Honeymoon Camping!
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes, 19 secondsOur Odometer is Frozen
My sweetheart, can you remember the number 09 for me, I asked as I eased the VW Beetle onto the highway. Jan asked me to repeat the number. “It should be easy to remember. It is the middle pair of numbers in 08-09-75.” Jan smiled at me. “So you have not forgotten our wedding day?”
“I told you I never would. But the 09 is the last two digits on the odometer, and It does not appear to be changing.”
“That is not good.”
I knew from the map before we left that we had at least two or three miles to reach the bridge to Pennsylvania. If it were still at 09, we would have to call the rental company. They were charging us 30 cents per mile for the rental.
“It is still at 09,” I said as we entered a new state. “I will take the first exit and find a pay phone.”
Jan nodded affirmatively.
I knew this exit from the hostel trips and quickly pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store.
“While I call, do you want to see if there is anything in the store we might need?”
I reached into my pockets and found enough coins for a brief call.
Returning home on the first morning was not the ideal way to start our honeymoon. The rental company was a stand-alone company and not part of a nationwide car rental firm. As the phone rang, I was sure they would want us to return the car.
“Hi,” I said as they answered. I gave the agent for the rental car company my name and offered the rental number.
“We are in the Poconos, and the odometer is frozen. What do I need to do?”
“How far away are you?”
“Less than 100 miles.”
“OK, how far are you planning to travel?”
“My wife and I are on our honeymoon, and we plan to stay in the Poconos.”
“Give me a minute.”
I could feel the time racing and worried I might lose the connection. I had no way for them to call me as the pay phone did not have a legible number.
At what seemed to be the last minute, the woman I spoke with rejoined the call.
“Don’t worry. Enjoy the honeymoon. We will only charge you for the miles recorded on the odometer.”
I profusely thanked her as the operator asked for more money, and Jan returned.
“My love, they said not to worry about it and wished us a happy honeymoon.”
“How are they going to charge us for the rental?”
“We will only be charged for the actual miles on the odometer. We may want to rethink where we want to go. We can talk about it tonight once we are in the Promised Land.”
We only have two weeks, but we can look for America,” Jan said as she started to sing.
As we started to leave the parking lot, I suggested to Jan a slight detour.
“If we continue north on this road for half an hour, we will be at the hostel where the German Shepard attacked me. There is a short hiking trail that ends at a lovely waterfall.”
“Sounds good to me. I like waterfalls,” purred Jan.
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After almost 48 years, I recently lost my wife, Jan Lilien. Like The Little Prince, Jan and I believed that “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” This blog is a collection of my random thoughts on love, grief, life, and all things considered.
