Armadillo Monologue

We’re headed down to Texas with the sole purpose of seeing an armadillo. It was the final thing my dad asked me to be do before he died and when we found out the news, we packed everything into boxes and stuffed it in the car. We quit our jobs and sold the house to the greedy business who has been trying to put a mall where it is for months. The next stop was the bank, where everything was emptied from our account and put into our wallets and then tupperware from the car when we ran out of room. And, now, we’re headed down to Texas in a 1983 Chevy Camaro with everything we owned sitting in the trunk and no thoughts of consequences about leaving. We reached the Texas-Oklahoma border an hour ago, but didn’t get much further than that

We need a professional.” “We can’t afford a professional, Monica. And, what’s the point? We don’t have anywhere to return to. I just want to see this armadillo and we can do that right here.” “We can’t do anything right here. What are we gonna do after that? Keep traveling?” “I don’t know! Maybe! I just want to see this damn armadillo.” “Well, unless one walks by on the side of the road, we aren’t going to get to do that, Fred.” “We can wait! It doesn’t need to be fixed or even looked at right now. Let’s put some duct tape or something on it and keep going.” “It can’t wait! We are stuck here until we do something. We only have so much time.” “We are doing something. We are fulfilling my dad’s dying wish and looking for an armadillo.” “It’s me or the armadillo, Fred.” I look around at the ground and huff. “Don’t say that, Monica.” “Why? Because you’ll choose the armadillo?” “Yes. Because I will choose my father’s wish and the one thing he wanted me to do. The one thing he asked me to do before I died.” “You aren’t dying right now. You could spend the next few months with me and then we can go find an armadillo or