Page 96 of Trading Paint
“That is a horrible idea.” I told her. “I’m alarmed you’d even try that.”
Just as I said that, a car blew past us, in the air, I might add where Sway almost walked out.
Her wide eyes focused on mine.
“See,” I motioned to the car with my head and then pulled her back in my arms.
Afraid to move, we stayed under there for a good twenty minutes before anyone tried to move again.
Without collecting my thoughts on what just occurred, I asked, “Do you think Burger King will be open?” It was apparent I was in shock.
Sway’s wide eyes met mine again, “Yeah, their sign says they are.” She motioned toward the Burger King sign laying about fifty feet away.
“That was not at all like the movie Twister,” was the only coherent thing said by Ryder.
Emma was running off pure adrenaline and jumped out of the underpass like popcorn popping to see the wreckage behind us.
“Your enthusiasm is disturbing,” I told her. “We almost died, if you forgot.”
She said nothing, just hopped away.
It’s exhausting being around her sometimes not to mention the fact that we did almost die and I was in no mood for anything cheery. I needed a nap and food.
Devastation was all around us. Cars, houses, people, animals...you name it...it was in the rubble left in the aftermath. I had no idea what to make of all of it. Everything these people knew in this city was destroyed. Homes they lived in were now relocated. Cars they once drove were in another county...it was crazy.
“Where’s Tommy?” Sway asked suddenly.
I spun around, “I thought he was under there with us?”
“Obviously not,”
Just as we began to panic, Tommy came walking up holding a cat in his arms. His hair looked like he let a four-year old little girl style it with pudding and dirt, his clothes not much more than a few pieces of fabric remaining.
“That was...a little much.” He said and then sat down in the grass, sighing contently as though he was relieved. I could only imagine. He glanced down at the cat in his arms, purring. “I have no idea how a cat got in my arms but she won’t leave now.”
We had no choice but to laugh at all this, or cry. We chose to laugh and to this day, we still get a chuckle out of Tommy and that goddamn cat.
After my brush with death in Kansas, my season began to pick up and I saw hope and the end to the season in the near future. It helped that Sway spent an entire two-weeks with me after that.
I was determined not to let what happened before happen again. I questioned my ability and I shouldn’t have. I knew I was good. I don’t mean to sound conceded or be an asshole, but if I could go out and beat my dad of all people at tracks like Eldora and Knoxville where he’s broken records time and time again, that said something about my ability as a driver. There were times when I had an ill handling car but pushed it as far as it could go just to finish.
I was slowly climbing back up in the points.
If someone told me “You can’t” I would say watch me motherfucker. I didn’t like the word can’t. I would have done just about anything to prove them wrong.
We were at Williams Grove for the Morgan Cup Challenge that weekend racing a winged sprint car. I was having a decent night and had qualified second but I had a feeling my night was about to get worse when Alley came up without my helmet.
“I lost your helmet. Wear this one.” And she tossed a silver one my direction.
I’m not superstitious but I have had the sameTroy Leehelmet for the last few years. I wanted that helmet.
“What do you mean you lost my helmet?” I glared at Alley.
She glared right back.
Being nine months pregnant and a week overdue, I shouldn’t be yelling but if you’ve ever tried to run at a track like Williams Grove without tear-offs, you were fucked.
“That’s exactly what I mean!” she shouted at me and waddled away.
