He thought he was in St. Louis…surprised to be told by the cops it was Kansas City…..After mom died things just got strange….no-one could make rhyme nor reason of any of the old man’s thoughts or actions….kids just went along with what he said…never thinking he’d act on any of it…

A missing persons report was made-out…left everything behind…kids….dogs….a mortgage ….a vase holding his wife’s remains…walked-out….locked the door behind him …. just left….It’s what he always wanted to do… a wanderer from the beginning…aren’t we all…..

The oldest boy….got word and took a bus from Eads to meet the old man…drive him to safety….keep him under some kind of control…..He was good at controlling things….He controlled this…and that…. controlled everything but his own life…..had nasty habits…..never broke ’em…..

That ride to Eads was silent…..the old man was mad as hell that his fun had come to an end…..the oldest son was mad that his torment was just beginning……

Did ya’ eat?, the old man was asked, You want some food?….McDonald’s…..maybe a Wendy’s, the old man shook his head; food was given-up the day after mom went into a coma…..At that point he knew she was gone……

Ya’ gotta eat dad…..ya’ gotta eat somethin’……Look….I’m tellin’ ya’….

Just drive,….. a simple request,…..  please….just… drive…..

The son turned on the radio…..Art Bell was talkin’ conspiracies and predictions of doom……no-one made a sound…..just Art Bell talkin’…….and talkin’…..

No stops were made…..the old man kept staring out at the starless night; the Western night is always haunting….always….And..there were words running through his head as the kid turned the dial to some station playing a Buck Owens song…..They were my words….

Listen dad, I said, You do what ever you want…..You wanna go for a ride?….then go….just leave…..you don’t owe anybody anything…..We have that in common…..

When they stopped for gas dad went into the station for a Pepsi……The kid waited…and waited…..he kept-on waiting ’til daybreak…..he knew the old man was gone….you sense these things…..

The radio was turned back-on…..a news report about bombings and bloodshed……