Road Trip
That morning, Collette and Puck were picked up by the crew: Grandma Combs, Mom, Carrie-Bri, Francis, and Linnea, to hear Francis sing at the capital.
An hour and a half later, on a cool, gray morning, they arrived.
The last time they had visited that city was five years ago, shortly after the Moss family had visited from Sydney. And nothing much seemed to have changed. Not even the gray day.
After wandering around the exhibits inside for awhile, and Collette was reminded all over again just how passive she was towards politics… they listened to the choir with Izzy and Francis, bass and tenor, respectively, sing The Lord Bless You and Keep You and The Star-Spangled Banner.
Just before the choir had taken the stairs, Puck, always eager for a rummage, found a boxed lipstick on the floor under a bench, which he retrieved and handed in. Apparently one of the college girls had lost it there while touring.
This was followed by a trip to Central Dairy, where Collette and Puck shared a cup of cinnamon ice cream and a cup of bright red raspberry sherbet.
On the way home, Puck eagerly awaited the crossing of the bridge:
“Grandma Combs?”
“Yes, Puck?”
A pause.
“Where’s the bridge?”
“It’s almost here, Puck.”
“Grandma Combs?”
“Yes, Puck?”
A pause.
“Where’s the bridge?”
“It’s almost here, Puck.”
Laughter…
Then they saw the Oreo cows in the pastureland.
And by the time they had stopped at Crane’s Country Store, Puck was happy to pop out again for further exploration.
The place was stuffed to the gills with everything from jars of pickled eggs and arrowheads, to frozen pizzas and to cannons. And a lifetime stock of clothes that Collette wouldn’t wish into her worst enemy’s wardrobe. Bins of peanuts, sweet potatoes, oranges, grapefruit, a carnage of opened meats and cheeses tumbled into a fridge by packages of bacon, bottles of juice, canned biscuits (who knew how long expired…), and etc., boxes of nuts and bolts, a few half-consumed Pepsi bottles from the 80’s (which Francis saw tucked up on a top shelf), and everything piled around an enormous stove in the center of the store. Grandma bought Puck a package of banana chips, one of his favorite snacks, before they left.
That evening, OLeif had another meeting (his fourth of the day) at church, regarding the website.