"E"

“E”                       3-19-2013

By John W. Vander Velden

The wind bit Paul’s exposed flesh.  His face took the brunt, as he walked with his hands thrust deep within his jacket’s pocket.  Turning up his collar had not helped much.  A stocking hat would have been nice, but for crying out loud it was supposed to be spring.  And for that matter the car should have taken him home.  How could he know that the fuel would run out the instant the needle touched the “E”.  Paul had heard so many stories of people driving hundreds…well maybe twenty miles all while they watched the gauge plummet so far beneath the lowest dot, resting upon the peg until their car reached a station selling cheap gas.  No one ever ran out of gas.  It just didn’t happen.  But knowing his luck, Paul shouldn’t have been surprised.  To make matters worse…if they could be worse…he had found himself at the side of some country road in the middle of nowhere…if nowhere had a middle.  Paul had politely knocked on the door of the first house he reached.  The lady there was no help what-so-ever.  She wouldn’t even open the door.  What was this world coming to?  Her voice wasn’t too clear as he listened at the door.  Something about “go way” or “not today”.  When Paul, certain the lady of the house had been unable to hear of his problems, began shouting.  That resulted in “please don’t hurt me” and “If you don’t leave I’ll call the police.”  Sheesh, who calls them police these days.  That was nearly forty minutes ago.  It was still light then…well sorta’.  Maybe he should have let her call the police.  Paul felt certain that cop cars had heaters and right now he could use some heat. 

So Paul walked on certain he was the unluckiest kid in Donner County.  Just as he decided the situation could be worse…after all it could be raining…it began raining…hard.  Now this was ridiculous.  Shortly after turning onto his own road, only two miles remained, more or less, headlights came from behind.  The old dark colored pickup pulled alongside.  Paul looked down as the man rolled down the window and shouted. “Get in.”  Paul didn’t argue.  “What happened?”  His father asked. 

“Car trouble.”  Paul’s answer.

“What broke?”

“The gas gauge….”

(388 Words)