Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ROAD TRIP (vacation) (07/02/15)
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TITLE: The Long Road Home | Previous Challenge Entry
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07/09/15 -
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Last time I was on this road, it was early summer. I was driving in my brand-new convertible. All I could think about was the delights I’d savour in my journey of a lifetime, which my Dad had agreed to fund through emptying his savings account and selling a load of shares and so forth, even though he wasn’t happy about my going. I didn’t care about the responsibilities I was escaping from, like the family business I should have been taking over, along with my brother. The breeze caressed the back of my neck, as I watched my small hometown shrink to a dot in the rear view mirror.
Being a country boy, I’d never seen or experienced the buzz of the city. It didn’t take me long to find a crowd to hang out with. They showed me all the best places, and I’d pick up the tab at the end of the night.
With all this fun to be had, I didn’t have time to waste looking for work. The trouble was, the money didn’t last. I got chucked out of one hotel and then another for defaulting on bills, and then my car was seized…
Funny how these so-called ‘friends’ didn’t stick around long. The excuses began as soon as they had to pay for their own drinks. And once my mobile got cut off, I couldn’t ring them, anyway.
In desperation, I sought work - anything. All I could get was cleaning the toilets in a seedy nightclub. About the only good thing there was the leftover food – I never realised how powerful a motivator hunger could be, even powerful enough to override pride…
But the ache in my belly was dwarfed by the ache in my heart. I longed for home, especially Dad. How could I face him, after all I’d done?
All such thoughts were forgotten when one of the dancers started showing an interest in me. So when she invited me to spend the night with her in a hotel, I was hardly going to refuse. After all, I had nowhere else to go.
Goodness alone knows how much we drank that night. All I remember was being woken up at some unholy hour next morning by one of the security guards who presented me with an astronomical bill and informed me that due to complaints from other guests about ‘loud nocturnal activities,’ I was to leave immediately. Despite the mother of all headaches, I realised that what's-her-name had baled on me. To buy myself time, I told the guard I’d go to the cashpoint and get the money. My best hope – my only hope – was to try to borrow the money from someone at work. But by now I was late for work, and I arrived only to be told I’d been sacked.
The family business, which I should’ve been taking over in order to let Dad retire and enjoy his life, has withstood recessions, two world wars and a string of family tragedies. I traded that for a so-called ‘trip of a lifetime’ that turned into a nightmare. What a fool I am!
The choice before me was clear – spend my life in the gutter, or take a long walk home and try to make amends.
But at least my long walk of shame is giving me time to think how I’m going to face Dad and my brother. I expect he’ll know exactly what I’ve been up to, thanks to the pictures that got plastered all over my profile. I’ve heard his sermons on the subject so many times I know exactly what’s coming.
I hate how much I’ve hurt Dad. Even an honest apology – which is the very least I owe him – seems inadequate, and I can hardly expect him to lend me the money for a bedsit. I hope he’ll forgive me. But I can’t help wondering if perhaps he knew it would take this road trip for me to finally learn what really matters…
Author’s note:
Based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32
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God bless~
Great job done on this story. Blessing, LaVonne