Well everybody, from the author that brought you "You Needed Me" and "His Free Time", here's my first multi-chapter story. A little romance. With just one hitch, there's an Original Character. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mario Bros. or anything affiliated with them. I do own Travis. Enjoy.
Mario sat on a bench at the bus station in Toad Town next to his sleeping brother, Luigi.
"We've been waiting for two hours. Where is this so-called cousin of ours?" He exclaimed as he put his head in his hand with an exasperated look on his face.
"Yaaaaawnnn…. Hmm.. Maybe he missed his bus." Luigi said as he awoke from his slumber and stretched.
The brothers were waiting for their cousin from another town in the Mushroom Kingdom. And he was running late. They had received a letter saying that he would arrive on the 2:30 bus. But it was pushing 5:00 and so far they had not seen hide nor hair of him.
Mario was becoming impatient. No one stands between an Italian and his Linguini luncheon with his favourite Princess.
"I can't believe I had to call and cancel my date with Peach. We ought to just leave and let the guy find his own way to our house. Why did he have to choose today of all days to arrive?"
Mario was interrupted by the sound of a sputtering car engine. People all over the bus station stopped to see an old white Lincoln Continental coughing black clouds of smoke as it rolled into the bus station. Mario hoped it wasn't who he thought it was. But to his disdain, a man dressed in a white three-piece suit, with white shoes, a white shirt, a blue bow-tie, a white fedora with a blue hatband, and a crucifix necklace stepped out of the hunk of junk. It was his cousin, Travis.
"Well, this guy certainly knows how to dress, eh Mario?" Luigi said as he nudged his brother.
"Yeah, it's like he just came from a wedding or something." Mario said as they got up to go greet their cousin.
Travis looked around to gather in his surroundings when soon his eyes found his cousins. He walked over to them and greeted them.
"Well, good afternoon, cousins. It's been a while, ain't it?" Travis said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.
"I'll certainly say so. You were supposed to be here two and a half hours ago! Where were you?" Mario asked, his face turning slightly red.
"Mario, remember your blood pressure.." Luigi said, trying to keep his brother calm.
Travis merely let out a laugh. "Now, now, cousin, no need to get worked up. I'll tell ya, the road gettin' here was rough. So rough in fact that one of my tires went an' blew out on my way here. It took me a good hour to replace that tire. Then, as I'm drivin' along, my car breaks down. So I gotta push her all the way to a gas station to find that she had an oil leak. Well, I got the leak fixed, but the dummy that fixed my car accidentally poured oil in the gas tank. So now my car's a billowin' that horrid ol' smoke. And it'll keep doin' that until I fill er' up again. But, I'm here now, safe n' sound. So let's get goin' to your house, cousin." Travis said with a southern accent that was much different than any accent the Mario Bros. had ever heard before.
"He's right, Bro. We should get home. We can take Travis to meet Peach tomorrow morning." Luigi said as he scratched his ear.
"Wait, I just have one question. Why didn't you just ride the bus?" Mario asked with a questioning glance.
Travis laughed once again and replied. "You wouldn't believe me if I told ya, but I woke up late this mornin' and missed my dern bus. Unbelievable, ain't it?"
"It sure is." Luigi said as he nudged his brother in a joking fashion.
"Well let's-a go home. I'm tired, and we have to get up early in the morning." Mario said as he started to walk toward his house.
"Well, if your tired, cousin, We could all ride in my car. There's room enough for all of us." Travis said as he motioned toward his car.
That sounds like a plan to me." Luigi said as he hopped in the passenger seat.
"Well, if that's what you guys want to do, it's fine with me. Let's-a go!" Mario said as he clambered into the car. Travis jumped into the drivers seat and cranked up the old vehicle. Black smoke billowed from the tailpipes as they drove on down the dirt road to Mario and Luigi's house.
Hope you like it. Take care, and God Bless.
The Preacherman.
