Life in the Fast Lane
Chapter Seven
Friday came quicker than I expected, I thought as I sat in my stiff office chair, staring at the digital clock on the computer screen. It proudly displayed that it was two sixteen in the afternoon, shining out in bright colors, surrounded by the cheery desktop picture. It was a stock picture that came on the system, but it was beautiful none the less. The image portrayed a peaceful beach scene, one of those that almost looked too good to be true. A small cluster of palm trees gently dancing in the sea breeze gathered on the left corner of the picture, and a picturesque, breathtaking cliff face protruded from the right side of the frame. In between the two, the sun was gently fading above the ocean horizon, casting magnificent hues of pink and purple splashing on the breaking waves and foaming water. There was a cozy looking hammock strung up between two trees on the left side as well, and it seemed to scream my name at this moment. I so wished I could be in that hammock right now, listening to the gently rolling waves breaking on a sandy shore, feeling the warm air mixed with the misty, salty sea water.
Suddenly, my peaceful beach bliss was interrupted by the telephone ringing loudly on my desk. Sighing, I reached for the receiver. “Thank you for calling SanTech Headquarters. Gene Harper’s office, this is Jenny Burke. How may I help you?” The words came out smoothly, it was second nature after my nearly five year stint of working here.
“Who’s Gene Harper?” Was all a gruff voice responded back to my inquiry. I rolled my eyes, wondering what kind of person didn’t know who Gene Harper was, if they were calling his office. Collecting my thoughts and mustering up as enough patience as I could, I formed my response.
“Gene Harper is a lead developer for SanTech. What can I help you with today?” I hoped in vain that I could get an answer out of this man.
More grumbling from the man came through the receiver.
“I need to find out how to fix my darned cell phone. It’s not working.”
“Well sir, I can connect you to the Service Center, they will be more able to help you figure out what’s wrong with your device and how to fix it.” I tried responding as sweetly as possible.
“Aren’t you one of those service people? I called SanTech, didn’t I?” Clearly, this was going to be a long conversation for a simple solution of being transferred to another department. Grasping for even more patience, I took a silent, deep breath before continuing.
“Yes, sir. You did call SanTech. However, I am not a Service Tech Representative, and I do not have the tools to assess your phone’s situation. I can transfer you to the Service Center, if you like, and they can help you sort it out.”
“A Service-tech-whaty? Look, I just want to get my phone fixed. Nothing’s working.” The man was getting more grumpy and confused by the minute.
“I understand that sir, but I won’t be able to help you fix your phone, I just work in Gene Harper’s office. How about I transfer your call to someone who can help you?”
“What about that Gene guy? Can he fix my phone?” The man grasped at any close resolution he could, anything from being transferred to the service department.
“Well sir, as I have explained, Mr. Harper is a developer, and he is currently engaged in projects and won’t be able to respond to your call. I’ll connect you with the a Service Tech Representative.” I pulled the phone away, hearing the man start to slur out a few profanities in my direction. Reaching out, I let my finger hover over the button that would transfer the call to the service center, and then quickly brought the phone back to my ear. He was still swearing like a sailor.
“Thank you sir, have a wonderful day.” Apparently he wasn’t too happy that I had said that, a fresh wave of colorful words came flying out of the earpiece, and I quickly punched the transfer button and hung up the phone.
I had no idea how these calls ended up at my office. I supposed that people just looked for any SanTech Headquarters number they could find and went through the list to find the numbers that got real people on the other line and not an automated sorting system first.
The last few hours of work passed quickly as I busied myself with finalizing tasks that needed to be taken care of before the weekend came. They were rather boring jobs, but they did make the time go by quickly, and before I knew it, it was time to gather my things, bid Gene a good weekend, and head home to get ready for our trip to Detroit in the morning.
Warm rays of the early June sunshine came creeping into our bedroom at an indecent hour, but did its job of ushering Camden and I out of bed to get ready for the day at a quicker pace. By the time our clocks clicked their digital numbers to read seven in the morning, we were downstairs, sitting down to a quick breakfast while we waited for Alex to arrive.
It didn’t take him long to show up, about fifteen minutes later he came lumbering into the kitchen with a big smile spread across his face as he gave Camden and I a hug. We offered him some breakfast and chit chatted for a little bit longer before preparing to leave.
I watched Camden and Alex with amusement as they carried on about some of the projects they did this week around the property, and what they wanted to do next week. Even though Alex was chattering away happily with a grin and a laugh dancing across his face often, I could see an unease flickering across his eyes every now and then. Probably due to the fact that he was finding out what was wrong with his father today, and actually seeing him.
