The Long Drive
Cris wakes up sitting up from the bed, the hot Arizona sun shining through the windows leaving a warm glow. Rubbing his eyes Cris opens his bedroom door leading to a hallway the stairs to the living room to the right. Walking towards the stairs, still half tired from not getting a good sleep. As Cris reaches the top of the stairs he sees his brother Tim sleeping on the couch. Cris makes his way towards the kitchen to get a coffee, every step he took left a creaking sound from the old hardwood floor. Once he got into the kitchen the sink full of dirty dishes left him with a feeling that could only be described with disgust and disappointment. Tim was supposed to clean last night but must’ve fallen asleep.
Reaching into the cupboard over the oven he takes out a mug and sets it on the counter before reaching in once again and taking out instant coffee grounds and sugar. Cris turns the electronic kettle on waiting for it to boil so he can pour it into the mug. As the kettle begins to boil the sound escaping through the top makes an ear piercing whistle that wakes Tim. He sat up from the couch and it startled him
“hello?”
Tim asks in a sleepy daze but Cris doesn't respond.
“Hello?”
Tim asks again
“hi.”
Cris said in response. Walking over to the couch with the coffee mug Cris sits down next to Tim
“So are you excited? The lot of us going to California.”
Cris said to Tim happily. Looking over with a sleepy smile Tim nods his head in agreement.
Reaching over Cris gives Tim the cup of coffee he certainly looks like he needs. Taking a few sips from the coffee Tim looks over at Cris
“thanks.”
Tim said with a yawn. Standing up from the couch Cris gets a glimpse of the dishes in the sink again. Looking back at Tim
“oh yeah you were supposed to clean up the dishes, they're sitting in the sink.”
Tim becomes embarrassed by the confrontation. Walking over to the window Cris looks out and sees the hot sun melting everything it touches. Walking to the front door Cris slips on his shoes and Tim Hurrys to the front door
“ok, ok I don't want to waste time, let's go.”
As they both walk to the car in their gravel driveway Cris enters the passenger side. Tim is slow to walk over to the car. Becoming impatient, Cris rolls down the window with the crank and yells
“Hurry up you slow idiot!”
Tim gets to the car and enters the driver side
“Let's go now.”
Cris nods in agreement. Turning the key the sound of the engine rumbles and then they reverse out of the driveway. Taking out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket Cris puts one in his mouth and lights it. Holding out the pack he asks Tim
“Want one?”
He agreed and took one out. Putting it in his mouth as he drove, Chris lit it for him. As they drove the smoke filled the car then out the window. Up ahead they saw a road sign that reads out Daniel Ln.
“We are almost there.”
Tim said to Cris as they kept driving, keeping a stable 32 MPH.
“That we are.”
Cris said with agreement just knowing that he was going made him jump of excitement.
Slowing down, Tim turns the steering wheel and changes from pavement to gravel. Continuing to go down the road that Greg lives on.
As they pull up to the house they see Greg who is waiting at the front door sitting on the stairs.
“Hey look, Tim, look it's greg.”
Rolling down the window of the car Cris yells out
“Hey Greg hop in!”
Looking up from the ground Greg sees their car and walks over to the back right passenger side before getting in.
“Now we just have to pick up Anthony who lives just further down main street, yeah.”
Tim said to everyone in the car.
As they get going Cris turns the radio on, nothing good is playing just some old tunes from way back. Greg looks out the window of the car feeling hot due to the summer sun.
“Can someone turn the A/C on here?”
Greg asked.
“Sorry, no can do, it's broken.”
Tim was disappointed even listening to his own words. As they keep driving down the main road Tim looks at the gas gauge and it's almost empty. Continuing to drive anyway because the nearest gas station wasn't too far away.
As they were driving Cris saw Anthony's road. Excitement set in as they were really about to go to California all together. They've been friends so long it's like they are family to each other now. Slowing down once again to turn down a road. As they continue down the road Tim doesn't see Anthony by the front door.
“Cris, I think you are going to have to go knock on his door.”
