The Reunion 3
Chapter 9
Soon, Joe and Vera were back on Highway 17. In Manitoba, the TransCanada Highway is Highway 1, but in Ontario it becomes Highway 17. When Joe and Vera reached Nipigon, they would have the option of using Highway 11, which passes through Hearst and Kapuskasing. Most people prefer to stay on Highway 17, because it’s a more scenic route, winding its way along the shores of Lake Superior.
Joe drove for about another hour and a half, and then Vera took over the wheel. They hadn’t spoken much since leaving Kenora, but things seemed to be ok, Joe thought. He suspected, though, that there would be more questions some time later.
They got as far as Ignace, and decided to stop for the night. It was very late and they were both tired. They pulled into a motel parking-lot and Vera stopped the van. Joe got out and went to the office. An elderly man was sitting behind the desk. He smiled at Joe and said, "Hi! How are you doing?"
"Good, thank you," said Joe. "My wife and I need a room for the night. Do you have one?"
"Yes, I do," said the man, getting up. Joe noticed that he stood with some difficulty. "Arthritis," said the man. "This damp weather, you know."
"I’m sorry," said Joe. "How much is the room?"
"$55 plus tax," said the man.
"Ok," said Joe. He filled out the registration form, paid with Interac and went back out to the van with the room key. Vera parked the van outside the room, which was on the ground floor on the west side of the two-storey building. Joe got their small suitcase from the back of the van and they went inside.
"I feel tired, but not sleepy," said Vera. "Want to watch some tv? I don’t know how many channels they have."
"Sure," said Joe. "We can lie in for a bit in the morning. I see they have a restaurant, so we can have breakfast here and get back on the road by – what- eleven or so?"
"Sure," said Vera, yawning.
There was cable tv in the room, with about thirty channels. They agreed on a late-night talk show and watched for a while. Eventually, they both tired and went to bed. When they awoke, it was broad daylight. Vera sat up and looked at the clock-radio beside the bed. "Joe!" she said, "wake up – it’s 10.30!"
Joe sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Holy smokes!" he said. "We slept that long?"
After a quick shower, they re-packed the suitcase and took it out to the van. It was a clear, crisp morning and they both felt good. They went into the restaurant and ordered the Special. Joe had bacon and Vera had ham. By 11.30, they were in the van, ready to resume their journey.
By mid-afternoon, they were well on the east side of Thunder Bay. They stopped briefly at the Terry Fox memorial and then continued as far as Nipigon, where they stopped for supper. The next leg of their journey would take them to Sault Ste.Marie. They planned to either stay there for the night or try to make it as far as Blind River.
the reunion part 4
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