rainy night, lonely road

April 8th, 2020

It was raining hard. It was dark. My dad had pulled off the highway onto a road I didn’t know. A road that wasn’t the way.

I couldn’t have been more than three or four. We were in a surf green late-50s Chevy sedan that rode low and the water was high. The roads were flooded and the water was high. My dad was up front clenching the wheel. My sister and I were in back. We were wide awake in the nighttime we were wide awake.

We were coming back from somewhere, where could that be? And the rain wouldn’t quit and the wipers couldn’t keep up and we were awake and afraid.

My father was afraid. It was different, that was. He could be scary but I’d never seen him afraid. We were late.

He pulled into a gas station. What was that for? Not for gas. Not for a smoke. Not for a beer or a break. It was to make a call. We were late.

We were late in the rain and we didn’t know how to get home. But we did, after a while. We got home.

I am remembering this now and I don’t know why.

Oh, I know why. Because we got home.

Take heart, friends. It’s a rainy night on a lonely road that takes us home.

The nearer the dawn, the darker the night. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

***

Photo by Amir Borhan on Unsplash

7 Comments »

  1. O my, I wonder, it has been such a heavy blow. So many people have died, so many people are scared, have lost their jobs. And yet, some people want to carry on as things were before as soon as possible.
    I hope that things will change. At least we have learned that people matter.
    I pray that art in the widest sense will play a part in this. Our soul needs art. I hope people will value feeding their soul. Feeding each others soul.
    In 2008, all vulnerable things were dealt a very heavy blow.
    In order to stay human we cannot afford to let that happen again.

    Comment by Simone — April 8, 2020 @ 11:35 am

  2. One way or another, we get home. Thank you for this reassurance. May we see the moon you’re pointing to!

    Comment by Donn King — April 8, 2020 @ 11:35 am

  3. Oh my. That last quote made my heart skip a beat ..

    Comment by Bonnie Rae — April 8, 2020 @ 1:22 pm

  4. The photos always do it for me. New picture new blog. Last two target where we are. We are 76 and 80. Afraid to go out in Houston. Although we do in an emergency. Last night. The dog! Yoda

    Comment by Larry Misiak — April 8, 2020 @ 4:15 pm

  5. The master has spoken.

    Comment by Karen Maezen Miller — April 8, 2020 @ 8:33 pm

  6. Your words light the way home, as always. And they are gratefully received here.

    Comment by Katrina Kenison — April 9, 2020 @ 5:17 am

  7. ♥️? thank you.

    Comment by Sarah Stanton — April 9, 2020 @ 5:33 am

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