FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Bright and early I made the walk to the end of the driveway. The GPS would get them to the gravel road that my uncle's farm was off of, but I wasn't sure how close it'd get to the actual driveway. The weather wasn't oppressively hot yet, that'd change by 10, but at 7:50 the morning was still pleasant. Breakfast at a truck stop seemed like a casual affair, so sandals, denim shorts, and a white and blue stripped polo shirt comprised my outfit for the trip.

At 7:55 I saw the white sedan round the corner of the road, the tires leaving a small dust cloud as they ran over the gravel. Jenna was in the back seat, but had the window open and was looking across the fields with an intense curiosity. Moving from Atlanta to Edison was more than just a change of pace, it was nearly a completely different way of life and the fields held a boundless expanse to explore.

Kisa reached across the passenger seat and opened the door. She had on a light blue sun dress and I noticed a pair of aquamarine earrings just below the tips of her ears. The longer fur along the top of her head was brushed neatly and combed back so that it rested just below where the earrings ended. Jenna had on a nice tee shirt and shorts, a very practical outfit given that she ran just about anytime she was allowed to do so. She turned her attention to me, “Hi, Mr Coach!"

I gave a quick nod to them both, “Good morning, you two. Hope the drive wasn't too bad."

Kisa smiled as I got situated in the car and buckled in, “Not at all. So a farm?"

I traced her line of sight across the corn fields and to the sheds which were just barely visible from the road, “My uncle's. When I was getting ready to move back here he offered me the old house if I fixed it up. Been working on it for a few years now, so it's coming along." I pointed up the driveway to the top floor of the house that was just visible above the corn stalks, “The white one, just back that way. His house is a good ways back on the property."

Kisa glanced at the house then back to me, “Mrs Harrison said she's known you for a long time, so I thought you may be from around here."

“That's a bit of an understatement," I chuckled a bit at the thought of Bess stating it that way. “She's about nine years older than me and used to watch my sisters and I back when we were kids. My folks are about a ten minute drive from here, the land's been in the family for a few generations now."

“Hmm, I see," Kisa looked back to the road and set the truck stop in as the destination for the GPS.

“So, you're from Atlanta?" I was determined not to be talking about myself the entire time.

“Mmm-Hmm," Jenna answered from the back seat.

Kisa glanced in the rear-view mirror, “Jenna is, she was born there. You could say I'm from Atlanta too, it's where the government bought the housing we were allocated." Following the GPS, she turned off the gravel and onto a paved two lane road. The highway was just ten minutes beyond that.

“Is that how the demi neighborhood there got started?" I was only thirteen when the demis were made public and the media was more focused on the fact that they existed rather than detailing what was happening with them beyond the clashes with the humanist movement. My knowledge was shallow at best.

Kisa nodded, the light blue stones on her earrings jostled with the movement, “It is. I can't call were I was born a home, so for most of us, it's either New York or Atlanta for what we think of as our home town. The housing in San Francisco was bought when the second facility was found, they needed more room to house us all." She gave a smile that held no warmth, “What they turned into demi neighborhoods was formerly low income housing, it displaced a lot of people and that helped start things off on the wrong foot. What was touted as 'revitalization' quickly turned into 'kicking out humans and bringing in the furs'."

I regretted bringing the topic up, “Oh." The last thing I wanted to do was ruin a fun outing for breakfast.

Kisa glanced across the cabin at me, I think it was my reaction to her sudden change in demeanor that made her aware of it, “Oh, Todd, I'm sorry." Her expression softened again, she was making an effort to push those negative feelings back down, “Some things are still… a bit raw." She reached across to give my hand a reassuring squeeze while keeping her eyes on the road.

Right then I made a mental note to let my curiosity stay on hold. If and when she felt like talking about things, I'd let her be the one to bring her family's past up rather than dig at a sore spot.I stole a quick glance in the rear view mirror, Jenna was watching the two of us, her ears back with worry. I wasn't sure how much of the conversation she was following, but she knew her mom just got upset.

I cleared my throat, trying to break the tension just a bit, “So, what's everyone's favorite for breakfast? Any pancake fans?"

I could see Jenna's face light up, “With syrup and strawberries!" The promise of a tasty treat did wonders to push the worries aside, “Oh, and bacon, and sausage!"

“I'm more of an omelet person, the ones with steak. I suppose it comes with being part feline," Kisa gave a wide grin, the sharp pearls of her canines shone in the morning sun.

My stomach gave a low rumble of anticipation, all the talk of food was getting me rather hungry. “I'll second that, though I like the loaded ones. Lot's of variety in the meats and cheeses that way." I gave my stomach a few hearty pats. While I do try to keep fit in spite of my mobility issues, I have a weakness when it comes to good breakfasts and tend to over do it a bit, especially when eating out.