It was a headache to do so but he didn't mind only this once. As Tim pulled up in front of the house he stopped, letting Cris out. Walking up to the door Cris knocks three times quite loudly. Walking could be heard from inside the house then the fiddling of keys.
“Hello?”
Anthony asks.
“Hi, it's us, we are here to pick you up.”
Opening the door all the way now Anthony stands slightly taller than Cris but not by much.
“Ok let's go then.”
Anthony said before walking over to the opposite side of the door to get in the back left passenger seat.
“Tony, so glad you could join us.”
Tim said, referring to Anthony.
“Yeah it took you guys a little bit to get here but that's alright.”
Anthony said, his voice intone. Turning around in the small space they have on the road Tim finally makes the turn and leaves the road.
“We are low on fuel but a gas station is practically right there you guys can see it right.”
Tim announced to the car and simultaneously everyone nodded in agreement. As they all are driving the gauge hits zero and they start coasting.
“Damn it, I was hoping it would take us a little further.”
Tim said in an agitated tone.
“We are going to have to push it.”
Tim said, dissatisfied. Nobody liked the idea of that in the hot Arizona sun but they would have to do it to keep going.
“Once we push it there we can buy drinks after.”
Tim said the idea started to sound a little better to everybody now.
They all get out and Tim tosses his cigarette before they all start pushing it. But the car doesn't move.
“What the hell?”
Greg says in confusion.
“You put it in neutral right?”
Anthony asked.
“No, no I didn't.”
Tim felt ignorant and embarrassed but after he put it in neutral the car started to move almost flawlessly. Approaching the gas pump Cris starts to get tired.
“I can't push no more.”
Cris said in an exhausted voice that sounded like he ran a marathon. Cris never was athletic; he stuck with books and studying rather than going on walks or runs.
“C'mon just try a little harder, we are almost there.”
Greg tried to say in a motivational way but it just wasn't working that well.
After fifteen minutes of pushing they finally get the car to the gas station's pump.
“Hey Tony, stay with the boys and I'll go in and get the water and pay for the gas ok?”
Tim said tired from pushing.
“Yeah that sounds good.”
Anthony responded with a stutter. Tim goes in to buy the water and gas.
“Damn is it ever hot out here.”
Cris said he wasn't used to this type of weather.
“You don't get to say anything Cris you stopped half way.”
Anthony said in an angry way caused by heat. Cris couldn't even say anything before Tim walked out with a pack of cold water bottles.
“Anybody up for refreshments.”
Tim said with a smile stretching from ear to ear.
“Yes!”
They all yelled out collectively, each of them grabbing one water bottle before putting the rest into the middle back seat.
“Shall we continue on with our travels?”
Tim said, a rhetorical question.
“Yes, let's continue. We are unstoppable!”
Greg said with a powerful and proud tone to it almost like a president at a stand.
Entering the car they slam the doors shut. All of them with extra new found energy thanks to the water Tim had bought. Leaving the gas station they hit the road. Making their way to the highway the sky becomes overcast. The heat from the sun starts to go away but not entirely. Driving down the road a cigarette hanging out of Tim’s mouth he sees a sign that says San Diego 85km it wasn't too far now.
“Look it's a sign San Diego we are almost there guys!”
Tim happily blurts out.
“The traffic isn't even that bad today either, huh.”
Greg adds to what Tim had said prior. There were only a few cars on the road, not many. And some of them were turning off into roads on the side. The road was so long they couldn't see the end.
“Let's speed up some, maybe we could get there faster.”
Tim suggested.
“Yeah, just be careful we don't want to end up dead on the side of the road.”
Cris said to Tim with consideration.
“Ok.”
Tim agreed not wanting that to be his fate.
As they speed past a billboard on the side of the road a set of red and blue lights and a siren starts blaring. It's the cops.
“Damn.”
Tim muttered under his breath as he pulled over. They were certain that they would be arrested for the rest of their lives. Stopped along the side of the road the officer steps out of his car and walks ahead stopping at the window. Tim rolls his window down.
“License and registration please.”
The officer said. His voice is deep and gravelly.
“Ok.”
