Skunk Weed

            Round 2 Group 6 for NYC Midnight Flash Fiction contest

Genre Comedy, Location Nature Preserve, Object Cup of Iced Coffee

How a brief encounter with nature can instantly turn a monotonous road trip into a full-fledged adventure.

“Why would someone turn nothingness into a nature preserve?” Nate asked from the passenger seat. “There is nothing here but weeds!”

He was still fuming over the iced coffee incident and muttered. “Who brings you a cup of coffee and a glass of ice cubes?”

That little diner was half a day behind us, and it still annoyed him.

Nate, Jackie, Henry and I were on a vision quest from Princeton to Burning Man in Nevada. It is becoming a road trip I am seriously regretting. It was supposed to be an exciting adventure filled with exotic culture and intrigue. So far it was 1400 miles of monotony and complaining, and we are only half way there. The only tolerable highlight was Thunderhead Brewery. A small microbrewery, with a bar and restaurant located in a small college town. Probably a Community College town, judging by the size of the city. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert, where the smallest comfort seems luxuriant.

Henry and Jackie had succumbed to the boredom and started canoodling in the back seat. It makes things awkward, but at least they are quiet.

On a rise in the distance I see a solitary tree shimmering in the sweltering heat, and point it out to the others.

“Is that what this Prairie thing is all about?” Nate snorted. “No wonder the teabaggers in this desolate landscape hate the government.”

“It seems a big waste of land to protect one tree.” He ranted on. “Why not build a fence around it and call it good?”

“But don’t worry.” He said knowingly. “When Bernie is President, he is going to fix all of this.”

I no longer had the energy to point out that a prairie is grassland and not trees, and the tree was the interloper in this landscape. Although, it did have a majestic quality to it. With its leaves flashing silver and green in the breeze. Like a monarch watching over his kingdom. Not just a part of the landscape, but the one commanding it.

“Still no signal! You should have stayed on the interstate.” Nate hissed. “I want to see what these bushes in the ditch are.”

I had my suspicion, but did not want to voice it. I think I heard a local refer to it as ditch weed. And if my suspicion was correct, that would excite Nate, and we would have to stop and collect samples to take to Burning Man and then bring some back to Princeton. This little detour was to go into Colorado to legally acquire some weed. Not collect random samples from a road ditch where it was still illegal.

I kept quiet, hoping he would lose interest until Jackie who was majoring in Botany, stretched from canoodling and looked out of her window.

“It looks like marijuana.” She interjected.

“Whoa!” Nate cheering up instantly asked. “Are you sure?”

“Definitely hemp.” She shrugged and said. “Would have to take a closer look.”  

“We have to stop!” Nate demanded. “And besides I have to take a piss.”

“Too much iced coffee.” Henry interjected.

We all started laughing accept for Nate whose face was turning red.

There was no traffic visible anywhere. In fact I had not seen any vehicles in the past ten minutes so I thought it was safe to pull over.

Nate instantly headed for the ditch, not waiting for Jackie to lend her expertise.

“Wow!” He exclaimed. “I believe she is right.”

“And it has a peculiar smell.” He stated, as he pulled a few leaves to his nose and inhaled deeply.

“It smells like skunk!” He exclaimed excitedly. “My god we found skunk!”

What happened next, brought to mind the old Chinese curse. “May you have an interesting life.”

I do not know if the smell was from high quality weed, or more likely the little cat like creature with the white stripe down her back, which ambled out from under the bush. The only thing I know is that this trip was elevated from boring to interesting when the skunk elevated her tail, and the rest of the trip became a very long pungent adventure, and Nate turns red when we ask if he has any skunk.