Dirt Roads and Starlight

    Parked on a dirt road, Billy and Becky are laying in the back of his 1978 Ford F150 four-wheel-drive, looking up at a thousand stars in the southern sky. With the scent of night blooming jasmine in the air, Becky asked, “Billy, do you think there is any life up there?”

    “Aw Becky, I don’t know. What do you think?”

    “I asked you first.” She said with a smile.                      

    Billy and Becky are both seniors at Blue Creek High School in central Florida. Billy is five feet eleven inches tall, with brown hair past his collar, blue eyes and a slim build. He works at a local hardware store and never goes anywhere without his guitar. Becky has blond hair and brown eyes. She is five foot five inches tall and is in the school’s marching band. She works at Publix and has a full scholarship to Florida State, where she will work on a business degree.

    While they lay there pondering the existence of extraterrestrial life, Billy steals a kiss.

    “The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?” Becky asked.

    “Not as beautiful as you.”

    “That was slick Babe.”

    “It’s true.”

    Kissing him back, “So what do you think?”

    “About what?”

    “Life.” Pointing towards the sky. “Up there.”

    “My Dad always said that if we thought God made all of that just for us, then we would be pretty egotistical.”

    Sitting up, holding his hand, “Your Dad was pretty special, wasn’t he?”

    “Yeah he was.” Billy said with a sigh. “I miss him everyday. You know I helped him restore this truck, right?”

    “You did? Was it fun?”

    With a little laugh, “Yeah, Dad would tell me what to do and then yell at me when I did it wrong.”

    “That doesn’t sound like fun.”

    “No. you don’t understand. My Dad never yelled, except when we worked on his truck.”

    Scrunching up her face, Becky said, “That’s weird, why?”

    Talking excitedly Billy said, “My Dad wasn’t a good mechanic. My Grandpa was and my uncles are, but Dad…” laughing, “Not so much. It would take him two hours to do what my uncles could do in a half an hour.”

    “Come on, really?”

    “Ya. It’s funny. My Dad hated that about himself. But you know what? He coached every sport I played, and he was always there for me. No matter what.”

    “That’s so sweet. How long ago did he…”

    “Die?” Billy said, hopping off the tailgate and walking around the truck.

    Becky jumps down to walk with him, she takes his arm. “Yes.”

    “A little over a year ago. By the time we finished the truck, his cancer spread. One of the last things he did was drive the truck home after it was painted.”

    Leaning her head on his shoulder while they walked down the dirt road by moon light, “I wish I could have known him.”

    “Yeah, Dad would have loved you.”

    “How come?”

    “He just would have. He would tease you about being blond but be so impressed with how smart you really are.”

    The sounds of crickets fill the night, when suddenly silence. A deep throated growl comes from close by.”

    Holding on to Billy a little tighter, “What was that?”

    Smiling, “It’s gator mating season. That was a big male from that pond over there.”

    “Are we in any danger?”

    “Are you a female gator?”

    “No, you jerk. I’m not.” Becky said.

     Shaking his head and laughing, “I forgot you were a transplant.”

    Becky backhands Billy on the arm. Hears another growl and holds that same arm just a little tighter.

     “So anyway.” Billy said. “When we got home from the body shop, Dad called me over to him. There we were standing in front of his mint condition blue 1978 F150 four-wheel-drive. He put his arm around my neck and gave me a little tug closer to him.”

    Billy stopped walking. Gazing at the truck he gets lost in the memory of that day.

    “Boy, we worked hard on this ol’ truck, didn’t we?”

    “Yeah, I guess we did.”

    “Did you learn anything about working cars?”

    “I did.”

    “What did you learn?”

    “I learned we can say all those words that Mom doesn’t like.” Billy said laughing.

    Pulling his son closer. “I treasure the time we spent working on this ol’ truck.”

    “I do too Dad. I really do.”

    Letting go of his son, Billy faces his dad who is holding up the keys to the truck. “It’s all yours. Take care of it.”

    “Dad, what?”

    “The truck, it’s yours.”

    “Dad! Thank you, thank you.”

    “You’re welcome. I love you Boy.”

