Dragons were far beyond the worst we could have imagined. And for there to be more than one was unspeakable. For we three had heard our share of woeful tales. Or at least the tail end of them anyways. So Kevan looked at me and I looked at Chelsea who then looked back at me and I said,
"Quite right Kev. Maybe this is for another day." So Kevan and I retired to the station for tea and lemon jelly tarts. (with lemon jelly that we collected from the cavernous falls discovered last autumn on a previous potato zoo expedition.) Chelsea would have joined us, but had been invited to go on a soul adventure with her beloved father to Mexico.
Over tea I noticed Kevan giving me a curious look.
"What is it love?" I asked with a mouth full of lemon jelly.
"I've been thinking. No, not that kind of thinking, but the kind where I thought it might be nice to go on a holiday. Well not so much of a holiday as an expedition, you know the sort. Just that we should go see a bit of the world. Meet some new friends. Eat some new food." Kevan paused for a small sip of his tea.
"You know. I don't think I've ever met anyone as wise as you." I replied as I put a hand on his arm. Kevan gave my hand a pat and we began to pack our things. Sweaters and socks flew through the air as we picked up speed as the cusp of adventure lay bunched around our throats ready to throw caution to the wind. We made a mad dash to the airport as soon as we possibly could, dropped off by sir madness Monday himself, and ran up to the front desk. We breathed heavily and set our bags down.
"Two tickets please." Kevan wheezed.
"Where to sir?" The woman asked as she checked our passports.
"Wherever you think we should go." I replied.
"Quite right Kev. Maybe this is for another day." So Kevan and I retired to the station for tea and lemon jelly tarts. (with lemon jelly that we collected from the cavernous falls discovered last autumn on a previous potato zoo expedition.) Chelsea would have joined us, but had been invited to go on a soul adventure with her beloved father to Mexico.
Over tea I noticed Kevan giving me a curious look.
"What is it love?" I asked with a mouth full of lemon jelly.
"I've been thinking. No, not that kind of thinking, but the kind where I thought it might be nice to go on a holiday. Well not so much of a holiday as an expedition, you know the sort. Just that we should go see a bit of the world. Meet some new friends. Eat some new food." Kevan paused for a small sip of his tea.
"You know. I don't think I've ever met anyone as wise as you." I replied as I put a hand on his arm. Kevan gave my hand a pat and we began to pack our things. Sweaters and socks flew through the air as we picked up speed as the cusp of adventure lay bunched around our throats ready to throw caution to the wind. We made a mad dash to the airport as soon as we possibly could, dropped off by sir madness Monday himself, and ran up to the front desk. We breathed heavily and set our bags down.
"Two tickets please." Kevan wheezed.
"Where to sir?" The woman asked as she checked our passports.
"Wherever you think we should go." I replied.
"In that case," she said as she madly ticked away at her computer keys, "here are two tickets to Nashville, Tennessee." We took our tickets and looked at each other. Somehow she had known that was exactly where we needed to be heading. It wasn't the most glamorous or the most exciting place the world had to offer, but there was a certain something about Nashville that called to us every once in a while. Something about it's sticky sweet tea and soulful country twang spoke to our souls. I knew we were hoping that this time it would be our souls that spoke to it.
"It's a good thing I packed my harmonicas!" Kevan exclaimed as we boarded the plane. I silently nodded. Somehow harmonicas and Nashville always needed to be together.
"Kevan, I have a surprise for you." I said while I settled myself facing him. "A few weeks ago I was talking with my good friend Andy, who's pretty connected in the music scene, and he said he had an opening at this pub down in Nashville because the band he'd booked all came down with dysmetropsia and cancelled. So I said to him I knew of a group called Too Hips who just happened to be free that weekend so he scheduled them, but they weren't willing to cover the whole night so he still needed an opening act and I told him you and I had been working on some of our own music. So essentially what I'm saying is that you and I are playing at Wildhorse Saloon tonight. Oh, and I also bribed that flight hostess to send us to Nashville." Kevan started laughing so hard that every time he tried to stop he would just put his hand on my arm and then start laughing all over again, which he continued to do for the duration of the flight. It became very unnerving, but I still took it as a positive sign. We arrived at our friend Ben's house in a flurry and whisked in and out of the house faster than you could say 'grits.' Which is pretty fast since it's such a short word.
The night had fallen and the twinkling lights of the city dotted the skyline as we rushed towards our musical venue. Our hearts were full of all the greats that had walked these sidewalks and sung tales of sadness and love like no other town I'd ever been to before. We walked out there bold as Johnny and June in the prime of their lives and sang our songs like we had everything to live for. It was glorious. But the lights faded out and our adventure had come to a close. Kevan and I were back in our hovel snuggled up with some leftover bbq pork sandwiches, slaw on the side of course. He just took his hand in mine as we smiled at a mysterious polaroid that had made its way into our bags. At first it may have just looked like two dark figures silhouetted by a bright stage light, but to us, it was Johnny and June.
