Last Train Home

by Megan Nugen Isbell

  “No. No more questions,” she said shortly, lowering her eyes back to her book. “Be home by midnight.”

  “No problem,” I said, standing up and slinging my backpack onto my shoulder. “I’m going to go do my homework.”

  Chapter Six

  I got all my homework done by the time I left to pick up Holly. I had changed into a pair of jeans and a gray Amherst hoodie, figuring that would be more appropriate for gallivanting on four-wheelers than the fragile tank-top I’d worn to school.

  I hardly knew Jesse, or anyone else who was going to be there for that matter, but I would’ve felt strange going to a birthday party without a gift. Before I’d left Massachusetts, I’d taken a drive to Cape Cod and loaded up on salt water taffy from my favorite road side stand. I’d eaten quite a bit of it during the drive to Kansas, but I still had a few boxes left, so I decided I’d wrap one up and give it to Jesse.

  I plugged Holly’s address into the GPS and I followed it to a small white house in a neighborhood that was not extraordinary to Carver. In fact, it was ordinary and typical. The houses had small front yards with lawn ornaments, some tacky, some not, mostly homemade. They all had porches though.

  When I pulled up to her house, I didn’t have a chance to get out before Holly came bounding out, her light brown hair bobbing up and down. She opened the door and hopped inside, buckling her seatbelt. She guided me to the outskirts of town, leaving the neighborhoods behind us.

  “How far out is this place?” I asked as we’d passed our tenth windmill.

  “I told you Jesse lives out in the sticks. We’re almost there though. Turn right up here, at the next stop sign,” she said, pointing ahead.

  I did as she said and turned onto the dirt road. I hadn’t seen a house for miles; at least that’s what it felt like. Jesse really did live out in the sticks.

  “Is that it?” I asked when I saw a blue house come into view.

  “Yeah. Just pull in and park by the shed.”

  I pulled in and chuckled to myself at the “shed” as Holly had called it. It was hardly a shed, at least not any shed I’d ever seen. It was more like an airplane hangar.

  “What is that?” I laughed.

  “It’s where they keep the four-wheelers and stuff. There’s a game room too with a pool table and an amazing sound system. It may take forever to get out here, but it’s the best place to hang out. Jesse’s dad leaves us alone too so we can basically do whatever we want.”

  “Where’s his mom?” I asked as I turned the car off and unbuckled my seatbelt.

  “Not sure. I guess she left a long time ago or something. Jesse doesn’t really talk about it. His dad’s cool though.”

  So Jesse came from a broken home too. At least we’d have something to talk about.

  Holly and I stepped out of the car and were greeted by two big mutts. Their tails were wagging and I braced myself as the tan one jumped on me and the black one stood at Holly’s side.

  “Rocky! Jasper! Get over here!” Jesse shouted to the dogs as he and Brandon walked out of the house, the screen door slapping loudly behind them. The dogs ran over to the boys and Jesse began scratching Rocky’s back.

  “Sorry about that,” he said as they walked over to us. “They just get a little excited with new people.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said, reaching down and petting Jasper. I loved animals. I’d always wanted a dog, but my dad would never allow it. He said it wouldn’t be fair to have a dog in the city. But, I knew it was just an excuse. He just thought they were messy and didn’t want to deal with it.

  “Happy birthday,” I said, handing him the box of taffy I’d brought.

  He looked down at it and then smiled at me.

  “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

  “I wanted to.”

  “Mind if I open it now?” he asked and I nodded as he began tearing off the blue wrapping paper I’d found in my grandma’s desk drawer. He looked curiously down at the candy and then up at me. “Salt water taffy? I’ve never had this before. Thanks, Boston.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s not much, but it’s from my favorite place on Cape Cod. I hope you like it,” I said, wondering if he thought I was a complete dork for bringing him a box of candy.

  He opened it and looked through the transparent wrappers.

  “Grape’s my favorite,” I said as I reached in and took a lavender piece and handed it to him.

