Read Online The Long Way Home by Karen McQuestion - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen McQuestion
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reminding Marnie of a kid pleading for a new puppy. “Two in front and two in back would work out fine.”
The front door flew open then and a small elderly woman with white poodle hair and wire-rim glasses stepped out onto the stoop, dragging a suitcase behind her. “I’m ready, I’m ready,” she called to them. When she stepped down onto the walkway, the door clattered shut behind her. “I can’t thank you gals enough for including me on your trip.”
Chapter Thirteen
Watching Laverne pulling her luggage down the walk, Jazzy thought about how much her appearance had changed in the last ten minutes. Funny that people used the word aged to describe when a person looked older, but there was no word for the reverse process. No one ever said someone had “youngered.” But Laverne definitely looked like she’d shed some years. The lines in her face were still there, but her smile made them less noticeable. Her posture was different too. Instead of walking hunched over, she stood upright and moved with lively steps. The woman had to be at least seventy-five, but you couldn’t tell it by the way she moved.
“Hey, Laverne,” Jazzy said.
Laverne stopped on the sidewalk and patted her suitcase like it was an obedient dog. “Thanks for waiting. I could’ve been quicker, but I had to call my son and tell him to take care of Oscar.”
“Oscar?” Marnie asked.
“My cat,” Laverne said.
Jazzy said, “Laverne, I’d like you to meet Rita. This is her car. And of course this is Marnie, your upstairs neighbor.”
“Hey,” Laverne said gruffly, waving a hand in their direction. “I hope you don’t need me to share in the driving. I didn’t keep up with my license and it expired a while back.”
“About that,” Jazzy said. “I’m sorry to have to tell you I have some bad news.”
“Oh?” Laverne’s brow furrowed.
Jazzy twisted her hands together sympathetically. “Yes—”
Rita interrupted. “Let me tell her, Jazzy, since it’s my car.” She gave Laverne a big smile. “You’ll probably have to ride in the backseat for most of the trip. We already had the seat arrangements worked out before we knew you were coming along.”
Jazzy had an inkling Rita was going to change her mind, but it clearly took Marnie unawares and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Okeydokey,” Laverne said. “I don’t care where I go as long as you don’t put me in the trunk.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jazzy said. “The trunk is full.”
Indeed, it was nearly full. There was only enough room for Laverne’s suitcase and that was all. Jazzy slammed the lid down and joined Rita in the front. In the back, Marnie and Laverne fumbled with seat belts. Two clicks later, Marnie gave the okay to go.
“Now,” Jazzy said, looking at her GPS, “if we drive for four hours straight, we can stop to eat in—”
“Oh, honey,” Rita said, overriding her. “I can tell you right now that we won’t be driving for four hours straight at any time during this trip.”
“Why not?”
Rita laughed and pulled away from the curb. “You’re just a baby, so you probably don’t know this, but when you’re traveling with old broads you have to factor in a lot of bathroom stops.”
Chapter Fourteen
Following Jazzy’s directions, Rita headed west, then eased her car onto the expressway. GPS, she decided, had to be the best gift to car trips since air-conditioning. Jazzy had named hers “Garmina” and had set it to speak in a British accent, an option Rita didn’t know was possible. “Garmina just sounds more polite when she has an English accent,” Jazzy said. “The American version sometimes sounds irritated, especially when she says, ‘recalculating,’ over and over again. Like she thinks I’m some kind of idiot.”
Rita’s husband, Glenn, had found it hard to believe she was going on a car trip with two women she’d just met, but he was pleased for her too, she could tell. She hadn’t been herself
The front door flew open then and a small elderly woman with white poodle hair and wire-rim glasses stepped out onto the stoop, dragging a suitcase behind her. “I’m ready, I’m ready,” she called to them. When she stepped down onto the walkway, the door clattered shut behind her. “I can’t thank you gals enough for including me on your trip.”
Chapter Thirteen
Watching Laverne pulling her luggage down the walk, Jazzy thought about how much her appearance had changed in the last ten minutes. Funny that people used the word aged to describe when a person looked older, but there was no word for the reverse process. No one ever said someone had “youngered.” But Laverne definitely looked like she’d shed some years. The lines in her face were still there, but her smile made them less noticeable. Her posture was different too. Instead of walking hunched over, she stood upright and moved with lively steps. The woman had to be at least seventy-five, but you couldn’t tell it by the way she moved.
“Hey, Laverne,” Jazzy said.
Laverne stopped on the sidewalk and patted her suitcase like it was an obedient dog. “Thanks for waiting. I could’ve been quicker, but I had to call my son and tell him to take care of Oscar.”
“Oscar?” Marnie asked.
“My cat,” Laverne said.
Jazzy said, “Laverne, I’d like you to meet Rita. This is her car. And of course this is Marnie, your upstairs neighbor.”
“Hey,” Laverne said gruffly, waving a hand in their direction. “I hope you don’t need me to share in the driving. I didn’t keep up with my license and it expired a while back.”
“About that,” Jazzy said. “I’m sorry to have to tell you I have some bad news.”
“Oh?” Laverne’s brow furrowed.
Jazzy twisted her hands together sympathetically. “Yes—”
Rita interrupted. “Let me tell her, Jazzy, since it’s my car.” She gave Laverne a big smile. “You’ll probably have to ride in the backseat for most of the trip. We already had the seat arrangements worked out before we knew you were coming along.”
Jazzy had an inkling Rita was going to change her mind, but it clearly took Marnie unawares and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Okeydokey,” Laverne said. “I don’t care where I go as long as you don’t put me in the trunk.”
“Don’t be silly,” Jazzy said. “The trunk is full.”
Indeed, it was nearly full. There was only enough room for Laverne’s suitcase and that was all. Jazzy slammed the lid down and joined Rita in the front. In the back, Marnie and Laverne fumbled with seat belts. Two clicks later, Marnie gave the okay to go.
“Now,” Jazzy said, looking at her GPS, “if we drive for four hours straight, we can stop to eat in—”
“Oh, honey,” Rita said, overriding her. “I can tell you right now that we won’t be driving for four hours straight at any time during this trip.”
“Why not?”
Rita laughed and pulled away from the curb. “You’re just a baby, so you probably don’t know this, but when you’re traveling with old broads you have to factor in a lot of bathroom stops.”
Chapter Fourteen
Following Jazzy’s directions, Rita headed west, then eased her car onto the expressway. GPS, she decided, had to be the best gift to car trips since air-conditioning. Jazzy had named hers “Garmina” and had set it to speak in a British accent, an option Rita didn’t know was possible. “Garmina just sounds more polite when she has an English accent,” Jazzy said. “The American version sometimes sounds irritated, especially when she says, ‘recalculating,’ over and over again. Like she thinks I’m some kind of idiot.”
Rita’s husband, Glenn, had found it hard to believe she was going on a car trip with two women she’d just met, but he was pleased for her too, she could tell. She hadn’t been herself
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