by Joy Redmond
Cat started running and Will ran behind it. When they reached the stream, Will lay down on his belly, cupped his hands, scooped water and drank. He filled his hands several times before his thirst was quenched. “Do ya want a drink, Cat?”
Cat eased its way to the water’s edge and lapped the cool water. When they had their fill of water, Will picked up Cat. “I don’t know if ya be a girl or boy, but since I be a boy, I think ya be one, too. We’ll just be two boys lookin’ fer a home. We need to head back to the road. We might get a hitch.” He put Cat on the ground. “I gotta carry my book and my sack, so you gonna have to walk. Keep up with me.”
Will looked back at the stream. “I think I’ll put my feet in that cool water. Maybe it’ll help the pain.” He sat down and pulled off his socks and saw the blisters on his toes. “No wonder they hurt too bad to put on my shoes.” He stuck his feet into the cool water and it felt wonderful, though it was a bit colder than he was expecting. In a few minutes the water seemed warmer and the longer he soaked his feet the better they felt.
He had no idea how long he had been soaking his feet but the sun was getting higher. “It’s gonna get hot soon and it sure would be fun to take off my clothes and get in the stream, but I reckon we need to get on, Cat.”
Will put his socks on, and he and Cat walked back toward the road. He saw his shoes, which told him he was going in the right direction. “I think Gram give these to me,” he said, as he stooped and picked them up. “I wanna keep ‘em even if I can’t wear ‘em.” He threw them over his shoulder.
Soon, Will and Cat were walking side by side up the gravel road. “If we didn’t have to climb up and down so many hills it wouldn’t be such a hard walk. No wonder Gram was huffin’ and puffin’ when she come to see me. I ‘bout run outta air myself. But look at you, doin’ just fine!” Will noticed that Cat walked on the side of the gravel road where there was dirt and a few patches of grass. “Good idea, Cat. I think I need to walk in the dirt. That gravel gets hard on the feet. Ya sure are smart. I shoulda thought of it. But ya see, I ain’t spent much time outside and I ain’t got it all figured out yet. You sure be a good travelin’ friend.”
The sun was high in the sky and Will was getting hot. The pasture land he’d see along the way had now turned into woods on both sides of the road. Will walked into the woods and he and Cat sat under a tree. “I think it’s time to take my shirt off. And I think we need to just stay under the tree fer a spell and cool off.” Will took off his shirt and stretched out on the ground. Cat lay beside him.
As Will lay on the ground, his mind traveled back in time to all the things he’d heard while he was in the box and the house was full of people. When he made the same sounds he’d heard when he was talking to Gram, that’s when she explained how babies were made. When he repeated the words he’d heard from the people who were visiting Bee, Gram said they were cuss words and he wasn’t supposed to repeat them.
Will sat up. “Cat, Gram told me what they was doin’ when they made all them sounds but it didn’t make no sense to me and it still don’t. And she said I weren’t s’posed to cuss, but well, shit, it’s about all I ever heered.”
Cat seemed to like it when Will talked, so he continued. “Bee said if it weren’t fer the coat hanger lettin’ her down, I wouldn’t be here. I reckon she put me on a hanger and I didn’t stay, I just kept on fallin’ down, so she had to keep me. That don’t make a lick of sense to me.” Will’s mind went back to the last thing he remembered before Mean Man socked him. He was sitting on the floor in the front room, eating a biscuit and Bee yelled from the kitchen, “Shit! What’s he doin’ here so early?” Bee ran into the front room and grabbed Will’s arm. “C’mon. Get in here,” she said, as she started pulling him toward the box. But Mean Man was in the house before he had been locked up.
Mean Man yelled, “What’s that little turd doin’ here?”
Bee answered, “He got lost and wandered in here. I was tryin’ to get him out my house, but he’s balkin’ like a mule.”
Mean Man walked over to Will and said, “I know how to deal with his kind.” Will saw a fist coming toward him but he didn’t have time to duck. The next thing he remembered, Bee was wiping his face.
He reached up and pulled the cotton from his ear. “I’m tired of this thang.” He pulled it out and saw the dried blood. He threw it on the ground and stomped it with his heel. “I hate that mean bastard!”
