Being a student isn't the easiest thing in the world. Most of the days it's classes then studying and sleeping. But having a car is in some ways the saving grace. I can pick up some extra pocket money by giving rides to the stores, malls, or clubs.

When I want to go home for a visit I put up a note in the student union and I get a couple of riders. On a good trip I make gas money plus some extra.

There is one trip I would like to tell you about. This trip I only got one rider but she gave me twenty dollars since she lived in the middle of no where. By the time we reached her house it was late afternoon. As she was getting out of the car she said to go back the same way we had come even though it was longer.

Well, I wanted to get home before it was to dark so I decided to take the short cut. As the sun began to set I realized my mistake. I couldn't see anything but trees and darkness. I was thinking about turning around and going back when I got a whiff of sweet smoke. My mouth began to water since I hadn't eaten since that morning, but I would have gotten hungry even if I had just eaten. Everyone said I was a barbeque addict. Now, all thoughts of turning around were out the window, I just follow my nose.

About a mile down the street I came to an old faded hand painted sign that said, 'Papa Doc's home done BBQ'

Well, if you smelled the smoke you wouldn't care how it was said. It smelled that good. I aimed my car toward the smoke and kept going.

It wasn't long before I got to Johnsonville. I wouldn't call it a town. Only five building and every one of them looked at least a hundred years old. All of them were dark except for one. There stood an old wooden shack of a building. On the side of the paint peeling side was painted 'Papa Doc's, We Be Smoking'

I went in and was surprised to see to see the place full. Just as I thought I may have to wait this old white hair woman came up to me and said, "welcome child, we have a sit for you."

As soon as I sit, she placed a glass of water and beer in front of me. Then a plate of beans and potato salad with some bread was sit down. As I started to eat I wondered how she knew I love beans and potatoes. Just as I was finished eating them this tall dark skin man placed a plate of the best smelling BBQ I have ever had in front of me. I bit into the sweet and tangle meat. This was the bomb! Never had I tasted anything like this. As I was licking my fingers I notice the man was still there looking at me.

"Do you like my burn?" he asked. "I'm Papa Doc."

"You made this? This is the best stuff I have ever eaten," I said.

He smiled showing a mouth full of white teeth.

As I was starting to get full, from the meal, I stopped eating and I looked up at him as he eyed me. He must have been six foot two, two hundred pounds of pure muscles without any fat. He looked like an African god. I saw that he was watching me as I cleaned the last bone on my plate then lick my fingers.

He licked his own lips. I could tell that he wanted me.

"I've eaten some good Q but this was the best," I said. He gave me a good hardy laugh.

"Would you like to know my secret?" he asked. "Don't worry, there is time before the place starts to jump. The band won't get here for an hour yet," he replied.

We went into the kitchen and the smell of the Q filled the air. He had two large pots of Q setting on a old wood burning stove. Each had a lid but the sauce as it cooked would push the lid up to let the steam escape and fill the air with it sweet aroma. On the other side was a large pit where the meat was slowly cooking.

For me this was like being in heaven. I have never smelled anything as over powering as the sauce and slow cooked meat. My head felt as if it was swimming. Papa Doc was still looking at me. I returned his smile and walked over to him.

"Papa, you should smell good," I said.

"I smell like Q, but you are the best looking thing to past these doors in years," he said.

It might have been the Q, or the food but I looked into his brown eyes and felt weak in the knees. He leaned his head over and kissed me hard on the mouth. His strong arms wrapped around me lifting me off the ground.