Alex was brave and put on a good show, but I could see through his bravado and into his soft heart. I knew Camden could as well, and I sensed him trying to draw Alex’s attention away from the forthcoming meeting and what it would hold, trying to put his mind at ease.
Glancing down at my watch, I realized time was already flying by quickly. “Well, it’s eight o’ clock. Shall we get going?” I suggested to the guys, who in turn gathered all the breakfast dishes and deposited them into the sink for a later cleaning. Who wanted to worry about dishes on Saturday, anyway?
Five minutes later, the three of us were comfortably seated in my roomy car, driving towards the highway at a decent speed. It was nice to share my car for once, and not be in it by myself. Camden and I occupied the front two seats, and Alex spread out across the back seat, much to his delight, so he could stretch out his long, lanky legs with ease.
Detroit was about a two and a half hour drive from our small farm house near Kalamazoo, Michigan. Not too long of a drive, but just long enough. That is, if we didn’t hit too much traffic once entering the large Detroit Metro area.
Alex and Camden continued to chat away, and I threw in my opinions, thoughts or some humor whenever they let me get a word in. Mostly I just smiled in amusement as I listened to them argue about silly things like what radio system was better for a car, which led to a discussion about both boy’s favorite models, and on and on.
As they debated the benefits of a four door car to a two door car, I let my mind wander away from the conversation, finding no real interest in it other than pure amusement. We were clipping along Interstate 94 at a decent speed, and I began to take notice of the other vehicles around me. The majority of the drivers were owners of a new “breed” of vehicles that had just been introduced two years ago. The fad was sweeping the entire world.
While SanTech was not responsible for the manufacturing of the cars, they were on the board of technological development involved in the car model’s interior, and all the bells and whistles therein. It was a completely new brand, a product of the efforts of more than fifty different country’s top automotive engineers. The result was the worldwide brand known now as “Espoir,” which meant “hope” in French.
Each of the Espoir model’s held a hefty price tag, but also boasted the ability to run entirely without ever having to use a single drop of gasoline. The cars needed only to be plugged in for five minutes to “refuel” when the energy ran low. They operated solely off of a “computer chip” of sorts, not the standard car battery.
Given the expensive price tag, but the huge benefit to the ecosystem and worldwide economy, most governments gave a discount to those who purchased the vehicles, or were more lenient with giving out a loan to the prospective purchaser pay for the car.
As I let my mind run over the details when the cars were first released just two years ago, I remember the mania that had blanketed the country to own one of the coveted Espoir cars. Now, I could count the number of non- Espoir cars faster than the actual Espoir vehicles.
A flashy silver Espoir pulled up even with my car as I was thinking, and I took in all of the shiny details in full view. The driver was a young female, probably twenty, and most likely either had rich parents who bought her the car, or she was sinking in debt before she even graduated college. Never the less, the outside world didn’t seem to cut into this young girls peaceful atmosphere inside her Espoir.
Black leather was upholstered to the seats, and was said to be made from some of the finest Italian leather money could buy. The cushioning was supposed to be memory form fitted, so your ride was comfortable, smooth and just right every time you sat down into your car.
A faint glow was emitting out from the vehicle’s dashboard, which stretched completely from one side of the car to the other, and jutted down slightly at the center of the car to form the center console. The entire dashboard was a user friendly, touch screen interface. You could access any information about the car that you needed to know on the dashboard’s brilliant screen. In the “center console,” a holographic television screen was projected into the center of the car. You could also listen to music, get directions, or pretty much anything else you wanted to do, you could do from the dashboard interface.
Of course, with technology and distractions like holographic television and basically an entire computer system directly in front of your face, Espoir decided to make the brand with automatic driving. Which meant the driver of the vehicle was basically just along for the ride, and the car did the driving. It still seemed completely dangerous to me, I wasn’t keen on a car driving me, what if it malfunctioned while speeding along at seventy five miles an hour on a freeway? But I couldn’t deny the incredible technology and advancements that had gone into these super-cars.
It would be a while before I traded in my faithful car, though. Camden and I had only purchased this car four years ago anyway, barely used, and just finished paying it off. The thought of taking on another car payment made my skin crawl. No thanks, I would shell out the money for a tank of gasoline for a little while longer.
The remaining time to drive to Detroit passed quickly as I “people watched” from my car seat. I witnessed some amusing things that made me chuckle, especially from the people who now didn’t have to pay attention to the road because of their Espoir automatic driver.
As the green signs began to tell us that we were closing the distance to Detroit, I began to look for the familiar exit to my Grandfather’s house. Spotting the sign approaching from the right hand side of the freeway, I noted that the exit would be in four miles.
