Desert Passage by P. S. Carillo Page B

Grandpa Esteban had chuckled when he told the story. He had told the boys that Enrique had a restless spirit and had always yearned for adventure even as a small boy. When he was twelve, he had taken his father’s truck without permission and decided to drive to Sedona to see the famous red rocks of the desert. He snuck out of the house in the middle of the night and rolled the truck down the driveway so that no one would hear him. He drove away undetected but he hadn’t planned for the gas that he would need to get there. The truck ran out of gas halfway down the interstate and a sympathetic truck driver stopped to help the stranded boy. The truck driver watched over him until Grandpa Esteban arrived. Grandpa wasn’t mad when he picked up his son. On the way home, they talked about life and Enrique’s plans for the future. Ramón also remembered his grandfather saying that Enrique eventually traveled to Sedona many times when he got older, that being among the red rocks made him feel happy.
    Ramón’s eyes felt the pressure of tears. He stopped himself from thinking any more about his dad. He missed him too much.
    Miguel had started thinking about lunch. He had eaten a lot of food at breakfast but thoughts of the next meal began to occupy his mind.
    Natalie smoothly hummed down the Arizona interstate carrying the boys closer to their destination, each one traveling on his own road.

  Chapter 18  
    T he boys had been on the interstate almost two hours when Miguel told Ramón to pull over. Ramón scowled at his cousin’s request. He wanted to stay on the road and make good time to Flagstaff but he took his cousin’s feelings into consideration and pulled over to the shoulder. Miguel slowly dismounted and walked around the dirt on the side of the highway.
    â€œI needed to stretch my legs, and I gotta go, too,” he said, turning to find a tree or shrub nearby.
    Ramón waited by the scooter and checked his watch. It wasn’t yet noon. They could still reach Flagstaff if they didn’t stop. He wanted to avoid driving at night. He knew that drivers of cars and trucks wouldn’t be able to see the scooter. Miguel walked back toward Ramón, stretching his arms up over his head, and yawned big.
    â€œCan I drive?” Miguel boldly asked.
    Ramón looked at Miguel with a look of wonder. “Are you kidding, man?” He could see that Miguel really wanted to drive and so he continued, “Have you driven a motorcycle before?”
    â€œNat’s not a motorcycle. I can drive.”
    Ramón didn’t want to fight with his cousin, so he slowly explained the hand gears to Miguel and instructed him to stay to the far, far right of the lane. Placing his hands on the handles of the scooter he demonstrated to Miguel, “She turns real easy, like a bike, you know? You have to keep her steady.”
    â€œI know. I’m not stupid. Let me drive,” Miguel said eagerly.
    Ramón nervously moved aside and Miguel swung his leg over the front of the seat. Ramón then took his place on the back of the scooter.
    â€œStart off slow or she will lurch forward,” Ramón cautioned again.
    â€œYeah, yeah, here we go!” Miguel took control of the scooter and headed back onto the road. Ramón held on to the luggage rack and looked ahead and in back of them for passing trucks. The smaller cars seemed to be more cautious than the larger ones, they always steered away from the scooter, but the larger cars and trucks drove closer and faster. Ramón then heard the sound of a very large truck heading up quickly from behind. It was an eighteen-wheeler driving fast on their side of the road and he was not moving to the left of the lane to pass them at a safe distance.
    â€œMiguel, move over, he’s coming up quick!” Ramón shouted, wishing that he had never allowed his cousin to drive.
    â€œWhat? Where? What do I do?” Miguel shouted back,