Fortunate Son
"Cal went fast, and Katie hollered out the window, and that late afternoon, with its sun sitting low over the horizon, was full of laughter and life."
Fortunate Son
“Listen, Coop,” Thompson smirked, “I know you’re a good driver. Heck, everyone here knows you’re a good driver. You’re just not a good enough driver to beat me. I’m faster, I’m smarter, and I’m fearless.” Everyone in town knew Will Thompson could run his mouth. He’d been running his mouth, in his slow drawl, ever since elementary school. He’d tell anyone who’d listen, and some who weren’t, how good of a driver he was, and the truth was, he was a great driver. He’d never been beaten. But his cocky bravado just got under Cal’s skin. It had since high school.
“Thompson, your over-confidence will be your undoing,” Cal shot back, grinning. “I beat Smitty last week, Hallsy the week before, and I’m ready to take down the champ this week.” Cal Cooper was sure of himself. He had to be to be an ace behind the wheel in this town. Every guy with a valid state driver's licence, between the age of sixteen and thirty, raced cars out at Milton’s Crossing on Friday nights. They raced two miles of the state highway, under the stars scattering across the black ceiling of night sky. And on summer nights like this one, the air felt dead and the sweat clung to their backs pushed hard into their driver’s seats. And they would drive their cars hard too, until families came along, and their wives finally had enough of it.
“It’s your funeral,” Thompson joked. “But, you better have that car tuned up right. You know I’m ready for a fight.”
“I’ve got her runnin’ fast and mean.”
Cal loved to drive fast. He graduated high school in ’71, took all the money he’d saved over two years of work at Johnson’s Grocery and bought himself the Plymouth Barracuda he’d been eyeing for over a year. It had a 440 4-barrel carburetor, with a copper metallic finish and a white vinyl top. It was hard for Cal to leave a stop sign without leaving a little rubber on the road. He drove the car off the lot on that sun streaked afternoon and straight out of town to the empty county roads to test its V8 engine, feeling the car’s gentle rattle as he went faster and faster.
He loved the engine’s pulsing roar, and the way it would scream right before he changed gears. He loved the wind stabbing in through his open windows, elbow sticking out, dark, curly hair floating around his head. He pushed the first preset button on the radio, the tuner sliding to 102.5, the town’s rock station, and “Fortunate Son,” by CCR, came on. He turned it up loud and sang to the wide open fields and that cloudless blue sky until his voice was hoarse. And when he drove fast and straight, and everything was unbounded freedom, and he felt the limitlessness of the open road, his world seemed to get real slow. He loved that feeling too.
It was about that time that he asked out Katie, and it didn’t take him long to fall in love with her too. She was attending the community college for a one year diploma in office administration, and Cal was there taking one course in accounting. It wasn’t for him and he didn’t finish, choosing instead to work construction. On his way home from class, in what would turn out to be his last week of college, he saw Katie heading to the bus stop in front of the college. Cal was heading toward the door, and could see her clearly through the glass windowed front of the school. Man, was she cute. She had long blond hair, hanging straight down her back, and jeans that flared out at the bottom. But what he remembered most about that day was her smile. Her lips would turn up higher on one side of her mouth than the other, and it was a toothy smile, full of sincerity. He could see then that she enjoyed life.
Cal followed her outside and asked her if she wanted a lift home. She said yes, and they hopped into his Barracuda and he squealed away fast and she giggled. They drove to a drive-in dinner, the kind where waitresses on roller skates bring your meals right to your car. They ordered milk shakes, and then parked the car up the street and enjoyed them. Katie told him all about her classes, and about her plans for the future. Cal said very little; he was quiet in nature. He mostly listened to her and the fearless way she talked about the future and all it had to offer, and he loved the sound of her laugh.
When they had finished their milkshakes, they drove through the town, with its fading shop signs and peeling billboards, and out onto those wide county roads. Cal went fast, and Katie hollered out the window, and that late afternoon, with its sun sitting low over the horizon, was full of laughter and life.
Cal worked construction for a year, and then got a job cleaning cars at McMann’s dealership, where he quickly worked his way up to junior salesman. Katie finished college and then got a job as a secretary at the Real Estate office. They got married in the fall of ’74, and bought a little house with a lot of land just outside the city limits.