“Alright Cam, my Grandpa Wes’ house is coming up on a exit in four miles. You know how to get to the hospital from here?” I turned, interrupting Camden and Alex’s current humorous discussion about whether the chicken or the egg really came first.
Camden thought for a moment. “Hmm.” He dug his hand into his pocket quickly, and produced his phone. “Well, I might not. But this will!” He smiled triumphantly as he waved his cell phone in front of me, probably hoping to use the GPS device.
I heard Alex scoffing from the back seat and laugh at Camden’s meager attempt to produce directions. He pulled out his own sleek model and waved it in front of Camden.
“Dude, maybe we should use mine. We do want to get there before Christmas, after all. Can your phone even open GPS? Mine can in like, .0001 seconds.” Alex smiled, trumping Camden with his cell phone’s advanced navigational system.
Camden sighed and smiled, shaking his head. “Fine, we use Alex’s clearly superior GPS. Point is, we’ll get there, don’t worry.”
“And get back here?” I threw in the question for good measure, reminding them that they couldn’t go gallivanting all over Detroit, which was a very likely possibility for them. Once they got going, they tended to forget what they were actually supposed to be doing.
“Of course.” Cam tossed back quickly, but paused to think for a moment after he responded. “Well, maybe we should get the address, just in case.” He smiled playfully at me, knowing that I knew his sometimes atrocious lack of direction all too well.
As I was exiting off of the interstate, I gave Alex the address to Grandpa Wes’ house, and he in turn plugged it into his phone for later use.
Traffic thinned out immediately after we found our way off of the busy freeway and into a more quiet, suburban setting.
Wesley had been born and raised in this quiet neighborhood, and although many years had passed, the suburb remained small and quaint, timeless. Unlike many other small towns and suburbs in the area, this one had not decayed in time. No broken windows in vacant, overgrown shopping centers, no graffiti spilling over walls and concrete, and virtually trash free. It was quintessential, and peaceful. It did not surprise me that after being away from this small, quiet place for many years, my grandfather would wish to spend the remainder of his peaceful life here.
Taking a few more turns through the town, we began to pass into neighborhoods, and streets lined with thick, luscious trees and brilliantly green lawns. Families were out enjoying the beautiful, early summer Saturday. Children were running through sprinklers, giggling with delight, beating the heat with the misty water walls that sprinklers provided. We even passed a pair of young entrepreneurs, both probably no more than six years old, who were selling lemonade to the thirsty passer-bys for twenty five cents a cup.
Being in this sleepy, beautiful little town made me feel at home. It made me feel like I had just transported back to a time even before I was born. Back to the days when my Grandpa Wes was a boy, maybe. When the internet was only just being introduced to the world, and cell phones were the size of bricks, and almost weighed as much, too. Back to the days that my Grandpa used to tell us about, where they would watch cartoons like the Flinstones, the Jetsons, the Smurfs, and all kinds of others on lazy Saturday mornings.
The world that my Grandpa Wes told me about when he was growing up seemed so strikingly different from the one I had grown up in. Imagine, no internet at all? And, I always remembered with a laugh, the first time my Grandpa had told me that his grandpa didn’t grow up with a television. I had been shocked speechless when he told me, and at first, I had thought he was joking. It had taken me a while to digest that he was serious.
When I was a child, most kids had a cell phone with internet access by the age of six, or whenever they started first grade. Parents could of course have some control of the limits of the access and what all their kids could and couldn’t do on their phones of course, but most everyone had a phone. It was definitely the exception not to have a cell phone.
My mind drifted lazily over childhood for a few more minutes as I navigated my way towards Grandpa Wes’ house at the end of the street. A peace was beginning to settle over me, a familiarity and a comfort. I felt relaxed and rested being here, like coming home. I felt like I was leaving the “modern” world behind me, and stepping into a quiet, laid back still frame, stuck in an easier place in time.
Camden and Alex’s growing volume level soon interrupted my daydreaming, and I turned into the half cement, half gravel driveway of my grandfather’s house. It was the last house on the street, with two massive oak trees positioned at the front of the property like two solid Grecian pillars, or two heavy guardians. Their gnarled roots and knobby bark pieces whispered of their ancient secrets and hinted at adventures of tree forts, tire swings, picnics in the shade and an occasional nap under its strong eaves.
Wesley’s house was simple, yet elegant. Timeless, like the rest of the town. It was a simple, warm cream, almost yellow color on the outside. It had been painted in this color at my late grandmother’s request. She had said that she wanted her house to shine like a beacon of light to the neighborhood, so anyone would feel welcome coming to the house, and immediately feel loved and like family. My grandfather had readily agreed to his beloved sweetheart’s request, and even after she had passed, he continued to keep the house shining in it’s wondrous color and glory.
