Saying Goodbye to your Child
We recently finished our road trip into the Midwest. We saw a lot of great things and ate a lot of great food. After returning home, emptying our bags, and contributing to the never-ending pile of laundry, it was time for me and Slugger to pack our bags again and get back on the road.
Slugger had signed up for Job Corps, an alternative education program. This program would allow students to earn a G.E.D. and learn a trade. Job Corps has locations all over the country, including New England. When Slugger and I went to sign up for the program, we knew we could find a location that would be relatively close to us. The campus for Slugger was going to be in Vergennes, Vermont. Population: 2,559. The smallest town in the Green Mountain State.
Making Preparations for Vermont
Unfortunately, this would not be a project tackled by me and Wife, as she needs to go to work. The task
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| A slice of life in Vergennes. |
of keeping a child alive overnight through multiple states fell squarely on my shoulders, but I've done it before. I wasn't worried. The final days leading up to the journey were spent checking Slugger's bag and
checking the contents against the list Job Corps provided. The car, our chariot that had safely seen us through six states less than a month before, was gassed up and packed up the night before; ready to take me and my son to yet another faraway destination.
Our family, Wife, Lovie, The Oppressed, Slugger, and me, sat down to a final dinner together. Dinner was cooked by Slugger, who has shown an interest in Culinary Arts. Culinary Arts just happens to be a program offered by the good people at Job Corps. I told him he should seriously look into this. He likes doing it and he's good at it.
On the Road with my Son
The sun came up the next morning. I guess it did. It was cloudy and couldn't see the sun. Slugger and I made our final preparations. We made sure we had everything we needed. The gas tank was full. I brought along some CD's for the trip. We said our goodbyes to Wife and the children. Soon, we were checking out the open road that lay ahead of our aspirations.
Slugger settled into his seat. Ear buds nestled comfortably by his eardrums. I gave him a subtle, judgmental look. We were about to take a drive together and my teenage son had the audacity to tune me out!
"Huh?" - Slugger
Our trek took us through the fair states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. We stopped at various gas stations and rest areas along the way for snacks, drinks, restroom breaks, and the opportunity to move around and stay loose. I tried to talk to Slugger from time to time. Slugger, who had his ear buds in, said, "Huh?" most of the time when I had something to say or needed to ask him something.
Our trip started with a stop at Dunkin Donuts. Slugger felt the need for a box of munchkins and an iced mocha on our trip. I wasn't hungry, so I declined the fare offered. I did, however, enjoy some beef jerky, Pringles, and Mountain Dew later in our journey.
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| A view of Vermont's Green Mountains while on the road. |
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| Navigating our way through the heavy rains. |
We were grateful to find our hotel. It was in a nice part of town. We checked in, got our keys, and a nice little rundown of Vergennes. The man at the desk showed us popular places to eat on a map. Slugger and I thanked the nice man and went to the room where we would be spending the evening.
Dinner in Vergennes
Slugger and I put our bags down and relaxed for a minute in our room. I told Slugger he could pick where we would be eating that night. He decided it would be best to walk around town and see what it had to offer. After a few moments of Slugger checking in with his peeps on his phone and me reading a few pages of my book, we decided it was time to get something to eat. It wasn't long before Slugger decided we would have Ramen for dinner and there just happened to be a place nearby. We got a table and looked at our menus. I ordered a beer to help with my meal selection. The waitress was interested in my selections that night and asked questions about the different beers. She knew the food served, but
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| One of the unlucky houses after the rains in Vergennes. |
didn't know as much about what was coming out of the taps. I gave her a quick rundown on the lagers, pilsners, and ales. She was glad to know a little more about what her restaurant was selling (Customers appreciate that), and I was happy to share my knowledge about something I hold near and dear to my heart.
Our meals came. I was slightly disappointed in my meal. I didn't know I was ordering a cold dish. I just thought the vegetables that came with it were raw. The sauce that came with my meal, on the other hand, was SPICY! I was in the middle of a glass of ice water as I was calling the waitress over for more water. I enjoy hot and spicy, but this was powerful and I couldn't finish it. After we paid the check, our waitress thanked me again for the beer lesson.
We returned to our hotel room. It had been a long day and we were going to have another day of travelling and unpacking when we woke up. Neither of us had a difficult time falling asleep.
A New Day in Vermont
Slugger and I woke up to a new day. We got dressed and packed our bags. Once again, I let him choose where we would be eating. He decided he wanted to eat in the hotel. He didn't want to lose any time. He wanted to make sure we made it to the facility. We ate, went back to the room and made sure everything was packed up and accounted for, and checked out of the hotel. Slugger and I got into our car, our chariot and travel companion for the past 24 hours, and made for our final destination.
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| Breakfast for two gents |
Again, our route took us through downtown. I parked. Slugger and I got out of the car to get a feel for the area. We didn't know what the situation was going to be. Would other people be there? Would there be a line of cars waiting to get in. Vergennes is nice. It's a sleepy little town with narrow streets and not much street parking once you get out of the downtown area. Our walk took us down the street and up a hill. The facility was in sight and it looked like there was plenty of space for us to get in and park.
Back down the hill. It was easier getting down than climbing up, and I praised Slugger for his fortitude during the walk. We got back in the chariot and proceeded back up the hill. It was faster and easier in the car. We found parking and located the main office. We were greeted by nice people who took inventory of Slugger's possessions. They asked a few questions and, just like that, they said he was ready to check out his new room. I was ready to go, but he told me he was all set and I could go. I was a little surprised, but I went back to the car while he went to where he would be sleeping.
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| Downtown Vergennes |
Time to go Home
So, I get into my car. I let Wife know our son is checked in and all set. I'm hoping he'll be alright. As with all of my previous trips, I stop at a local store for some local beers. Just doing my little part to help the local economy. I also let Wife know whether I'll be home that day. The local news has been nonstop about the rains and flooding. I tell her I'm making every effort to get back to Massachusetts but I can only do so much if the weather and roads aren't cooperating. We had a big breakfast and there are some leftover snacks in the car. All I really need is to top off the gas tank and take a little nap.
I hit the road and keep looking on either side. Water is cascading down the rocks. Some of it is streaming onto the street, but it's not so bad I can't drive. I get out of Vergennes, then get out of Vermont. I'm in the clear as far a flooding goes and decide I'll be home that evening. I stop in New Hampshire for a little nap. It's been an exciting 24 hours and I take a little rest.
Soon, I find myself back in Massachusetts, and then my driveway. I see The Boy, who is watching YouTube. He's excited to see me as he says, "Hello," for a second and goes back to his video. I see Wife. She asks me how Slugger was. He was fine. He's a teenager. Even if he wasn't, I don't think he would say.
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| Slugger and I climb one of the many hills in Vermont. |
How are Things?
Answers are multi-word and multi-syllable. Upgrades from conversations in the car.
Since returning home, I have made an effort to check in with Slugger every day. I text him first thing in the morning, asking what's on the schedule and what happened the previous night. I also text him at night. The answers are multi-word and multi-syllable. Upgrades from the conversations in the car.
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| Time for me to head back home. |
Slugger is still figuring things up at Job Corps. He is getting the lay of the land, finding where classes are, and learning where the various sites and services are. I'm looking forward to hearing about his first trip he takes with the other students. I'm sure it will be "great" and everyone did "nothing", just like my other children do. In the meantime, everyone back home is thinking about him and hoping he is well.
"Man vs. Nature", a new short story, is now available for purchase on Amazon Kindle.
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