A Hour in Traffic

Mr. and Mrs. Hall were looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with their son, daughter n law and two grands. As it turned out, they got stuck in the middle of a traffic jam for a hour. They were on their way to North Carolina from New Jersey. Three more hours of driving was in front of them. On a major highway, everything stopped. They got stuck in the middle of a congested traffic jam and their anxiousness turned to fearfulness.

This couple are in their middle fifties. Mrs. Hall does not drive long distance. So Mr. Hall is at the wheel. Mrs. Hall makes a point of constantly talking in an effort to keep Mr. Hall alert. They are looking forward to opening their gifts before their grands, Jada and Donald goes to bed. Bedtime is ten pm for the children. They are enveloped in traffic at 4pm.

Upon discovering the jam, Mrs. Hall immediately becomes irritated. She said, "Honey, why did you come this way?" He replied, "This is usually the quickest route. Let's be patient." Mrs. Hall thought, "This traffic is not moving anytime soon."

After thirty minutes of not moving, Mr. Hall cut the motor off. He said, "It is no use in wasting gas." Mrs. Harris pulls out her tattered word search book. Mr. Harris sits back in a reclined position with the sunviser down. Mrs. Harris, pulls out her cell phone and calls her daughter n law to inform her of their present obstacle.

Their son gets on the phone and tells his father to be careful, hopefully it will clear up soon. He also said that dinner will be ready about eight. He said, "Dad, we will keep things on warm until you guys get here."

The car in front of them begun to act weird. The driver made rushing sounds; The passengers hung their legs out the window. Meanwhile, everything else remained still. Cars were packed in like sardines in a can. Looking like ants in a row!

Mrs. Hall continued to work in her word search book. Mr. Hall was fighting the urge to give into sleep. Finally, Mrs. Harris said, Let's sing to keep us from going to sleep or getting bored," They were both familiar with traditional Christmas Carols. The melody and words of "Silent Night" filled the small Focus Ford. The singing continued with 'Joy to the World' and 'The Twelve Days of Christmas.'

Mr. Hall said, "I cannot wait to see Donald's wide eyes when he sees the train set. He has wanted one for the last three years. I can not wait to see both of them. Covid has kept us away! "Zoom and face time are good alternatives but it is nothing like really being there, said Mrs. Hall. It is nothing like a good old fashion hug!" "I agree," said Mr. Hall.

The car in front of the Hall's begun to wiggle in an effort to escape the mess. But he quickly discovered that there was no way out. It had begun to get a little dark so cars turned their lights on.

Mr. and Mrs. Hall pulled out snacks but refrained from drinking any liquids. Mrs. Hall had packed fried chicken and chips to eat on the road along with cake slices. After they finished their snacks, they discovered that the cars way ahead had started to really move. Mr. Hall looked at his phone for the time. It was fifteen minutes from being a hour stuck in the traffic jam.

After fifteen minutes had passed, things really accelerated. They were on their way. Mrs. Harris called and told the family that they were back on the road and should be there by nine. Their daughter n law said that she would have dinner ready and the kids can stay up until twelve.

Driving the remaining distance was a breeze. Mrs. Harris took a short nap and Mr. Harris concentrated on the 'no traffic jam' drive. Once Mrs. Harris woke from her nap, she was a chatterbox during the remainder of the drive. They talked about how blessed they had been during the past year. Mr. Harris mentioned that Covid had not visited their immediate family and that that was indeed a blessing.

They stopped midpoint to take a fifteen minute bathroom and exercise break. Christmas music from the radio consumed the silence for the rest of the drive.

Finally, they pulled up into their son's curvy driveway. The grands were the first ones out to open the car doors. Love, kisses and hugs were everywhere. There was no traffic jam on this pavement. Everyone found their way! The men carried the luggage into the moderate size house. Once inside, mom and daughter in law went to the kitchen to arrange the food and serve the meal. The food was colorfully displayed on the long dining room table. The grands were in the family room entertaining papa. He did not seem to mind that they were climbing all over him. The smells of dressing and other traditional Christmas dishes saturated the rooms. Papa had the honor of blessing the food. After eating, the gifts were opened. Donald loved his train set and Jada loved her cosmetology kit, doll and all! Grand parents were given a spa treatment certificate from the grands, son and daughter n law. Grand parents gave the big children money! Memorable family pictures were taken with all dressed in their Christmas PJ's. The children went to bed eagerly waiting for Santa to come while they slept. Despite the prior obstacles, all went well! Obstacles may get in your way but it is how you deal with them that matters! Anything worth having is worth working for. Perseverance is the key. Be patient! Do not give up! The Halls did not allow being stuck in the middle of a traffic jam to keep their eyes off the prize. The prize was getting the chance to see their grands, son and daughter n law after being 'stuck in the middle of a traffic jam' labeled 'Covid Epidemic.' All things are possible. Keep your eye on the sparrow!