Route 66-based story
written by OC,SH’s founder, inspired by his September 2009 Route 66 road trip

CHAPTER 24: SURPRISE MEETING

The ringing phone pierced the early evening silence in the old family home the brothers now shared. The eldest was in his den, their father’s old office, working on papers for the business; the youngest was in the living room checking a few websites on his laptop. It had been a couple of days since Jim Hinckley’s visit.

“I’ll get it!” yelled the youngest, anticipating the person on the other end of the line to be Kyle, but it wasn’t.

“It’s for you,” the youngest said, poking his head into the eldest’s office.

“Who is it?” asked the oldest.

“I don’t know. Someone from the local Route 66 Association.” The oldest brother picked up the phone on his desk, & the youngest went back to his computer in the living room.

It was, indeed, a member of the local Route 66 Association, calling to offer support for rebuilding the train depot. As the eldest discovered, the shopkeeper & Jim Hinckley had already started to make phone calls, unbeknownst to each other. The local Route 66 Association member told the eldest he had been contacted by both men & had already contacted the other members, all of which expressed great interest in the project.

“Wonderful,” the eldest said. “But, my brother & I are preparing for a Route 66 road trip of our own & will not have time to put much into this effort until we get back. We’re not sure when that’ll be exactly.”

“Oh,” came the reply from the other end of the phone.

“But, please,” continued the eldest, “make no mistake. We are very dedicated to giving this project life.”

“Well, good,” said the local Route 66 association member. “Because we are going to talk about it at our next meeting & wanted you, & your brother if he wants, to be there….”

“When is the meeting?” queried the eldest.

“Tonight,” came the reply, “in a half hour.”