by Kym Brunner
Makes me want to pull her close and tell her not to worry—that I’ll take care of everything. That gives me an idea. I lift my chin and scratch my neck. “I reckon I can remember how. All’s I need is one little kiss from you to start my engine first.” I grin, leaning closer, hoping she’ll meet me halfway.
Instead, she backs away from me, fast. “I can’t. My phobia, remember?”
This phobia of hers is making my patience fade quicker than daylight in December. Right then I decide I’m making it my mission to cure her, one kiss at a time. “I’m staying put until I get one kiss.” I fold my arms over my chest, like I aim to set here awhile. Next thing I know she catches me off-guard, planting one soft, sweet kiss on my lips.
“Okay, let’s go!” she says, her voice filled with worry. “Please, Clyde!”
If we had more time, I would’ve wrapped my arms around her and showed her there was nothing to be afraid of, ’cept right then, the volume of sirens gets louder.
I leap to my feet and pull the handle of the silver car we’ve been leaning against, but the door don’t budge. I look for the rubber lining so I can slide my finger under and pop the button, but there ain’t one. “Hmm… I ain’t familiar with this here sort of car.” I peer inside, cupping my hands to my face to block out the light. “No wonder. This one ain’t got the wires poking out the bottom like it’s supposed to.”
“Oh, I get it. An old car. The kind like when you were alive.”
That lights a fire under my pride. “I am alive, damn it!”
“Okay, okay. Sorry.” She holds her hands up like she’s surrendering. “I didn’t know you were sensitive about that.”
What am I doing? Yelling at her ain’t no way to woo a woman. I take a deep breath. “I guess I ain’t learned how to deal with my past just yet. Now let’s hunt us down a car with the wires sticking out so I can get us out of here.”
We race down the aisle, hunched over, looking left and right. All of a sudden, red and blue lights ricochet off the ceiling, not fifty yards away. We both dive behind the closest car, holding our breaths as the cop car drives slowly past us. I turn my head, looking around for a weapon in case I need one. Instead, I find something else I need—a rusty blue Ford pickup with fat tires and shiny fenders—just like ones I used to steal, only smaller, sleeker. Not in the best shape, but it don’t look half bad neither. I hear the cop’s tires roll over a stick about five cars up the aisle.
“They’re going to find the bus any second.” Twinkle’s voice gets high and whiny, like she might cry. That’ll never work. Blanche nearly got us killed with her constant fretting.
“Hold it together, woman. I think I got us a ride.” I point to the truck across the aisle and two spots over.
And just like that, she goes from sad to glad. “Oh, thank God! Let’s go!”
Now don’t that beat all? Twinkle’s beautiful, tough, and a God-fearing woman to boot. After I check to make sure the coast is clear, we scurry across the aisle, staying low. The oval sign on the truck door says Rojas Landscaping. Peeking under the tarp covering the load, there are shovels, cutting shears, motors, and all sorts of farming tools. Don’t matter to me what kind of getaway car I drive. I pull on the driver’s handle and this time, the door opens right up. Twinkle shimmies in first and I follow. First thing I do is lean under the steering wheel and yank the ignition cap.
“Hurry!” she whispers. “They’re going to find the bus any second!”
“Hold your horses, I got this.” I press the two red wires together and like magic, the truck roars into life. “I tole you I could do it.”
“Yes! Good job.” Her eyes dart every which way while she wrings her hands. “There are about five exits out of here, so I think you’d better—”
“Lookie here,” I explain, cutting her off mid-sentence. I pull the truck into reverse but I don’t back up. Let her sweat it out a bit. I lay my arm atop the steering wheel and turn toward her. “As cute as you is, I been on the lam since looong before you were born, which makes me the boss, got it?”
“Yep, you’re the boss.” She turns her head and I swear I hear her say, “for now,” but I let it go. She might think she wants to be in charge, but if things get rough, she’ll be begging me to take the lead, just wait and see.
I grab the blue baseball cap that’s lying on the seat between us and pop it on my head. “Time for you to disappear, Twinkle.”
She grabs a shoulder belt and snaps it in place. “No. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be quiet as a mouse from now on.” She clamps her lips shut, zips them shut, and throws away the key.
