The Rest Stop at the Edge of the Universe

The highway was blurring for Jack, and he was really having trouble keeping his eyes open. He passed a sign reading FREE COFFEE and decided to stop at the next exit to get some. He had another 150 miles to get to his destination. But falling asleep on the road and dying in a ditch was not in the plan.

Another thirty seconds and he would hit the exit. Maybe there was a restaurant open, and he could grab some food as well. He realized it was not an exit, but a rest area. He slowed down, made the turn through the fog, and saw a small trailer, like the type a landscaper would use.

He had handicap plates on his car, and he pulled into the parking spot. He sat in his car for a long minute; he was exhausted. Head down, eyes closed, hands still on the steering wheel. He took a few breaths, opened the door to his car, turned to the left, and managed to stand.

He started to feel better and walked to the little trailer. Looking at the couple inside, about 5 feet above him, he said, “I heard a rumor you got coffee?”

The woman replied, “That we do. You look like you need a coffee with a depth charge!” She said.

The man said, “That’s a coffee with a shot of espresso.”

Jack said, “That sounds absolutely perfect!”

He watched her make the coffee, French press, and pour it into a cup just as the espresso finished dispensing its elixir into the little cup. She poured the contents of the little cup into his coffee, and she brought it to the window.

“How much?” Jack asked.

“The coffee is free, son,” The man said. “We do this as part of our American Legion post at a few rest areas in the area. We do have a donation bucket, but don’t feel like you need to donate.” He looked at Jack and asked, “You a vet?”

“I am,” Jack replied.

“Let me guess, Air Force.”

“Good guess. What gave it away?”

“Two things. One, you carry yourself like you are in the midst of a PCS, and two, your hat says you are a disabled Air Force veteran.”

“I forgot I was wearing it.” Jack laughed.

“Where you heading?”

“San Antonio. A 24-hour drive from where I started.”

“Let me guess, Cleveland.”

Jack just looked at him, and the man pointed to the car, Jack’s car, and the stickers on the side back window. The Indians and the Browns.

“You still have an Indians sticker; you gonna change it to the Guardians?”

“Eventually. When this one wears out and maybe falls off, I was born in Cleveland, so to me it’s more than a name; it’s a tradition. It’s a childhood I guess I am not willing to give up yet.”

The man grinned and handed him a Guardians sticker.

“You just happen to have on?” Jack said.

“I have a few of them. I grew up in Euclid, so I understand.” The man grinned. “The name’s Ben.”

“Hi Ben, I’m Jack. I grew up close to you, in the Collinwood area in St. Clair.”

“A resident of Collinwood, huh. My momma told me about you and to steer clear!” They both laughed. “My wife is from Collinwood. ”

She walked up. “The name is Gina. Where did you live?” She asked.

“I grew up right on St. Clair, near DiCicco Funeral Home and Bret School.”

She said, “Rondel?”

“Actually, the corner of Rondel and St. Clair.”

“Really?” She said. “Me too. There’s an apartment building on the corner; I grew up in that building.”

“I grew up in the building next to it.” Jack looked at her again and realized, “Did we use to play together as kids?”

She looked at him. “I believe we did. Your Mom was Ann. Mine was Doris.”

Jack laughed hard. “Our parents used to sit in the kitchen and have an afternoon cocktail.”

“I remember.” She said, “The first memory I have of that house was taking a bath with someone.”

Jack grinned, “Me too!”

Ben said, “So, you’ve taken a bath with my wife?”

“I have. One of my first memories. We used Mr. Bubble. I remember the box on the edge of the tub.”

“Same here,” she said, laughing.

Jack was starting to feel a lot better. He had maybe 3 or 4 hours till he reached his destination, and maybe it was the coffee or the conversation, but regardless, he felt like he could make it now. As he thought about it, a couple walked up.

“Sir, I hear tell you got coffee.”

“Yes, sir, I do. I see you pulled your wagon up a minute ago. Lead the horses over there, and we have grain and water for them too.”

Jack looked amazed. Wagon? Horses? He looked around and realized there were many people, all of them arriving in different types of vehicles. Cars, jalopies, buckboards, wagons, something that looked like a spaceship.

Ben stepped out of the trailer and pulled Jack aside.

“Jack. This is a crossroad, a rest stop in history, a rest stop in time. We do not judge; we help everyone. Everyone sees what they see. The couple from the wagon, they see a log cabin, not a trailer as you do.” He handed Jack a pair of glasses. No lenses, just frames. “Put these on, and you can see what they see. You’ll see the area as they see it.

Jack put the glasses on and looked around. “OK, now what?”

Ben said, “Look at the couple for a moment, and you will understand.”

“OK.” Jack stared at the wagon couple, and a moment later it seemed he was looking through the heat lines on a hot summer day. Then the entire scene changed. He looked at Ben, who was suddenly wearing wild-west bartender clothes, and Gina, who was wearing a big, puffy dress. He glanced around and saw a barn where the rest stop had been, and a few wagons. But the strangest change was the coffee trailer. It looked like a small log cabin.

“What the…..”

“Yeah,” Ben said, “Pretty amazing. Now, see the guy in the silver suit? Look at him”

Without saying a word, Jack stared at the jumpsuit guy, and a moment later, the wavy heat lines hit and the scene changed again. This time, it looked ultra-modern. Ben and Gina were wearing a blue jumpsuit with a coffee cup logo. He remembered seeing that logo on the T-shirts when he first arrived, and on the aprons when they were in a log cabin. The name of the coffee place is COFFEE TIME.

The cars and buildings looked beautiful, and planes flew overhead. Wait, not planes, cars, Jack realized as one hovered and landed near him. The woman got out and stood next to the man in the silver suit.

Jack removed the specs, and it reverted to what he had first seen. A rest stop on the highway. He opened his mouth a few times, but no sound came out.

“Jack. You need to understand that this is a crossroads, the rest stop of eternity. The people here stop on their way somewhere, and we offer them a little care and comfort during their break. If they want something to eat, we can do that too, but most want a quiet place to sit and drink a coffee or have some conversation. You needed both. You know, we are looking to expand to the other side of the highway. This is a weekend, one-night-a-week volunteer position. If you get any tips, they’re yours. There’s a house for rent near us, not too bad a price. The internet is fast, so you can still work, but you can expand our giving.”

“What’s the rent?”

“We can talk about it later. It’s just nice to know that you want to help.”

“You’re my landlord?”

“We are. In the garage is a trailer like this one. There are two other houses on the street that we own as well, just looking for the right person to move in and work with us.

Ben turned to the trailer. “Gina, Jack is our new partner!”

“Excellent, dear. Now, if you can come back here, please, these nice people need a little something to eat.”

Ben smiled at Jack. “Yes, dear!” He said.

Entering the trailer, Jack hugged Gina.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Because,” He said, “I think I just realized I was finally home!”