dismayed to find that Galena was running loose while the children talked to riders with their horses. Not wanting to embarrass her children in front of strangers, she hurried to the wagon and got Galena’s leash.

  “Howdy, ma’am.” One man touched two fingers to his hat brim. “All four of us men, and one of these women, are deputy sheriffs. The other three women are wives to these galoots,” he grinned.

  “Hello,” Irene answered pleasantly. “How nice of you to stop and speak to my children.”

  “Happy to do it, ma’am,” a second man spoke and gave the same two finger salute to his hat brim. “That’s partly why we’re here. We mostly work with the Tribal Police on the Navajo Reservation to help tourists, especially lost tourists. We’re also guides for horseback sightseeing and whatever else is needed.”