The Pickup Spot

       Clive Winter was a young teenager that did not know what he wanted out of life or what he was going to grow up to be. During the summer he was visiting his parents along with him were visiting his grandparents Ed Winter and Nora Winter in Riverside which was in California. Like any normal teenanger Clive did not want to be seen with his parents all of the time. His parents were Bob Winter and Erica Winter Sellers who were kind loving parents that were good providers. Erica Winter Sellers was a famous author of fantasy mystery novels while Bob Winter was a civil engineer. They had agreed that over the summer Clive could be left at The Midnight Gala Mall by himself on Saturdays in order for him to go shopping and to go to the cinema. The pickup spot where Clive's parents would pick him up was an outdoor bench seat with a roof.

     The other member of the family who lived near Ed Winter and Nora Winter was Clive's uncle George Winter. George Winter was a botanist who had become rich by forming the company Biodryn. George has a great deal of knowledge on molecular genetics, epigenetics and plant biochemistry. Plant biochemistry was the study of the chemical processes used by plants. Some of these processes were used in their primary metabolism like the photosynthetic Calvin cycle and crassulacean acid metabolism. Others make specialized materials like the cellulose and lignin used to build their bodies, and secondary products like resins and aroma compounds.

     George for most of his life had been a loner, but his nephew Clive did like spending time with him. His uncle George was the one that was teaching Clive how to drive and he had a great collection of classic cars. George was also a great mechanic that could fix any type of car which was a skill that he learned from his father. Clive also liked the garden that his uncle had since it was a great place for him to write his personal thoughts in his diary. George was an avid reader as he had a massive library full of different novels. Clive also liked to read.

       One Saturday afternoon Clive was waiting for his parents after he had seen an action film. He had called them to let them know that he was going to be waiting for them at the roofed outdoor bench seat where he always waited for them before they took Clive to his grandparents house. There was a bus that stopped there to pick up people, but Clive had never taken it. Clive's parents drove a 2024 Toyota Highlander. Clive then suddenly felt a cold gust of wind around him. A few moments later, he saw that his parents had arrived. Bob and Erica were glad to see him. They told Clive that his grandparents were happy to spend time with him and that they wanted for them to come back and visit them for the next summer.

       Clive's parents left him where they always had left him which was at the front of his grandparents house before they parked the car a little bit further down the street. As Clive entered the house his grandparents Ed and Nora looked extremely sad and they hugged him. Then they told Clive that his parents had died in a car wreck earlier during the day. At first, Ed and Nora thought that Clive was with his parents when the crash happened. Clive then ran outside of the house to see if he could see his parents car outside, but it was not there. Clive was also able to find out that his father's Oupinke gold watch was not found on the wreck.

     Later on, Clive attended the funeral of his parents with his grandparents and his uncle George. George had obtained his brother's 2024 Toyota Highlander and he had decided to fix it up. George always remembered that his brother Bob always looked out for him. Eventually, Clive moved in with his grandparents and his uncle would see him regularly. Being in a new school in a new state was a big change for Clive, but he made it work. Clive had made a couple of friends in Gilda Winans and Brandon Tonlin who belonged to the drama club of the high school. Clive was still mourning his parents, but he had his relatives to look after him. Clive had never told anyone about what had happened to him on the pickup spot on the day when his parents had actually died. Clive had convinced his grandparents to take him to The Midnight Gala Mall during each Saturday. After Clive had gone to see a movie he then went to the outdoor bench seat and sure enough Clive saw the ghosts of his parents driving up to pick him up.

      Clive got inside the car every time and during every time he told both of his parents everything that he had wanted to tell them. His hopes, dreams and what he liked. He also told them how much he loved them. Clive wrote down all of what was happening and his grandparents thought that he was taking the bus back to their home which he was not. On the last ride with his parents Clive's dad and his mother told him that they loved him and his father gave Clive his Oupinke gold watch. They told Clive that their time was up and that this was their last ride with him. Clive's mother Erica then told her son the following words: "We will always be with you in your heart. It is time for you to follow your own path my  son. Learn to follow your own dreams."  Clive took those words to heart and he kept the gold watch inside a drawer in his room. The following Saturday Clive's grandparents were going to take him to The Midnight Gala Mall and then Clive's uncle George showed up in the 2024 Toyota Highlander that had belonged to his brother. George told Clive that it was now his car and that from now on it was time for Clive to forge his own path in life. Clive then asked his uncle George and his grandparents if they wanted to go and see a movie and they all went with Clive. It was at that time that Clive realized that he was now taking the road that he was now supposed to take.

                                                             The End