The Harper Generations: Country Roads

The calm before the chaos

Misty

After helping Grandma bake pies, I sat on the porch and enjoyed the mountain air. There's something about fresh air without pollution that relaxes you. Could I live down here regularly? Not really.

West Virginia is excellent to visit, but I couldn't live here. It's not my home.

The screen door creaked as Tino joined me on the porch. He handed me a cup of pop. "I figured you would be inside."

"I usually sat on the porch when we came to visit. There's something about the mountains that eases your worries."

"It's because it's far removed from civilization."

I gave Tino a playful shove as he chuckled. "It's not that bad. Everyone's life is different down here. It's slower and gives you time to appreciate things."

"I can see that. But I also appreciate our life in Michigan."

"It's only because we're always busy." I shrugged.

"So, are you going to visit your mom's family?"

"I thought about it. I should, but I don't want to."

Tino glanced at me.

"They spend more time picking at me than spending time with me. Grandma Mary hoped that Jeremy and I would hit it off so we would get married."

"Weren't you a bit young to have your family marry you off?"

"Not in their minds. They figured if I got married, I would move here. But West Virginia isn't my home."

"It's a bit hard to marry someone when your heart belongs to another."

I glanced at Tino and understood what he meant. Our hearts connected in our past lives and transcended through time. You can't alter it if you tried.

Tino pulled out his phone, scrolled through it, and played a song. He stood up and held out his hand to me. I set my pop down and placed my hand in his. He tugged me to him as we danced to Take Me Home, Country Roads.

The screen doors opened as we danced, and our family and friends stepped onto the porch and watched us dance. I wrapped my arm around Tino's neck while he held my other hand and danced with me. His cousins and the girls stepped down from the porches and joined us. The ten of us danced to Country Roads as the parents watched us.

*******
Valentino

I thought the song was fitting since we were in West Virginia. Plus, I would dance with Mags any chance I got. I remember when we danced for the first time. She couldn't dance. But it didn't matter. I would teach her so we could dance together.

The song changed as the adults stepped off the porches and joined us. We had an impromptu dance party in the front yard of the houses to country music.

I put my hand on Misty's lower back and held her other hand while we danced. We moved to the music while smiling.

Misty leaned into me. "How about your cousins and you show everyone how it's done?"

My lips curled into a grin before I whistled to my cousins. They pulled away from their girls and jogged toward me. Misty grabbed my phone and changed the song as we got into formation.

Our parents, grandparents, the girls' parents, and West's family watched. Footloose started playing as we started moving to it. West and Alana smiled and bobbed their heads while our families watched us in action.

The Gray brothers were cutting loose and showing how it's done. Preston and Michael were on my right side, while Ryan and River flanked my left. We moved in formation as we stopped and kicked. We threw in a twist and started line dancing.