I heard a slightly muffled giggle come from the back seat, a reaction to the hollow sounding thumps from my midsection. Jenna clearly enjoyed the little display, and Kisa grinned at my antics as well.

With the mood lifted, we rode on in search of a filling breakfast.

* * *

Charlie's was much like I remembered it, a constant fixture set in a world of change. The first time we ate at the truck stop was when my parents had worked the entire day on a irrigation system that ended up needing two pump replacements. My mom's quote went something like, “Damned if I'm fixing dinner after fixing those blasted pumps!" We headed to Charlie's for dinner that night, the good food and pleasant waitress went a long way to soothing everyone's nerves and we left feeling both full and content with the end of the day.

In a time when most places eschewed simple things for more modern amenities, the diner portion of the truck stop looked like it could have come straight out of a time machine. The building had a rounded front with large metal supports for the awning that reached out from the foundation at an angle. The look was all the rage in the age of the drive in. It was only a guess, but the parking lot probably had once hosted a large movie screen at the far end. A few rusted metal supports hinted at such a thing in the past, but I hadn't ever really asked anyone about it. Several trucks were parked in the oversized lot. If their drivers weren't sleeping inside the rigs, they'd be out and in the store or snagging a quick bite at the diner before heading back on the road. We parked in one of the spots marked for passenger cars only and made our way inside.

As I opened the door, a little bell jangled against the glass. It was tied to the inner handle, the hollow tinny sound both welcomed us in and notified the staff that we entered. The inside of the diner was just as reto as the outside, the bold white and red interior had perfectly captured a 1960's rendition of what the future would look like. Along the left wall were pictures of the truck stop throughout the years. One particular mid sized black and white photo of the place caught my eye. It showed a couple of waitresses on roller-skates with a packed lot behind them and the building's front taking up the left half of the picture. Sure enough in the background was what I'd hoped to see, a large screen with just enough captured in the picture to see a movie was playing on it. The place was probably a center of entertainment for the area decades back when the factory was in full swing.

A younger man, maybe in his early twenties, was manning the counter that jutted out from the center of the far wall, “Mornin' folks, feel free to have a seat where you like. I'll bring menus over in a bit." I was glad he didn't miss a beat when Kisa and Jenna walked in.

The actual seating area had a collection of booths and tables while the island was surrounded by bar stools. A few other early risers were in the place, two at the stools and a couple occupying one of the booths, perhaps they shared driving duties while on the road. I took another quick look around the restaurant, for me one place was pretty much as good as the next. I glanced to Kisa, “So booth or table?"

Kisa was giving the place the same once over I had as she answered, “Booth, actually. It helps keep these out of harms way." She swished her long spotted tail, and now that I thought about it, if either her or Jenna weren't mindful the tail tips could accidentally be stepped on if they were sitting at a normal char height. Kids had a hard enough time keeping their hands and feet still, and I doubted a tail would be any different.

Jenna was split between being slightly nervous in the new surroundings and excited by all the different things. Off to the left side was an alcove with a pool table and a few pinball machines and arcade cabinets. I think the Back to the Future table was the exact same one I played as a kid, and while Jenna probably wouldn't get the movie tie in, she'd have fun with the game on its own merits.

I motioned to a booth that was far enough away from the other guests so that we could chat without disturbing anyone, “How about over there?" It also had a good view of the tiny arcade space.

Kisa nodded and steered Jenna towards the booth, pulling her attention away from the noises the games were making. A few moments after we got seated, the young man came over with two adult menus, a kid's menu, and some crayons. “Can I get you folks somethin' to drink? We have Coke products, orange juice, milk, tea and coffee."

I looked across the booth, letting Kisa and Jenna order first. “She'll have the juice please," Kisa said while patting her daughter on the head. Jenna beamed a smile at the waiter and went back to coloring. “Do you have lemonade?"

The man nodded, “So long as Minute Maid's alright."

“It is, thanks," Kisa looked across at me.

I went with my usual when eating out, “Coffee please, black, and a water."

“Alright, a orange juice, lemonade, and coffee with water. I'll have those out in a minute. My name's Chris if you need anything." Chris walked back to the center island where he got our drinks assembled.

