1
Straton
Driving down I-40, surrounded by a lot of nothingness, I try to ignore the feeling that has taken up residence in my gut since leaving California.
Fruitlessly.
Spending Thanksgiving with my cousins on Ravenhart Mountain was a blast.Don’t get me wrong.And I am totally happy for Taurus, Thoreau, and Angus for finding love.Nevermind Taurus becoming a father.That’s all amazing and cool and fucking great.
But it made me feel even more alone than I did before making the trip.
I am well aware that I’m alone at 75 because of the choices I have made since getting my heart broken when I was a young minotaur.Fear has led me to this place, that’s for sure.But now I am middle-aged by minotaur standards and I really should get the fuck over myself.
Right?
Signs for Amarillo start popping up and, totally unenthused, I decide that’s where I should lay my head for the night.The next major city that I would have a chance to find a hotel catering to my size isn’t until Oklahoma City, which is almost four hours away.So, Amarillo it is.
Grabbing a room at a decent-looking hotel, I walk across the street to grab dinner at a typical road trip chain-restaurant.While waiting for my onion rings, I play a game on my phone until a text from my cousin, Serapion, comes through.
Hey man.How’s the drive?
In Amarillo now.Don’t be jelly.
LOL
It’s going fine.Boring, but fine.
So, I decided to meet up with that Madame Liora lady.
Oh yeah?Your brothers convinced you?
Yeah, plus talking with a friend.I’ll let you know what happens.
Please do.I find paranormal matchmaking so weird.A good weird, but I am really curious how it goes.
The server returns with my onion rings and second beer.I nosh quietly, casually observing a family across from me.Jealousy rears its ugly head as I watch the loving parents with their children.While I would definitely like to be a dad, what I truly want is to fall in love.With someone who loves me back, not dumps me for a human broseph, who she claims is way more of a man than me.
But enough about my long ago ex.
Dipping an onion ring into ketchup, I kick myself for not going and meeting with that Madame Liora while I was on Ravenhart Mountain.It would have been a couple hours' drive to Branwen Beach, but maybe worth it?How she would find me someone when I live three thousand miles away in the Town of Sea Glass on Cape Cod, well, who knows?But at least I would feel some hope right now, instead of this ball of ugh.
The following day, I have to alter my route again because of winter storms up north.This is what I get, driving cross country during the holiday season.But, I remind myself; it is still better than squeezing on a plane with these massive horns.I push on through and make it to Memphis before calling it a night.Elvis’s chosen city to call home.
How much I would love to visit Graceland tomorrow before heading back on the road, but I simply do not have time.Especially since the weather keeps screwing with my route.The hotel staffer who checked me in, however, convinces me to do the morning walkup to the meditation garden before I leave town.
In the morning, I do just that.Naturally, I am the only minotaur amongst the tourists and can feel many eyes on me.But I ignore the stares and focus on visiting my favorite singer’s resting place.Looking down at the gravestone, a wave of peace comes over me.My shoulders relax and I allow myself to release the stress I have been carrying since leaving California.
Walking back down to the car, my phone buzzes and I see it's one of my regular customers placing a new order.I’m sure he saw on my website that I am closed for business until the end of the week, but I message him back just to make sure.Before I pull out of the parking lot, he responds, saying he knows, but he just wants to be first in line.Laughing to myself, I think about how on brand that is for him.
Putting the car back into park, I check his order request so that I have something to mull over while driving besides my pathetic love life.Looks like he’s written another alien trilogy.These will be fun covers to come up with.I create graphics for a variety of genres, but sci-fi is always my favorite.
After hitting submit,I lean back in my desk chair and let out a long sigh.I am finally on my holiday vacation until after the new year.Looking out the window, a light snow is falling, and the sky is gray.I love living on Cape Cod, but these winters can get to me.Maybe I should listen to my friend Lark, who was just lecturing me the other night that I need more holiday cheer in my place.Time to put up the Christmas lights, I guess.
Shutting down my desktop, I head downstairs to the basement.Digging through the dusty boxes, I finally find the lights I used last year.Before I haul them upstairs, however, my phone buzzes with a text from my cousin.
Dude.I met with Madame Liora.
And??