Will held his hand to his ear, waiting for blood to run out. No blood came. When he pushed on the side of his head it was sore, but he could hear better, somewhat. “I reckon it done healed, Cat. Bee said it would, just like she said my teeth would come back after they falled out. They ain’t growed back yet and it be hard to bite my chicken, so I just gnaw on it with my back teeth.”
Will stood up and stretched his body as far as he could. His feet didn’t hurt, so he decided it was time to get on up the road. “Wonder where that road is gonna take us. I ain’t seen a car or truck since I been out here. We ain’t gonna get a hitch if’n nobody comes by. C’mon. We just gotta keep on walkin’, I guess. I ain’t sure what we’s s’posed to do. And I ain’t gonna remember anything that took place before today. I done left all that shit behind me. It’s gonna stay behind me.” He looked toward the sky. “Sorry, Gram. I just got a little heated and said a cuss word. You just watch over me and Cat and we’ll do good on our own.”
Will and Cat reached the gravel road. “No tellin’ where we gonna end up. I reckon it don’t matter. What’s up ahead ain’t gonna be any worse than what’s behind us.”
When the sun started going down, Will was too tired to go on. “Cat, I think we need to find us a spot in the woods and rest up.”
Cat trotted off toward the woods and Will ran after him. “Don’t go too far, Cat. We won’t find our way back.”
Cat stopped and started digging in the ground. Will watched in amazement when Cat squatted, did his business, then covered it up with the loose dirt. “Is that how ya do it when ya shit in the woods? Well, I reckon I might as well do that myself. First though, I gotta pee. I wish we could find another stream. I’m thirsty again.”
Cat lay down on the ground.
“Yeah, I reckon you’s tired, too. We done walked a long way. I think maybe we be the only livin’ things in these here parts.” Will lay on the ground, put his arms under his head and deeply sighed. Then he heard a sound. He sat up. “Do you hear that, Cat? It sounds like water. I think there’s another stream around here.” He cocked his head. “It’s comin’ from that direction,” he said as he pointed his finger.
Will ran toward the sound, dodging tree limbs and stumbling on the underbrush. Then he saw it. It was too big to be a stream. His book had a picture of a river in it, but it wasn’t big enough to be a river. He took his book from under his arm and thumbed through the pages. “Here it is, Cat. This is a picture that Gram called a creek. I remember every picture and every name that she called 'em. I can’t read the words, but I can read pictures.”
Will looked down at the creek. It had a steep bank but he thought he could slide down it, get a drink and climb back up. “C’mon, Cat. Let’s get a drink.” Cat wouldn’t budge. “Suit ya’self. I’m going for the water.”
He dropped the sack that held the last piece of chicken, placed the book beside it, then scooted on his butt. He began to slide a bit faster than he was expecting. He grabbed a tree branch that was hanging over the water and hung on. His body came to a stop before he fell into the creek. “That was fun! Ya should come on down, Cat. Just slide like I done. It made my belly tickle.”
Will glanced over his shoulder and he couldn’t see Cat. He laughed. “Now that’s really a scaredy cat.”
Will turned loose of the branch and just before he lay down on his belly, he saw a can. He picked it up and since it didn’t seem dirty, he dipped the can into the creek. He filled it up three times before his belly felt full. He filled it a fourth time and began the climb back to the top.
“Cat, where are ya? I brung some water with me. After I eat my chicken I’m gonna be thirsty again.” He opened his sack and pulled out the last chicken leg. “I would share with ya, but I done et ‘bout all I got.”
Will looked around. “Cat. Cat, where are ya. I—” Will stopped in mid-sentence. Cat was coming toward him, holding a squirrel in his mouth. “Well, look at ya. Ya done went and caught yer own supper. Good Cat.”
Will ate his chicken and drank the water from the can while Cat finished off the squirrel.
“Well, Cat, do ya wanna chase some squirrels just fer the fun of it? We can play fer a while ‘fore we start off again.” Cat ran behind a tree and Will saw a squirrel scamper across the ground. “I’ll help ya. We can catch’ im!” Joy filled Will’s heart as he and Cat chased squirrels. Though they didn’t catch one, it had been the most fun Will had ever had.