     A moment passes while Billy takes in the gravity of it. “I love you too Dad.”

     Billy feels Becky’s hand gently touching his shoulder.

    “My Dad died nine days later.” He says with a tear rolling down his cheek.

    “Oh Babe, I’m sorry.” Becky said.

    “Let’s head back to the truck.”

    Walking back up the dirt road towards the truck, “Look how it shines in the moon light. That is one awesome truck.” Becky said.

    Billy nods his head in agreement. He hops up on the tailgate and extends his hand to help Becky up. Sitting on the tailgate with their legs kicking the night air, “My Dad loved the woods.” Billy said.  

    “Just like you.”

    My love of the outdoors comes from my Dad. When we were out walking, he would point out things I never would have seen. It’s like he was fine-tuned with nature.”

    Billy tells Becky what he and his dad saw on one extraordinary fishing trip

    Four years earlier Billy and his Dad were walking through The Green Swamp Preserve to one of their favorite fishing spots. The afternoon was hot, the sun has not yet begun to set, with blue skies, and high fluffy white clouds, the hike was easy. His dad stops and points. “Look Billy, thirty yards out.”

    “Where?”

    “In the tall grass, by that downed tree. Do you see it?”

    “Oh wow, Dad. A black bear.”

    “A big one too.”

    “That is so cool I’ve never saw a bear before.”

    Watching the black bear feed on a wild honeybee hive was something for a thirteen-year-old boy to see. Watching the bear open up the hive and fight the bees. They see the bear swat at the bees on its snout, finally victory for the bear as it gets a big piece of honeycomb and starts to enjoy the fruit of its labor.

    Continuing their walk, they arrive at the fishing hole. Ninety minutes later after several casts and a few pictures with the bass they caught, Billy and his Dad hear the call of an osprey. Looking up they saw the osprey being chased by a bald eagle. The birds twisted, turned, climbed and dove. The eagle in pursuit and the calling osprey.

   “Why is the eagle after the osprey Dad?”

  “I have no idea, but let’s watch.”

  Out of nowhere a second osprey joined the chase and a third one took up position in a tall pine tree.

“He was calling for help Billy”

The eagle turns on a dime and flies right at the second osprey. The osprey banks left, the eagle turns, right on his new foe’s tailfeathers. Osprey number one turns and gives chase.

“Dang Billy, it’s like the dogfights I was in over the Persian Gulf.”

The osprey, eagle, osprey train continues to twist, turn and climb. They fly right past the tall pine tree and the third osprey joins in the fight. The eagle dipped his wing and almost slammed into the third osprey. The osprey dove, the eagle gave chase until osprey number one made a run at the eagle, he turned to face that osprey here comes the second one. The eagle swoops around and attacks that osprey again. With the three ospreys separated, the eagle takes wing and flies as fast as he can away from the fight.

“Becky, that is a day I’ll never forget. You should have seen my Dad, his face was beaming with joy at the sight of that bird battle.”  

“But the eagle left?” Becky asked.

“Yup, Dad said, the eagle knew when he was out gunned.”

“You miss your Dad, don’t you?”

 “Everyday Becky.” Billy said with a catch in his voice. “He was more than my Dad, he was my friend, mentor and my hero.” With a sigh. “Sometimes, I don’t know what I’ll do without him.”

 “Is that why you want to join the Navy after school?”

“I want to be a Navy Pilot like my Dad.”

They lay down in the back of the truck, her head on his shoulder.

“Billy.”

“Yeah Babe?”

“I never thought I would enjoy laying in the back of a truck with a redneck like you, looking at the stars. But the sky is amazing.”

Lifting himself up on his elbow, “Is it the stars, the truck or this redneck you like? You…you Yankee girl.

Becky leans in so close he can feel her breath on his lips, she looks him right in the eye and said, “I think it’s the stars.” She laughs, pushes him down and kisses him.

“Ugh.” He moans. With his arm around her, “So what do you think?” Billy asks.

“About what?”

Ponting to the thousands of stars in the southern sky, “Do you think there is life up there?”

“Your Dad was pretty smart. I think I agree with him.”