Gypsy Magic

Shame! Scandal! Abandonment! Today's tale contains 2 of those 3 things! Thanks again to Short Story Ideas website. Today's the second installment of writing the first thing I'm given. Time to write!

Family Tree

In the heat of the Arizona desert, somewhere off the 180 is a gas station. This gas station as all the amenities of family trips, a convenience store, washrooms and a Subway sandwich shop. But more important than the sandwich shop, even more important than the gas station itself, was the family that had just pulled in.

The Anderson's were your typical middle america family. They drove a station wagon that was more than on its last legs. Mr. Anderson stepped out of the drivers side, his khaki shorts and Hawaiian shirt marked with ketchup stains. He pulled the brim of his safari hat down to shade his eyes from the sun. He stared out into the vast dessert.

"Must be almost there!" He proclaimed happily.

"Here that kids? We're almost at the Grand Canyon!" Repeated Mrs. Anderson.

In the back seat Paul squealed with delight, but Jody was not impressed.

Jody felt her entire family was an embarrassment. The way they talked, the way they acted, the way they dressed. Sometimes she wondered if she was adopted. She even went through the trouble of looking up her family tree and their heritage.

For generations back the Anderson family had lived in Tucson Arizona. They had family all over Arizona but most of them lived and traced their heritage further back into Tucson. She would've be surprised if the Anderson family helped found Tucson.

Paul squealed with unbearable delight. Mrs. Anderson encouraged his display. Jody watched as her little brother bounced happily in the back seat. She rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

It seemed almost pathetic to know she was part of this family until, in all her research, she found out she was related to Marcia Taylor, a fashionista who lived in New York in the 80's. Jody loved fashion and did some research into Marcia's work. She liked how Marcia was trying to do something different from the Madonna Street urchin look that woman from the 80's copied.

Marcia didn't enjoy any commercial success and died relatively young, but this gave Jody hope. Somewhere in the cesspool of a family tree she found some hope to cling to. Maybe when she was older she'd changer her last name to Taylor. But first she needed to find a way to separate herself from her sad excuse of a family.

"I'm going to stretch my legs." Jody told her mother who just snorted as if doing something more than sitting was a waste of energy. Jody grabbed her small black bag, slung it over her back and jumped out of the car and walked around the large gas station to the other side.

She mulled a bit there waiting to see if any busses or anything might stop in. She saw a taxi parked in the corner. She knocked on the driver side window. The taxi driver lazily rolled down the window.

"Yes?"

"Excuse me, sir. I was wondering, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you take me to Winslow Airport?"

The driver rolled his eyes.

"I can pay you."

"Where are your parents child?"

"Waiting for me there." Jody lied.

"Alright. Get in the back." The driver turned the ignition and Jody happily jumped into the back of the car.

Jody sat quietly as the car rolled out of the gas station. She watched as her old family sat in the car waiting for her to come back. She smiled. Not sure of what was to come, she didn't care, the excitement was better than anything she had ever felt. When she got to the airport she'd board the next plane to New York and start her life there as Jody Taylor, fashionista.