I hide a smile. I know I should be mad at the way she’s sassing me, but I never met a woman so cocksure before. “I meant that the cops is looking for a man and a woman, so uh…” I look at the floor by her feet.
“Oh, whoops. Sorry.” She unsnaps her buckle and slides her curvy bottom onto the floor, scrunching down in a ball like a snake. “Ready.”
I back up, grinning like a fool, aiming the truck the opposite way of the cop lights flickering on the ceiling. Heading for the patch of daylight one room over, I drive slow as molasses so I don’t call no attention to me. I turn onto the ramp and drive straight up toward the sunlight as the cop car passes behind us. When he don’t follow, I grin. Already outsmarted one cop. Looks like I ain’t lost my touch.
When we get on the street, I whistle as I whiz past all the tall buildings. “Chicago sure got a whole lot bigger since last time I was here.” I pat the seat next to me. “The coast is clear. Come on up here. I want everyone to see what a gorgeous gal I got by my side.”
She ignores my compliment, but climbs up all the same. “That was so scary.” She slips onto the seat and fastens her seat belt. “I can’t believe we did it!”
“We?”
“Okay, you,” she says with a smile. “Thank you.” She gasps, pointing to a sign on the right. “Hey! Take 41 South, coming up in a quarter mile. That’s what we want.”
I pinch my cheeks to keep from smiling. Twinkle said “we.” Means she’s starting to think of us as a couple. My plan is afoot. I switch lanes, trusting that her navigating skills are better than Bonnie’s. That girl could steal maps, but she couldn’t read one any better than she could read Chinese. Flashes of light spark in my head and I realize my blunder.
I concentrate on naming the cars around me to get my mind on something else. There’s a red Buick, a tiny gray car no bigger than a tin can, big brown truck that says UPS—and that’s as far as I need to go. The flashing lights in my head fade, and then disappear. I take a deep breath. Forgetting about my old gal is going to be harder than I thought. After the deadline tomorrow, I’m hoping it won’t make no difference who I think about. In the meantime, I got me a good-looking dame to set my sights on.
“Where you heading, Twinkle?” As long as it’s in the direction of Texas, I’ll be fine.
“Anywhere but here. How about south?” She digs in her purse and pulls out her red communicating device. “I can get directions on my GPS.”
I don’t like secret codes unless I’m in on them. “Come again?”
“Global Positioning System. You type in where you want to go and then a satellite—it’s this robot thing that circles the earth—sends back information about how to get there.”
I eye her sideways. “You expect me to believe that, Twinkle?”
She laughs. “It’s true! A lot of stuff has happened since you”—she pauses, her face gets all scrambled like she’s trying to suck the words back in—“I mean, in the last eighty years.”
“How’s about you stop talking about how long I been asleep, and concentrate on our future? How’s about we head to Texas and see if any of my kin can lend us some money? Unless you got some?”
“Sorry. I spend my cash as soon as I get it.”
I chuckle. “Same as me.” As I guide the truck onto the highway, I can barely believe my eyes. The road is four lanes wide and smooth as a lake on a breezeless afternoon. “Sweet Jesus!” I press
the accelerator, feeling the power under my foot. “Yeeee-haaa!”
Twinkle looks behind us, her face a mess of worry. “Don’t go crazy, Clyde. If the cops pull us over, we’re screwed. They’ll run our plates and—”
I cut her off. “Relax, kitten. I know what I’m doing. I’m the best driver there ever was. Got away every time.”
“Not every time,” she mutters, facing forward.
I wish she hadn’t brought that up. “You’re right. Every time except the last time. But that had nothing to do with my driving. It’s because a stoolie named Henry Methvin opened his trap and got me kilt. Goddam squealer.” I picture his face and feel the steam rising up my innards, threatening to choke me. I open the window to get more air in this truck.
“Yeah, I’m sure it was horrible. But try and forget about all of that for now and concentrate on driving. Just so you know, today’s cops have radar—electronic equipment that measures speed,” she says, sounding like a schoolmarm. “Better not drive faster than eight miles per hour over the limit until we get out of the city.”
