Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Surprise!


You know how it is when you're a kid sitting in the backseat traveling for hours without air conditioning and you think you're actually sweating to death and dying of thirst so you beg your parents to stop so you can have a coke, and they say, "when we get to our destination, you can have a glass of water."

It was one of those vacations.

"I have to go to the bathroom."
"You should have gone when we stopped for gas three hours ago! You will just have to hold it."

It was in the middle of July. We were driving across country from California to North Carolina. We had no air conditioning and it was HOT.

"Can we get a motel with a pool?" we'd beg.
"We'll get the motel that we get".

I'll never forget how wide my smile felt on my face, when we pulled into a motel with a pool!

"I love you Pool! I love you Pool!" I sang over and over again. I couldn't have been happier! I snapped open my suitcase, threw on my bathing suit, and within moments, I was on the diving board hopping UP and down and UP and down preparing for my plunge into that glorious refreshing swimming pool... when I noticed ... something ... terribly strange.

It took a long time for me to shake the shock from my eyes and realize that I was actually staring down into a giant waterless hole in the ground. That stupid pool I was singing love songs to, was shut down for repair!

I cried enough tears that afternoon to nearly fill that pool back up. My mom said all my tears still wasn't quite deep enough to wade in, so we cooled down by drinking a coke with ice from the motel ice bucket.

And that night before I fell asleep, I followed the road map with my finger to see how far we had traveled. We were getting closer, but we still needed to check in one more night in a motel before we reached Swansboro.

I got giddy with excitement. I couldn't help but believe we would finally get our motel with a pool. And it would be worth it.

13 comments:

Kim Carney said...

That is fantastic

steve said...

I like the vivid colors and bold contour lines. Your stories are great and enhance your work even more. Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts and talent with us.

Janet said...

Love your stories....I hope there was something in Swansboro worth that long drive...

the painted pear said...

That is a very funny story, not that is was funny for you at the time. I so remember those family trips and my dad never, never ever, stopped for anything. Gas maybe. Great style with the illustration.

carla said...

Did you ever get to a motel with a filled pool? This is such a wonderful story - very easy to relate to - and I really like the illustration.

Sarah said...

I love it :)

ValGalArt said...

gosh you did it again, I can smell the smells and feel the feelings of those road trips! Those little sweetheart soaps and all! Darling illo, you are the greatest!

eV said...

I think we were on the same vacation. At the same motel. At the same time.

Are you me in a parallel universe?

Just wonderin'.

vfm4 said...

omg, you were so LUCKY you didn't jump! i love your illustrated stories! :-)

Monica said...

Awww, that is such an endearing story. I can just imagine the heartache you must have felt as a kid to realize the pool was emtpy. Like a cruel twist of fate. Family vacations are the best, such memories!

danny said...

awww, I could just feel your disappointment, well I hope the next one had a pool! Your stories are always very touching and bring back memories we can all relate to!

Courtney said...

great story and illo. i love her exberaunce. :)

The Whippy Curly Tails said...

very cute artwork