A cement driveway large enough to hold 6 or 7 trucks.
The cement wraps around a garage that doubles as a small engine repair shop.
Enough smooth surface for bikes, scooters, skateboards, and big wheels.
Enough yard for baseball games, dune buggies, go carts, tractors, and motor bikes.
This place, this Heaven, is my grandpa and grandma's house. My grandpa created a Mecca for his grandchildren. There was a vehicle for everyone and we were always drivin', or ridin', or scootin', or hittin'.
Inside there were people playing cards, or scrabble, while silver pots bubbled with potatoes and the oven produced a roast so fine, it melted in your mouth.
"Hey, Kara!" my dad calls as I careen around the corner of the garage on a big wheel. "Get in," he orders.
He is driving the go cart. I hop up from my big wheel and he cries, "Hurry every chance you get! Your mama will be stickin' her head out the door any second!"
Mom didn't care much for the go carts and worked really hard at keeping us off of them. She lost the battle frequently.
I hop onto the cushioned seat next to my dad and he takes off. The wind is whipping through my hair as we shoot across the driveway, over the grass in the front yard and swerve around the house into the big yard out back. "Yeehaw!" I scream just like the Dukes, my grin splitting my face.
The frigid air (it is December) burns my cheeks, but I don't care. My dad is driving like he's Bo Duke and I am screaming at him to go faster. Luke and Han are racing past us on the motor bike and dune buggy, swapping insults with my dad as they pass us up.
We race around the garage, coming back toward the big driveway and as my dad takes the small jump up onto the driveway, I go rolling out of the go cart. I roll and roll and roll and when I stop, I am surprised as all get out that I am not hurt at all.
"Hey, girl, are you alright?" my dad asks.
I hop to my feet and say, "I'm ok! My puffy coat saved me!"
"Well, thank God for the coat," he says. "Now get back in here and we'll do one more lap."
I hop in and off we go!
Goodness, I adore this place.