11) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

Unfortunately, the heat continued to rise. I feared for the health and safety of my 2 furry travel companions riding in my back seat. The little battery operated fan I bought, only circulated hot air around. I phoned Mitch on the cell and we arranged to meet-up and move the kitties into the front seat of his rental truck which had A/C. Goodbye Toby Tyler. Goodbye Kiki Karma. Now I would have to drive alone with my thoughts and nagging homesickness for Berkeley and the friends I left behind. Although Mitch provided me with a cell phone for this trip; we hardly ever spoke to each other the entire time we were on the road. What was there to say? Once he did call me and asked me what color he should paint his porch? “Red.” I said. “That was the color of my grandma’s porch.” I remembered the hot summer nights, my grandfather returning from work, sitting in the dark on the red painted porch enjoying the cool night air, with me in his lap waiting for the ice cream man. Now I was alone with the endless highway and hot desert.