The Drive-In

 There is this place out in the swamp east of Holloway, LA.  Holloway is a crossroads, and not much of one.  One red light, one gas station, a Dollar General, a Family Dollar, and a Sheriff's substation.

A couple of miles east of Holloway, is a little drive-in restaurant.  The locals call it AW's, because the fellow who built it was AW.  The sign out front said AW's Drive In, but AW retired, and a storm blew the AW off the sign, so now it's just Drive-In.  It's a place where you order from outside the building through a little sliding window.  They have an indoor dining room, and picnic tables outside.  I personally know that someone has ben cooking there since the '60s.

Belle sent me to AWs today to get a couple of fish plates.  We called the order in, and I knew it would be ready when I got there.  As I drove up, I noticed a fellow looking at the big menu in the window, so I asked him, "First time here?"

"Yeah," he replied, "First time in Louisiana.  I live in Maine."

"Well, it's all good." I waved at the menu.  "What brings you to Louisiana?"

"Visiting my brother," says he.  "He's stationed at Fort Polk, near Leesville.."

As I was paying the gal for the fish plates, the fellow asks. "Is it always this hot here?"

"In July and August it is."  I gathered our lunches and wished him a good day.

As I type this, he should be getting close to his brother.  I hope that the heat doesn't injure him.  Outside right now, it's a balmy 95F with a heat index of 110.