The menu had a plethora of breakfasts, including the previously discussed pancakes and an assortment of omelets and other staples like waffles. Jenna had circled what she wanted on the single page kid's menu before turning her attention to the crossword and coloring panels. Pancakes and strawberries, and on the side she had written in bacon and sausage. Kisa was looking through the menu, trying to decide between a couple of the choices. I looked for the biggest omelet, the name they gave it was simply 'The Supreme'. Three eggs, four cheeses, peppers, onions, mushrooms, bacon, ham and sausage, served with your choice of breads. It was a heart attack on a plate that promised to be glorious.

Kisa drummed her claws against the table, making a steady cadence of clicks as she thought, “Hmm, I can't decide, they both look so good. Any suggestions?" She looked up at me with a hopeful expression.

I had seen her deliberating between the philly cheese steak and meat lover's omelets, “Well, if you like cheese and cheese sauce, go for the philly. It's what I had last time I was here, and it was great. If you're not a big fan of cheese, go with the meat."

Chris returned with the drinks on a small tray along with straws and three bundles of silverware. Kisa nodded her thanks after receiving her glass, “In that case, I'll probably get the meat lover's omelet. What are you having?"

“The Supreme. I'll have to walk it off later though," I said with a slight grin.

“Sounds like you folks are ready for the orders then," Chris pulled out a small pad with a pen.

Kisa nodded, “She'll have the pancakes, with syrup and strawberries. Also a side of bacon and a side of sausage, please." Jenna had looked up and nodded with each item listed.

Chris jotted down the order then looked back at Kisa, “And for you?"

“The meat lover's omelet, no bread, thank you." Kisa handed her menu up to the waiter.

I waited until Chris turned to me to order. “I'll have the supreme omelet, wheat toast on the side," I said as I handed the menu up.

“Alright, I'll have this out in a bit. You need anything else?" Chris looked between us.

Kisa flashed a brief smile, “No, I think that's it."

The waiter nodded and went back to the kitchen to get our order placed. Jenna had worked through the word search using the orange crayon, and was tackling the 'find the differences' puzzle. I absently wondered if they gave three of the least used colors of crayons in the little packs on purpose. Three colors was limiting enough, but with the yellow barely visible when used, it left just orange and red.

I reached for my water, the coffee would need a bit to cool down before I even attempted to drink it. Kisa had unwrapped two of the straws, placing one in the juice glass and the other in her own lemonade before taking a sip of it. I've been known to spend far too much time staring at funny cat pictures on the web, I think all of us are a little guilty of that from time to time, and the idea of a cat using a straw is insanely cute to me. I realized just then that the cuteness scales when a demi feline uses one, and I caught myself staring just a bit.

Kisa looked back at me, a slight smile forming on her face as I tried to fight the flushed feeling that was spreading across my own, “So, Todd, what brought you into coaching?"

This time it was my turn to be on the spot, a fair question though. “Well, the main reason you already know, my knee won't allow me to play anymore." The truth of the matter was a bit more complex, but that wasn't something I was ready to go into. “So when I wound up with the schools here doing their IT work, they asked me to coach the summer camps. Regardless of if I can play or not, I love the sport. This way I can keep involved, even if just on a small scale." I ended with a small sip of my own water.

“Oh, where did you play?" Kisa took another drink from her lemonade, her whiskers pointing forward as she pursed her lips around the straw.

“Through high school and a scholarship in college, Rutgers. They're a division three program, so I could focus on both soccer and classes." I held my water cup just above the table's surface, swirling it a bit which made the straw spin with the ice, “Played midfielder usually, though on occasion I moved to forward. Got hurt in May of my junior year, so I finished out my undergrad in Information Systems and moved back here. It wasn't where I thought I'd end up, but life being life, things happen." You learn a lot when the curve balls head your way.

Kisa nodded but her ears went back just a little, “That they do." Those crystal blue eyes had probably seen way more things happen than I could imagine. “All in all, I'm glad you're here as Jenna's coach, but sorry about your knee."

I half laughed, “Oh, don't be." She looked at me and her ears pricked forward, I don't think she expected an immediate response. “Honestly, if things stayed the way they were going, I'd probably be regretting it by now."

Kisa still had a puzzled look on her face, “Oh?"

I have an uncanny ability to drive a conversation in ways I don't want it to go, and this was one of those times it took the wheel and swerved left. “Ah, well.." I paused for a second, trying to word things without diving into personal matters, “You really learn about people when things get rough. That goes for yourself and friends, even close ones."

Her look of puzzlement switched to one of concern. Jenna had noticed the change too, I think she had been only loosely following the conversation, but at the sudden switch in mood, she looked between the two of us.

I forced myself to brighten up, “But enough about that. Jenna, have you ever played pinball?"

Jenna's ears pricked forward with curiosity, “What's that?"

