Chapter 12.3 – The Bushweeds Autumn Tour 2023: part III – Rock, paper, scissors...

(...)

Everything you want that is who you are
You can be the sun and the moon and the stars
Or the bass or the drums or the lead guitar

Rock, paper, scissors
Which one is it? It's your decision
And no matter what you choose
You're gonna live it
Rock, paper, scissors...

- "Rock-Paper-Scissors", Katzenjammer

Saturday September 24^th

It was a beautiful, but still a little chilly autumn morning in the small town of Bridgewood.. The band members were still asleep as the town was starting to wake up and the locals who still had to go to work on this saturday was already on their way to the office, such as these unlucky worker bees on the police station right next door to the motel..

Gerda was the first of the gang to wake up, and she could feel a cold brewing after last nights swimming, but was otherwise feeling good as she jammed a little to herself in her room.

 

Merete hadn't forgotten about the old car outside, and wanted to have another look at it before they left. It had definately seen better days, but she was hoping to fix it up somewhat before they had to leave for the next town.. Imagine going on tour in a car like this, an old 1930s convertible. They could be riding into the next town like Bonnie and Clyde, after leaving this one with a real Dillinger escape plan...

Kajsa was downstairs in the reseption waiting for the old woman who ran the motel to show up, so she could hand over the keys to their rooms when she was found by Gerda who started a conversation with her about art. Kajsa was the most avant-garde and interested in art of the band members, and Gerda always loved to have a talk about art with her. Noone else in the band had Kajsas ability to seperate the fine art from the trash, and Kajsa was also the band member who gave their music just that extra little touch of finesse they needed to not sound excactly like your average garage punk band...

Though the morning was fine, some grey clouds had rolled in from the ocean, and eventually Merete understood she had to give up on trying to fix the car.. It was just to much work, it would take way to long.. and she didn't want to get soaked. All her dreams of riding with style was washed away like a piece of chocolate paper going down the storm drain.. atleast for now.. if the band made it big, and they sold enough records, maybe one day she could enjoy having a garage of her own, full of old vintage cars...

 

Kajsa was still missing the keys to Sams room, and had told Gerda to go upstairs to check on him.. He had just gotten out of bed when she walked into his room, and welcomed her with the most polite bow. It was not in jest, this was just who he was – always placing manners first and sticking true to his own gentleman's code – especially when his room was being entered by a Lady..

After playing in a band together for a few years already Gerda knew him well enough to know that he wasn't always such a knight, but was also quite the jester as she answered his bow by thwacking him with a pillow across the head...

..something which the jester found very amusing. "Oh, my dear lady... that is not how one properly handles a pillow.. here, let me show thee!"

 

When the kids were done playing around, and Kajsa had finally handed the keys over to the old woman, it was time for a late breakfast before they would once again hop into their car and turn their noses inland, hopefully driving away from the rain, and towards their next destination.. Sam of course, had to dress up for their last meal in town. A little old fashioned, very green and bright, and with a slight modern touch..

Just one last little prank on the Lady while Kajsa and Merete also filled up their bellies to prepare for another car ride...

Bye bye Bridgewood... next stop, the Appaloosian mountains! The skies are looking a little clearer in that direction already...

------------------------

..and that held true, because after driving over a couple of mountain passes and through what appeared to be an endlessly long, narrow and twisting valley, finally the landscape opened in front of them and there wasn't a cloud in sight...

On the way to Lake Onebega they had to drive past the small community of Ravenswood, one of many quaint little towns tucked away among the mountains and valleys of the area..

 

Located about halfway between the shore and the lake, it proved perfect for a short pit stop to grab another bite and to relieve oneself in the bathroom before driving on.

Kajsa brought the gang in to order a meal of spaghetti for them, but it took a little longer time than necessary because Sam, upon noticing a local beauty in the bartender, just had to try and flirt a little with her first.. I suppose he just couldn't resist that beautiful ravendark hair of hers..

After finishing her meal and listening in on Sam sharing some thoughts he had about their next record already, Kajsa went over to Gerda and Merete saying she thought it was one of theirs turn now to take over the wheel.. She didn't want Sam to drive as she secretly thought of him as a bit of a coward and didn't trust his ability to keep his head cool and focus on the road without being to jittery and jumping in his seat at the smallest thing.. well, that and she didn't want to get car sickness now while driving along these narrow and twisting mountain roads..

Map of what they have left behind, and the road to their next destination.

So it was up to Gerda and Merete to settle it among them who would be driving, while Sam in the background decided to chat up another local woman... Gerda wasn't looking forward to possibly be the one to drive again, so she suggested to Merete that they should decide it with a game of rock, paper, scissors.. loser after three rounds would take over the steering wheel..

 

"One, two, three... rock, paper, scissors..."

 

The first round ended with paper vs. Paper. Meretes strategy – if strategy works in this game – was to go for paper one more time, whereas Gerda thought it would be wiser to to switch to going for the scissor from now on, which for the second round proved to be a good choice..

 

Third round Merete went with the rock and they were now even, should she know continue to roll with the rock, go back to using paper, or maybe try the scissors..? Merete didn't feel much like driving, she would rather sit back and continue to enjoy the view.. Of course, there were mountains and hills also by the coast, but this landscape up here was still very different from what she was used to having lived her entire life on an island... These were mountains, real mountains, that was for sure..

Fourth and fifth round ended the same way, with Merete thinking she played it wise by going for paper, and Gerda tearing her dreams apart twice with the scissor..

Kajsa thought they were a little silly as she watched them from the other side of the café. She wanted them to get moving, after all, they had a concert to reach – a concert that they should be playing at... They were nowhere close to be big enough stars to keep an audience waiting.. they had to do their best to be punctual and to deliver.. and not waste time playing mindless childrens games...

The sun was already setting, which meant they had to get moving.. Being the oldest and most responsible member of the band was a chore at times. As Merete drove along, Kajsa was sure that if it wasn't for her keeping them in line, they probably would've ended up spending the night in Ravenwood and completely missed the concert..

"Which way do I go now?" Merete asked as she approached yet another intersection on their way out of town, but nobody gave an answer before it was to late and she had to make a desicion on where to go.. so she quickly turn right at the crossroads, because in that direction she could see mountains.. but then again, there were mountains pretty much in all directions, so which ones were they going to..?

After making a couple more right turns, it was Sam who discovered that they were both wrong as he pointed out that the school they were now driving past looked just like one he had seen before..

Of course" Kajsa said from the backseat "We drove past that school building on the way into town.. we need to turn around! Maybe I shouldn't have let you guys drive after all.. we're gonna get late now! And we have to do soundcheck and get the gear ready too!"

Well, Merete had no choice but to turn around and drive through town once more towards the mountains on the other side of town..

"Should I make another turn at this crossroad?" Merete wondered as they drove past an area of town with vacant lots. "No no, just go straight ahead! The one to the right is just a dead end, and the left road will only take us back into town.. " Kajsa sighed from the backseat...

 

The mood in the car was getting a little tense now, and increasingly claustrophobic too, as the night began to fall and they got ever closer to the mountains and back stretches of road climbing their way up through narrow valleys once more...

Let's hope they can make it to their next concert venue in time! ;)

Previous | Next