Tim says reaching over to the glovebox taking out his registration then his license from his wallet.
“Here you go.”
Tim said, handing it to the officer.
“Do you know how fast you were going?”
The cop said.
“I believe I was not going the limit.”
Tim said, hoping to get out of it.
“Well you were going 23 kilometers over the limit.”
The officer said meanly.
“I'm going to need you to step out of the car sir.”
The officer said.
As Tim steps out the officer puts him in handcuffs. Cris also steps out of the car.
“Woah what are you doing?”
Cris said anger filled his voice.
“Step back in the car.”
The officer said not to escalate this situation further.
“No.”
Cris says not wanting to have his brother arrested.
“Sir, step back in the car!”
The officer starts to get impatient with Cris.
“Come over here as well.”
The officer said, waiting for Cris to comply. Cris walks over then gets handcuffed. The officer walks both Cris and Tim to the cop car. Opening the door he puts them both in the back seat.
“Stay here.”
The officer said, walking back to the car where Anthony and Greg are still at.
Once the officer approaches the window again he asks if either of them can drive home safely.
“I can.”
Greg said not wanting his friend's car to be impounded.
“Ok.”
The officer said walking back to his car.
“Do you want them to drive the car back?”
The officer asks Tim and Cris.
“Yes.”
Tim said as fast as lightning. As the officer honks twice Greg drives the car back to his place with Anthony.
“What are we even being arrested for!”
Cris yelled at the cop.
“Reckless driving and failure to comply with an officer.”
It's just now that they realized what they had done wrong. The drive to the police station was quiet, nobody was talking, just the occasional chatter over the radio.
As they arrived at the station the officer brought Cris and Tim into a holding cell. The weight of their actions are really starting to come down upon them now.
“Anybody you want to call?”
The officer asked.
“Yes.”
Tim said. As the officer took Tim out of the cell and brought him to one of the phones on the wall. As Tim dialed the numbers his mother picked up.
“Hello?”
His mother said not knowing what he wanted now because she didn't know who was on the other side.
“Hey ma, its me Tim yeah i'm over at the Cottonwood police station—”
Before he could finish his sentence his mother started yelling in confusion of how he was arrested.
“I just need you to pick me up ok.”
Tim said hoping his mother would.
“Fine, but this is the first and last time this happens ok!”
She hung the phone up before anything else could be said.
“Ok c'mon get back in there you can wait.”
The officer said. Tim enters the cell and sits down happy that they aren't getting thrown in prison but sad and disappointed that they are there in the first place.
The cell was musty and hot; it felt as if they were sitting in a sauna. But as the hours pass there's a knock on the cell door.
“Tim, Cris I'm taking you boys home ok and you must know that this will be the first and last time. This will never happen again, ok.”
Their mother said sternly.
“Ok never again.”
Tim stuttered but Cris kept silent.
“What about you cris will you let this happen again.”
She asked, looking for an answer. Cris tried to speak but couldn't so he just nodded.
“Good now come on, let's get home then.”
She said, Walking out the door they head towards the car sitting in the back seat to avoid talking. The drive was silent and awkward. Sitting in silence they both looked out their own windows watching as the landscape went by. Feeling ashamed by their actions of what brought them here sitting in their mothers car in silence. Not even the radio was on, the tension was tight, almost suffocating.
Arriving back at their place she drops them off not saying anything, just a disgusting and disappointing look before she drives away from them leaving them at their houses front steps.
“Well I think I'm going to go in and try to forget this day.”
Cris said to Tim his voice was shaky and nervous.
“Yeah me too.”
Tim replied to Cris as they both walked back into their house never wanting to repeat anything that happened within the past hour and half. As they get into the house Cris goes downstairs to his bedroom to sleep it all off. But Tim goes upstairs and he calls Greg.
“Hey Greg i'm going to need my car back come down tomorrow and drop it off then I'll give you a lift back.”
Tim said feeling guilty for letting this happen to them all.
“Ok.”
Greg said before Tim hung up the phone. Walking over to the couch he lights a cigarette and sits down relaxing after the horrible experience.
