All The Darkness You Need

Chapter 4: The Car

The Oldsmobile 442 hummed along and Jen in the back seat felt at home. The guys were friendly enough, if a little strange, but the car was outstanding. The seat held her in so much more comfort than the seat of any new car and the ride was firm but cushioned. The speed of the car felt like a natural thing. It was as if the car were a living creature she would be happy to ride with forever. The car was like a home in some way and it had its own tone and atmosphere and smell like homes always do.

In the daylight she confirmed the dustless back deck under the rear window and she noticed how spotless the car was all around her. The carpet stood in black pile without debris or fuzz or crumb. The seats were flawless and the headliner tight and without blemish. The dashboard was equally clean and the chrome of every detail, like the radio dials and lighting controls, was bright and intact.

"This is a beautiful car you guys," she said and Jesse smiled at her in the rear view mirror.

"We love it," he said.

"I do too," she said and they drove on.

They stopped for gas and the boys paid for Jen's food at a café and they all ate and the boys spoke of the race. They spoke of the guys in the Chevelle and the guys in the 'vette and a dozen other guys in a dozen other cars and they were pretty sure they were in the lead.

They ate burgers and fries and drank fountain colas and they all agreed that everything was delicious. Jesse especially so.

"There's nothing better than a good burger. It's a purely American thing I think. Burgers out on the road. There is nowhere I'd rather be right now. And nothing I'd rather be eating."

"No?" asked Dan and Jen sort of looked between the two boys and she ate and agreed that it was good. But maybe not that good and she wondered what Dan thought about it so she looked back to him to see if he would speak again but he did not. It was Jesse who went on.

"No. I mean it. I'd take this over steaks with the president. What about you Dan. Somewhere you'd rather be eating?"

"I'd rather be eating a coconut cream pie on the island with Mary-Anne and Ginger. But aside from that, this is pretty good."
The boys looked to Jen.

"Id take this too. I know it sounds crazy but I'm always going somewhere. Or working to finish something so I can go on to the next thing. All this. This car ride with you guys. And this food right now, and this crazy race. I'd rather be here than anywhere. I've never had that feeling my whole life. I'm not sure how to describe it."

"You describe it as contentment," Dan said and Jesse jumped in.

"Yeah. See it's all becoming all the time. You never get to a spot where you don't want to move ahead from where you are. So you get in a race like this where the whole thing is moving forward. Where you are is in the unfolding of it. You're doing it. Doing it is where you are. When you find that, you can do it forever."

They finished their food and headed out to the car. The car fired up and they were slowly pulling out to enter the roadway from the café's gravel lot but they had to wait for a car that was coming up the road and moving too fast for them to pull out yet. The car passed at about seventy miles per hour, very fast for that small country road just off the interstate, and dust rolled behind it. It was the Okeechobee boys in the white Chevelle.

"Sonovabitch!" yelled Dan and he floored the Olds and gravel flew and more dust rose to join the other and they jumped out onto the road behind the white car and quickly caught it.

The two speeding cars curved around onto the interstate entrance ramp and Dan tried in vain to pass the Chevelle but it only swerved to head them off and sped up. As both cars made the highway it was a flat-out race and the cars pushed by a few normal vehicles on the road and Jen leaned ahead to see.
"Sit back!" Dan yelled because he needed the rear view to be clear as he changed lanes around cars and chased the Chevelle.