The house was a solid two stories, and was complemented on the lower level by a wrap around porch. It had originally been only the length of the front of the house, by my grandpa had built it to wrap around the western side of the house all the way to the back porch. The eastern side he had left bare, as his garage was on this side, and he found other useful ways to occupy the space, usually with a car or two that needed repairs.
A gently rolling hill gliding down from the western side of the property, and held a small corn field at the base. To the eastern side of the house, there were more trees and the rest of the neighborhood. It was a quiet, peaceful place.
Rolling to a stop at the edge of the concrete part of the driveway, I shifted the car into park, and began to gather my things so Alex and Camden could head to the hospital.
Camden and Alex were already out their doors, Camden opened the car door for me as Alex slid into the passenger’s seat. I threw him a smile, trying to put him at ease for his big meeting.
“Well, good luck Alex. I hope everything goes well.” I gave him a quick hug as he responded.
“Thanks, Jenny. Have fun with your Grandpa. I can’t wait to see him again when we get back.” I smiled again at him as I took Camden’s outstretched hand and let him gently pull me up and out of the car. Leaning quickly into his strong arms, I sighed and tried with all my might to just pause time and let this moment sink in. I truly loved this man. This man with an impossibly big heart, even for problems and issues that aren’t his. Just the fact that he cared for Alex enough to walk along side of him in this hard time and be a good example for him, warmed my heart.
The moment passed all too soon, and Cam pulled back, pulling my eyes up into his own. He was smiling, excited I could tell, but also wary, understandably, by what was to come at the hospital.
“Don’t worry,” I told him, smiling back. “You’ll be great. You both will.” I stretched up onto the tips of my toes to give him a quick kiss before heading up to the front door of Grandpa Wes’ house for the day.
“I love you.” Camden said as we parted, and he stepped towards the car door.
In turn, I stepped towards the house as I responded, waving as he shoved his tall frame into the small car and adjusted the drivers seat to accommodate his long legs. “I love you.”
The car was put into reverse, and both Camden and Alex waved a final goodbye to me as they rolled back onto the street, and back tracked towards the interstate and onto the hospital. I sighed as I watched the car disappear, and finally felt the peace wash over me again as I let all of the worried thoughts of what might happen at the hospital fall off of my shoulders.
Birds were chirping cheerfully from the full trees, the wind was gently dancing through the air in a slight, warm breeze, and the sun was casting golden rays all around. This too, was a beautiful moment that I wanted to freeze time for. But I also longed to see my Grandpa Wes, so I turned and headed towards the front door.
Even the smells were the same, and I felt like a kid again. My grandmother had for years burned cinnamon candles every day, almost religiously, so that the house smelled exquisite every second, of every day. Even though she was gone, the smell still lingered, and it made me smile as I remembered her beautiful, wizened face. She would always scold my Grandpa Wes when he came into the house after being in his garage, working on his “smelly cars.” She would always light a few extra candles when he came inside, stating that she wanted the house to smell like a house should, and that if she wanted to smell like car oil, she would have just lived out of a car.
Slowly approaching the front door, I continued to drink in the sights and smells that engulfed me, filling me with beloved childhood memories. The wooden door of the house was open, and just the screen door kept a steady barrier between outside and inside. I peered inside, searching to see if Grandpa Wes was in the front room. He wasn’t, so I called gently through the door.
“Grandpa?”
“Well there you are, darlin’! I was wondering when you’d be here. Come on in, you’re no stranger!” I saw my Grandpa’s white head of hair peep out from the kitchen doorway at the back of the house.
“Just wanted to make sure you were in here, first.” I smiled and stepped into the house, making my way back into the kitchen. A sweet smell was drifting lazily from its premises, and I suspected that my grandpa had made one of my favorite deserts ever, and his specialty, apple pie.
“Is that what I think it is, Grandpa?” I asked, excitedly, feeling like I was ten years old again.
“It sure is! You didn’t think I would pass up an opportunity to make one of my world famous apple pies, now did you?” He turned away from the stove and opened his arms to me.
“No, I guess not.” I smiled in response and stepped into his big, bear hug. He may be older in years, but he was still a kid at heart, and thanks to his hard work, he was still in amazing shape. He could give a “youngster,” as he called anyone under the age of thirty, a run for their money in respects to physical activity.
