On the move

Posted on Sat Aug 15th, 2020 @ 2:19am by Level 3 Carmine Mannarino & Blank Lupe Mannarino
Edited on on Sat Aug 15th, 2020 @ 2:35am

Mission: It's... A Bus Station
Location: The Bronx/North Carolina
Timeline: May 6th 2020

A few days had passed since the family meeting. enough time for Carmine to tell his boss he'd take the move. His wife had given her notice as well. The kids were off for a day or two, so they were coming along for the ride. The parking lot behind the apartment building that Carmine’s grandparents stayed in was packed with Carmine’s old eighty one Harley shovelhead. A moving truck filled with their stuff and the stuff of the kids who were moving, except for clothes they would need for school, until they officially moved in a month or so. On a trailer behind the moving truck was one of Lupe’s personal vehicles, a sixty Pontiac GTO. A loaded SUV, with one of Carmine's many aunts was sitting there was well. The kids were slowly getting in. They were going for a couple of days, before they would all have to take a train back to New York City. This way they all got to spend time with their parents. After school got out, all of the younger ones and Bella were moving to the new place, should they find one.

Enzo Vozzella was there, wishing the two adults good luck. He stopped by Lupe and handed her a business card. “I know a realtor. Call this number and tell him what you want. I know you may be working and not at home five days a week, but for the weekends, you need a home to be proud of.”

"Thank you, Uncle Enzo." She said as she gave him a hug. He moved on to Carmine and gave him a hag as well. Then the rest of the kids loaded up and Lupe and Carmine went to the Harley. As it was an older motorcycle, it needed to be kickstarted. After about three tries, the bike roared to life. He pulled on the handle and made the motor rev a few times. The sound of the throaty motor could be heard as it echoed around the buildings of Arthur ave, located in the Bronx, in New York City, New York. His wife handed him his helmet, complete with Ghostbuster's logo. He slipped it on and then waved to his grandparents as he got ready to raise up the kickstand. He moved it to the right, bringing up the bike straight. Then they made a slow arc out of the lot and towards the roadway, and his new life.

It was gonna be a long trip, but Carmine was ready. His wife wanted to ride with him for the whole trip. His sister Zola and the rest of their kids. One of his aunts was also coming with him. They would return by train in a few weeks to see their eldest three kids graduate. They had to. Most of the kids' life Carmine had been working. Lupe had more time with them, but not much more. Being there for graduation was the least they could do.

Carmine took it easy on the way out of the city. He made sure to swing by the Bronx station of the Ghostbusters and wave. Then they headed for the New Jersey boarder. Carmine and Lupe enjoyed the trip. As the cities faded away, Carmine opened up the throttle. He could hear his wife laugh as they pulled away from the truck. This is what he lived for. While both of them loved the city, they enjoyed the freedom of the open road. The wind on their faces. He still wasn’t sure about the move. But with his wife behind him, things had to go good for a while.

On the South side of Baltimore Maryland, Carmine pulled over to fuel his bike up. The big truck with a trailer and his aunt were nearby. Lupe headed towards store as Carmine filled his bike and the SUV. His kids all ran for the store, money in hand. He worried about how things could go. What if he failed at this. He had to make a good show of this, as the founders were putting a lot of faith into him. After that the caravan found a hotel for hte night, so they could start again, well rested the next morning.

--

The next morning they were on the road again. His wife still with him. So far the ride this morning had been quiet. Until his wife spoke up through their headsets.. “Hey turn around. The truck died.”

Carmine had just passed an off ramp, and he knew the next listed one was ten miles up the road. So he moved into the left lane, then slowed down as he saw a spot he could cross over in. He pulled in and then back going the opposite way. It didn’t take them long to pass the spot the truck was at. He went to the next spot to turn and he took it.

He pulled to a stop in front of the broken vehicle. His wife got off, then he did. Carmine took a bit longer to get to the truck, as working on vehicles wasn't his strong point. He walked over as his wife looked at the motor. “How bad?”

“Radiator hose, by the smell of things. Manny is running to the last off ramp to get to a part place. I can have it back up and running quickly.”

“What about a tow truck?” Carmine asked her.

“Carmine, we’re about an hour out from Raleigh. We call a tow truck and the goat gets scratched. So let me fix this. You can take off, we’ll be fine. So get going. “

“You sure?” Carmine asked, looking around the nearby area. “I can stay and keep you all safe.”

“Go, you big lunk. Get in and check in for both of us. This way I’ll go to the hotel and get us a room. Take Bella with you.”