Free Escaping Home by A. American Page A

her chin, looking from side to side. “I don’t know, that’s a lot of gas.”
    â€œI’ll tell you what, we got to run down the road and drop this stuff off, and we’ll be coming back. How about you think on it for a while and tell me what you need.”
    â€œAll right, I’ll think on it.”
    Sarge turned and started to walk back toward the vehicles, but after a few steps, he stopped. He took off his hat and made a show of scratching his head, and said to the old woman, “How about a live hog?”
    The old woman squinted an eye again. “You got live pigs?”
    â€œWe got a couple.”
    As the old woman’s tongue ran over her sunken lips, Sarge knew he had her.
    â€œHow big them hogs?”
    â€œCome look for yourself,” he said, gesturing toward the vehicles.
    The group walked over to Sarge’s buggy, where he pointed at the trussed-up hogs lying in the trailer.
    â€œBig enough?”
    The old woman looked at the boys with her. Their faces gave it away: fresh meat right in front of them. The old woman’s eyes darted back and forth from the hogs to Sarge. He knew it was time to make his play.
    â€œTell you what, I got one that’s bigger than these ones. How ’bout I bring by that one and five pounds of pinto beans, because Lord knows you can’t eat beans without some fatback in ’em, for say, seventy-five gallons of gas?”
    The old woman looked at him. “You say it’s bigger than these?”
    Sarge nodded.
    â€œAll right, that’s a deal.” The old woman stuck her hand out and Sarge shook it.
    â€œWe’ll be back later this evening with your hog.”
    â€œAnd my beans,” the old woman said with a smile.
    The old woman and her boys turned back to the store. As Sarge walked past me he smiled. “Not a bad trade, huh? One hog and some beans for seventy-five gallons of gas.”
    I raised my eyebrows. “Not a bad trade at all.”
    We pulled back on Highway 42 and continued into the forest. The ride was quiet; Mel and the girls seemed to be enjoying getting away from home. We turned off on the dirt road by Chase’s house, and as we passed by we could see the teenage boys sitting on the porch. As we rode by, they looked up, obviously bored as hell. Mel turned to the girls in the back and asked if they knew them. She got the same answer Taylor had given me earlier, that they were stoners and losers.
    Jeff and Mike were hard at work when we arrived—sort of. Both of them had been down at the river fishing, and had fish laid out on the ground in front of them. When we pulled up, they laid the rods down and came to help unload.
    â€œNice to see you two enjoying yourselves,” Sarge barked as they walked up.
    â€œWe gotta eat, ya know,” Mike said.
    Sarge gave him the hairy eyeball. “How’s the fishin’?”
    â€œPretty good actually, lot of fish out there,” Jeff said.
    â€œGood, leave some for the rest of us. Let’s get to work.”
    Mel, Bobbie and the girls went into the cabin to check it out. The interiors of the cabins were very simple. Bare plywood floors and walls made for a dreary feel.
    â€œHey, this is cool!” Little Bit shouted as she came through the door.
    Mel and Bobbie were standing, taking it all in.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Bobbie asked.
    â€œIt wouldn’t be my first choice,” Mel answered.
    â€œYou know how hard it’s going to be do anything without a table?” Bobbie said.
    â€œWe can do it like the Japanese do, and sit on the floor,” Taylor said with a smile.
    â€œI’m not Japanese”—Bobbie slapped her knees—“and these old knees don’t like to crawl around on the floor.”
    Looking around, Lee Ann asked, “Where’s the bathroom?”
    â€œIt’s called a hole outside,” Mel answered. Lee Ann wrinkled her nose.
    â€œIt smells like the cabins at my