The snow was coming down hard. The road that stretched out in front of me melted into the surroundings, making it unable to distinguish where the pavement ended, and the shoulders began. I was driving by feel, and that is never a good thing. My headlights only made it worse, illuminating the large flakes as they fell, making it seem as though there was a blanket draped in front of the vehicle. There were no tracks to follow. I hadn't seen another car for some time, and it was no wonder. We shouldn't have been out there.
My niece sat next to me, staring out at the mesmerizing pattern created by the seemingly endless snowflakes streaming down. I had picked her up from University on my way home for the holidays. We had another 8 hours drive ahead of us in good weather; 30 hours if this kept up. My eyelids were heavy; drooping. My hands gripped the wheel tightly as she spoke.
"This is crazy. How do you even know where the road is?"
"Experience!" I joked. "Would you like to drive?"
She looked at me in horror. "No freaking way!"
"There should be a motel coming up soon. We will have to stay there if this doesn't let up." I said. "We can call your mom from there."
I had barely finished uttering the words when a sign revealed itself through the snow. I wheeled the truck in, and pulled up to the office. A vacancy sign blinked in the window, and the parking lot was empty.
"Wait here and I will get us a room." I said as I opened the cab door and stepped out into the frigid air. The large flakes fluttered down, clinging to my shirt. It was calm. There wasn't a breeze.
A short stout woman greeted me as I entered the tiny, drab office. "What are you doing out on a night like this!" she asked, turning to retrieve a room key hanging from a board behind her. "$95.00 a night." she said as she turned back. "Drivers licence and credit card." She blurted. "Okay, sign here." I signed the receipt and put my licence back in my wallet. "Room 114....down at the very end. Check out by 11am." She said as she turned and retreated into the room behind her.
I drove to the end of the parking lot, and pulled up in front our room. "Don't expect too much Janet." I said as I gathered some things from the cab. "Let's go in, and check it out."
It was small and outdated. A single chair covered in coarse orange fabric stood in the corner, and an old T.V. sat atop a chest of drawers. There was a lamp on an end table next to the only bed that occupied the room. The walls were clad in faux wood paneling that failed miserably in convincing one that it was something other than what it was. The ceiling was cover in dingy white tiles that sagged under their own weight, and the water stains that adorned them were a testament to the condition of the structure.
"Welcome to the seventies." I joked.
Janet looked at me. "There's only one bed uncle Paul." she gasped. "How is this going to work?"
"You will have to sleep on the floor I guess," I teased.
She smiled....."Fat chance."
"Let's get some frigging heat on, and I will get our bags."
I found the thermostat on the wall. The heater came to life as I turned the dial up high. I brought in our bags and threw them on the bed. Janet was on her cell phone, talking with her mom. I unzipped my suit case, and pulled out my pajama bottoms and 2 bottles of wine I had bought as a gift. "We need this more than your grandma does." I said as I placed the bottles on the night stand.
"Mom wants to talk to you." she said handing me the phone.
I reassured my sister that everything was fine, and that we would be on the road first thing in the morning. Janet went into the bathroom as I visited with her mother. I hung up, and poured two glasses of wine. I sat in the chair and stared out the window at the snow still coming down hard. Despite the decor, this was a much nicer place to be.