“Cal… Cal!” It was Katie, she had pushed herself to the front of the crowd that always gathered to watch the races.
Cal was surprised to see her. Katie didn’t like to come to watch the races — it was too dusty for her, with all the cars kicking up stones and dirt, and too stressful for her to watch him push his car to the very edge of control, and race against someone doing the same. Something must have been wrong.
He jogged over to her, “Hey, what’s up? Is everything alright?”
“I need to talk to you. Can we get out of the crowd, go over there?
“I’m just about to race. Thompson’s already tryin’ to get in my head. Can it wait?”
“No, we need to talk now.”
Cal couldn’t read her face. He could see her worry, like clouds swirling before a storm, but something else was mixed in there too. He grabbed her hand and they hurried away from the crowd.
“Oh, it looks like Coop’s little lady has come to collect him,” Thompson’s voice was like a blast from a train horn cutting through the sound of the crowd. “I don’t think she’s going to let him race the champ.” The whole crowd laughed, and a flare of irritation shot through Cal.
“Cal. Hey, Cal!” He was still looking back at Thompson and Katie had to pull his head around to face her’s. “Cal, listen to me!”
“Sorry, Katie-girl. It’s just he always knows how to push my buttons.”
“Forget Thompson, he’s an idiot. I need to tell you something.”
“Okay, Baby, what’s going on?”
Katie took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure how Cal was going to respond. They hadn’t talked about this before.
“Well, you know how I haven’t been feeling well the last couple of days? Well, I went to the see the doctor today, and he told me… well, I’m pregnant.” Katie watched Cal’s face to read his reaction. She was partly scared. They hadn’t talked about having kids yet, and it was something that was going to change their lives forever. But another part of her was excited, overjoyed really. She had thought about what it would be like to be a mom, and this filled her with warmth and anticipation, but she wasn’t sure how Cal would feel. They were both so young.
Cal wasn’t sure how to respond. He loved Katie and the life they had. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that to change yet. He loved the impulsiveness of youth, and he thought he had time to do a lot more living before they started a family. They lived their lives unfettered, just Katie’s wide vision for the future and Cal’s car to take them there. They could hop in the car anytime and drive. Go anywhere they wanted to go. They never felt chained to this small town. But now, everything was about to change.
“Babe, I wasn’t expecting this. I’ve gotta have my head right. Be focused. Let’s talk after the race.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want you to race.” Her eyes were full of worry. “I was okay with it when it was just you and me. But it’s different now. Here, put your hand right there, yeah, right there.” She guided Cal’s hand to her stomach. There was nothing different about it, and Katie knew it was too early to feel the baby move, but she just wanted him to touch it anyway. Cal touched her stomach, and Katie’s hand was overtop of his, warm and soft, and he felt something new fastening them together. Something strong connecting him to her, and to this life that was coming.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Katie broke the silence, “but I just have this feeling that it’s a boy. Is that what mother’s intuition is? Because, I just know it’s a boy. And now, I’m worried something might happen to you—“
“Hey, Coop, are we racing tonight or not?” Thompson’s voice broke the sacredness of the moment. “You look pretty cozy over there, you and Katie, and if she’s not going to let you race, I’m sure Smitty would like a shot at the champ.”
“I’m coming,” Cal shot back, his eyes still fixed on Katie’s. And she knew that there was nothing she could say that would keep him from racing.
Cal could see that she was broken. That those two words, a response that rushed out of him, full of emotion and impulse, had blasted right through her. An explosion, subtle but fierce. It wasn’t his intention to hurt her. She had forced him to choose. But he couldn’t back down, not tonight. Without another word to Katie, he turned and walked back to his car.
As Cal approached his car, Thompson was leaning against his own car, watching him. “Well, I guess you’re a man after all,” he hissed, after a long silence. Thompson turned, flashed a mischievous grin, pulled his door open and slid slowly into his seat.
“Whatever. How about you stop talkin’ and start drivin’.” Cal yanked on the handle to his car door, flung it open, and dropped himself heavily into his seat. Thompson’s engine came to life and the back of his black Gran Torino whipped wildly as he drove off.