I looked back at Kisa, “Well, while we're waiting on our food, If it's OK with your mom, I'll show you." I nodded back to the arcade, “There's a machine there that's older than I am, but it's still great. We should have time for one quick game."

Kisa looked back at the games then back to me, “Well, I'll admit, I'm a bit curious too."

“Great! In that case, get some of your juice down and I'll get us a few quarters." I motioned at her untouched glass.

Jenna snagged it in a single swift motion and drank about half of it in one go. I just shook my head at the exuberance and made my way over to the bill changer. After a couple of tries, along with smoothing the dollar bill out against the edge of the machine, we had four quarters. I moved to the old pinball table, much like a tour guide showing off an exhibit, “This, Jenna, is a pinball machine, specifically, Back to the Future." The lights on the Data East machine flashed rhythmically, waiting for someone to insert a coin and begin play. “OK, so it's two quarters to play, they go in the slots down here, and then we press the start button." I went ahead and dropped the coins in, making sure the machine took them. “Alright, once it starts, the ball will pop up here. You pull this back and let go, it'll shoot the ball into play. These are the flippers, the buttons on the sides will make them tilt up. You try to hit the ball with them and keep it from going down. If you can, aim for the flashing stuff."

Jenna looked at the whole thing a bit apprehensively before glancing up at me.

“You want me to do the first ball and then you can take over after?"

Jenna nodded, then looked back at the machine with an excited bounce as I hit the start button and the music flared to life. I used to be fairly decent at pinball, and I was able to keep the ball in play long enough to get a few 'Great Scott' voice samples from the Doc while the picture of the DeLorean, Doc, and not-quite Marty flashed from the back lights. The ball took a wicked bounce and headed straight between the flippers which ended my run. The machine tallied up the extra points and sent up the second ball. “OK, it's your turn." I stepped back and motioned Jenna forward.

Jenna gave herself a quick nod and stepped up to the flashing game, a look of determination etched in her features. She pulled back the plunger and sent the ball flying into play. Pinball machines are very visceral. The way the knocker in the bottom of the cabinet adds that satisfying crack at scoring a free game, how the ball moves and the vibrations from the bumpers that travel through the table, it all makes the player feel connected to the game. Jenna was drawn in, her full concentration focused on each movement and her tail going at an erratic pace matching her excitement.

I couldn't help but stand there wearing a goofy grin. I probably looked much the same way the first time I played all those years ago, and on this very machine to boot. I felt a brush of fur against my arm and looked over. Kisa had moved up to stand beside me, and if I wasn't mistaken she was leaning against me just a bit. Her eyes were focused on the bundle of excited energy that was her daughter's first game of pinball, a look of pure warmth spread across her face.

It wasn't overly long before the game was finished, it takes a fair amount of practice and skill to really rack up the points, but Jenna was thrilled with the game. She turned around beaming, “Thanks Mr Coach, that was fun!"

I was thrilled she liked the game, and like any good adult, I used it to make sure the immediate business of why we were at the truck stop would be taken care of, “Tell you what, we've got two more quarters. You eat all your food and then you can play it all by yourself. Deal?"

Jenna glanced up at Kisa, waiting on confirmation from her mother that this was fine before agreeing. At Kisa's nod, she smiled back and responded, “Deal."

Once we were all back at the table, it didn't take long for our food to arrive. Jenna's quest for more pinball made sure the pancakes, sausage and bacon disappeared with a rapid pace. I didn't think she'd have troubles eating, all that energy had to be fueled by something besides youth, but I was still glad to see a hearty appetite.

Kisa and I ate at a much slower pace, taking our time to enjoy the food. Kisa's omelet was essentially the same as mine, minus the veggies and extra cheeses, but all the meat was there. As I approached the halfway point, Jenna polished off the last bit of her orange juice and looked at me expectantly. I slid the two quarters across the table and she scooped them up and bounded back to the arcade which prompted a warning from Kisa about running indoors. I think her pace slowed just enough to be considered a jog.

Kisa and I grinned at each other and I made a quick mental calculation, “I have another dollar for change, so we should have enough time to finish."

“Hmm, probably." She cut off another section of omelet and popped it into her mouth with her fork.

I finished off another few bites, scooping up a few errant bits of cheese with the last fork full. Kisa looked to be enjoying her meal, but it never hurt to make sure, “So, worth the trip?"

Kisa chewed a bit longer before swallowing, “Definitely. I'll save it for special treats though." She chased a bit of meat around the plate with her fork before looking back up at me, “So, if you don't mind my asking, what did happen?"

