50 Stories in 50 States: Tales Inspired by a Motorcycle Journey Across the USA Vol 2, The East

By Kevin B Parsons

The second issue of the five book series, ’50 Stories in 50 States: Tales inspired by a Motorcycle Ride Across the USA’ continues with ten short stories written by Kevin Parsons during his adventure. Written in similar fashion to book one, this volume covers the eastern seaboard.
The stories look at the American culture in every state. From a teenager in Kentucky working up his courage to ask a girl for a date by eating bourbon laced candy to a traffic cop in Delaware that takes the law into his own hands, the tales give the reader a plethora of adventures.
Some stories take place in historical settings, with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars a backdrop, both a huge impact to each state’s culture. The reader also gets a peek at the Gilded Age.
Enjoy a look at the American culture, but also the lifestyles of each state, along with the myriad views of geography and landscapes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kevin B Parsons
• Release date: Mar 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310762154

Kevin B Parsons

Kevin wrote and self-published Ken Johnson and Roxi the Rocker, a children's book available on Amazon.com. He's also been published in Honda Red Rider magazine, Racer X magazine, Southwest Airlines' Spirit magazine, the Las Vegas Review Journal and Cycle News magazine. He also contributed to Seeking God First, an anthology of devotions, and a number of Writers Bloc anthologies. American Motorcyclist magazine published a feature article of his in April of 2012, with a cover shot and six page spread, including photos. Kevin is a member of the Henderson Writers Group and American Christian Fiction Writers. He has also been a member of Toastmasters International since 2006. He blogs twice a week on www.kevinbparsons.blogspot.com, posts on Author Culture (www.authorculture.blogspot.com) and Geezer Guys and Gals (www.geezerguysandgals.blogspot.com), and is a contributing writer to Choices eMagazine. Kevin has owned numerous businesses in the construction, motorcycle, and real estate industries, in Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona. He currently lives in Henderson, Nevada with his patient wife Sherri.

Book preview

50 Stories in 50 States: Tales inspired by a motorcycle journey across the USA

Volume II - The East

By Kevin B Parsons

Copyright 2013 Kevin B Parsons

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this ebook, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

Introduction

Massachusetts

Connecticut

Rhode Island

Delaware

Maryland

West Virginia

Kentucky

Virginia

North Carolina

New Jersey

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

My wife (Quilter Girl) and I embarked on a ‘50 States in 50 Weeks’ motorcycle tour of America, a once-in-a-lifetime dream. We rode across the country on a Honda Gold Wing, towing a pop top tent trailer. During the more mundane sections of the trip (like Connecticut, cold, wet, and clammy—nothing to tour but a couple of watch museums), we talked on the intercoms and came up with short story ideas. Inspired, I wrote a story for every state, which morphed into a five-book series, compiled by regions, with ten states in each volume.

Some of the stories are based on our experiences, some on history, and some probably from indigestion. Warning: these are not necessarily motorcycle stories, nor are they travel stories (although some are), but a look at Americana, with each state as a backdrop.

Each state got only one look, so if we encountered bad weather, we would just grind it out and ride through the state. West Virginia at Thanksgiving on a motorcycle was wet and cold. Yet excellent weather in states like North Carolina provided ample opportunity to explore.

Enjoy this volume of ‘50 Stories.’

~Kevin B Parsons

Brian Head, Utah

Massachusetts

The East provides so much history, especially about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. We toured Concord, particularly beautiful with fall colors, and we visited the bridge, famous for ‘The Shot Heard ’Round the World,’ the spot where a gunfight erupted between the Americans and the English, igniting the American War of Independence. What would life be like then and there?

THE SHOT

Concord, 19 April, 1775

The sun rose with a promise: winter over and spring in the air. Nathaniel woke, stoked the fire, and ate breakfast of mush and bacon. The warm food and fire took the edge off the cold morning. Father walked in, his arms laden with logs, and laid them near the fireplace. He sat at the table and Mother dished up some mush for him.

Hester, would you like more? She shook her head.

Father wiped his hands on his handkerchief and sat. I spotted some Redcoats this morning. He picked up his spoon and took a big bite.

Nathaniel stopped eating. Can’t they leave us alone?

Son, they have every right to be here, at the king’s behest.

So what’s wrong with Redcoats being in the area? Hester took her plate to Mother, who wiped it out.

