melanieb

A simple dream, though an interesting one.


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[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Curt was driving his truck. I knew this because he passed meon the road headed to the farm bank.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“See?” I said to someone I was with. “There’s Curt with histruck. He’s always willing to help out when someone needs it. “[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Curt worked at the Subway located in the small buildingadjacent to where Terminix used to be back in the 80’s. He was walking out ofthe building with his wife, one arm wrapped around her shoulder. He lookedhappy to be off work.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“I need some sandwiches and a truck.” I was in a hurry toget my task done. I hoped the desperation in my voice would convince him of myserious need.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Hey, M-A-B! Here you go. The truck’s in the back lot.” Hegestured over his shoulder in the direction of the back parking lot, slightlybeyond a chain-link fence, and then tossed me a set of keys. He continuedwalking with his wife, presumably towards her car and a night out on the town.He was smiling the whole time, and I was happy that he hadn’t changed in theyears since we stopped working together.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I was so happy not to be driving my own vehicle. I left theSubway and almost immediately I found myself on a country road, lined mostly byfarms and occasional homes obscured by clumps of oak trees. Around this timethe truck I was driving switched from being Curt’s to a rental vehicle, atleast in my mind.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I was driving along a road I identified as Steck, butinstead of the busy multi-lane road which exists in real life the road was asingle lane track constructed on a dirt berm designed to prevent flooding. Theroad was probably six or seven feet higher than the surrounding land which wasmostly dry scrub and fields that had been allowed to go fallow. Along each sideof the road was a steep pitch that dipped a few inches below the level of theadjacent fields, creating a small ditch just big enough to prevent mostvehicles from properly descending the hill. I was glad I was driving a rentedJeep Grand Cherokee because I didn’t want to hurt my vehicle going over thatditch. I knew I would drive my front fender directly into the ground had Idecided to drive off the road.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]“Since I’m in this Jeep I’m going to give it a try.” I don’tknow who I was speaking to. There was someone else with me but they weren’timportant enough to have a face or a name. I turned the wheel and drove rightoff the road, bouncing down the hill and then leveling out, a feat I could nothave done with any other vehicle, including my own. I was glad I made it butnow I had to drive through the scrub field and on through a patch of woods. Iwasn’t sure I could make it the whole way.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]When I came to the woods I chose a path which looked thinwith vegetation, comparatively, and simply stepped on the accelerator, hopingmy momentum would carry me through any rough spots. I bounced through someweeds and splashed over a foot-deep pond of muck before going up a slight rise.Here I rumbled over the train tracks and on into Doc’s Back Yard, though itlooked more like Freddie’s Place, an indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar locatedin south Austin. The outdoor seating was surrounded by tall oaks reaching 50feet plus, creating a nice shaded area perfect for an afternoon beer.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]Instead of enjoying the food or drinks I got out of thevehicle and walked straight through to the front parking lot. I needed to getto the post office across the street, though I could no longer find my package.I figured the logical place to find what I’d lost was the dumpster to my rightand I opened the metal lid on the big metal box. The trash was unusually cleanto come from a restaurant and I had no trouble searching through it, locatingseveral things I wanted but had accidentally thrown out. Unfortunately I couldnot find my package, and I gave up my search feeling sad. Still, I had threerecord albums to listen to and I wanted to go show them to my friend David. [/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I left the dumpster and headed towards the street, but thetraffic was too intense to cross. I knew I needed a car to get there so Iwalked to a nearby white Toyota and opened the door, figuring whoever itbelonged to wouldn’t mind because they parked it in a public place. I knew thishappens every day in the city.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I couldn’t find the keys to the car but I figured all thesenew modern cars had a button to start them so I began searching around thebuttons on the center console. I found the A/C, the radio, and the charger, butI never could find one for ignition. I began to get mad and decided I wouldsteal all the coins from the little compartment between the seats. Let’s seethem use a parking meter now, I thought.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]I heard a loud sound on the window and turned to find a guywho looked like a dirty bum except he wore an apron. I wasn’t sure if he ownedthe car or just wanted to get in and go for a ride, but I didn’t want to findout either way. He was starting to drool on the window and that made me want toget out of there.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]And then I woke up.[/FONT][/SIZE]
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