I can't hear anything in this damn car. Nothing except the sound of gravel crunching and my suspension begging for mercy. I don't even know where I'm going in all honesty but some cowboy pointed me down this old dirt road. My bad, I guess
Jesus, my legs and ass are tingling. When aren't they tingling these days? I'm always in this damn van finding work. I'll be damned if I'm ever mistaken for a homebody. Rather shovel shit than spend all my days on my ass. Pops didn't raise a layabout...I need to write him another letter soon.
I feel like I'm melting. Why is Texas so dry? How does anything live around here? Seen and heard all kinds of animals driving 'round here. Can't see much past the fields of sunflowers, though. At least the scenery is nice. I've always liked sunflowers.
Hm? What's that? I see something... or someone in the distance. I squint my eyes to see the hobbling blob on the side of the road. Jesus Christ! HE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! My heart hits my ass as I brake and swerve out of the way. The way my head is spinning, I almost don't notice the man approach my window. I notice him when he's tapping, he don't even look a bit sorry. Hell, he probably doesn't even know I almost hit him. I roll down my window as fast as my arms can crank.
"Are you okay? What in the Lord's name are you doing out in this heat?!" The young man squints at me funny before smiling.
"I, I'm walking home, think you can give me a ride? It's not too far from here!" I shake my head in disbelief. I could be a serial killer and here's this guy asking for a ride! I unlock my passenger side and give him a smile.
"Sure, I'm not in much of a hurry anyway, take the passenger side, I have supplies taking up the back." The stranger climbs into the passenger side, stretching his legs out. "You must be local, do you know if there's a gas station nearby? I'm running kinda low." He flashes me another smile.
"Sure enough, it's by my house! My brother works there with our ma!" I smile back. This guy seems all right. So far, anyway.
"Well, that sounds downright lovely. If they're as good company as you I might not leave." The stranger seems stunned for a second but the comfortable silence assures me that he's not too shy. I turn up the radio when Johny Cash comes on. Hopefully, my new friend has some taste.
We have been driving for a while. I wonder how far this station is. Turning over to my passenger, my vision goes from white to black. I blink hard, stomping on the brake to avoid any unseen potholes. Jesus fucking christ. I look over to make sure my traveling partner hasn't smashed his face into my windshield. He's smiling at me with all teeth, tinkering with a camera. Now that I'm not blind, I can see it's a pretty new one, looks like a decent model. Must be the creative type. He seems ecstatic as he peels the developed picture away, his mouth forming an open, toothy smile like a child at Christmas. He puts the slightly blurred photo in my face, a nervous look crossing his face.
"It's $2....it's a good picture! It's a good picture..." Oh I see. Must be how he gets his money. I smile and take the picture from his hand. It's a little blurry but nothing too bad.
"I got some cash in the glove compartment, take $4 as payment, we can take another picture together before I drop you off!" The young man is almost vibrating in his seat with anticipation when I finally pull into the dusty gas station. "Let's take the picture in front of the van!"
We both scramble out of the car and line up for the shot. I give him the biggest smile I can when the flash blinds me yet again. I really hope I didn't blink. These photos ain't cheap. We both watch excitedly as the film develops. Clear as day, there I am in my dirty coveralls in front of my dusty-ass van. I almost look like my dad. I pocket the new picture as we walk inside the Last Resort Gast Station. An old man is sitting behind the counter while an old woman with frayed hair stocks the shelves. She scowls at me from behind her glasses and sighs when she sees the man. Do they know each other?
"Nubbins where have you been boy? Tommy needed help with grandpa this mornin' when you up and left!" Huh, not the worst name I've heard but who is this lady?
"I was lookin' for meat for supper, didn't find any...but, but this lady did give me four bucks for some pictures of mine!" The old lady raises an eyebrow at me. I nod, I did pay for his pictures after all. They're good pictures.
"At least you brought something for all your trouble then. Next time, help Tommy before running off, he's got his hands full with his work as it is." Nubbins nods, handing the lady the money he got from me.
"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt any but do y'all happen to have gas in that pump out front, I'm gettin' low." The old man shakes his head.
"All out till the delivery comes later today, you'll hav' ta wait." Well, shit. I run my hands through my hair with a sigh. Beggars can't be choosers I suppose. It's not like I have enough gas to find another station anyway.
"Is there a hotel nearby? I could check in and stay since I'm not in a rush to go anywhere. Maybe try and find work with the locals here." The old lady looks at me with a small smile.
"Only us out here, dear. Well, us and my siblings. You can stay with us if you're so keen on workin'" My jaw feels like it nearly hit the floor. What's up with these people? Southern hospitality be damned, I'm a stranger. I could be dangerous!
"Are, are you sure? I don't wanna impose!"
"Can ye clean and cook?" I nod. "You know anything about children?" I nod slowly, as an idea works its way into my head.
"I can offer some supplies too, ma'am! To share with y'all. I have cans, water, and first aid!" The old lady's smile gets wider.
