Chapter 11
"Johnaha?! Did you just say JOHNAHA?" Beau blurted out.
Everyone looked at him with confusion, with the exception of Joe and Maddie. Joe lowered his hood sorrowfully.
"Do you guys not know who the Johnaha's are? They used to own the giant abandoned ranch in Clay! They're the ones who just up and left one day when they had one of the most successful ranches in Texas!" Beau exclaimed. Big Thing and Austin perked up.
"That was their last name, I couldn't remember!" Austin said with frustration, shaking his hood.
Big Thing looked to his parents, and was lost for words. The ranch where they had the bonfire at and where he had fought Shiloh was his original home. Clay was the town he was born in. Somehow he had found his way back home, without even knowing. A sudden chill went down his chassis when the next thought popped into his mind.
He was the son to one of the most prestigious cattle ranchers in Texas.
"So, what happened? Why did you just give it all away when you had everything?" Beau asked with curiosity. Big Thing nodded his hood, he was curious too. What was worth more to his father than running the ranch?
" 'Cause of you, Arlington. I gave up the entire ranching business so I could be your father," Joe said, picking up his hood and looking Big Thing in the eye.
Big Thing remained speechless. He never thought he would be the reason for them closing the ranch. All his life, with Shiloh's help, he always believed his original parents abandoned him since he was not loved or wanted. It was a shock to his system to find out the opposite.
"What happened?" Big Thing finally mustered out. "If you gave up the ranch for me, why did you end up abandoning me?"
"Like we said before, Arlington, all of our money was taken away, every penny of it. We wouldn't have been able to raise you and give the life we wanted for you. The plan we had backfired; we should've kept the ranch," Maddie said sullenly.
"I've blamed myself for years for my mistake. The decision to give up ranching so I could spend time with my only son resulted in me loosing my son," Joe said, lowering his hood again.
Big Thing looked upon his father, and for the first time he could see misery in his eyes. Unlike Maddie, who displayed her unhappiness in full color when they first arrived to the gas station, his sorrow was more private. Big Thing nuzzled Joe's side and gave him a warm smile.
"I'm here now, dad. You don't have to feel sorry anymore," Big Thing said gently. Joe looked up at him, giving him a faint smile in return.
"That doesn't mean I can't feel like I've failed you and my family, Arlington," Joe replied.
Big Thing lowered his hood. He could understand how his father felt, and he knew he wouldn't be able to change it anytime soon, even if he was in his presence.
Another question surfaced in Big Thing's mind. How did someone manage to steal the entire ranch's fortune, and get away with it? He posed the question to his parents.
"Your guess is as good as mine. The bank couldn't tell us where the money went, and they didn't know who took it. The job ended up being a fraud, but it was so well disguised I think it could've fooled anyone. It was a full time job on a ranch on the outskirts of Houston, that wasn't nearly as demanding as running the ranch. When we were leaving Houston I stopped by the ranch and told them what happened. They couldn't believe someone would post a job like that without them even knowing. The whole thing was so weird that it took me a while to get over the shock of it," Joe stated, a serious tone in his voice.
Whoever took his parents money was crafty and sly, and by the sounds of it the possibility of finding the car responsible was next to none.
Big Thing wondered if his parents did get their fortune back, would they reopen the ranch? The land in town was still available, and locating the part of the herd they sold wouldn't be very hard to do. He wanted to ask, but he didn't want to get them thinking about something that was way out of their reach.
"So, what now? Are you going to stay with your parents instead of coming back to Clay?" Austin asked.
The thought was starting to dawn on Big Thing. The problem was that there was a job and a place to live in Clay. He wanted to stay with his parents, but he knew to this day they still didn't have the money to support him. He also figured he probably couldn't work at their gas station either; there weren't enough customers to support three salaries.
"I wouldn't stay here," Maddie added. "We want nothing more in this world than to be with you, Arlington. Thing is, we don't have any money, and the owner of this gas station won't pay three of us."
Just as Big Thing had figured.
"I have a job back home, mom, and Darla has been letting me live up in her loft. I don't want to burden you, but I promise I will come visit often," Big Thing suggested.
"Bless Darla for takin' care of you. She's the sweetest car I know. I couldn't think of anyone else to put in your care," Maddie replied sweetly, but Big Thing noticed her gaze softened. Darla and her used to be best friends, and leaving Clay destroyed the friendship they had.
"Wait, I got an idea!" Austin chimed in. "Why don't you guys come back to Clay with us? Even if it's only for a day, you can see everyone and tell them Big Thing is your son!"
Joe and Maddie exchanged uncertain glances.
"We've been hidin' out here for a reason. We don't want anyone to know who we are and what happened to us. It would be shameful, an embarrassment to the family name. It wouldn't be wise to show our faces to an entire town we let down," Joe replied solemnly.
There was silence. Joe had struck a point. If anyone in Clay, let alone the state of Texas knew what had happened to them, their name would be put to shame. They put up with a life in poverty to protect themselves.
However, Big Thing was not satisfied with his father's response. His parents had lived the life they had lived far too long. They were clearly miserable, and nothing good was coming out of staying in hiding. Their son had come back into their lives, and Big Thing knew he was the only opportunity they had to change their condition.
"Haven't you been hiding long enough? How much longer can you live this way? At least come back with us to Clay, I need to show everyone who my parents are. That's the most exciting news the town will have heard in a while," Big Thing said sternly.
Luke laughed a bit. "Sorry Big Thing, but the biggest news won't be you found your parents. It will be you found the Johnaha's, and they turned out to be your parents."
Big Thing pleaded again for his parents to return with them to Clay. They exchanged uncertain glances again, but finally agreed they would come. Maddie told Joe to leave the cattle horns at home, since they would immediately attract attention. He agreed, and with his wife's help they were removed off his hood. Without them, he looked like any old Chevy Blazer.
Joe called up the gas station owner, and told him he would be away. Everyone could hear the owner start to get sharp with Joe about leaving, but when he mentioned Arlington had been found the owner protested no further. He gave Joe and Maddie the time off.
Joe put the phone back on the receiver with a click. "Alright, we're ready. The tractors will be taken care of while we're gone," Joe said, addressing Maddie. He looked nervous, and Maddie did as well.
There's nothing to fear, Big Thing thought, and caught himself before saying it out loud.
While everyone was filling up on gas, Joe grabbed a map and drew out the route. When everyone was ready Joe gave the map to Beau and he took the lead. Big Thing flanked the rear with his parents at his side.
They were en-route to Clay. Big Thing knew that when he returned, the town was never going to be the same. He looked at his parents beside him and the long road that stretched out before them. A chill went down his chassis when the thought occurred.
I'm going home.
