Free Sailor & Lula by Barry Gifford

jagged, yellow teeth.
    â€œThanks a lot,” the boy said as he settled into the car, stowing his pack on the floor between his feet. “I been standin’ out there off and on for two hours, ha-ha! Since noon about, ha-ha! Cops catch ya hitchin’ on a
interstate around here they throw ya on a county road crew for a week, ’less you can pay the ticket, ha-ha! Which I ain’t got, ha-ha!”
    â€œMy name’s Sailor, and this here’s Lula. What’s yours?”
    â€œMarvin DeLoach,” said the boy. “But ever’body calls me Roach, ha-ha! Roach DeLoach, ha-ha!”
    â€œYou always make that strange little funny laugh when you talk?” asked Lula.
    â€œAin’t laughin’, ha-ha!” said Roach.
    â€œWhat you got in the box?” asked Sailor.
    â€œMy dogs, ha-ha!”
    Roach slid the top off and tilted the box slightly toward the front. Inside were six small husky pups that couldn’t have been more than two weeks old.
    â€œI’m headed to Alaska, ha-ha!” said Roach. “These dogs is gonna be my sled team, ha-ha!”
    â€œThis kid’s crazy,” Lula said to Sailor.
    â€œWhere you from, Roach?” Sailor asked.
    â€œIf you mean where was I born, it was Belzoni, Missi’ppi, ha-ha! But I been brought up in Baton Rouge.”
    â€œWhy you goin’ to Alaska?” said Lula. “And where’d you get them puppies? They look sick.”
    Roach stared down into the box at the baby huskies and stroked each of them twice with a religiously unwashed hand. The dogs whimpered and licked his dirty fingers.
    â€œI saw this movie on the TV, ha-ha! The Call of the Wild. I ain’t never seen snow, ha-ha! I got these dogs at the pound. Nobody wanted ’em, ha-ha! Ever’body here got theirself pit bulls or some kinda hounds. I’m gonna feed these boys good so they’ll be big and powerful and they can pull me real fast through the snow, ha-ha!”
    Roach pulled a piece of raw cow’s liver out of one of the pockets of the field jacket and began ripping little bits off it and feeding them to the dogs.
    â€œSailor!” Lula screeched when she saw this. “Stop! Stop the car now!” Sailor pulled off the road onto the shoulder of the highway and stopped. Lula opened her door and jumped out.
    â€œI’m sorry, but I can’t take this,” she said. “Roach, or whatever your name is, you come out of there with them dogs this instant!”

    Roach stuck the liver back in his pocket and pulled his pack and the box of tiny canines after him. Once he and his belongings were deposited on the roadside, Lula hopped back into the car and slammed the door.
    â€œI’m truly sorry? I’m truly sorry, Roach,” she said. “But you ain’t gonna make it to Alaska? Least not any part of the way with us. You’d best find a party to take care of those dogs proper, before they all die? And, if you don’t mind my sayin’ so? You could most certainly use some serious lookin’ after yourself, startin’ with a bath! Bye!”
    Lula took a pair of sunglasses off the dashboard and put them on.
    â€œDrive,” she said to Sailor.
    Once they were rolling again, Sailor said to Lula, “You don’t feel you was a little hard on the boy, honey?”
    â€œI know you’re thinkin’ that I got more’n some of my mama in me? Well, I couldn’t help it, Sailor, I really couldn’t. I’m sorry for that boy, but when he pulled that drippin’ hunk of awful-smellin’ meat out of his pocket? I near barfed. And them poor diseased puppies!”
    Sailor laughed. “Just part of life on the road, peanut.”
    â€œDo me a favor, Sailor? Don’t pick up no more hitchers, okay?”

TALK PRETTY TO ME
    â€œKnow what I like best, honey?” said Lula, as Sailor guided the Bonneville out of Lafayette toward Lake Charles.
    â€œWhat’s that,