Turn Right or Left

At the intersection of Home and Darlene’s I stopped and remembered the oft-repeated story of the Devil and the Angel standing at the crossroads. The Angel never lied, and the Devil never told the truth. Which way should I go? Ask the Angel and she says to the right. Ask the devil and he says to the right.

The same applies to me: Home to Angel or Darlene’s to Chaos.

So, of course I chose to go to the left.

Yup, I made another mistake in my mind and so I turned right. Whew.

It’s a good thing I have a memory for trivia like the fact that if the devil said right, he was lying and if the angel said right, she was telling the truth. So, they both indicated I should go to the right. I’m glad that I can remember stuff like that and was happy I chose to go home. Darlene is a mess and has been hell bent on taking me with her into messdom.

On the other hand, home is boring. My mom and dad and little sister are there. They are the most boring people in the world and are always on the side of the angel. They never buy a hot car, go swimming in the ocean, ride up and down Hwy 101 on a motorcycle, or twirl a baton (“It might hit you in the head and then where would you be?” asked my mother when I begged for one.)

My family hardly ever yells at each other (boring), or takes a trip on a boat (we might drown), or climbs a mountain (we will fall), or goes to see Aunt Linda (she’s from another country and can’t understand us so what’s the use?).

So, for me at 20 years old and living at home, life is always to the right when coming to an intersection…of everything. I’m so bored and am so ready to leave home as soon as the money comes in. Uncle Arthur is ready to kick off soon and promised me that I was his favorite niece and would inherit a bunch of money from him. Not that I don’t like Uncle Art, but maybe he could leave me some money now? Then I could call Josh and have him come by on his Harley and pick me up and we could go camping in the mountains, preferably by a lake.

I’m sure I would love roughing it in the woods. I’ve seen a lot of that on TV and know I can fend for myself and be a good hiking companion. Maybe cook over a campfire. After all, I took Home Economics in school and have cool hiking boots I bought at the Goodwill, along with old torn jeans to show how outdoorsy I am.

I’ll be 21 soon and my folks told me I have to get a job and pay rent or move out. Well, I might just surprise them. I might move out and live with Josh in the woods. How would they like that?

Honestly, they probably would like it because I haven’t exactly been polite to anyone at home lately. My friend, Sherry, recently asked me why I was still at home, and I went to the front door, put my foot on the door sill and rocked back and forth. “I’m right here, Sher, right here. Ready to go but forced stay a little while longer.”

I remember that Sherry looked at me and said, “You might cause your own exit if you keep talking to your mom like you do.”

I snapped at my best friend, “I don’t care. I can handle myself. I’m a college graduate. Well, a junior college graduate with a two-year degree. Everyone knows I’m smart.”

Just then I got a text from Josh. He was coming over and I needed to get ready for “the ride of your life”, whatever that meant.

“Sorry, Sher, Josh is on his way over and apparently, I’m going for a ride on his bike. See ya later.”

It’s important to note that Josh also has a Subaru Outback, just the kind of car that can go up and down mountains as well as look great on the road. Yes, I could see myself in the Subie kicking back with my feet on the dashboard and singing, even though it’s thought of as a boring car.

Josh surprised me and showed up in a red corvette, a car I had never seen before. I hopped in and we roared down the street. The deep-throated sound of the car was amazing, and I was happy.

Then it happened. Josh drove out of town into the desert, and we came to a crossroad. I happily told him the story of the Devil and the Angel and he chose to go left. I just laughed. “It’s just a story, Josh, not a requirement to choose.”

“Never mind. I know where I’m going, story or not.”

“Okay, but I should let my mom know I won’t be home for a long time.”

“No, you won’t.”

Yikes! That sounded ominous. Or thrilling. Whichever way you wanted to take it.

We drove for about a half hour, mostly along a flat road, then turned to go up a hill in the middle of the desert near Tonopah. He said he wanted to look over the town from up there. Okay, at least it’s some sort of adventure and not too boring.

We came to a lookout spot and watched the sunset over the silver mining town below us. Then he put me in the red car and drove into town to the Mizpah Hotel. He asked for a room on the second floor, and we rode the old elevator up. Upon getting out of the elevator, I looked to the left and saw a figure at the end of the hall. It was shadowy and looked like a tall man in a cowboy hat, kind of like Josh.

We went into the room he rented, and I sat on the bed looking at the short hallway leading into the room. I closed my eyes for a few minutes because they were dry from the desert air and when I opened them, Josh was standing in the hallway looking at me. He stood tall leaning on one leg with the other one set slightly forward. He had on his cowboy hat and boots with his thumbs looped in his pockets. I opened my mouth to ask why he was staring at me when the toilet flushed.

I looked at the bathroom door to the left of the hallway leading to the outside door and saw a light under it. The water in the sink turned on and off. I looked back at the hallway and the cowboy was gone.

Joshua came out of the bathroom and smiled. I told him that I just saw him in the hallway, and he grabbed my hand and said, “I thought so. I brought you here to see if you, as you have done before elsewhere, would see someone.”

I stood up and froze. He used me for my psychic abilities. How dare he?

I glared at him and said, “Take me home. Now!”

He nodded as I continued, “And when we leave the parking lot, make sure you turn right.”

“Yes, ma’am.”