Big Yellow Taxi

Chapter 30

"You want me to come with you?," Rick asked. Daryl shook his head. The man had already done enough for him. Rick not only bought his bike, he let Daryl use his shower and gave him a set of clean clothes. Then he gave him a ride all the way out here.

"I got it," Daryl assured him as he climbed out of his car. He took a few steps before he turned back and leaned down into the open window. "Thanks," he said. Rick smiled.

"Anytime," he replied, with a tip of his hat. And with that he turned the wheel of his car and drove away kicking up a small cloud of dirt and gravel behind him.

Daryl took a deep breath. Then he started walking towards the building where he hoped he would find Rowan. His mind was swirling with emotion. He was excited at the thought of seeing her again. And glad he could return the money his brother stole from her. But Daryl was also nervous. And scared. Even if he could right the wrong that was done, he knew Rowan still might not want to be with him.

Daryl approached the back of the building first. That was the way he guessed most people came in and out of the place. He knocked on the screen door and waited for a few minutes. But no one came. So he headed around to the front, intending to knock on that door and hope for some response. If there wasn't one, he decided he would just sit on the porch and wait for Rowan to show up. She lived here. So he figured she would have to show up eventually. Daryl only made it halfway down the narrow flagstone path before he heard the sound of glass breaking.

"Oh my goddess," Lola cried out, stepping back to avoid the large shards of glass on the porch. She was so shocked to see the man that her mason jar full of iced tea slipped right out of her hand. "Daryl!," the woman cried, "you came back!"

Daryl watched the woman. She sidestepped to avoid the broken glass. Then Lola climbed up onto the porch railing and leaped down, clearing a small bush and landing softly in the grass. She rushed at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tight.

Daryl was taken aback by the woman's overly familiar greeting. He allowed the contact but made no move to hug the woman back. Instead he held his hands awkwardly up and away from her body. He thought these people were pissed off at him. For stealing from them. Being greeted with so much affection felt strange.

"I didn't see this," Lola gushed, "I had no idea you'd come back."

Daryl reached inside his jacket and pulled out a bulging envelope. He shoved it forward, placing it into Lola's hand. Her fingers closed around it as her other hand closed down around Daryl's free hand, her fingers pressing gently into his marred flesh. Her eyes fluttered closed. And then her eyes were moving beneath her eyelids. Like she was asleep and having a nightmare. Except she wasn't. When she opened them, she started up into Daryl's face.

"You didn't take that money did you?," she asked, though it was clear she already knew the answer. "Your brother did."

Daryl nodded, confirming her statement. No matter who took it, the money was repaid now. So he hoped the whole ugly situation was over and done with.

"Where's Rowan?," he asked.

"She left this morning," Lola told him, the pain fresh in her voice and in the expression on her face, "...she went home with her father."

"When's she comin' back?," Daryl asked.

"She isn't coming back. Roe was so upset when you left, she wouldn't even get out of bed. Her father took her home to live with him."

The words hit Daryl like a punch in the gut. Rowan was gone. He missed her by half a day. But he was still holding on to a little sliver of hope. Maybe he could go get her from her father's house.

"Where's he taking her?," Daryl asked.

"Back to the reservation. In South Dakota."

South Dakota? Daryl sunk down onto the flagstone path and buried his head in his hands. He just sold his only means of transportation. He had no money for a bus ticket. Not even one cent to his name. And he had never even been out of Georgia before. He wasn't sure exactly how far South Dakota was. But he was definitely sure that it was a long ass fucking way from where he was. And he didn't even know where he was going. Daryl allowed himself to wallow in his misery for a moment. Rowan's mother had her hand on his back, rubbing it gently as she apologized over and over for blaming him when the money went missing. She jumped back when Daryl suddenly leaped to his feet.

"I'm gonna go get her," he announced. He wasn't sure how. But even if he had to hitchhike the entire way to wherever South Dakota was, he was going. Lola called after him, telling him to wait. But he was already halfway down the walk. He made it just past the parking area when Eric and Aaron caught up with him. Aaron was peddling a vintage purple bike. Eric was riding in the basket, holding onto the handlebars for dear life. In their excitement to catch up with Daryl, they nearly ran straight over him, turning at the last minute and careening into a bush.

"What in hell?," Daryl hollered.

"We're gonna help you get Rowan back!," Eric hollered as he tried to extricate himself from the bush. His foot was caught under the bike. When he yanked his leg in an attempt to free himself, his shoe slid off and he flopped face first onto the ground.

Help me? Daryl thought. He wasn't even sure these fools could help themselves out of that bush. Daryl stepped forward, seizing Eric by the arms and pulling the man onto his feet. Then he grabbed Aaron, fishing both him and the bicycle out of the bushes.

"You wanna help me?," Daryl asked. Both men nodded emphatically. Daryl glanced at the shiny purple bike. "I don't think we can git ta South Dakota on that."

"No, but we have a bus," Aaron announced with excitement, "...come on!" He walked his bike back down the path. A wise choice given what Daryl had seen of his driving skills. Eric was hopping along beside Aaron with one shoe on. Daryl shrugged his shoulders and followed after them, praying the entire time that the bus Aaron was referring to was not the bright yellow VW Daryl saw in what passed as their mechanic shop.

"See!," Aaron said, pointing into the barn. As Daryl feared, Aaron was pointing directly at the disaster of a VW mini bus that Daryl poked around inside of the week before. The thing was an absolute mess. Half the engine was lying around covered in bits of hay. And even if the thing was in tip top condition, old style VW's were terrible to begin with. Daryl fought the urge to bury his face directly into his palm. He glanced back the way he came, trying to decide if hitchhiking was sounding more appealing to him than trying to get this shitbox of a bus running.

"I've been working on it," Aaron announced proudly, holding up his Auto Mechanics for Dummies book for Daryl's inspection.

"Lemme see that book," Daryl instructed. Aaron eagerly handed it over, sure that the book was about to be put to good use. Daryl took the book and hurled it, throwing it far away with as much force as he could muster. The book spun in the air like a frisbee, finally landing in the gravel drive some distance away. Eric took one look at Aaron's face and exploded with laughter.

Daryl grabbed an empty plastic tub off the ground near the bus. He started by taking all the smaller parts of the engine and putting them in the tub. Then he knelt down in front of the open hatch and looked inside, trying to determine what was missing and what parts were no longer serviceable.

"We can help," Eric offered, quickly adding that if Daryl needed something they could get it for him.

"What I really need is another damn beer," Daryl grumbled. He nearly started laughing himself when Eric took off out of the barn like a rocket to fulfill his request. He wasn't really expecting the man to fetch him a beer. He was just being sarcastic. But if Eric wanted to get him a beer then he would take it. And probably a few more before the night was through. Because one way or another, he was going to be on the road by morning.