was saying. They kept telling me to slow down. I managed to slow down somehow, though.”
“Don’t fret. Everything’s going to be all right,” I assured her as I leaned over and gave her a gentle hug. It was a hug I needed just as much as she needed it.
“Thanks, I really needed that,” she said softly.
Leveling my eyes on hers, I said, “Look, traffic is beginning to pick up. We better get back on the road, okay?”
“Absolutely,” she mumbled as if she was still half-dazed, her eyes fixed on the overturned Firebird a few car lengths ahead of us.
Slowly and carefully, we pulled off the shoulder of the road and merged into traffic passing slowly by, then heading away from the scene of the wreck. I didn’t want to refer to it as an accident because this was preventable.
Once we were underway I waited until I had reached a cruising speed of 60mph before activating the cruise control. Diana’s hand touch my hand after I leaned back to get a little more comfortable. The tenderness of her gesture was just as comforting.
“That was a very courageous thing you did back there Sheldon,” she said, after clearing her throat.
“I just did what I’d want someone else to do if I were in a similar situation.”
“It still took some nerves to go and put out that fire once it started,” she continued. “I mean, that gas tank could have exploded. And I was so afraid that it would.”
“I tried not to think about that, honestly,” I said, looking over at her.
“Just the same, I’m proud of you,” she continued with her thought.
I turned and gazed into her smiling face and said, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcomed,” she replied. “I think I am going to try to get some sleep now. Wake me up please when we get around five miles from the border, okay?”
“Sure thing,” I said, reaching back with my free hand and grabbing a pillow for her to rest her head on.
It was another twenty miles before I completely got rid of the jitters and could finally relax. With Diana resting peacefully, I took the liberty of gazing at her from time to time. She actually looked the part of Sleeping Beauty . Convinced that she was in a deep sleep, I decided to increase my speed now and start passing cars again. I held back on doing so while she was awake so that she would not have flashbacks of that speeding Firebird just before it crashed. I knew that her nerves were fragile right after that, as well as my own.
A while later I woke her up with a gentle nudging of her shoulder, just as she had requested me to do. Stretching her arms, she yawned and looked up at me.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking about.
“About three miles south of the North Carolina Border,” I answered.
“Wow, we’re really making progress.”
“Yes, we are,” I assured her.
“Hey, did you just see that? We just passed a billboard that read South of the Border 3 miles. What’s that?” she asked. “South of the Border.”
“It’s a carnival-like stopover for curious and road weary travelers,” I answered. “They have shops and restaurants and amusement rides and even hotels. Why, you want to stop there?”
“Sure, why not, I need to use the ladies room.”
“Okay, we’ll do that,” I said. “Besides, we can sit somewhere under the shade and eat those sandwiches my aunt made for us and the salad we have in the cooler as well.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” she beamed.
“Well, let’s do it,” I said, giving her a high five.
Chapter 6
W ith less than a mile to go before we arrived at the North Carolina State line a large tower topped by a humongous Mexican sombrero came into view. I told Diana that the towering sombrero signaled the location of the tourist trap called South of the Border . She appeared excited. Minutes later we took the exit that guided us into the attraction. The buildings were of a Mexican-styled architecture and were painted in warm earth colored
“Don’t fret. Everything’s going to be all right,” I assured her as I leaned over and gave her a gentle hug. It was a hug I needed just as much as she needed it.
“Thanks, I really needed that,” she said softly.
Leveling my eyes on hers, I said, “Look, traffic is beginning to pick up. We better get back on the road, okay?”
“Absolutely,” she mumbled as if she was still half-dazed, her eyes fixed on the overturned Firebird a few car lengths ahead of us.
Slowly and carefully, we pulled off the shoulder of the road and merged into traffic passing slowly by, then heading away from the scene of the wreck. I didn’t want to refer to it as an accident because this was preventable.
Once we were underway I waited until I had reached a cruising speed of 60mph before activating the cruise control. Diana’s hand touch my hand after I leaned back to get a little more comfortable. The tenderness of her gesture was just as comforting.
“That was a very courageous thing you did back there Sheldon,” she said, after clearing her throat.
“I just did what I’d want someone else to do if I were in a similar situation.”
“It still took some nerves to go and put out that fire once it started,” she continued. “I mean, that gas tank could have exploded. And I was so afraid that it would.”
“I tried not to think about that, honestly,” I said, looking over at her.
“Just the same, I’m proud of you,” she continued with her thought.
I turned and gazed into her smiling face and said, “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“You’re welcomed,” she replied. “I think I am going to try to get some sleep now. Wake me up please when we get around five miles from the border, okay?”
“Sure thing,” I said, reaching back with my free hand and grabbing a pillow for her to rest her head on.
It was another twenty miles before I completely got rid of the jitters and could finally relax. With Diana resting peacefully, I took the liberty of gazing at her from time to time. She actually looked the part of Sleeping Beauty . Convinced that she was in a deep sleep, I decided to increase my speed now and start passing cars again. I held back on doing so while she was awake so that she would not have flashbacks of that speeding Firebird just before it crashed. I knew that her nerves were fragile right after that, as well as my own.
A while later I woke her up with a gentle nudging of her shoulder, just as she had requested me to do. Stretching her arms, she yawned and looked up at me.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking about.
“About three miles south of the North Carolina Border,” I answered.
“Wow, we’re really making progress.”
“Yes, we are,” I assured her.
“Hey, did you just see that? We just passed a billboard that read South of the Border 3 miles. What’s that?” she asked. “South of the Border.”
“It’s a carnival-like stopover for curious and road weary travelers,” I answered. “They have shops and restaurants and amusement rides and even hotels. Why, you want to stop there?”
“Sure, why not, I need to use the ladies room.”
“Okay, we’ll do that,” I said. “Besides, we can sit somewhere under the shade and eat those sandwiches my aunt made for us and the salad we have in the cooler as well.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” she beamed.
“Well, let’s do it,” I said, giving her a high five.
Chapter 6
W ith less than a mile to go before we arrived at the North Carolina State line a large tower topped by a humongous Mexican sombrero came into view. I told Diana that the towering sombrero signaled the location of the tourist trap called South of the Border . She appeared excited. Minutes later we took the exit that guided us into the attraction. The buildings were of a Mexican-styled architecture and were painted in warm earth colored
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