Finding My Yellow Brick Road

Chapter Three - The Scarecrow

"Or your good friends, the crows?"

"Yeah, who have dedicated their lives to educatin' you?"

That's it for me. I stood up and stomped over to the crows and whoever they were bullying, my cousin close behind me. But before I can open my mouth to tell them off, the voice of the guy that was stuck speaks up.

"Why, hello, there." I look around and realize that it's coming from the Scarecrow high up on a pole. "You got any loose bills? Spare change? Maybe some dirty ol' dollars clutterin' up your purses?"

I walk toward his other side, just to make sure I'm not losing my mind, and sure enough, he turns as we walk.

"Did you say that?" Dorothy asks, shocked.

"Did I say what?" The Scarecrow returns, cocking his head slightly.

I can't help but be reminded of Ray-Ray; he used to cock his head like that when he was confused, which was quite often.

"A talking Scarecrow," Dorothy tells me, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I can see that, cuz." I tell her, before turning to the Scarecrow.

"Where?" The Scarecrow asks, looking around him.

"You!" I tell him.

"How come you can talk? And what are you doin' up there? And if you're a Scarecrow, how come them crows ain't scared?"

The small group of crows around him laugh hysterically.

"Why that's a bevy of excellent questions which would be my pleasure to answer, if only I had a brain." The Scarecrow tells us sadly.

"I gotchu, brotha'," I wink at him before turning to Dorothy. "Okay, first, he can talk because it's magic, you really shouldn't be surprised, we just met a witch. Second, he's a Scarecrow, it's his job to be up there, and third, these crows are all jerks!" I shout the last word, glaring at the crows.

Finding no good response to me, she turns back toward Scarecrow. "How can you talk without a brain?"

I have no good answer for that one, so I look at Scarecrow.

"Well, I'm not sure, but since I been hangin' up here, there's been a whole lotta brainless people talkin', and it ain't stopped them."

The crows all take a step forward, but I lift my chin and stare them down. They glare at me, but don't come any closer.

"So how 'bout it? Y'all gon' help a brotha' out with some cash or what?" Scarecrow asks.

"What's it for?" I don't know why Dorothy asked that, because it's not like we have any money.

"I'm saving my cents to buy me some sense!" Scarecrow says proudly.

I suck my teeth at him. "How much you got so far?"

"Nothin'," he admits, "whatever I get they take away." He jerks his head at the crows, who have slowly crept closer to us.

"That's rent, my brotha'!" One crow says, stalking up to Scarecrow. "All legit. Everything's on the up and up. Folds don't grow on trees, y'know."

"Dude, it's paper. It literally grows on trees." I tell him.

"Do you want me to help you come down from there?" Dorothy asks, walking in front of the crow.

"Yes!" Scarecrow doesn't even hesitate.

"Why would he wanna come down?" The crow asks, stepping onto the Scarecrow's pedestal. "My man is livin' penthouse high." He thumps the Scarecrow on the chest, and it sounds painful.