Country Living

Like any old cliché starts out, it was just another day driving home after teaching high school history for the local school in Carthage. These kids are getting smarter in their excuses and sarcasm more than their actual studies. Fall midterms are just around the corner and a third of my students have either D’s or are failing. The homework is book questions plus two of mine. You'd think that I was asking these kids to be writing a book per question instead of two paragraphs. I have bad news for them when they go off to college. Two paragraphs are a lot easier than 14-page papers. The route that I drive is the same one that I have been driving since I was old enough to drive. Living next to my parents does have its quirks, like constant company and food supply. Even though their constant nagging that I need to get out more is getting a little more annoying this year. Shit! All of a sudden, I see a deer but it’s too late. With what little life is left in my car I pull off the main road and shut off the car. Thank God that it’s only the beginning of October so it’s still bright and decent outside. I get out of the car and assess the damage. It’s not pretty, but nothing a good parts car couldn’t fix. Being the only girl out of five having my brothers give me s**t is a thing that happens on a daily basis. Having my car towed to the mechanic is one of the things that they won’t let me live down for a long time. The first time my car needed an oil change I made an appointment with Jeff to get it changed, not only did my dad immediately take me out to the garage and teach me then and there but it wasn’t until I graduated with my masters did my brothers finally quit talking about it.  Boy was I going to listen to this for years to come. I get on my cell and call the police department to report that there is one less deer in this world. Then I call my insurance agent to let them know what’s all happening; they are having my car towed to the nearest mechanic shop. Not what I wanted to happen. I don’t even know who the new mechanic is. Jeff moved to Arizona to be closer to his grandkids a few years ago. There hasn’t been a problem that has arisen with my car that I haven’t figured out and fixed myself. But if insurance is going to pay for it then I guess I shouldn’t be complaining. I wait a few minutes before I call up the mechanics shop to see when someone is going to come pick me up. “Hi, this is Rose Allen. I was wondering when someone was going to come and pick up my car?” A deep, sexy male voice answers, “Hi, Rose. Unfortunately, no one will be out that way for a while, ok. Someone will call you before they head out to pick up the car” Man, if a voice could get you off that voice would be my tool every time I felt lonely. Nope this is not the time to be thinking about that. Ok not a big deal I can use this time to go over my lesson plans for the next month. I tell him ok and get comfy in the car and start on the plans for after the midterm. Six o’clock rolls around when I check my phone. Ok, by now the shop is probably closed. What the f**k. No call and no one showed up. Mr. Sexy Voice and I are going to have a discussion on how to handle customers professionally. This is not how you gain customers. I call the shop to leave a voicemail. On the third ring Mr. Sexy Voice answers sounding very out of breath, like he was running a marathon. I roll my eyes and talk in my most polite annoyed voice that I use when I tell a student that I’m disappointed in them. “Hi, this is Rose. Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing but should I be expecting someone any minute or do I need to wait another three hours before I’m picked up?” “Miss I’m so sorry I got caught up in a project.” In the background I hear a woman giggle and I roll my eyes again. “I’ll be out there shortly to pick you up”. “Are you sure your project won’t mind you being gone from her or should I call it an it?” I know that it’s a low blow but there are things I need to do at home and I need to check on my parents. “No Miss, I’ll be out there in fifteen minutes.” “Ok,” I say and hang up. I wonder if Jeff really checked this guy out before he sold his garage to him. I start packing my things up, hoping he actually gets here this time. If not more waiting, I guess.