ACT 7
Lily had last of their belongings packed and her tears were dry when Lord went back into the room. Her eyes were reddened from the crying but there was a determined set to her jaw that hadn’t been there earlier.
“Let’s go.” She said flatly and carried her stuff out to the pickup. Lord picked up his bundle and the guitar and followed her out. They climbed into the truck after loading their stuff into the bed and drove out of the motor court. Lily saluted the nosy motel clerk with a raised single finger as they passed the office. Lord chuckled, but he didn’t want anymore trouble so he told her, “Hey, easy there, we don’t want the ‘bird’ police chasing us down. We’re good. Let’s drive for a while and find somewhere to eat later.”
Lily gave him a dirty look, but she nodded in agreement. They hit the highway headed north. Lily took in the scenery on both sides of the road. She had never been this way before. The desert gave way gradually to taller brush and more grasses and the land began to rise. Lord didn’t gawk too much as the truck wandered a bit and he had to concentrate on keeping it between the lines. He did let his mind wander back to Lily’s situation and his experience along the same lines.
Slick drank so much and so often that if he and Charley timed it right they didn’t have to see much of the son of a bitch. Mom didn’t have that luxury. Lord thought that she diverted his attention whenever she could so that her boys didn’t get in his way and suffer for it. Reflecting on it now, Lord wondered why she put up with Slick. If Lily met Mom now and then I explained my experiences with a violent step-dad and his abuse of her, Lily would have a hard time believing it. Mom had regained her dignity and strength but it had taken a lot to get her there.
Lord had run afoul of the sheriff one afternoon. He was wandering through the drug store, fingering the candy, touching the sunglasses, just generally acting like he was casing the joint for a shoplifting run. Old man Jones had spoken to him twice about looking and not touching but Lord ignored him. He didn’t ignore Lord, he called the Sheriff’s Office for some help. Unfortunately for Lord, Sheriff Olsen answered the phone. He came right over. Sheriff Olsen was a big, blonde, blue-eyed, not-so-dumb second generation Swede. He had hands as big as a catcher’s mitt and the biceps to lift anything that they grabbed a-hold of. That day they grabbed a hold of him.
“Boy, I need to talk to you. Mr. Jones can I use your office?” the sheriff dragged/led him back into the office when Mr. Jones nodded yes. When they got in there the sheriff shut the door with a crash. Lord jumped. “Turn your pockets out, then turn around.” he barked. “Put your hands above your head.” Lord did what he was told. His legs began to shake as the implications of this getting back to Mom, and the beating that Slick would give him if he heard of it. The sheriff watched as Lord did as he was told and then stepped up behind him, pinched his hands together and stretched him up so that he was on his tiptoes, and then patted him down, carefully not touching any private areas.
“Now, tell me why you were trying to steal Mr. Jones’ merchandise. He told me that he asked you not to touch and you disobeyed him. Twice. What do you think you were doing?”
“I was just wishing I had money to buy something, so I was pretending to be shopping!” Lord’s emotions finally got the best of him, he broke down and cried. The sheriff let him go until he stopped and dried the tears and wiped his nose on his forearm before he said, “Tell me what’s going on at home.” And Lord did, everything, except about Slick’s violence.
The encounter with the deputy had distracted them from their hunger and so Lord had just driven. Lily had been silent for about an hour then broke the quiet, “I got to pee, can you find a restroom? And hurry please.”
Lord jumped, startled out of his dreaming. He chuckled nervously. “You spooked me. I was thinking of something else.” He looked over at her, her hands were holding her pregnant belly and she grimaced, like she was in pain. “Are you all right?” Lord was suddenly serious, he hoped it wasn’t the baby’s birthday. What did he know about that?
“The little beggar is kicking like a mule, I am trying not to wet myself, so hurry! Lily was rubbing her stomach trying to calm the baby down. “HURRY!”
Lord was desperately looking for signs of a rest area or truck stop but all he could see was greasewood and cholla . He decided that the brush would have to do. He slowed the truck and pulled off on the shoulder and stopped.
Lily looked over at him with a question on her face. “What?” she asked.
“The bushes will have to do, there isn’t anything in sight. I won’t look.” Lord grinned, after he turned his head. She was going to be lucky if she hurried, the traffic was pretty thin today.
Lily’s lips pursed in a pout, but she knew that she had no choice. She decided that rather than wandering out in the spiny brush, she would stay close and lean against the side of the truck. Looking both ways for oncoming cars and seeing nothing but empty road, she undid her jeans and squatted. Relief was instantaneous, the pressure of her bladder and the baby kicking it like a football had been nearly unbearable. Just as she was about to stand up and pull her pants up, a semi-truck crested the little hill behind them with a roar. Scrambling, stumbling, she struggled with the reluctant jeans. Lord watched the trucker in his side mirror, the driver’s eyes widened as he took in the scene of the skinny pregnant girl struggling with her pants that were down to her knees. Lord saw his left arm raise as he grasped the string that controlled his air horn. “WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! The horn wailed in appreciation of Lily’s dancing try at covering her bare behind.
Lily cursed.
Lord’s ears burned.
The truck passed with a couple of tributary toots as it sped on its way.
Finally clothed, Lily climbed back in the pickup grumbling all of the way. “Let’s go. I’m hungry, aren’t you?” she changed the subject. When she didn’t get a response from Lord, she poked him in the arm. “Let’s go!”
He put the truck in gear and let the clutch out, checking for traffic in the side mirror. “Toot Toot” Lord couldn’t resist the joke. He broke out laughing as the truck started to accelerate down the road. He chanced a look at Lily, she was smiling broadly. For some reason Lord thought this was hilarious and he laughed harder, nearly missing his shift to a higher gear. Lily let loose and laughed with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment