The Road Trip It all started out like a regular family road trip. Y'know, fights over the music we'd listen to and stuff like that, but intermixed with the excitement the fact we were actually going somewhere. Well, to solve the music problem I put on my head phones and started up my Missing Links 3 CD. And I remained content listening to "Midnight Train", "She hangs out", "Merry Go Round", "Circle Sky" etc, while meanwhile the radio was flicked from one oldies station to some new station every second. I gazed out at the Oklahoma sencery, which was basically fields, and daydreamed. Everything went fine for awhile. But then we must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, because we kept pulling over, looking at the map, and arguing. So to solve this problem we pulled into the yard of a farmer.
A tall, grey haired man wearing overalls, boots, and a checked shirt came up to the car and said, "Whatcha needin?"
"We're lost. How do you get to OKC?"
"Garsh, you folk must be lost," replied the farmer. "Well, my nephew Mike can show you into town where you can ask directions, 'cos I have no idea."
A tall brown-black haired man wearing a dreass shirt, jeans, and boots came walkin up. "Howdy, I'm Mike. I reckon you folk need some help."
"Yeah, could you lead us into town?"
"Sure, I'll jest git my haywagon and you can follow me there," replied Mike, going up to a large haywagon and climbing in.
Well, everything coulda gone fine, yet when we started the car it hummed and died, again and again and then wouldn't hum anymore.
My parents decided we'd have to stay back at the farm. So I asked my parents if Mike could take me into town. And with a bit of convincing on Mike's part, I got to go. I road in the front with Mike.
"So, what brings you round here?" asked Mike.
"Well, we were going to OKC, but that got ruined," I replied.
"Bummer. Well, I'm from Texas. I came up here to do farm work for my Uncle Jim," replied Mike.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well, you see, I'm in a band which is normally in California, but we haven't gotten any gigs lately. For a long time actually. So, we all came here. Only reason here is because we didn't want to be too far apart from each other in case we got a gig round here. So we all took jobs at different places," replied Mike.
"Bummer, that you can't get gigs," I replied.
"Yeah, I know," replied Mike. "Um, do you mind if we go pick up a friend of mine? His name's Peter. He plays bass and keyboards in our group and a bunch of other things too."
"Sure. What's his job?"
"He plays at a night club. We'd get a gig there, but it's a folk club. Anyway, we're basically rock n' roll, but we got some country and stuff mixed in and the club won't let us play there. But Peter's a wonderful musician and folk singer so he got a job there. And he'll play all night and fall asleep on stage. Around 11:30 in the mornin' the manager notices he's asleep and tells him to go home. And it's about that now."
"Okay," I replied.
"Well, I'm gonna pick him up now, so you can meet him," replied Mike. "Oh and you'll have to ride in the back. Can't fit all of us up here in this crammed thing."
"Okay," I said, smiling. Mike turned the corner and drove up to a club and I got out and climbed in the back. A tall man with brown hair, parted in the middle and slightly covering a head band he wore, who wore jeans, a purple shirt, many beads and boots, walked over to the truck. In his hand was a guitar, which he put in the back beside me. "Heya, Mike!" he said, cheerfully.
"Hey Peter! How'd it go!?" asked Mike.
"Great and I got my first pay check too! 500 dollars!" replied Peter, climbing in the back. "Hiya!" he said to me. "I'm Peter. How ya doin?"
"Hiya Peter. I'm goodn'you?" I replied.
"I'm great!" he exclaimed. "Whatcha doin round here?"
"Was on my way to OKC, but we got lost," I replied.
"Where's your fam at?" asked Peter.
"Back at the farm workin on the car."
"And they let you go with Mike?" asked Peter.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Well, you wanna hang out with us for awhile?" asked Peter.
"Sure, I'd love too." I replied.
"Here lemme sing you a song," he said, getting out his guitar. "It's a Dylan tune, called Oxford Town." He began to sing and play and was a bit surprised when I started singing along. But he kept on playing and his smile grew bigger. Then he let me loose on the words. When we finished Mike cheered from the front. "Hey, you guys that was good!"
Peter grinned. "Couldn't have done it without you," he said to me.
I smiled very happily.
"Hey, Mike, shouldn't we go pick up Davy at the 'Top Hat'?" asked Peter.
"Yeah," replied Mike. He drove us up to a club called the "Top Hat" of course.
Out walked a man, a bit shorter than the others, but it didn't matter. He wore a suit and a top hat and had a wonderful smile on his face. "'Eya Mike! 'Eya Peter!" He climbed in and sat on a stack of hay. "And who is this chamin young lady?" he asked, picking up my hand and kissing it. "'Ello, I'm Davy and very pleased to meet you."
"Hiya Davy. It's very nice to meet you too," I replied.
"And what's a lady like you doin' round 'ere?"
"We were on the way to OKC and got lost and our car died."
"Oh, bummer. Well, Mike's a mechanic."
"He is?" I asked.
"Hey, Mike could you go fix their car at the farm?" asked Peter.
"I would but I don't have the tools," replied Mike.
