Part XIII:
If moments were built like mountains, surely there would be less forgetting them. This particular moment for Mavis paled in comparison the her recent trauma and without much conscious effort, she managed to complete the fuel transactions. She had thought better of buying a giant soda, although she was enticed by the sign the read “99 Cents. Any Size.” A smile came across her face as she thought how the people running this travel station probably own the one 20 miles down the road and would love nothing more than to have her back in their retail shop in half an hour, using their facilities, unable to avoid a quick perusal through their merchandise.
Thoughts like these helped Mavis through some of her darker moments. Never did she profess to be above her own subconscious thought patterns, but she did marvel at their ability to control her actions. For example, did you ever pay much attention to the music playing in a mall store? Whether or not you have, rest assured that careful thought and consideration has been put into how this particular soundtrack will put you in the mood to readily part with your hard-earned dollars.
Several hours passed behind the wheel, without much to report. Mavis was having a hard time picking up a data network in the vast geography of the American Southwest and she was far from entertained by the public radio stations the radio was able to fetch. Many years back, while trying to stay busy on a long drive, Mavis had been listening to the latest Tom Wolfe novel over the speakers.Before she knew it, she woke up driving along the grass median in the center of the highway. After staring death right in the eye, she decided not to attempt listening to audiobooks while driving long distances anymore.
To be continued…
