Jungle Road. Our Family Secret. by Gail

 

There is a family secret that my family holds and I've held it in much too long. Forgive me my brothers and sisters but the world must know.

In the very heart of mid-America lies what my Father called "The Jungle Road".  Yes, I know what you must be thinking but it's true and I'm here to tell you about this frightening road found only in Kansas.

I never dreamed my Dad could find this mysterious jungle but he always did.  Now, you would think a horrifying trip into the jungle would terrify all of us but not Mom.  For her, it was all about timing not fear.  She was always focused from the moment she got into the car.  First,  putting in then taking out her bobbie pins that held all her spit curls.  How she kept composed listening to all our OOOH's, Ahhh's and sometimes whimpers I'll never know.  I never knew a human mouth could hold bobbie pins but she was a master at it.  She could even hold straight pins in her mouth, but that's another story.

Our family trips first started with "dibs on a window". When you are one of six kids on a road trip, your own window somehow made the trip even better.  A window seat back then in comparison today would be like an Ipod.  This adventure was always accompanied with "Are we there yet?" The fact that we lived in Missouri and it could only be found in Kansas lets you know that something had to be said for parents with patience.  I truly believed my Dad belonged to this secret club or fraternity because he was the only one in our family that could find this secret road.  Must have something to do with his Kansas heritage, you think? It came with chilling anticipation and was always abruptly found.  A quick turn as our family station wagon went from pavement to gravel. The sound was deafening, yet terrifying, then followed by a huge smile on my Dad's face. He had found it "the jungle road".  Our noses were pressed against the window of the car with eyes as big as marbles and occaionally there would be a whimper from one who will remian anonymous. (Sorry whimper person.  You know who you are but I respect you.)  The rest of us just wouldn't blink or breathe;  it would fog up the windows.  As the dust kicked up behind the car Dad would say "Oh look over there....or did you see that?" 

Now, a real jungle road could mean lions, tigers and bears but remember we are in Kansas. So,  it was for us an occasional sighting of a pleasant, quail, jack rabbit, deer, possum, raccoon, skunk, horse and sometimes a big bull.  Somehow this jungle road in the middle of Kansas lifted us beyond "are we there yet" and made a life long memory.  Yes it's true, two parents with six kids could secretly and strategially make the last 30 minutes of a long trip to the relatives an amazing adventure we will always remember.  Not to say what it did for my mothers hair!