The Falcon

The year was 1984, September just before my birthday. The plan was to party like crazy in Kansas City and gorge myself on BBQ. Well it didn't quite work out that way. The Falcon decided not to cooperate and turned a generator light on just after crossing the Wyoming border from Utah. It was completely black, no stars, bitterly cold and the wind was blowing like a hurricane roaring across the plains. The wind would rock the car as it moved down the highway. Top speed of 62 mph. Blazing fast for this 22 year old car. Any faster and it shuddered so hard I was afraid the imitation wood paneling would fall off onto the highway. I pulled over in a roadside cutout trying to sleep a few hours. It was impossible to relax as the car shook from side to side. I was certain it was going to flip on over into the blackness of the Wyoming night. Bleary eyed I moved on down the highway arriving at the Nebraska border at sunrise. On the plains a sunrise rises very quickly. No mountains or hills to impede the lights rays. The blackness starts changing into purple hues which change into reds and finally the brightness of yellow spills over the horizon enveloping everything in its path. I was seeing the sun rise for the first time over the heart of America. I drove all day across the plains passing the largest pig farm I had ever seen only stopping for gas and food. The generator light shown brightly all day long. I'm sure it is nothing I rationalized to myself. The car wouldn't start if there was a problem. So I drove on enjoying the flat lanscape and the breeze from the floorboard holes. I stopped for gas every 100 miles or so since the Falcon's gas gauge didn't work. I had to add a quart of oil every third stop. I drove on. It was now my birhtday and if I pushed I could still party at Kansas City for a short while befroe closing time. So on I drove crossing the border of Missouri just after dark. The map showed only a few small towns along the way and I estimated about three hours of driving. My last stop was a truck stop for gas and a six pack of Budwieser. It was my birthday you know. Thirty minutes later after crossing the Tokono River, the lights in the Falcon went dim then off and then the engine died. I was stuck on the highway late at night in the middle of no where on my brithday evening. There would be no cake, no BBQ, no new friends to celebrate with, just me, the '62 Falcon and what was left of a six pack of Budwieser.