The Christmas Season is officially here for me. This morning I heard my favorite non-Christian Christmas song, "Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama. It really brings back some memories.
Several years ago, my youngest son Ray, was in Mississippi and was planning on coming home for Christmas. He had been gone almost 3 years so I was really pleased. I just asked him to be careful and keep me posted. On Dec. 24, I got a call from him telling me he was in Georgia but his truck had broken down and he didn't have a clue what was wrong with it. How was he going to get the rest of the way home? I started making phone calls, seeing about getting him on a bus, etc. I would have settled for a dog sled at the time. Another call from Ray let me know he had gotten to Columbia, SC by riding with a truck driver. In the mean time I was trying to get a bus schedule worked out. At that time, I had a niece living in Greensboro; she was able to get a seat on a bus from Columbia, SC to Elizabeth City, NC. The only down side of this was that the bus would not get into Elizabeth City until midnight Christmas night. I was so disappointed and just really didn't know what to do. About 7:30 PM I got a call from a close friend and he could tell from my voice something was wrong and when I started to tell him, I broke down and started crying. He asked if I could just go and get Ray. I explained that I could but the banks were closed and I had no way of getting any cash. This was before I had an ATM card. He told me to get ready and he would be there soon with the cash for me. The other problem here is that I couldn't go by myself. I called Rick, who only lived about a mile down the road from me, explained the situation to him and his wife. She packed some sandwiches for us, and he was at my house in about 15 minutes. Rick was having some medical problems with his diabetes and therefore couldn't drive but he was great company and was a top notch mechanic in case something went wrong. We left Manns Harbor about 8:00 PM, drove to the bus station in Columbia, SC, and picked Ray up. I was so glad to see him. We stopped at a Waffle House for breakfast, turned around and headed back home. Ray didn't have a driver's license so he wasn't able to help with the driving. (Don't ask why he was driving from Mississippi in the first place!) After swerving over the center line and Rick hitting me on the shoulder, I turned the car over to Ray for a short nap. We only stopped for gas, bathroom breaks and fast food. After about an hour nap, I drove the rest of the way home. We got home about 11:45 Christmas morning, just in time for Rick to have dinner with his family. I took another short nap and we headed to my sister Faye's house for Christmas with my family.
I guess you are wondering why I started this story off by mentioning "Christmas in Dixie"? This is why - as we drove down to SC and back home, as we would lose a radio station and find another, "Christmas in Dixie" was playing every time we switched from station to station. EVERY TIME! It just became our theme song. Now, whenever I hear it, I am reminded of that Christmas when good friends and Alabama helped me. (I KNOW YOU WILL THINK I AM LYING, BUT THIS SONG IS PLAYING ON THE RADIO RIGHT THIS MINUTE.)
Now for the end of the story. I had to get Ray back to his truck in Georgia. We left (by we, I mean Rick, Ray and myself) about 11:30 PM on 12/30; drove all the way to Georgia; had some really awesome pork barbecue in some little restaurant that looked like a tobacco barn and carried Ray to his truck. Rick discovered the problem (I did mention he was a top notch mechanic didn't I), fixed the truck and we watched Ray drive away. And we headed back home. This was 12/31/99; the year everyone thought all the computers were going to "die" at midnight. We stopped for gas at a few stations that had signs stating they were closing at 11:30 PM in case of computer failure. But, of course, there was no problem and we got back to Manns Harbor in time for Rick to kiss his wife just before midnight. I slept all day the next day. It was a Christmas I will always remember.
4 comments:
I bet you won't forget that one! I remember you telling us about this, but I'm so glad you wrote it here. :) I love Christmas stories!
Love you!
Cynthia
You know there is a part to this story that I am not too sure if i ever told mom about. On our trip back home from SC where the lil truck broke down the first time, we were in Eutaw Alabama, in the transmission dropped out of the truck, and I do mean that it dropped. It broke a mount on it when i down shifted to take an off ramp. So we hitched a ride to a local gas station and called my girlfriends sister to come and get us and wound have leaving the truck on the side of the road in the middle of no where on the side of I-20 westbound. Never went back for it and have no idea what ever happened to it. And now to this day, every time I hear the song "Christmas in Dixie" I cant help but think about that very interesting trip and some fond and not so fond memories.
Dear Brenda, that's a great story. I too have an interesting story about "The Milennium". In June 1999, my beloved dog died suddenly in my arms and 10 days later my mother died in my arms (not suddenly). As you might imagine I was too grief-stricken and preoccupied to make the pilgrimage from Raleigh to Hatteras Island to see the lighthouse (also beloved by me) being moved. My "boyfriend" (at our ages that term is ridiculous, but. . .) and I agreed we would then make the trip to see the relighting in mid-Nov. And we were so happy to be a part of that.
On the drive home we discussed, as many did, where the coolest place would be to see in the New Millenium. We decided we would watch the 1/1/00 sunrise over Cape Hatteras. And so we did...with very little sleep due to watching celebrations around the world on TV at the Cape Hatteras Motel (to see if the end of the world would happen.) I made us coffee in the room but we could find no restaurant open for breakfast. We had Nabs and candy bars on the O'coke ferry and set out for a day's sightseeing. We did find breakfast on O'coke and then went to admire the lighthouse where, under those live oaks down by the end of the boardwalk, my "boyfriend" pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket and popped the question! {We were married in May and, sadly, he died four years later.}
So while you slept that New Years Day, I was not far away, having the most romantic day of my life.
Judy,
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Although sad, it is a beautiful story. I am so sorry for all your losses. I know what it's like to lose a pet and mother that way. But, I am so glad you had those years with your "boyfriend" (and no, I don't think it is a ridiculous term). What a great way to give you a ring. I hope to meet you soon. I feel like you are a friend and I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a blessed and happy New Year.
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