  “Then I’ll try it first,” he said, tucking the box under his arm and unwrapping the taffy. He popped it in his mouth and I could tell he was surprised at how hard it was by the way his jaw struggled.

  “Yeah, it can be a little tough,” I said. “But keep at it.”

  He did and a moment later he swallowed.

  “Whaddya think?”

  “Very good,” he said digging through the box again. “Thanks a lot.”

  “You’re welcome,” I told him and I started to relax a little.

  “I’m gonna go run this inside. I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared into the house for a minute.

  “Where are Laura and Mandy?” Holly asked, looking around.

  “Obviously not here yet,” Brandon said sarcastically.

  “So, do you say things just to antagonize people?” I asked, glaring at Brandon.

  “Yeah, pretty much,” he smirked. I knew he was harmless and even though he was annoying, I liked Brandon for some reason. He was funny and immature and I knew deep down he liked the girls too. He just liked to bait them. It was all innocent fun.

  “You guys hungry? I already started the grill,” Jesse asked us when he returned from the house.

  “Yeah, I’m hungry,” I told him. The sun was starting to set and I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. My stomach started to growl just at the mention of the grill.

  Holly nodded too and we followed Jesse and Brandon over to the gigantic shed. A black charcoal grill was sitting outside. There was a large fire pit a few yards from the grill and Brandon began moving some wood into the pit. He arranged it into a pile and then squirted lighter fluid onto it. He struck a match and threw it, causing the mound to erupt into an enormous fireball. My heart began to pound as I felt the heat wash over my body and I jumped back, not realizing Jesse was standing behind me. I bumped into him and we started to stumble backwards until he steadied us both.

  “What the hell, Brandon?” Jesse shouted. “Did you bring that crap again?”

  “Of course,” he grinned proudly, holding up the bottle of lighter fluid.

  “I told you to leave that crap at home. You’re gonna kill someone!”

  “I’ve never seen a fire like that,” I said, trying to catch my breath.

  “That’s because you’ve never been around a fire created by Brandon,” Jesse said, glancing over to his friend who had a moronic grin plastered on his face. “He’s a bit of a pyromaniac. That bottle isn’t just lighter fluid. It’s a mixture of chlorine and pool cleaner.”

  “That doesn’t exactly sound safe,” I said nervously.

  “It’s not. The first time he brought it over, he singed off his eyebrows and all the hair on his arms.”

  “You guys have way too much time on your hands out here,” I laughed.

  “That may be true, but we’re not all as stupid as Brandon. You wanna give me a hand with the burgers?” he asked. I nodded and followed him back to the blue house.

  He opened the screen door and we walked into a small kitchen. It had simple oak cabinets and older appliances, like at my uncle’s house. I could see into the living room. It had shaggy beige carpet and wood paneling on the walls and I was taken aback by the large buck’s head hanging on it.

  “Do you hunt?” I asked.

  “Yeah. A little,” he said as he dug around in the refrigerator.

  “And did you…did you kill that deer?” I asked skeptically.

  He looked up from the fridge and smiled as he handed me a plate of hamburgers.

  “No. That would be th
e prize of my dad.”

  He stood up, also holding a plate, and we walked back outside. Brandon was still playing with the fire and Holly was glaring at him with annoyance. I followed Jesse back to the grill and then we all looked up as we heard the crackling of tires on the dirt road. Laura pulled her car, an old white Ford Taurus, next to mine.

  Laura and Mandy came up to us, quickly followed by Holly, leaving Brandon to his fire.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Laura said.

  “Happy birthday!” Mandy exclaimed excitedly, holding out a cake she’d obviously spent the afternoon working on.

  “I told you I didn’t need a cake, Mandy,” Jesse said, almost embarrassed by the attention given to him.

  “I know. But it’s your birthday, so I ignored you! I’m gonna go run this inside,” she said and she practically skipped into the house.

