December 15, 2009
The Beginning
My first road trip without Cain and harder yet, I’m going to Best Friends without him. The car is loaded and as always I can’t help but think there is something I’m forgetting. I’m slow at getting out the door and my emotions begin to build as I set a couple of pictures in the seat next to me. Before hitting the road, I make a quick stop at Starbucks to grab our standard order of petite vanilla scones, my first in weeks, and I’m officially on the road. Alone in the car, I watch as the road disappears behind me and the journey ahead begins. 
Traffic is light and I’m easing into the drive when about an hour on the road, the car that has always been reliable, decides it’s had enough of predictability. Sparing most of the details, I sit at the side of the freeway for two hours as I wait for Ken to bring my “beast of truck” up the mountain so that I may continue my trip. While waiting, Gail from Argus calls and finding me in distress, comforts me on the phone while she finds out where the next exit is so I can gently coax the car to the small town of Georgetown to wait for Ken. Upon my arrival at the Visitor’s Center, I meet a lady named Pattie. She is the recipient of more tearful emotions and offers her own spin on things. She says maybe it’s a sign from Cain and he’s telling me it’s better to have this problem so close to home as opposed to the middle of nowhere. Thank you Pattie. A smile curls my lips, Ken appears in the parking lot and my journey continues.
The Middle
The road is laced with the places I used to visit with Cain. I smile and cry often as I blow a kiss to each passing memory. My phone battery is now worn down and I can’t listen to the many songs that Ken loaded into my phone for the long trip. At this point I thank Counting Crows and the Foo Fighters, the only CD’s in the truck, for bringing music to my ears. I listen to the same songs as they play over and over wondering if this was such a good idea to travel by myself.
The End
It’s 10 pm, almost a full twelve hours since I left this morning. All is dark and quiet as my noisy truck climbs the small hill to the cottages and I pray to myself that they remembered to leave the door unlocked! It’s been a long, emotional day and I decide to open the bottle of wine that I brought for a dinner party tomorrow evening. I settle in with the guest journal and the first entry lets me know everything is as it should be. A family who had visited a year and half ago, had adopted a dog named Mils. He had one blue and one brown eye. Good night Cain. 🙂
Photo by Kristin Adams
