Racing Royalty

Chapter 3

On Wednesday of Raquel's second week, her grandparents took her on a trip to Athens for her first visit to the doctor. They removed the sling and soft cast around her arm and performed a few x-rays before setting it again in a new one. Once her arm was secured tightly in it's sling, Alice suggested they take in some sights. If Raquel was up to it of course.

Excited, Raquel told her she'd make do and Edward dropped them off near the Tree That Owns Itself. The tree wasn't anything nearly as spectacular as Raquel had hoped it would be, given its name, but it was amusing to see all the same. The land the tree owned, in addition to itself, had a radius of eight feet in all directions. So naturally a circle of eight stones and chains surrounded the tree to protect itself and its land. A ninth stone held an inscription by William H. Jackson, the man who gave the tree ownership of itself in the 1800's. On the cement that leveled one side of the ground near the tree was an inscription detailing it was a Historical Landmark.

Raquel couldn't help but smile at the little tree that owned itself. If a whole tree could own itself and some land why did it not feel like she couldn't. She was capable and responsible, but was she too reckless? She felt she never, at any point in her life owned herself, but perhaps maybe, this trip could help her. Sure she was mostly here to recover and help her grandparents with their Inn, but she needed this independence to show her brother and her parents that they couldn't own her.

After they saw the tree, Edward drove them around the city, before dropping them off again near the University of Georgia. They admired the architecture of the buildings that made up the University and passed by more buildings made of the same red brick and gray cement than Raquel could count before she needed to rest her leg. They sat on a bench outside one of the seminar buildings and watched the people as they went about their day.

Alice told her that at some point during her stay she wanted to take Raquel to see the University's Museum of Art but she wanted to wait until her leg was fully healed before they did so. Raquel was constantly frustrated with the limitations her injuries caused. She could barely walk for long periods of time, and she felt like such a bother. She wasn't able to help out in the kitchen like she wanted or even help her grandfather work on his classic car in the old barn at the edge of their property. Instead she had to sit and watch as the young children who lived in the houses nearby played in the fields and the lake nearby. She also longed for the feel of a steering wheel under her hands, and the pedals under her feet but Edward had made it very clear that Raquel was not allowed behind a wheel unless he gave her permission.

More times than Raquel cared to admit, her racing side, Royal, was fading, and she wanted to hold on to her as long as she could. But there was nothing here for Royal. Everything was quiet and slow. There was no need for reckless abandon in the countryside. The only time Royal ever seemed to bubble just under the surface was when Raquel made the trek up or down the stairs each day. So she held on to those feelings far after they faded, hoping that she wouldn't lose the spine she knew she would need to survive the rest of the summer in Georgia.

Another twenty minutes of walking passed Edward picked them up and took them out to lunch before taking them home. Raquel fell asleep on the drive and was jolted from her dreams when her grandfather slammed on the brakes. Before she could take in the situation of what happened, her heart began beating fiercely in her chest and the memory of her accident flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening them again, forcing herself to focus on what had happened.

A young boy was standing in front of their car, his expression startled. Edward rolled down his window and called out to him. "Are you okay son? I'm so sorry I did not see you there." The boy nodded his head and bent down to pick something up off the ground.