It didn't seem like a big deal at first, jump in the truck and I'm there in 10 minutes and things went on. But it started to naggle at me. That's when I started to get, how do I say it? Cranky. I suppose I always had a bit more of that than most folks but it really started to come out then.
I never knew til I couldn't just walk there what a hold that land has on me. Things seemed off. Felt like I couldn't get away form people going "yap yap yap". I felt closed in. I didn't really know it at the time. It's thinking on it all these years that I can put it into words, now. I was just a mite more crotchety.
That's when the boys were in high school that road went in. They never took to the land, couldn't wait to get the high tailed heck out of here. They'd help some then, but I had to chase'm around so much to get them out there it was hardly worth the trouble. One went to college, the other to the Navy and they don't come back much since their ma died. She was always the one to make it homey, make you feel welcome. Never had much talent that way.
Well and the boys and I just drifted apart. Well, you know the one that went to college got some crazy ideas. And the other one? He joined the NAVY. The navy don't come a thousand miles to here. I believe that was a big part of why he went that way. So I was saying they put that road down there and I had to drive out to get to work. And I swear before God, from that day forward I wasn't right.
The boys grew up, moved on. Lulu passed a few years later. So it was just me. Getting up, getting in my truck. It wasn't that GMC I was talking about, I only got that summer before last. I was driving a beat up F-150. Ugly truck, but that thing just kept on going. Sold it to a fellow painted it bright red. I thought he'd lost his marbles, but it looked pretty good when he got done.
And I just kept on, like I'd been keepin' on. I didn't figure things would change too much up until the day I died.
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