"Please, call me mama. We'd be more than happy to accept some more food on the table. Drayton over there can help you find work later." The old man, Drayton, scowls at me. Makes me wanna shrivel up and disappear. Maybe it would be best to stick by mama and Nubbins 'till the others warm up to me.
"Now what's your name dear?" I whip my head back to Mama and give her my best apologetic smile. It's not polite to just space out while talking to people.
"Name's Bo, a pleasure to meet you, mama" She holds my hands firmly. For the first in a long time, you feel embarrassed about how calloused your hands have become.
"How polite, my Tommy will love having you around the house when we're here!" I smile at her the best I can. In reality, it feels like my stomach is full of bees.
"I sure hope so, don't want any bad blood with a man sharing his home." Mama smiles at me before looking at Nubbins who's restocking the shelves in her place.
"Help Bo find the house, Nubbins, sweety. I'll call Tommy and tell him to clean up and give her a tour." Nubbins grabs my hand, pulling me toward the van, talking a mile a minute. His hand is...greasy? Either that or its dried sweat.
"We ain't had an outsider over in a long while. Don't you mind ugly old Thomas either, he's just shy. We especially don't get a lot of girls in our neck of the woods!" I nod, thankful for the warning. I'll just have to be extra polite when introducing myself to the third man. I look over to Nubbins from the driver's seat and grab his attention.
"Hey Nubbins, how exactly are you related to Drayton and Thomas?" Nubbins slaps his leg and cackles. I'm sure he's laughing at how nervous I probably look.
"Don't worry your head about it. They're just my brothers! I'm not crazy enough to live with a bunch of strangers." I sigh with relief. Hopefully, Thomas isn't as cold in character as Drayton.
Time is certainly not on my side with this god-forsaken trip. I eye my fuel gauge warily, the needle getting closer and closer to empty. I involuntarily yelp when Nubbins jerks the wheel into a dusty driveway. I slam the brakes for what feels like the millionth time today. My lungs feel like they're struggling to catch up with my heart. I whip my head to look at Nubbins, a cold sweat forming all over my body.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Nubbins! What were you thinking?!" Nubbins frowns for a second before smiling in his way again. Must be a nervous habit.
"You almost missed the turn." I huff, letting my back thud against the seat. I wipe my face with the rag I keep in my pocket, taking a deep shaky breath. It's okay, I'm okay, we're okay. The completely empty gauge looks back at you, confirming that what Nubbins did was for the best.
"Well, we're out of gas anyway. Can you help me push the van into the grass so we don't get in Mama's way?" He gives me a nod as I turn the steering wheel towards the grass. After what feels like an eternity later, we manage to steer the van out of the driveway and into the yard. My body feels like lead and my skin feels like it's melting. Poor Nubbins doesn't look much better off. I walk around the van and open the back. I lazily rummage through boxes before finding my prize. Bottled water. I give Nubbins a bottle of water before opening my own. He fumbles with the cap before pouring half of it on himself and chugging the other half in seconds. Just hope that water doesn't come back up later.
"All right, I look like a mess but I think we gave Thomas enough time to clean, yeah?" Nubbins just gives me a tired half-nod, leading me to the pretty white house. The porch swing puts a smile on my face and I wipe my dusty shoes on the mat before stepping inside. Hope I get time to sit on that swing later.
"Tommy!" You hear a thud upstairs. "Thomas, you fat ass, get down here! We have company!" He pauses for a second. "You better not be wearin' your work clothes either or I'm tellin' Mama!" I hear an angry grunt and another thud. Nubbins smiles nervously. "He'll be here, he probably just doesn't know what to wear." I take a minute to gawk at all the taxidermy in the house. These people either had a lot of free time or a lot of money. I mean it's bones and stuffed animal corpses as far as the eye can see. Nubbins leads me to the living room and I stare in shock at the human bones lining the couch. What the hell kind of backwoods interior design is this? Nubbins seems to notice me staring and gives me a mean look. "What? You don't like my decoratin'?" I shake my head, embarrassed to have been caught off guard. It takes me a bit to find my words. It feels like they're stuck in my chest.
"No, no It, it's just....aren't human bones like super expensive to buy? Was your mama a nurse or somethin'? I've seen some crazy stuff like this in magazines but I didn't take you for the ooky spooky artsy type." Nubbins stares at me for a bit and I feel like my heart's stopped. Did I just dig myself a hole by offending him? God he'll never let you stay now. Nubbins derails that train of thought with a shockingly loud laugh. Now I just feel silly.
"Yeah, Ma took all the study ones before the local clinic shut down, plus sometimes you find homeless folk in the woods who've passed on. Better than letting them rot alone, I say." I nod nervously. I mean it's pretty gross but I also know how small towns treat the homeless. Their remains are probably better off here. At least they'll be remembered, in a way. A second oddity catches my eye. A plump chicken hanging from the ceiling, trilling at me softly. The chicken and I lock eyes for only a moment before the creature returned to its slumber. Stars above what have I gotten myself into?