When darkness came, Will said, “Cat. I think we need to bed down fer the night. I’m tired and we won’t figure out which way to go. I reckon we can just pick us a big tree and stretch out. It’s gettin’ kinda cool so ya need to stay close by me and keep me warm.”
Will lay on the ground, and Cat snuggled under his arm. Suddenly, Cat hissed and ran. Will realized he must have dozed off. He sat up and looked around. He could see eyes glowing in the dark. He heard a low growl. The thing was coming closer. His heart pounded. Then he saw the long, heavy fur.
“Well, it be a dog. You want to bed down with me and Cat?” The creature came closer but wasn’t growling. It stuck its nose on Will’s arm as if it were trying to smell him.
“Lay ya’self down, big boy.” It lay down beside Will and snuggled closely. Soon, Will drifted into a sound, peaceful sleep.
Will awoke when he felt the weight of the warm fur leaving him. He opened his eyes and saw his new friend running off. In the daylight, Will realized it looked a bit different than the picture of the dog in his book. He picked up the book and quickly thumbed through the pages. “No way!” he exclaimed when he found the picture he was looking for. “That was a wolf?” Will realized he was talking to himself because Cat had not returned.
He stood up and brushed the dried grass and twigs from his trousers. “Cat. You can come back. Wolf is gone. C’mon on back, boy.” Will waited and waited. Cat didn’t return.
He picked up the can, went down to the creek, filled it, then climbed back to the top. Cat still wasn’t there. He shook his head and with a heavy heart he picked up his book, kicked the empty sack with all intention of leaving it behind, then he decided it might be a good idea to keep it in case he found something he wanted to keep. He folded the sack and put it between the pages of his book. He sighed deeply and headed in the direction he hoped would take him back to the road.
Once he was on the road, he looked toward the sky and waved. “Mornin’, Gram. I’m off again. Thank ya fer sending the wolf to keep me warm. And if’n ya sent Cat to me, thanks fer him too. I don’t know why he had to act like Bee. He just up and runned off. Which makes me think he was a she. I sure hope I find a hitch today. I’m so tired of walkin’.”
When Will looked down he saw Cat. “Well, ya was waitin’ fer me to find the road. I reckon the wolf done went and skeered ya, huh? Well, it was a nice wolf and it kept me warm. We best be gittin’ on our way.”
When the sun was high, there were no woods on either side of the road. He saw ditches, tall grass and pastures. He took off his shirt and tied it around his waist. He hadn’t walked too far when he heard a strange sound. Soon, a car came into view. He started jumping up and down and waving his arms. “Hey, stop. I need a hitch.”
The car stopped and Will ran across the road. A woman stuck her head out the window. “Is something wrong? Can I help you?”
“Ya sure can. You can give me a hitch.”
“If you’re hitchhiking, why are you on the wrong side of the road? Where are you going?”
“Well, it’s my first time to hitch and I didn’t know what side to get on.” He ran around to the other side of the car and opened the door. Cat took off again. “Cat, come back. We got us a hitch.” Cat kept on running.
The lady said, “If you want a ride, then don’t dilly-dally. And cats won’t ride in cars. That cat is gone and I wouldn’t let it in my car anyways. And I’m headed in the opposite direction of where you were headed?”
“Well, it don’t make no difference which way you’s headed, that’s where I’ll go.” He smiled and said, “I’m goin’ as far as ya go fer the day.”
“Oh, dear Lord!” The woman clasped the buttons on her blouse. “I’m not sure I should take you anywhere. Are you a runaway? I don’t want to get into any trouble with your parents or the law.”
“You ain’t gonna get in no trouble. My ma told me to hitch and find Gram and tell her to come take care of ’er ‘cause she’s powerful sick.”
“Well, in that case, I guess it’ll be alright. But I only live ten miles up the road. When I get to my driveway you have to get out. That’s the best I can do.”
“That be good enough.”
The woman cast an icy glance toward Will. “If you’re trying to find your gram, why don’t you know which way to go? I’m going the way you just came from.”