Cal started his Barracuda and sat there for a moment listening to the rhythmic idle of its engine. He looked out his open window at Katie, her face was expressionless. She stared back at him, her beautiful mouth that always formed a smile was a straight line across the bottom of her face. He could see the quiet storm of her eyes. He popped the clutch and shot off down the road toward the start line.
He hit the brake hard as he came to the start line, the dust rising around his car like mist. Cal dug his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out his lucky coin. It was a Canadian silver dollar. He rubbed his finger on the raised image on the front — one lone evergreen tree in the background, and two Native men paddling a canoe in the centre. On the back side was the image of Queen Elizabeth.
His father had given him this coin when he was a boy. His father was a pit crew mechanic who worked on dragsters, and travelled the circuit up the eastern coast and into Canada. He travelled from small town to small town, wherever drag races were happening. He didn’t get paid much, but he loved to work on cars. He’d brought the silver dollar back from a tour of Southern Ontario, and gave it to Cal. As a boy, he always kept it close, and it kept him connected to his dad when his dad was gone for months at a time. If the coin was close, then his dad was close too. As he got older, it became his lucky charm.
Cal thought about his dad, still out on the circuit, fixing cars. He’d gotten his love of fast cars from his dad. He remembered his dad sitting on edge of his bed telling him stories about the races he’d just returned from, about the drivers and how they exploded down the race track. How those dragsters were a perfect combination of precision and brute force. Cal loved listening to those stories.
Then, Cal thought about what it would be like to be a father. Katie was sure it was a boy, and Cal thought about telling his son stories about cars and racing, and flying around the county with Katie. He thought about one day passing his silver dollar on to his son, about how a tangible token that can be held in a hand could be a bond between them — the love between a father and a son.
He imagined driving easy down back roads with the windows down and the wind rushing in. And he would look to the seat next to him and his son sitting there, hair wild with wind. He thought about showing his son that the world was a big place, and how Katie’s need for adventure might one day pull them all around it, but that despite all the vastness of the world, a small town could still be the beating heart of a family. And Cal knew that this town could surround their little family and protect them, and that the simplicity of life here could hold them together. Then, like he always did when he raced, he put the silver dollar on the dashboard for good luck.
Cal was startled as Thompson’s Torino skidded to a stop beside him. He looked straight at Thompson and they locked eyes, neither one of them wanting to be the first to break away. Finally, Cal gave him a smirk and then looked away. Billy Meyers walked right between the two cars, and when he reached the start line, turned to face them. Both drivers revved their engines hard and their cars screamed to life, a clear sign that they were ready to go.
Billy raised his hand above his head, and held it there for a moment. Katie had made her way to the starting line, and Cal looked out his open window and saw her standing there. She looked fragile, and as she was bumped by the folks around her as they yelled and cheered in anticipation for the start of the race, she just stood there still and quiet.
Willie’s arm dropped fast like and anchor, and both cars exploded out down the county road road and into the evening.
The scream of Cal’s engine filled his ears, and as his car chewed up the road in front of him, he could smell the wear on his tires. Thompson’s car was right beside him — barely two feet between them. Cal surged ahead, but Thompson quickly matched him. The darkening sky was a canopy of stars, and in front of them the horizon was ever receding. Cal remembered reading that satellites need to travel at incredible speeds to maintain orbit, and that the balance between that speed and the earth’s gravitational pull keeps them in line with the curve of the earth. They speed toward a point that they will never reach. Cal felt just like that, speeding toward a horizon that never got any closer.
Cal glanced over at Thompson, but he was focused on the road ahead. He could see that Thompson’s body was in a state of tension — his face taut, his eye narrowed, and his knuckles white from squeezing the steering wheel hard. Cal, on the other hand, was calm. His car sped forward, a rocket hurtling through time and space, but inside the car, everything seemed to slow down. He looked again at the horizon, and could see the finish line, Logan’s side road, still far off in the distance. He shot on toward it, again pulling ahead of Thompson’s black Torino.
