The Long Haul

Image Source: Ernst Haas

American cloudburst, out on the road, out on the plains. 400 miles to nowhere: time to shut it down for the night.

All I want at the end is a place to lay my head. Jesus. Ten hours straight, and at least as much tomorrow. It’s a long, lonesome road. I don’t know if I was ready for that when I started this racket. But I know it now.

Lousy room, spackling chunks on the wall and awful flower paintings, and the air conditioner is loud. But the bed is soft. Damn, breakfast seems like years ago, but it was today. 400 miles and eleven hours ago. Same thing again tomorrow. Damn.

I should grab a bite to eat at the coffee shop, but I’m almost too tired. Maybe watch the television…nothing on. I could call somebody on the telephone…but who? Food…..too tired…..

Lousy room, but it’s a place to lay my weary head. I have to do this all over again in the morning….and again the next day…

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Intersection: First Movement

Image Source: Olde New York

It’s funny how two lives can intersect.

I met Dolores at the Christmas party. She had recently moved from Arizona, and had been working in the office for a few months. I was unattached, and we gravitated toward each other and stayed together the whole party.

As it turns out, she was soon moving back to Arizona on her way to Los Angeles. There wasn’t much time. We met a few times after that, each time better and more, shall we say, cozy. We had so much in common! We liked the same pictures and orchestras and radio shows…everything. She even liked the Dodgers! She was perfect.

I thought about her all the time, and told everyone about our relationship. I called and called. We talked for hours, but the calls gradually grew shorter. One time she said she didn’t think we should get cozy anymore, since she was moving. I agreed, but kept calling.

Eventually her room mate started picking up and saying Dolores wasn’t around. I thought that was a little strange, but I kept trying, and eventually got her. I’d had a few Rheingolds, like usual, and I was feeling really good about us and what we had, even as it was ending. We made a date to meet at the Automat on 3rd Ave at 42nd the next day and I went to bed.

And Delores never showed. And I never saw her again, and I never heard from her again. Dolores’s room mate told someone that Dolores thought I was a creep because of all the phone calls and especially the last one.

I guess I can see that. I just couldn’t believe I had met someone so perfect. And she was leaving me! Like everyone I ever fell for, leaving me alone and mortified and wondering. Maybe I did get carried away, but you would too, right? Anyway, I didn’t mean to…

Two people come together, and it’s like two rivers flowing south and coming together. Sometimes they cross and keep going separately, and all you can do is wonder where they would have ended up if they had stayed together…