It seemed as if Josh had been flying all day. He had
gotten up at six so his grandfather could drive him to Manchester.
And he'd changed planes in Pittsburgh. He was beat. He stood in
the terminal, unsure of his next move.
"You got any spare change, friend?" This was not
your Exeter grunge. This guy stank. His hair and beard were
matted from who knows how many nights in some back corner. Josh
dug into his pocket and pulled out a handful of quarters."
"Bless you, boy. Can I interest you in a little
something else?"
"What are ya talkin'? Get lost." Josh tried to make his
face look hard and worldly, but he knew Exeter, small town U.S.A.,
was written all over him. He moved toward a sign that said,
"Ground Transportation."
Outside, brilliant sunshine flooded the streets. A line of
taxis stood waiting. Josh needed to move. As he got near the front of
the line, a driver jumped out of his seat and opened the rear door.
Josh tried to keep ahold of his bag, but it was gone, whisked into
the front seat. "Where to, Bud?"
"The Michigan School of Automotive Technology. Out
on the Edsel Highway."
"Got it. I know just where it is. A terrific school. You
gonna go there, kid?"
"I, I don't know. They invited me out for an interview.
A chance to see the school, to see if I liked it."
"Whoa. You must be somethin' special. All the way out here just
for a look see! I, for one, am impressed. You never been out here before?"
"This is my first time. I've travelled a lot, but mostly near home.
You ever hear of Exeter?"
"That must be back east. Massachusetts?"
"Nope. New Hampshire. You ever been there?"
"Kid, I spent my entire life right here. Grew up in the
neighborhood they knocked down to make this highway. Hey, I go to Canada all the
time. Foreign travel. And I been to Ohio. But that's it. Back east? Maybe when
I retire. Or maybe you'll hire this cab to drive you back to Eggseter."
"Canada must be neat. You spend a lot of time there?"
"See that building over there? Nope. The tall one in the
distance? Windsor, Ontario."
"Huh?"
"Canada. That's Canada. A quick ride across the river, and then
I drop my fare, and then I'm back. Hey, you a Tigers fan?"
"Red Sox. They're more dependable than the Tigers. You know
right from the first pitch that they're gonna break your heart, but you stick
with them anyway. Hey. Where are we?"
"Settle down, kid. There's lots of crooked cabbies in this city,
but you're riding with Honest Pete. And not only that, but you're here." The
cab swung off at the exit, made a series of turns that must have been illegal,
and stopped in front of a tall brick building with a dark green awning out
over the sidewalk.
A thin man with dark wavy hair was standing under the awning.
He flicked his hands across the shoulders of his suit jacket and walked over
to the cab.
"Josh? It's good to meet you." He opened the door and held out
his hand. Josh allowed him to pull him out of the seat and onto the street.
Then he watched as the man opened the front door, retrieved his bag, and
handed the cabbie a ten dollar bill.
"Hey. You don't need to do that. I got money."
"No, no. It's my pleasure. Do come in. I want to get to know
you. And I especially want to know all about Holly."
"Holly?!"
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