Page 8 of Lone Star Longing
“I was heading to Las Vegas, but yeah, I decided to take a detour, make sure she’s managing.”
“She will be managing, when she sees you. Managing your life.”
“That’s not going to happen anymore.” He was a grown-ass man, a veteran. He was done with people telling him how to live his life. That was why he was a mechanical engineer for NASCAR. He was his own boss now.
“Yeah, I’d like to be a fly on that wall when you walk in.”
“I bet you would.”
“If she even lets you in.”
He hadn’t considered that, but maybe his sister was right. Maybe his mother wouldn't want him in the house, and he’d be making this detour for nothing.
“Does anything look different?” Sara asked. “I mean, I know there’s the boom in the Permian Basin, but has it trickled down to Broken Wheel?”
“I haven’t actually gotten to town yet, but the road is pretty nice, so maybe we’ve gotten some improvements out of it.”
We. When was the last time he’d thought of himself as being from Broken Wheel?
She grunted, and went on to carry the conversation as he drove, bringing him up to date on his niece and nephew. How was he an uncle to a kid about to go into high school?
“Holy shit,” he said, interrupting her stream of conversation as he turned onto the road leading into town.
“What is it?”
“There actually have been some changes here since we left. You remember the old garage?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s collapsed. Like, completely. The roof’s caved in, doors and windows gone, looks like it’s been this way for a while, and there’s mesquite and cactus growing through the debris. I wonder why no one finishes it off.”
“You know people in Broken Wheel like to mind their own business.”
“Bull.”
“The grocery store has seen better days. There’s a new Methodist church. Stands out like a sore thumb. Movie theater’s playing movies that came out on demand last month.”
“I wonder if Mr. Fraser still owns it. He was always so damn cheap, but still charged five bucks for popcorn."
“Feed store is the only place that looks...hey, there’s a brand new elementary school, it looks like, since it has a playground. Right behind the hardware store. And hey, looks like the Aguilars renovated the motel.”
“Almost makes me want to come back and see the place,” Sara said in a droll tone.
“Not sure it’s worth that.”
“Well, take some pictures before you leave.”
“Yeah, okay. Turning on the road to Mom’s now.”
“God, Beck, you have me so nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because you know she’s not going to be happy to see you.”
His mother was never happy, so, no. “Don't worry about it. I can deal with her. I’ll call you back on my way out.” Though he didn't know when that would be.
“You’d better,” she said, and disconnected.
