Liam, his black hair neatly combed, loaded their luggage into the back seat of their car, as the trunk was full of their apartment belongings. The car a hand-me-down from their grandma that had seen better days, but it was reliable, or so they thought. Leah, her straight raven black hair falling just past her elbows, hopped into the passenger seat. At 23, she was two years older than her brother. Her 5foot 4 height a full 6 inches shorter than her brother often made her feel like the baby of the family. Her green eyes, searched the dashboard for the air conditioning knob. The early summer heat was already unbearable.
Leah closed the creaky door, Liam in the drivers seat, said a silent prayer, as the engine roared to life. They were off, leaving the bustling university behind. The road stretched out before them. Their final destination their grandparent's place. It had been a year since they had both been home together for an extended period, and Leah couldn't wait to see their grandpa's garden and taste her grandma's apple pie.
They had moved in with their grandparents after a tragic helicopter skiing accident claimed their parents' lives. Liam was just four years old and Leah was almost 6. The small farm had become a place where they could grieve and grow together. Leah often thought about how different their lives would have been if their parents were still alive. Would they have been as close as they were? Would they still be so shy and introverted? As the miles passed, Leah dozed off, while Liam enjoyed the sights of seeing new surroundings.
About 400 miles into the long 1000 mile journey the car started to sputter. Leah's heart dropped into her stomach as she looked over at Liam, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He tried to downplay his concern, but she could see it in his eyes. "Don't worry," he said, "It's probably just the heat." But they both knew it was something more. The car jerked and finally came to a halt, just short of the town's Welcome to Lanceville's sign.
They stepped out into the desert heat, the sun beating down on them. Leah's cutoff shorts, the shortest Liam had ever seen, left her feeling exposed. The fabric of her halter top clung to her skin as she stretched out her legs. The small town looked like a mirage in the distance, but it was the only place they could hope to find help.
They began to walk, the town was quieter than they expected. A few tumbleweeds rolled down the main street, and the one stoplight seemed to be there just because. They found a garage, its neon sign flickering. The bell chimed as they stepped inside, the coolness of the air conditioning welcome them in from the heat.
A mechanic looked up from under the hood of a 57 Chevy, his face wrinkled and hands covered in grease stains. "Afternoon, kids," he drawled, wiping his hands on a rag. His name tag read 'Clint'. "What seems to be the problem?"
Leah, feeling self-conscious in her outfit, moving closer to Liam "It just... stopped," she murmured, glancing at Liam he explained their situation and the car's behaviour.
Clint, the old mechanic, listened intently, stroking his grey beard. "I can tow it for you, have a look and let you know, might be an easy fix, you never know with these dang newer computer everything cars, heck before you know it there gonna be driving themselves."
Both Leah and Liam chuckled, the car was far from new, in fact it was older than either of them.
"Young'uns these days," he said, shaking his head, "always expecting the newfangled stuff to work like magic." He took a deep drag from his cigarette. "This ole' girl," he said, patting the side of the Chevy, "has more guts than half the cars on the road today."
With a grin, Clint told them the ice-cream shop is just around the corner to go grab some some while he towed their car.
The two thanked him, feeling a glimmer of hope amidst the despair. They walked down the dusty street, the sunburn on their skin already setting in. The ice cream shop, was a small, pastel-coloured building, The bell chimed as they opened the door letting the counter person know customers were there, the cool air was refreshing on their bodies.
Inside, the walls were adorned with vintage posters, the floor was a checkered pattern of black and white tiles. The smell of fresh waffle cones filled the air, and a friendly young woman, maybe 15 yrs, old Lila on her name tag, with pink hair greeted them from behind the counter. She had a piercing in her nose and a tattoo of a cherry blossom on her arm. "Welcome to Sweet Relief!" she exclaimed, her smile as bright. "What can I get you two to beat this heat?"
Leah's eyes widened at the array of flavours, but she settled on a classic triple scoop tiger stripe cone while Liam opted for a triple scoop of maple walnut in a waffle bowl. They took a seat at a small table by the window, the coolness of the ice cream offered a welcome reprieve from the heat. They ate their treats in silence watching the occasional car roll by, as the people of Lanceville went about their business. Liam mentioned that they probably had the newest car in the area, as the ones he had seen were all from the early 70s and prior, there was even a model A, parked across the street.
A half hour later, the chime of the bell at the door brought Clint with bad news they had been dreading. "Man it hotter than he Devils ass-hole out there." Clint said as the door closed behind him to no one in-particular. Looking around he saw Liam and Leah sitting by the window, approaching them he began speaking to them "Kids," his smile fading, "It's your fuel pump. It's busted. If it was just any ole' car, I'd have you on the road in an hour. But this here's a fancy new car, and I ain't got the part for it."
Leah felt her heart sink as Clint continued, "I already called up to the big town. They got the part, but it's gonna take 'em two, maybe three days to get it here. Could even stretch to four, the way the wind's blow-in'. I'm sorry, but it's the best I can do." See ya met my grand daughter Lila. If ya be needing a room, there's only one motel, Lila's momma Lidia runs the place, its just beside the hardware store, over yonder," Clint said pointing out the window.
Liam's eyes met Leah's, acknowledging their fate. They had been looking forward to getting home, to their grandparent's house. Now, they were stuck in a town that seemed to have stopped in time, surrounded by strangers.
They left the ice cream shop with their heads down, the sweetness of the treats now a bitter reminder of their predicament. The motel was just as Clint had described: a single story building with a flickering neon sign that read 'Lanceville Lodge'. The parking lot was half-full, with a few trucks and a couple of sedans that looked like they had seen better days. The door to the office creaked open, and a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties, looked up from her romance novel.
Her eyes widened when she saw them. "You must be the couple that broke down," she said, setting her book aside. "Pa called and said you might be needing a room for a night or two." Lidia had the same bright smile as her daughter, but it showed the stress that comes from working long hours and raising a child alone. "Let me see what I can do for you." she added, her eyes scanning over the, out-of-date ledger on the counter.
"We've only got one left with the AC working'," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of an accent that Leah couldn't quite place. "It's got one queen-sized bed, but it's clean, and it's all yours for twenty bucks a night."
Leah and Liam exchanged a look, the same thought passing through their heads: sharing a bed was a little too intimate for their comfort. But the heat outside was unbearable, and the prospect of a sweltering night was even less appealing. "We'll take it," they said in unison, "Gotta have AC its hotter than the devil's ass-hole out there." Liam added.