  Laura walked into the shed and returned a minute later with a Coke. She joined us by the grill as the burgers cooked and I mentally checked out for a moment as I began to really look around. The sun was nearly set, and it cast a yellow haze on the landscape. There wasn’t another house in sight and because the land was so flat, I could see forever. It was so much different in Boston. There, you could hardly see anything past the clustered buildings in the city. Even outside the city, the hills and trees prevented you from seeing very far at all. I had to admit, as much as I hated to do so, it felt good to be in the open space. It was as if I could breathe more clearly. The air smelled fresh and clean, like it had never been used. The air was different in Boston. There, it was heavy and frequently smelled like sulfur and dirt.

  “Is all this property yours?” I asked as I looked around at the flat land, which was peppered with bushes and trees.

  “Yeah, well…my dad’s. There’s about twenty acres. I’ll take you around on the mule after we eat.”

  “You have a mule? I’ve never even ridden a horse before,” I said, uneasy at the thought of riding a mule and then everyone burst out laughing.

  “What? What’s so funny?” I asked as they all continued to roll with laughter.

  “You can’t be serious, Riley,” Brandon said, almost unable to breathe. “He’s not talking about a mule, like a donkey.”

  I looked around at them, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid.

  “What are you talking about then?”

  “A mule is like a little truck,” Jesse said, finally containing his laughter and pointing to a funny looking red vehicle parked next to the shed. “We use it to get around the property.”

  “C’mon. Gimme a break!” I said, laughing too, even though I felt like a royal idiot on the inside. “I grew up in civilization. We didn’t need special vehicles to get around because we live in the modern world that has all means of transportation. We even have paved roads!”

  “There she goes again, comparing high and mighty Boston to lowly Carver. I’m shocked she’ll even associate with us hillbillies,” Brandon laughed, trumping up his slight drawl into a full blown southern accent.

  “I don’t blame her,” Holly agreed with a chuckle. “This place is a pit. We don’t know any better, but poor Riley, she’s been to the Promised Land and now she’s stuck here.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I said and we all laughed until Jesse spoke.

  “Burgers are ready.”

  Laura and Mandy ran inside the house, returning a few moments later with mustard, ketchup, pickles and hamburger buns. Jesse handed me a burger and soon we were all sitting around the fire, which luckily had dulled to just an orange glow compared to the inferno it had been earlier. It was almost dark now, but the fire provided enough light that I could see everyone clearly. They were laughing and joking, picking on Brandon as I was beginning to notice was the usual pattern. They almost reminded me of my friends back home…almost.

  ****

  “So what exactly is the purpose of this…mule?” I asked Jesse as I climbed into the open air cab of the funny red truck after we’d eaten.

  “We’ve got a whole lot of trails around this place that you can’t exactly get to with a regular truck. Plus, it’s too big to walk, hence the reason for the mule,” he said, running his hand over the dashboard. “It’s kinda old, but it gets the job done. You ready?”

  “I guess so,” I said and Jesse turned the ignition. The mule roared to life and Jesse put it in gear as we lurched forward and took off into the darkness. He gunned it and we sped down the dirt road in front of the house until he abruptly turned the wheel and we jerked to the right. I knew we couldn’t have been going more than twenty-five miles an hour, but it felt as if we were racing down the Autobahn as we bumped along and my hair whipped uncontrollably around my face. The headlights on the mule seemed more like flashlights and I was amazed that Jesse wasn’t crashing into any of the trees whose branches hung over our path.

  “You seem scared. Are you?” he shouted over the engine.

  “No,” I said, even though I was clutching the roll bar with all my might.

  He gunned it again and we flew down a hill so fast I could’ve sworn we caught air. I heard myself let out an involuntary yelp and gripped the bar even harder.

  “Scared yet?” he shouted again.

  “Yeah, just a little.”

  I felt the mule slow down and I could hear Jesse laughing quietly.

  “Do I amuse you?” I asked.

  “Kinda.”

  “And what exactly do you find so funny?”

  “Your innocence.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh.

  “My innocence? I am far from innocent, Jesse.”

  “I mean about this…life in the country. You’re innocent to all of this.”