I don’t know, Father said, but there’s a lot of talk. At the tavern, in town, about our need for independence. Word from Boston is that there are groups, revolutionaries, that are willing to fight the British.

Mother stopped cleaning. Why, that’s suicide. It’s the largest and best army in the world, in history, perhaps.

I don’t know, Father tapped his spoon on the bowl. It seems foolish. They tax us, oppress us, regulate our very movements, prevent us from having arms. It just isn’t right, yet how could we overcome them?

And why should we? Mother asked. We’re colonies of Britain, subjects of the king, and we should be proud.

Father shook his head. I don’t know. But one can feel the tension. Something is going to happen.

~

Mother wanted green boughs to smoke some meat. Nathaniel walked through the woods, parallel with the road, cutting lower branches off trees and stacking them in piles. He worked silently, the woods quiet, save for the occasional bird calls.

Then he heard the drums and fifes. He ran toward the road and crouched under a shrub. The sound increased, coming from the right. Soon the ground shook from the soldiers marching in time. Next they appeared—giant men—marching in rows, wearing bright red coats and white breeches with tall black boots. White leather straps crossed their chests. They wore black tri-sided caps with white trim. Each carried long muskets, pointed skyward. The troops looked formidable and frightening. How could anyone stand against an army such as this? They looked invincible. What were the revolutionaries thinking? The Redcoats would crush them like a bug.

After an interminable time, the army passed, their metronomic music fading into the trees. Nathaniel got up and continued his harvesting of branches. He peered at his machete. Would they fight them with tools like this? How could they have a chance against those long guns?

~

Nathaniel told the family about the encounter during supper.

Hester’s eyes looked huge. Did they see you?

No.

What if they did? Wouldn’t they shoot you?

Mother patted her hand. They won’t harm anyone unless they’re breaking a law.

Father spoke around a mouthful of food. And they keep making more laws. How would we know if we broke a new law if we didn’t know what it was?

We get word. You know that.

Until we get word, we could be lawbreakers.

The room grew quiet, everyone focused on their food. Father spoke up. I need to go to Boston for a few days.

Mother stopped, her fork halfway to her mouth. Boston? What on earth for?

We need more… accessories for the hardware hidden you-know-where.

Abel, if we get caught with… with all this arsenal of… she looked at the children… things… we could be in real trouble.

He nodded. I understand. But you must understand, something is coming. It isn’t going to stop. You haven’t been to Boston. We need to be a part of it, should it happen. Everyone needs to be a part of it.

Even us? Me and the children?

Of course not. It’s a man’s issue.

~

Playing hide and seek with Hester, Nathaniel decided to hide inside the house, under Father and Mother’s bed. He slid underneath, looking up at the crisscrossed ropes that held the bedding. Fearing his sister might see him, he slid farther underneath and felt something metallic. Turning his head, he saw a gun. And another… and another.

He squirmed out from under the bed and got to the front door just as Hester entered. Found you. That was a bad hiding place. He didn’t know what to say and couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.

After the game, Nathaniel decided to do some hunting. Not for game; he knew the guns would be no use without lead and powder. Where could they be? The powder must be kept dry, so it must be in the barn. He tiptoed inside and rummaged around. Father would have hidden it, in case the Redcoats searched their place. Seeing the pile of hay, he grabbed a pitchfork and probed. Soon he felt resistance and heard a muffled clunk. He swept the hay to each side and found the wooden barrel. It didn’t seem very deep. He pushed the barrel deeper into the pile, then pulled the scattered hay back around to cover it. Better.

~

Nathaniel, Mother looked out the window. The Redcoats are coming. Follow me. She led him to the bedroom, removed the muskets from under the bed, and carried them to the window. Opening it, she instructed him to get outside, and handed him the guns. Go straight out and hide these. Make sure no one sees you. She stacked the guns on his arms and he turned to the woods. Dear God. We could be executed for treason.

After hiding them, he circled around the house and returned to the front door. Three Redcoats stood in front of the house with six horses. Just then, three others came out and shook their heads.

Let’s check the barn then, one said. Nathaniel followed.

What are you doing? The man who seemed like the leader asked.

I just wanted to see what you’re doing.

Making sure we aren’t stealing anything? The others laughed and entered the building. They surveyed the inside and one Redcoat grabbed a pitchfork and stabbed the hay. Nathaniel watched in horror as the man continued stabbing, working his way up and down and across the pile. Satisfied, he set the pitchfork against the wall. Nathaniel almost cried out in relief.

As