Chapter 25

“What Uhaul?”

“The one behind Alice’s Ute,” I said.

Of course he looked. Out the window wasn’t good enough ... besides looking he had to see. Out the door and fine toothed comb.

“What idiot issued the plates?”

“Supervisor at the Service NSW Agency.”

“Well ... it’s obvious he had no clue. This car transport is unsafe.”

“Well ... I have title and plates and I’m gonna use it. Where is the ‘34 roadster ute?”

“Why?”

“I’m going to haul it here and make it run.”

Well ... THAT shut him up.

He repetitively blinked ... finally, “Have at it ... The Toy Vault has them both.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Brisbane.”

GULP

“It was cheaper than your mother’s garage at the track. If I can’t see them I won’t do something stupid.”

“Alice?”

Alice was sitting behind the wheel of her pristine 1939 Ford convertible ute ... polishing the dash, checking the wipers, checking that the windows rolled up ... and down ... and up ... and down. Every couple of minutes she would practice her hand signals ... straight out = right turn, hand up = left turn, hand down = stop. Then she would check her mirrors, make minescule adjustments, sit back and check if that last change was better than before.

Watching her show off to the neighborhood teens was positively sickening.

Every now and then she would ask the next door kid to check her lights. Finally, the kid went home.

“What?”

“Want to make a road trip?”

“Where?”

“Brisbane.”

“Why?”

“Daddy’s ‘34 ute is stored there. He said I could fetch ‘em.” He immediately looked like a fish out of water. “Close your mouth. Don’t deny it, daddy ... you said ‘Have at it.’”

“I didn’t think you’d do it.”

“Well ... if Alice will drive ... I’m gonna. Alice?”

“I’m not driving that far,” she said.

Daddy looked relieved.

And Alice said, “Share driving and fuel?”