Ready to Roll

Ready to Roll

The gritty dust hung in the air, back lit by the orange glow on the horizon. Anthony, his jean jacket slung over his shoulder, walked toward town. Not necessarily because he even wanted to walk into town, but because his old pickup ran out of gas. He kicked at a clod of dirt that burst bits of grass and pebbles into the dryness. Stupid gas gauge. He didn’t have any money to get it fixed, but he sure loved that old red hunk of metal. It had been his dad’s. When his dad wanted a new bigger, shinier pickup, he let Anthony have Old Red. He had to let him be - to just sit waiting to be filled up and roar into life again. Well, not a real big roar, just ready to roll again.

“Hey, bud! Need a ride? Did Old Red give out on you again?”

“Jethro! Sure do need a ride and it was just the gas gauge. I forgot I have to fill up every week and I didn’t do it. My fault. Let’s just get some gas. That party’s going to have to start without us, but thanks to you at least I’ll get there. Jenny'd be real mad if I just didn’t show up.”

By the time they got back, filled Old Red up and Anthony got to the party, the sun had set. The air was cool and music filled the small prairie town. Across Main Street, the straw scent of harvest was wrapped with the buttery aroma of popcorn. It was the last weekend of the summer that Old Mr. Sanders had his popcorn stand gathering customers like flies around a honeypot. A full moon night, with popcorn, a party and a pretty girl, Anthony felt good. Focussed on a life he had almost left behind. He missed having beer with the boys, but at least now he would remember the evening. Jenny could count on him and Old Red could count on him to drive them safely home.

“Reliability is the precondition for trust.”

~ Wolfgang Schauble