Maybe she figured I didn't want to discuss things in front of Jenna. That wasn't wrong, but it wasn't the sole reason either. The concern was back in her expression, and I think if I did ask her to drop it she wouldn't have brought it up again. But I did want to know more about her, and if I closed up, I couldn't ask her to not do the same when the time came. “Well, it's not much of a story. Back in high school, Allison was on the girl's team and we hit it off. At the time, we both were players, and it was pretty fun just hanging out and talking, or practicing a bit." I took a sip of coffee, it had finally cooled enough to not melt through the bottom of my mouth. “Anyway, we started dating and things got fairly serious between us. I kept playing after high school, she did too, but just in rec leagues, and we both got into Rutgers."

Kisa glanced back at Jenna every once in a while, keeping track of her daughter and making sure the game was going well.

“Well, we both had friends on the team. Allison was a pretty constant figure by my side, and everyone would get together after practice, normal student stuff. But her and I talked a lot about the future, where we'd go, what we'd do after school." I ate another few bites, then picked the story back up, “The travel was good too. We got to see a lot of places during the away games."

“Sounds like you were having fun," her concern was still there, but I was pretty certain she figured out where the tale was leading.

“Yeah, those were fun times. But, like I said, you find things out." I tried to keep things level, there wasn't anything to be done about the past after all, “When I first got hurt nothing really changed much. Allison stayed with me, the docs were consulting with each other about how to fix my knee. It wasn't long though before they came to the conclusion my playing days were over. Even if I got a full replacement, they said I couldn't play, so that pretty much ended it. Can't play without a doctor's release."

That day was one of the worst ones of my life, the feeling of everything you thought was ahead of you getting yanked away is something I'll never forget. “I got the notice I'd be dropped from the team shortly after that. So, I had to do rehab, focus on my grades, and let go of the game. I kept in touch with friends from the team, trying my best to pick things up. Allison soon distanced herself from me, and after a month officially broke things off. Not to be too blunt, but she moved on to another player and had started sleeping with him a couple of weeks after my accident. They kept things quiet at first, but I got the sorted details out of a couple of the guys on the team." That day was also on my list of worst days ever. “So that's pretty much it. I couldn't bring myself to have anything to do with the team after that, so I worked on finishing my degree and moved back here when I landed the school position." In a rather anti-climactic action, I scooped another section of the omelet in.

Kisa had kept her crystal blue eyes on me as I finished the story of trading my knee in for preventing the biggest mistake of my life. The earlier you find out about what people are really like, the better, at least that's how I'd grown to look at it. I saw her gaze shift slightly, and that's when I noticed the pinball game had ended. Jenna was on her way back so I took the opportunity to drain back the rest of my coffee and clear the air a bit before I looked her way, “So, still like the game?"

“Mmm-Hmm. I scored even more this time!" Jenna slid back into the booth, her whiskers still twitched with excitement. “If you hit the ball just right it goes in this dip, then goes up in this rail and drops by the flippers. That's worth a lot of points." She added that last bit with all the seriousness a nine year old could muster.

“Is that so?" Kisa switched gears pretty quickly too, letting the past conversation and the mood it brought slip from the table into nothingness. It was a skill I picked up early on when I started working in the schools and had to watch myself around the kids. I think it's something a mother develops almost from day one.

Jenna nodded quickly, “Yeah, and the round things that bounce the ball are just so neat. Can I play again?" Her ears went forward and her eyes widened just a bit. I had to hide my reaction in taking a drink of water. I'd seen the cute kid routine a dozen times over, but I practically had to drown the 'awww' in the glass.

Kisa gave me a stern look, as Jenna's mom she must have grown immune to it over the years, and by that glare alone, she expected me to do the same, and quickly. “Not right now, honey, we're almost done and there's still places I need to go." A slightly mischievous grin replaced the look she aimed at me before she turned to her daughter, back in full on mother mode, “But, maybe if you ask nicely, we'll see if Mr Coach would like to come along too."

And I was faced with that choice again. I could ignore the nearly pleading look Jenna was giving me and go back and work on the house. That was one option. The other was a continued fun day out. I shrugged and lifted my hands in mock defeat, “Alright, you two win. No fair ganging up on me like that though," I gave my best over exaggerated look of consternation and ruffled the longer fur between Jenna's ears. That got me a squeal which turned into giggles as she batted my hand away.

Kisa laughed along, the sound mixed in with a deep throaty purr. While they both regained their composure, I quickly finished off the rest of my omelet and headed to the counter. I took care of the bill and tip, then thanked Chris for the great food and service. With that taken care of, I looked back to see Kisa and Jenna standing next to the booth, both waiting on me.

Before long, we were driving out from Charlie's and onto the rest of the day's adventures.