I like a woman who’s strong, but not one who’s bossy. “You know what? I got this under control. When I need your advice, I’ll ask you for it. Until then, just sit there and look pretty.”
“Ohmigod, you are so… what’s the word?” She twists her hair round her finger, looking up.
“Exciting?” I ask.
She shakes her head.
“Handsome?”
A tiny smirk appears and then fades. “No, um…”
“Sexy?”
She laughs. “No! I was thinking stubborn or chauvinistic.”
I don’t know the second word, but I ain’t got time for book learning. “Stubborn’s about right. But only for your own good. Now what about my idea about heading to Texas?”
She takes a deep breath, fussing with her ring. “Actually, I need to head to Shreveport.”
“In Louisiana?” I rub my chin, wondering what she’s up to. I know there’s a deadline, but the way she was fretting over my speeding means maybe she ain’t as worried about it as I’d think she’d be. “Why? You got kin there?”
She picks up her communicating device. “Um, yeah. And my mom’s buried there. I was thinking I’d stay with my grandma for a while until this whole thing blows over. So, if you don’t mind, we’ll need to take 55 South all the way to Memphis. Then 40 to Little Rock.”
I ain’t sure how much to believe. I got a million questions, and some stuff she’s telling me don’t add up, but I’ll play along until she slips. Because she will. I know firsthand how fibbing gets you into a bigger heap of trouble than the truth. So I’ll pretend I’m a country rube and when she stumbles, I’ll make her do things my way.
“Route 55 South to Route 40 West. The little robot thing called my brain has got it.” I take a deep breath, relishing the warmth on my face and the fresh air in my lungs. Feels good to be doing, not watching. We settle in for a stretch, watching traffic and commenting on the buildings. Finally I say, “So why’d you run in the first place? From what I seen through Jack Daniel’s eyes, you was the one wanting to steal the bus and get out of town, not him. You running from the law, Twinkle?” I smile, having fun teasing her.
“What? No.” She makes a face like she smells something bad. She adjusts her shirt when it don’t need adjusting.
I can’t believe my eyes. “Ha! You’re lying! I can tell by the way you’re acting.”
“No, I’m not. You’re crazy.” She stares straight ahead, taking her ring off and setting it on a different finger, and then back again.
I seen her do that same thing on the bus when they was trying to get away. “Look at you, all nervous. Come now, Twinkle, fess up. Nothing I hate worse than liars.”
She sighs, rubs her eyes. “Okay, yes, sort of. I’m on probation right now.” She aims her finger at me. “Don’t get all weird about it. It’s not what you think.”
I grin. “A fellow con! Will you look at you? What you on the lam for?”
“Vandalism—but I haven’t been convicted, so I’m not a con,” she snaps. “Not yet anyway. They’ll drop the charges as long as I stay out of trouble for a year.” She leans back on the headrest. “Of course, I just screwed that up, didn’t I?” Her voice cracks, like she might cry.
My heart pinches up in my chest. I remember my first arrest, the one I got for not bringing back a rental car on time. “Not for sure you didn’t. There’s lots of ways to get out of it. Coppers arrest the wrong person, or they don’t got no evidence.” I smile—not to cheer her up, but because knowing this about her puts me into an even finer spot. I can make her do anything, go anywhere I want, under the threat of avoiding arrest. Sticking with me is her best bet. I know she’s got to arrive at that idea on her own, but there ain’t no crime in helping her see the light. “Besides, if you keep on the run, they might never catch you.”
“I don’t want to keep on the run.” She examines her fingernails, picking dirt out from under one. “I’ve never been to jail, but it can’t be as bad as hiding out for the rest of my life.”
Anger claws at my ribs, trying to get out. But I can’t lose my temper again so quick, or she’ll harden her heart to me and become bored—the way she looked when she was with Jack Daniel at the party. I take a deep breath and work at keeping my voice even. “If you ain’t ever been, you really don’t know which is worse now, do you?” The big buildings on the side of the road are gone and small shabby houses have taken their place. I bring the truck up to eighty, feeling the power increase.
“Fair enough. But I want to go to college and if I ran, that would be the end of that. This whole conversation is pointless.” She opens her window. “Can we talk about something else?”
