The Journey Back

Subtitle - The luxury of traveling across the country to start a new life happens but once. This is a memory that will always be special.

One April morning a Mother and her young son headed back west to start their life anew. The Mother was pregnant and time was of the essence to settle in one spot to prepare for the arrival of the new baby.

Armed with the recent tax refund money and a mapped out plan from the motor club, they started amidst the rain listening to the sounds of the music on the only station of the dial.

In the middle of the back seat sat the child who just turned one a week earlier. Plenty of space on each side with a view out of each window kept him entertained. They traveled during daylight hours and took frequent breaks to stretch the legs and refuel for energy for humans and automobiles.

There was an adjustment as the driver quickly learned that you pump your own gas in these parts of the country. Help was always available with checking the oil and tires for air.

The snow made it difficult to make it through the State of Ohio in one day. Securing a room with a refrigerator cost a bit more, but was a necessity for this traveling family.

Deciding to stop for a quick oil change in the State of Illinois resulted in meeting all the local mechanics to come to the conclusion there was an oil leak. After getting a locals view of this small town, it was determined the ride was still a safe one. Promising to get this looked at upon arrival, the Mother was given tips for keeping the oil filled.

As luck would have it, Super K-Marts and Wal-Marts are visible from the Highways. The purchase was a case of oil and an Easter Bunny for the car seat passenger. It never dawned on the Mother that Easter was fast approaching.

At one point the Driver noticed black smoke following their van and realized it was indeed their vehicle. Soon she mastered the art form of grasping the hood cover with one hand while dumping the next can of oil into the bottomless pit.

Off and running again until the steering wheel started making some noises and it just about jumped out of her hands. Going from seventy five miles per hour to a stop in the middle of nowhere seemed frightening at the time.

The Mother held the toddler in her hands and stood at the edge of the vehicle. A trucker drove by and if the Mother had not been holding the child, she would have been blown over. The honk indicated that the trailer would notify help.

They were in the land of Oklahoma where the winds clocked in at ninety-five miles per hour. The tow truck came and one of the operators drove the van to their shop. Two hours later minus two hundred fifty dollars, it was time to get moving.

Once in New Mexico the speed limit allowed a faster pace that seemed to be the same as the wind. At this time it took all the strength to hold on tightly to the steering wheel while trying to stay focused on the highway. There were vehicles strewn along the left lane of the highway. The Mother prayed loudly for the safety of her family and made promises she no longer can remember. Her hands were so sweaty and the grip on the wheel made her joints ache.

The ride was intense and yet at the same time so exhilarating that tears were mixed with laughter. The worst moment was yet to come when up ahead the sign said next stop sixty miles. The toddler needed a diaper change and a bottle. The pregnant driver needed a desperate pit stop. How would she ever be able to hold onto that wheel for another minute. The answer must be the hormones. Being pregnant has its rewards. The only consolation was the rate of travel would get them there faster than a freight train.

Once the family arrived at the city of their destination, the oil leak stopped and the steering wheel developed one. The van made it across the country in ten days and they enjoyed this time they will never get again. With two passengers now in her vehicle, she made the decision to only drive city streets and avoid the freeways at all costs.

Next time they go by rail.

* Originally posted in August of 2000 on WrittenByMe.  Bonnie Sayers, Editor of Autism Spectrum Disorders - http://autismspectrumdisorders.bellaonline.com

We lived this story in 1996 and took a family vacation to Sea World and traveled coach on Amtrak - I highly recommend this form of travel.