Thompson, sensing that Cal had the upper hand, jerked his car toward Cal’s, and Cal had to swerve to the left to avoid the collision. His driver-side tires found the shoulder and they sent rocks flying in all directions as he tried to pull his car back onto the road. This allowed Thompson to pull ahead of him by almost a full car length.
It was a reckless, dirty trick, and Cal flashed hot with anger. The calmness that had surrounded him moments ago was gone. He pushed his Barracuda hard and began to make up ground on Thompson. He pushed it harder still, and this reduced his control. He had to be careful, a tiny adjustment at the wheel could send him careening wildly. Still he gained. Thompson, refusing to be overtaken, swerved toward him again, sending Cal completely off the road and onto the shoulder. Cal’s back end fish-tailed wildly, and he tried to counter its drifting by turning the wheel into it.
He managed to straighten out and find his way back onto the road without losing too much speed. He was furious. As he sped ahead, closing the ground between the two cars, he could see Thompson grinning widely in his side view mirror. Does he think this is funny? Cal thought to himself. Win or lose, when this race is over, I’m gonna punch that reckless idiot straight in the jaw.
Back in the crowd at the starting line, Katie had to look away. She couldn’t bare to watch Thompson race dirty and put Cal in danger like that. She could hear murmurs begin to ripple through the crowd about the way Thompson was driving without honour, and that he was going to get both him a Cal killed. The public sentiment was clearly not in Thompson’s favour. Katie felt helpless, she took a quick look and could see Cal speeding away from her and there was nothing she do. She said a quick prayer for the Lord to keep him safe and to knock some sense into him, and if Thompson could blow a fan belt or something, that would be okay too.
Cal’s Barracuda continued to creep closer and closer to the black Torino. He held the gas pedal to the floor and his engine roared loudly. He wasn’t about to let this loud mouth hack driver beat him, and then have to hear about it for years to come. He glanced in his rearview mirror back to the crowd at the starting line. He could see Katie standing in the crowd, turned away with her head in her hands. Katie was his whole world. Then, he looked at the silver dollar on the dashboard, and he thought about how it represented his legacy and all the future held for him and Katie.
As his mind drifted between Katie and this new life they had created together, and all the infinite possibilities that the future held for their little family, and as his car sped off toward the horizon, he felt something strong pulling him back in the other direction.
Just then, he saw Thompson swerving to cut him off for a third time. At that moment, Cal no longer felt the bite of anger that had swelled up in him before, he no longer cared about winning or proving himself to Thompson or anyone else. And, as Thompson moved to cut him off, Cal let it all go, let his foot off the gas pedal and his car began to slow. The pounding tension in the engine was released and the car coasted to a stop. Cal could see the black Torino race off and past Logan’s side road, and then slam to a stop. Thompson hopped out of his car and raised his hands in victory, then pointed back at Cal and laughed.
Cal turned his car around and drove back to the crowd at the starting line. He kicked open his car door, walked over to Katie, and hugged her, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around.
“I’m going to be a father,” he grinned.
“This is going to be our wildest ride yet,” she said, her blue eyes looking into his. And Cal kissed her on the forehead and put her back down.
Then they heard the rattle of Thompson’s Torino as it pulled up, and turned to see him getting out. “What happened, Coop? Did you chicken out at the last minute?” he let out a long laugh, like a wolf howling into the night. “I told you you didn’t have what it takes to beat the champ.”
The crowd quickly turned on Thompson and let him know what they thought about his dirty driving. “Whoa everybody!” he shouted back, “we’re just having some fun out there. Nobody got hurt or anything!” And then, Katie stepped toward him. “Katie, tell everyone that we were just having a bit of fun.”
Katie pulled her right arm back, and then unleashed all her anger on the left side of Thompson’s jaw. Not expecting a punch, he stumbled back a few steps and then landed in the dust and gravel.
“You could’ve both been killed, you idiot!”
And she turned and walked back to Cal, who was laughing, along with most of the crowd. And for a long time after that race, anytime Thompson brought up his victory, someone with earshot would slyly ask him if that was the race that little Katie Cooper knocked him on his butt.
If you liked this story and want to read more, visit the Good Words archive for more stories and poems. You can also subscribe to receive future Good Words delivered right to your inbox. And while you’re at it, why not share this story and help spread the good news about Good Words.