“College? My, you really are a smart one!” I can’t stop grinning, wondering how I got me such a fine woman at my side with both brains and beauty. I watch the sun hitting bits of glass on the side of the road, and the patches of wildflowers mixed along with garbage, thinking about all the million questions I have for Twinkle. I finally settle on the one that’s most pressing—what will happen at the deadline. I need to be sneaky about it though because I ain’t even positive she knows there is one. “How’s about once we get to Memphis, you and me get a room at Harbin’s and go see hear some Memphis blues in the city?” A sign announces distances to cities I never heard of. “We could hear some music, drink some wine, maybe get cozy…” I raise an eyebrow, wondering what she’ll say to that last idea.
Twinkle sits up right quick. “What? No, we have to drive straight through. We can take turns driving, but I need to get there by tomorrow morning.”
That means she must know about the deadline too, or she wouldn’t be in such a rush. I’m going to stir the hornet’s nest a bit and see what flies out. “Why is that? No disrespect to your mama, but she ain’t going nowheres. It’d sure be sweet for us to have some time to get to know each other. You and me got a lot in common. If you give me a chance, you might even like me back.” I switch lanes, going around a slowpoke that keeps patting the brakes for no good reason.
“Who knows, but unfortunately, I won’t have time. I have to go to a funeral. Starts at nine.” She starts fussing with the folds of her skirt, twisting the fabric between her fingers.
“Is that right?” Her lies are getting thicker and more troubling. “Who died?”
She glances my way, enough for me to know that her eyes read scared, not sad. “My Uncle Tim. Crazy dude. Drank too much.” She fusses with her ring again. “It was very sudden.”
“Oh good. Because I thought maybe you was worried about some sort of deadline.”
“Deadline?” Her eyes flicker, but she tries to shrug it off. “What are you talking about?”
I’ve pulled her chain long enough. “Come now, Twinkle. I already tole you I don’t like liars. I figured out the deadline way before Dimwit did. You tell me what you know, and I’ll get you there safe and sound—and on time.” As long as I’m alive at the end
of that rainbow, that is.
She plays with the doodad on her necklace. “There’s nothing to tell. All I know is that tomorrow morning we’ll find out if we’ll continue sharing our bodies—I mean, if you and Jack will keep sharing your body—or if you’ll go back to where you came from.”
I knew she’d slip. I heard that sour note and I ain’t gonna let it pass. “What was that? Why’d you say sharing ‘our’ bodies like you is sharing a body too?”
“Nothing. No reason. Wasn’t thinking, that’s all.”
Twinkle’s hand lies on the seat between us. I wonder if that phobia of hers could come in handy now. I reach over and place my hand on top of hers, holding it tight. “Tell me the truth and I’ll let go of you.”
She shakes like a rattler before squealing, “It’s me, baby! I am trapped inside of her, the same way you are. She’s lying to you, Clydehopper!” Twinkle’s voice sounds different, like she’s from Texas too.
Hearing her use Bonnie’s nickname for me makes me let go of Twinkle’s hand like it’s on fire. Alarms go off in my head. “So it’s true! Bonnie’s inside of you!” I check the road and then look back at Twinkle. A tiny flash of light races past my eyes. Go away! I roar. The lights fade.
“No, but I do a pretty good imitation of her, don’t I?” She folds her hands up by her neck, eyes fluttering. “Oh, Clydehopper,” she drawls. “I’ll do anything you want because I’ve got no personality of my own.” She shrugs. “See? I’m a good actor, aren’t I?”
I stare at her, a grenade ticking in my chest. I’m not fooled. “Eyes don’t lie. You been keeping this from me. Bonnie’s inside of you. I heard it with my own ears.”
She looks out her window. “No, Clyde, she’s not. You’re just mad because I used her baby nickname for you.”
“It’s not a baby nickname. She called me that when—” I remember how she used that name whenever she was trying to lighten the mood, make me laugh. Lights flash across my mind.
“When what? When wittle Clydehopper got a boo-boo?” She giggles.
The lights flash again, brighter, faster. “Stop it, I said!” I point my finger in her face. “You say it again and I’ll push you out the truck.” That ought to make her heed my word from now on.