Driving to Texas

It was hot, and we were barreling down the Interstate in the biggest U-Haul truck I was able to get. My mother-in-law was riding with me, my wife and two sisters-in-law were driving in a car as we drove from Chicago to San Antonio.
It wasn’t our intention to keep the two vehicles in close proximity during each day’s drive. Instead, we had agreed upon the end-of-day stop where we’d all have dinner and spend the night.

The passenger distribution was determined by the fact that I like to travel early–on the road each day by 5:30. My mother-in-law, Sharon, is the only other “morning person” in the group. So we left early, expecting to get to the stopover location about three o’clock … we’d probably be about three hours ahead of the car.

Riding with Sharon was OK with me. I like her better than any of the others, including my shrew of a wife.

Yes, shrew! I thought I had found a great potential mate when we were dating, but soon after we married she turned into the most demanding, most selfish person I know. I hated staying with her, but–frankly–didn’t want to begin my financial life anew … she’d find a way to “get it all” if we divorced.

Sharon and I stopped for lunch about 11. She phoned her youngest daughter, Marcy, and found that they had just gotten in the road–they were over five hours behind us. I heard Sharon say, “Well, we’ll see you at the motel this evening, but you’re getting in late enough that Paul and I aren’t going to wait to have dinner. It’s hot, we’ll need showers when we arrive and we’ll be hungry long before you get there.”
When she got off the phone I said to her, “Boy, I’d never get away with saying that to Nancy.” Sharon responded, “Nancy’s my daughter, Paul, and I love her. But she’s not a very nice person. You’re a great guy. Look at you driving this truck so we can move Marcy from college to her first real job; a half-continent away.” She paused and then continued, “Yes, you’re a great guy and–frankly–you deserve better.” I was amazed that Sharon would say that … Not amazed she might think it, but truly amazed she’d actually say it to me.

That began a conversation that continued over the next three hours or so. I shared my frustrations about Nancy, Sharon shared her frustrations about my father-in-law, Alex. The words just kept tumbling out and pretty soon we each mentioned our sexual frustrations. “Love making is never as good when you don’t respect your partner, is it Paul?”
And I’m thinking, “Too bad I didn’t marry the mother!”
We got to the motel and each headed to our respective room for a shower and change of clothes.