“Er, well, I musta made a wrong turn somewhere. But I’m sure this here way is right now that you’s headed that way.”
“Uh-huh,” the woman answered, but she didn’t say another word until she stopped the car.
Will had never ridden in a car, but it was fun. A car went fast. And he liked the sound it made. How he wanted to keep riding, but the lady said he had to get out.
“Young fellow, I’m not sure you’re telling me the truth. Are you sure you’re going to find your grandmother? And you say your mother is sick?” She looked at Will with hard eyes.
The look sent shivers up Will’s spine and he clutched the book to his chest. “Yes, I swear to the man in the sky. I’m gonna find Gram and take her to Ma.” He jumped out of the car and took off running, glancing over his shoulder from time to time. His shoes were banging against his back and he wanted to pitch them, but he still couldn’t bring himself to let go of anything that Gram had given him.
“I think a hitch is a bad idea. I’ll just walk from now on,” he mumbled under his breath when he could no longer see the car. “I’m glad she didn’t offer to take me in. I don’t like her. I would have turned her down.”
Will hadn’t walked far when he saw a patch of berries against a fence row. He remembered Gram telling him that berries were good, but a body had to be careful because some berries were poison, which meant they’d make him sick, and some would kill him. When he came closer to the berry patch, he recognized them as blackberries. Gram brought him a bucket of them one time when she came to see him. He loved blackberries, even if the seeds did get caught in his back teeth.
He pulled the sack from the book, shook it out and filled it with berries. He ate a few as he picked. His stomach felt full. He climbed back up the ditch and began his walk.
Soon, the gravel road ended. Then he was staring at a highway. He’d never seen pavement. The highway went both ways, and again he had no idea which way to go. He turned in circles, admiring the sights. What were the big poles with lines running every which way? He saw barns, pastures, cattle, and he figured he’d see houses before long. He stepped onto the smooth road and took a left. The pavement felt good to his sore feet.
He hoped he’d find a house soon, and somebody to take him in. If only for the night, it would be a big help. Surely, they’d give him a biscuit and some water. Surely.
Chapter Three
Will liked walking on the pavement, but a few spots were hot. He stepped over to the side of the road. He kept hoping Cat would catch up with him, but Cat didn’t. He was amazed each time he saw a car. Not many passed him, but seeing cars and people gave him hope. And he thought it was strange that cars were on both sides of the road. He wanted to jump up and down and wave his arms, but he wasn’t sure he wa
nted another hitch. “That woman what give me a hitch ‘bout skeered the daylights outta me,” he mumbled.
He kept walking and eating blackberries from his sack. The berries were juicy and he realized he wasn’t as thirsty as he had been when he was walking on the gravel road with nothing to eat but biscuits and chicken. He gathered his courage when he saw another car coming. It was on the other side of the road but he waved his arms and yelled, “Can ya give me a hitch.” The car kept going.
A few more cars passed him by and he decided he was doomed to walking until he could find a path that led to a house. He could see houses in the distance but he couldn’t figure out how to get to them. “Mr. Cloud Man, I need some help here. It’s me, Will Hennie.”
He finished the blackberries, but he saved his sack by carefully folding it and putting it between the pages of his book in case he found more along the way. There were ditches, and when he had to pee, he went down the bank and relieved himself, hoping a car didn’t come by and see him.
He walked until his legs ached and he was about to drop down on the roadside when a truck passed him. “Hey,” he yelled. The truck stopped, then backed up. Fear gripped him. Should he take the hitch?
He was about to run and hide in a ditch when a man yelled, “You need a ride, boy?”
“I need a hitch.”
“Well it’s the same difference,” the man said as he got out of the truck and walked over to Will. “Hold on a minute. I gotta take a piss.”
Will was stunned when the man unzipped and peed beside the truck in plain view of him. The man shook his pee-pee, then put it back in his trousers. Why did he shake that thing?
“Where ya headed, boy?”
“Where ya goin’?”
“I’m goin’ a good way. Just up the road a bit I’m gonna cross the Arkansas border and be in the boot hill of Missouri. Ya wantin’ to go that far?”