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Since last week’s entry was the 2nd section of my fledgling writing “The Newspaper Limo”, this week, we head back to the original “Story”, my Route-66 based writing, sparked by my September 2009 Route 66 road trip. I hadn’t written a chapter of this since mid-late September 2016, with the last Chapter (# 72) publishing HERE 09/25/2016. But, 3.5 months later, just days ago, I wrote Chapter 73 in a matter of minutes. An idea popped in my mind & it practically wrote itself, with a little help from me. Next week, we’ll return to “Don’t Forget Schuster”.

Click HERE for entire Route 66-based story.
Click HERE for entire Don’t Forget Schuster.
Click HERE for entire The Newspaper Limo.

CHAPTER 73: LINKING GENERATIONS

While the eldest & youngest siblings were getting their show on the road for the day, the middle sibling was sitting on a makeshift bench at the construction site of the town’s new Train Depot. She was staring off into the distance when the crunching of tires jolted her a bit. She quickly moved her right hand towards her face to use the kleenex that hand clenched to wipe away a tear. She heard a door slam shut, footsteps, & then:

“Miss, are you OK? This really ain’t much of a place for anyone to just be sittin’.”

The middle sibling instantly recognized the voice. She stood up & turned towards the shopkeeper, who was cautiously approaching her.

“Ah, I’m alright.”

Startled, the shopkeeper said: “Well, I didn’t realize it was you! How’d you get ‘ere, & more importantly, WHY are ya here?”

“I had my husband drop me off here,” the middle sibling confessed, while the shopkeeper hurried his gait to get to her more quickly. “I’m really OK. I just wanted to look around, ya know?”

“Yeah, I get that,” the shopkeeper admitted, reaching out to give the middle sibling a hug. “But, I don’t understand … I mean, you’ve been crying….”

“Well,” the middle sibling started, releasing her hug with the shopkeeper, “it’s really very silly.”

“Let me be the judge of whether it is silly or not,” the shopkeeper half-jokingly said, motioning the middle sibling to sit back down on the makeshift bench. He sat down next to her, such that she was to his right.

“Well,” the middle sibling chuckled, also choking back a tear, “it’s just that … all these changes are going on.”

The middle sibling looked around & waved her right hand towards the skeleton of the new Train Depot.

“Yes,” the shopkeeper audibly acknowledged the middle sibling’s point. “But, what does that have to do with yer crying?”

“I wish Mom & Dad were around to witness the changes, too,” the middle sibling blurted out.

“Ah, yes,” the shopkeeper half-sighed, realizing what the middle sibling’s thought process was. He put his right arm around her & she started to tear up again.

“I’m sorry,” the middle sibling said, wiping away another few tears. “I just wish they were here to enjoy my brothers’ Route 66 road trip, too. & to see their grandkids grow up. & then I think of what my kids will see that I won’t get to enjoy….”

“That’s not silly at all,” the shopkeeper interjected. “But, ya know, it is life. I’d like to believe that’s how the generations are linked together. Each of us gets to see something that those before us & those after us don’t. That makes life unique & fun. Sad that we can’t share each moment with those we love, but even if they were here with us, we wouldn’t share everything anyway, now would we?”

“No,” the middle sibling laughed. “No, we wouldn’t.”

After a moment of humor, the middle sibling sobered up again: “But, well, I don’t know….”

“Look ‘ere,” the shopkeeper began, removing his right arm from the middle sibling to turn towards her to look her in the eye, “maybe this will help. I also like to think that those who’ve gone before us ARE seeing what we see. I mean, think about it. They’re up there looking down, watching over us, & smilin’ with every good thing … like this new Train Depot & yer brothers’ road trip & yer kids … & cryin’ with us when things don’t go so well. Yeah, we can’t physically share life with ‘em, but they sure as shooting are sharing it with us … just as you will share with yer kids with whatever they get to see after yer gone.”

The middle sibling smiled.

“You liked that, did ya?”

“Yep, that’s good,” the middle sibling nodded & replied. “It helps, thank you.”

“No problem, anytime,” the shopkeeper said, standing up. “Now, what do you say I drive you back to yer family’s business, so we can make sure we’re there to hear yer younger brother’s radio broadcast? I think he is broadcasting from a place in Staunton IL today!”

“OK,” the middle sibling stood up, too, then smiled slighly. “Besides, I know your wife wouldn’t let you live it down if you left me out here alone….”

“No, my dear, no she wouldn’t!”