  “You mean ignorant.”

  “No. I don’t mean ignorant,” he said as he continued to maneuver through the paths, only this time it was at a much safer pace. “I mean innocent.”

  “I’m not a child, Jesse. If you came to Boston, you’d be innocent too.”

  “I wasn’t trying to insult you, Riley,” he said, reaching over and touching my shoulder in a gesture of apology. “It’s just interesting to see this world…my world, through your eyes. Everything’s so foreign to you. Just like if I went to Boston, I’m sure I wouldn’t know what the hell to do with myself.”

  “You’d be like a fish out of water.”

  “I might not be that bad,” he said, trying to defend himself.

  “Oh, yes, you would. What’s the biggest city you’ve ever been to?”

  “You’re not going to laugh at me?” he said, glancing over to me quickly and raising his eyebrows.

  “No, I won’t laugh at you. What’s the biggest city you’ve ever been to?” I repeated.

  “Oklahoma City,” he said and I burst out laughing.

  “Oklahoma City? Yeah…you’d be fine in Boston,” I laughed and rolled my eyes.

  “Hey! You said you wouldn’t laugh.”

  “Sorry,” I said, trying to stifle my laughter.

  “Laugh all you want, but you never know. Maybe someday I’ll surprise you and prove to you that I can survive in Boston, or New York, or Chicago, or Tokyo for that matter.”

  “I won’t hold my breath.”

  He started laughing and floored the gas pedal again. We surged forward and I yelled out as I grabbed onto the roll bar. The path made a sharp right and he pulled the wheel causing me to fall into him.

  “Geez, Riley! Can’t you keep your hands to yourself? I know you want me, but c’mon. We hardly know each other,” he said, smiling over towards me as I straightened myself.

  “Very funny. You’re the one driving like a maniac because you know that’s the only way you could get me to touch you.”

  “Ouch! You’re ruthless.”

  We were quiet for a few minutes and thankfully Jesse had slowed the mule back down to a speed I was comfortable with.

  “So why do you have all this land? What do you guys do with it?”

  “Do with it?” he asked, confused.

&nbs
p; “Yeah. Do you farm or something?”

  He started laughing and I knew I’d made another mistake.

  “No. We don’t farm or keep hogs or cows. My dad just likes it out here. It’s quiet.”

  “How long have you lived out here?”

  “Forever.”

  “Well, what do you do out here?” I continued to prod.

  “We go four-wheeling.”

  “You’ve already told me that. What else do you do?”

  “We hunt.”

  “I can’t believe you hunt,” I gasped in disgust as I thought back to the giant buck’s head in his living room.

  “Is there something wrong with that?” he asked defensively.

  “I just don’t know how you can kill a defenseless animal,” I said, shuddering at the thought.

  “Aren’t we a little hypocrite,” he smirked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You seemed to enjoy that hamburger earlier,” he said and I knew he’d caught me.

  “That’s…different,” I stammered.

  “How’s that?”

  “I don’t know. It just is.”

  “How do you think that burger got on your plate, Riley?” he said, glaring at me again. “Someone had to kill the cow.”

  I stared over at him and I instantly knew I’d hit a button with him.

  “I’m sorry,” I told him. “It’s just that we don’t have a lot of hunters where I come from. I guess I’m not used to it.”

  “Just try and remember that there is a world outside of Boston, it just may be a little different than what you’re used to.”

  I felt like a child being scolded by the teacher. I’d only been in Carver for a few days, but I knew my prejudice towards it was becoming more and more obvious to my new friends.

  The silence was awkward as we continued to drive. I had no idea how far out we were. The sky was black and I couldn’t see any lights coming from the house or the fire.

  “What’s that?” I asked, finally breaking the silence when we passed a raised platform.

  “It’s one of the places we hunt,” he said, stopping the mule in front of the platform.

  “You hunt up there?”

  “Yeah. C’mon,” he said, turning off the engine and for the first time I could hear just how quiet it really was out here.