“Well come on then, have a seat. Let’s catch up a bit! Want some ice cream on your fresh apple pie?” He asked, giddy as a little boy, as always. His blue eyes sparkled, and the wrinkles around his eyes told testimony to his constant laughter and smiles.
“Do you really have to ask?” I added sarcastically, knowing that he knew full well I would always have ice cream with his apple pie if he had it around.
A few minutes later, we were both sitting at the small, round kitchen table, devouring the delicious apple pie and catching up on life. I felt such a peace come over me while I was there, and I wondered why I hadn’t made it out to visit him sooner.
“So how is SanTech?” Grandpa Wes asked as he took the last bite of his apple pie. His blue eyes searched mine, seeking an answer.
“It’s fine. I mean, nothing really spectacularly new, I guess. Just same ol’, same ol’.” I took another bite of my pie, savoring each exquisite flavor. “Which reminds me!” I remembered suddenly, “I have something for you!” Putting my fork back down on to the plate to keep my pie company, I pulled my purse closer to me and dug around for the box I had placed inside before we left the house.
My fingers closed around the sleek box and I pulled it out to present to my grandpa. It was a simple black box that read “SanTech” on the top, in elegant silver lettering. If someone didn’t know better, they might suspect jewelry or a fancy watch to be inside.
Wes eyed the box curiously, and took it in his weathered but strong hands. I returned to my pie as he opened the box. Pulling off the top, Grandpa Wes saw he had another box waiting inside for him. This one had a picture of a sleek, touch screen cellular phone on top. He brought his eyes back up to mine, and he tilted his head, laughing at me while he rolled his eyes.
“Jenny, you know you really didn’t have to do this.” He fumbled with pulling the second small box out of the first, and finally succeeded. Wes pulled off the top of the final box and saw the delicate looking phone resting inside. He pulled it out gently, stared at it for a few seconds, turning it around in his hands.
“You need a working cell phone, you know. I told you I was going to bring you one.” I smiled triumphantly, knowing he couldn’t and wouldn’t refuse my gift, even if he never actually used it. It didn’t cost me anything, so I didn’t mind.
“Well yeah, but I mean, why don’t you give this to Camden, or someone that will actually use it?” He set the phone back into its nest in the box very gently. I let a laugh out in response to his question.
“Oh believe me, I’ve tried to give Cam a new phone. He won’t take it. He’s afraid he’ll sit on it and it will snap in two.” I laughed again, remembering Cam’s horrified face when I tried to give him a new phone and take his old “rugged” one. Grandpa Wes laughed with me.
“And you think I’ll be much better off? I’ll probably run it over with a car, you know.” His eyes were twinkling with mischief, and I wouldn’t have put it past him to run over a phone on purpose.
“Well, then if that’s what you really want to do with it, go for it.” I smiled at him, “It didn’t cost me anything, so do what you want with it. But it’s yours and I’m not taking it home with me.” I had won the argument, and I sat back triumphantly, crossing my arms across my chest as I watched Wes just roll his eyes again and laugh at me, closing the box and placing it off to the side of the table.
“I’m sure I’ll find some…useful…place for it.” He winked at me and picked up our empty plates to take to the sink. “How is Cam doing?” Wes continued as he began to rinse off the dishes to place in the dish washer. A modern convenience that he did truly love and would not give up. He had never been too fond of doing the dishes.
“He’s good. Did I tell you about the library project he thought of?” I paused, trying to remember if I had told my grandpa about the crazy project or not. He shook his head, so I explained to him Camden’s idea of creating our own “library” when they announced that they would be converting all of the books to a digital database. Wes just stared back in disbelief and amusement as I explained the story to him, nodding his head and chuckling throughout. When I had finished, he leaned back into his chair and sighed, smiling.
“I always knew you had picked the best.” Wes said, continuing to smile sincerely. “Don’t you let that man go, Jenny. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, even if some of is ideas seem far fetched at the beginning. I think he did a good thing with this library business. You’ll see, it will be a big blessing in your life. Just wait and see.” His eyes stared into mine, flooded with love and pride. How he could be so full of love and wisdom after everything he had been through was beyond me. But I loved him for it. I smiled back, knowing that he had my best interests in mind, and was speaking in truth to me now.
“Yeah, Cam’s been an anchor for me. He keeps me grounded when I get crazy ideas sometimes,” I laughed, “I try to do the same for him, but sometimes his ideas just spring to life on their own.” And indeed, Camden’s ideas did spring to life on their own it seemed. About forty five minutes east of Grandpa Wes’ house, Alex and Camden were rolling into the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, trying to prepare themselves for the visit that was about to happen. A visit that, although they did not yet know it, would change their lives forever.
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