"We've gotta meet Micky to have a root beer float. It's his day off you know," said Peter.
"Oh, yeah, almost forgot. But I better get to work afterward." replied Mike.
We pulled into a diner and parked beside a large truck with the words "TONY'S CAR REPAIR" painted on it. Out of the cab of the truck popped a tall man with wild fuzzy, curly, brown-black hair, wearing a bright orange shirt, many beads and boots. "Hey fellas! And who's this wonderful lady?" He held out his hand to help me down from the truck.
I took his hand and jumped down. "Thank you, um....."
"Micky, Micky Dolenz," he replied.
"Thank ya Micky," I said smiling. Then the obvious thought went through my head, "Mike, Peter, Davy, Micky.....Monkees"
"Hey, you guys are the Monkees, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yeah. You've heard of us?" asked Micky.
"Yeah, I think your music is great!" I replied.
"Why thank you!" said Davy.
"Let's go," said Micky, holding out his hand.
Peter had done the same, so I held both Peter and Micky's hands. Davy held open the door for us, and Mike followed behind.
"Hey, Charlie! Make 5 root beer floats!" yelled Mike.
At the table....
"So," Micky said, pausing to slurp some of his float, "why ya round here?"
"Well, my parents and I were on a trip to OKC, yet we got lost and our car died. And while my parents are back at the farm I went with Mike."
"Well, y'know Mike's a mechanic, part time and I'm a truck driver for the company. I'd be happy to tow the car down and I bet Mike'll fix it. Right Mike?" offered Micky.
"Yeah, I'd sure do that. No prob," replied Mike.
"But it might mean an overnight stay around here," said Davy.
"Can they stay at the farm?" asked Peter.
"Y'know ole Jim, Pete. He don like company much," replied Mike.
"Well, you could stay at me and Peter's place," said Micky.
"I'll be workin anyway," replied Peter.
"What about my folks?" I asked.
"Well, they could stay at my place. I don't think there's enough room at Micky and Peter's." replied Davy.
"And if not we could always give you a lift to a hotel or somethin'," replied Mike. We finished our floats and walked outside.
"Boy am I tired," yawned Peter.
"Me too," yawned Davy.
"I have to get to work," said Mike.
"I'm off," said Micky, grinning.
"Well you wanna hang with Micky or have me give you a lift to the farm?" asked Mike.
"I'll hang with Micky," I said.
"'Kay then," said Mike. "Hope to see ya later."
"Bye, luv," said Davy from Mike's truck. "Was a pleasure."
"See ya. Here, catch!" said Peter, tossing me one of his necklaces.
"Thanks," I said. "See ya!" "Hop in!" said Micky, opening the door.
I crawled in and he shut it. Then he climbed in and started the truck up.
"They let you drive this thing?" I asked.
"Yeah, they've got bunchs of em. So they said I could," replied Micky.
We rode around talking and singing along with the radio(.......no music fights here....) for hours. Then we went and had a pizza and a coke at a pizza place. Then around 6:30 we went to Davy's club and sat down at a table. Davy came out, saw us, grinned, and began to sing and dance. Everyone applauded. Then an orchestracame out and played, and Micky asked me to dance. After many dances with Micky, Davy came over and cut in. We danced until Davy had to go back on stage. After watching him sing and dance once more we said goodbye and went to Peter's club.
"Heya!" Peter called out in the middle of his song. He looked very excited to see us. And he dedicated his next three songs to us. After we watched Peter play a bunch of songs we said bye, got back in the truck and drove around gazing at the stars until about nine o'clock. Then we went to the farm and towed the car to the shop.
"Hey!" greeted Mike. "You havin' fun with Micky?"
"Sure am!" I exclaimed.
Mike replied. "Well, sorry to spoil the party, but your parents called and said to get home," he paused and continued in a parently voice, "NOW!!"
I laughed and said, "Well, okay then."
"Bummer," said Micky. "Well, where are they, cos they weren't at the farm?" asked Micky.
"At the, uh, Thunder Hotel," said Mike.
"Okay, well I'll drive you there, then," replied Micky.
Micky unhitched the car and droved the truck out of the garage. I climbed in and he took me to the hotel.
"Well, I had a good time with you," I said.
"Yeah, I had a groovy time here with you too," replied Micky.
"Well," I paused,"see ya." I turned to open the door.
"Wait." said Micky.
"Yeah, Micky?" I asked.
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I was a bit stunned and didn't know what to say.
"Don't forget me," said Micky.
"I won't, Micky. I won't," I replied.
He got out and opened the door for me. I got out and we said goodbye. Then I walked inside and went to my room of the hotel room. I peeked out the window. Micky was still standing there looking in my direction. He stood there for a couple minutes and then drove off.

The next morning I awoke to the sound of someone pulling into the parking lot. It was a truck from Tony's. Micky climbed out and unhitched our car from the back. He looked over to the window and waved to me, then he got in his truck and rode off. Later on that morning when we set out to go home I found a note on the floor of the back seat. I picked it up to read it. It said the words "No charge." and "Love Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy."