The first speed limit sign read fifty-five. The second one, only a minute after the first, read forty-five; the third one, another minute or so after the second, read thirty-five; each sign after that, as if mocking credibility, ticked down another five miles per hour. After the posting reading twenty miles per hour, a white rectangle proclaimed to the desert audience that an urban area had been entered. The highway was empty. Grudgingly she followed each successively lower limit, out of respect for the local police radar. By the time the signs reached “5 mph”, Sarah was ready to scream. The gradations on Cassandra’s speedometer looked vague below fifteen. With a delicate idling, Cassandra crawled into the town, leaving plenty of time for Sarah to evaluate the sparse scenery.
The highway parted the small town down the middle, with two small forks venturing off into rings of short, wide houses. Each side of the highway’s shoulder was painted in a broad strip of asphalt. A pair of wooden porches created the frontage for a pair of retail stores and a pair of restaurants. At the far ends, a few mechanic garages and a gas station acted as the town’s border. The walkways appeared deserted, though Sarah assumed any inhabitants were inside, enjoying the air conditioning. A few cars sat parked in front of the stores, glinting in the sun.
“Jennifer, wake up. It looks like our restaurant options are wide open, just like the guidebook said. On the left there’s The Eatery, and on the right, there’s the grocery store slash gas station slash mini-mart. The guidebook recommended The Eatery.”
Jennifer mumbled, her eyes refusing to open.
“Right you are, let’s try The Eatery,” Sarah answered herself. She turned to the left, crawling slowly up to a wooden porch. Jennifer stirred only to block the sun from her eyes with her sweatshirt-pillow.
“Hungry?” Sarah asked her co-pilot, attempting to rouse her. Jennifer hid her head, unmotivated, and fastened her eyes shut. “I’m heading in to see about breakfast. Are you staying? It’ll get pretty warm in here.” Sarah waited for a response and was answered with a mumble. She rolled down the driver side window halfway. “Okay, just lock up when you come in.” Jennifer turned her head further into her disarrayed sweatshirt. Sarah fetched her sandals and knit purse from behind Jennifer’s seat, opened the driver side door and set the sandals on the ground. She stepped into them and closed Cassandra’s door gently, examining the structure in front of her.
From the outside, The Eatery looked like a large, square house. A single lace-curtained window displayed a wooden “Open” sign and a white sheet of paper with fancy lettering was posted near the door. Sarah looked at the sheet, the menu for the month, and read through the home-town selections. Near the bottom of the menu, protected by a thin, shadowed line, were several vegetarian choices. Her eyes widened happily. Seeing even one vegetarian entree at a restaurant made her feel at home. She pushed on the door and walked into the restaurant, with a small bell announcing her arrival.
