ACT 4
“It’ll be alright…you’ll be alright.” Lord took his hand from the steering wheel and patted her on the shoulder. “You’ll see. There’s no need to cry now, he can’t hurt you now.” She let loose the sobs that had been racking her thin frame. She cried steadily for 20 miles, he watched the odometer. Finally cried out she hiccupped a couple of times, sighed, then leaned against the door. Her eyes closed and she sighed again. Lily fell asleep almost at once; her ordeal and the growing baby inside her had worn her out. Lord grimly turned back to the road, he told himself, “I hope to God I never treat anyone like she’s been treated. Even a dog deserves better.”
Two hours later and north of Phoenix, Lord noticed a sign for a truck stop a mile ahead. The gas tank on the old pickup held 16 gallons and the needle on the gauge was bouncing almost to the ‘E” mark. “Better get some gas while I can”, he said this out loud forgetting for the moment that he wasn’t alone.
His voice awakened Lily who spoke up, “Where are we?”
“North of Phoenix.”
“I’ve got to go. You know.“ she didn’t want to say where she had to go.
Lord did know though, he had to as well and fill the gas tank. His stomach had set up a ruckus an hour ago, rumbling and grumbling. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday and what was left of that he had thrown up this morning. His mouth was dry as a bone too. So it was gas, restroom and supper in that order, coming up in…5,4,3,2,1…there it was the oasis of the highway, ‘Slim Jim’s Truck Emporium. “We’re getting gas here so you can freshen up and then we’ll get some supper. What d’ya say to that?” he told her.
“Hurry up, I GOTTA GO! The baby’s kicking my bladder!” Lily was squirming in the seat. He turned off of the highway and pulled up to a free pump. Lily jumped from the truck and trotted, uh, waddled to the Ladies room around the corner. Lord took the hose from the hanger, turned the dial crank zeroing the dials, lifted the turn-on handle and stuck the nozzle into the tank and squeezed the valve. Gasoline rushed into the empty tank.
The sound of the rushing liquid made the urge to pee almost unbearable, so he walked to the bucket on the ground by the pumps and picked a mesh-covered sponge from the soapy water and wiped the dirty windshield. “Wrong move,” he told himself through gritted teeth. He tossed the sponge into the bucket and tore a paper towel out of the holder and wiped the windshield dry. The nozzle clicked off as he finished. As he was hanging the nozzle back on the pump, the station attendant walked up with his hand out. “That’ll be $8 there, kid.”
Lord reached for his wallet, “Here ya go, got change for a ten? Good, say can I leave the truck here while I use the facility? I don’t think I can hold it a minute more?” The man nodded as he peeled two dollars off of the roll he carried in his money bag. “I’ll be right back.” Lord told him as he took the change and headed to the men’s room.
The relief was almost as unbearable as the full bladder had been. Lord closed his eyes. Scenes of the day rolled past his closed eyelids. “What a day.” he thought. Finishing, he zipped up and washed his hands. He opened the door and stepped out . Right into a burly man, who grabbed him by the front of his shirt. He cocked his free hand, fist closed, and blood in his eye. So to speak. “How’d you like a black eye, kid?” he said.
“Wha… what do ya mean?” Lord stammered.
“I seen that little girl you got with you, I think I ‘ll give ya one to match the shiner you gave her.” The man said through a wad of chew. The smell of the man’s breath about put Lord down. “How’d you like that, buster?”
“Wait! I didn’t hit her! Her Dad did, I’m just taking her to some place safe! Really!” Lord was talking fast, he didn’t need a punch in the face on top of the ferocious hangover he had started out the day with. Just as Lord was gonna repeat the story, a skinny little girl with a big baby bump jumped up and hung on the burly man’s raised fist.
Lily screeched, “Don’t hit Lord, mister! He’s my friend, Don’t hit him!” The man looked her, then at Lord. Relaxing he lowered his arm and Lily’s feet touched the pavement again. “He’s OK, don’t hit him.” She said again.
The man looked down, sheepishly he released Lord’s shirt. “Sorry, I just can’t stand a man’ll hit a woman. It makes me mad. Sorry little lady, I just assumed he was a hitter, that’s all.” He stuck out his right hand in a peace gesture to Lord. Lord made the mistake of taking the man’s offered hand. As their hands clasped, the burly man squeezed like he was cracking walnuts. Lord’s hand bones creaked. “That’s all right friend, I don’t like that either.” He was trying to extract his hand from the vise-like grip. A shout from the station attendant broke the man’s grip.
Lord replied, “I’m coming! Take care mister , we gotta go.” He grabbed Lily and dragged her to the truck. “Jump in, let’s go get something to eat.”
“What’ll it be, a hamburger and fries, or fries and a hamburger?” Lord teased as he drove out of the gas station towards the Roadrunner Burger Shack around the corner. “I think I’ll have two or three, you?”
Lily was silent, she acted like she hadn’t heard what he had said. Lord said, “I’m buyin’. Tell me what you want so I can order.” Still no sound from Lily. He parked the truck right next to the front door. “Really, Lily. I’m buyin’ and I aint’t taking no for an answer.”
She looked at him shyly, “Can I have a chocolate milk shake too?”
“You can have two if you want. Shall we get them to go and eat in our room?” Lord replied. She nodded. “I’ll go get them then, 1 hamburger or 2?”
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