Eventually Zig fell asleep. When he awoke Magnet was sleeping at the wheel, slumped over it.
Of course the truck was stopped.
Magnet looked exhausted. As if he had been driving for too long.
Hey, Magnet, Zig said, shaking his shoulder.
Magnet answered, not moving.
Where are we? asked Zig.
Magnet stayed quiet.
Zigzag figured he'd fallen asleep.
We crossed the Texas border, Magnet answered drowsily.
Crossed it where?
Magnet sat up.
How long have I been sleeping?
It's more a question of how long have I been driving? Magnet yawned. He flashed his teeth in the early morning light. I'm more tired than back at Green Lake.
Do you know how many miles we've traveled?
Enough to be away. Let's get going again.
Where we going?
What does it matter. We have no drink or food or shelter. Nothing but what we carry and this truck. There isn't anywhere we can't go if we want to.
Sounds cool.
Magnet wired the car again. We'll have to get some gas soon.
I guessed that much.
About a hundred miles 'til empty.
A little.
Then sleep some more.
Zig nodded. Soon he was sleeping again, and dreaming of rain pattering on the roof and his mom humming to him.
He awoke with a start.
The radio was on, but only static was coming through it.
Magnet was gone.
The truck was by the side of the road, outside a town.
Zigzag looked around for Magnet, but he seemed to have disappeared.
Zig played with the radio tune dial until he found some cheesy country music.
He left it on to drown out the silence.
Magnet said suddenly.
Zig jumped. Hey. Where you been?
Had to take a leak, Magnet smiled. He climbed back into the truck.
Why not wait until we got that town?
'Cause I really had to go.
Zig laughed.
Your laugh is good; you should laugh more.
But then again, there isn't much to laugh about, is there?
Say something in Spanish.
It sounds interesting.
What do you want me to say?
Um . . . cat. Say cat.
Zig laughed again.
Magnet smiled. What's so funny about that?
It's just funny. Zig tried to say it, but it sounded funny. I can't say that right.
You don't have the accent right, Magnet said.
He parked the truck at a small building. It appeared to be a small diner, and there was a help needed sign in the window.
Let's go see what they need help with, Magnet said.
He hopped from the truck.
Zig followed. I don't wanna wash dishes, he whined.
You will if you have to.
They were hired.
No questions asked.
And they had to wash dishes;
wash floors;
peel potatoes;
chop carrots;
serve;
and clean table tops.
Over all, they each made fifty bucks after several hours.
They climbed back into the truck and swerved away.
The town was soon behind them.
This should take us out'a Oklahoma, Magnet said.
What's after Oklahoma? asked Zigzag.
Magnet shrugged. I dunno. I wanted to go to New Mexico, but I went the wrong way, and I'm not turning back now.
New Mexico? Why?
Close to home.
Okay, not really.
Why then?
Well, never been there before.
Interesting conversations.
Weird ones.
Say that again.
Weird ones.
They both laughed.
Man, you should laugh more too, Zig informed Magnet.
Magnet smiled broadly. Never gotten that complement.
Zig shrugged.
Of course the truck was stopped.
Magnet looked exhausted. As if he had been driving for too long.
Hey, Magnet, Zig said, shaking his shoulder.
Magnet answered, not moving.
Where are we? asked Zig.
Magnet stayed quiet.
Zigzag figured he'd fallen asleep.
We crossed the Texas border, Magnet answered drowsily.
Crossed it where?
Magnet sat up.
How long have I been sleeping?
It's more a question of how long have I been driving? Magnet yawned. He flashed his teeth in the early morning light. I'm more tired than back at Green Lake.
Do you know how many miles we've traveled?
Enough to be away. Let's get going again.
Where we going?
What does it matter. We have no drink or food or shelter. Nothing but what we carry and this truck. There isn't anywhere we can't go if we want to.
Sounds cool.
Magnet wired the car again. We'll have to get some gas soon.
I guessed that much.
About a hundred miles 'til empty.
A little.
Then sleep some more.
Zig nodded. Soon he was sleeping again, and dreaming of rain pattering on the roof and his mom humming to him.
He awoke with a start.
The radio was on, but only static was coming through it.
Magnet was gone.
The truck was by the side of the road, outside a town.
Zigzag looked around for Magnet, but he seemed to have disappeared.
Zig played with the radio tune dial until he found some cheesy country music.
He left it on to drown out the silence.
Magnet said suddenly.
Zig jumped. Hey. Where you been?
Had to take a leak, Magnet smiled. He climbed back into the truck.
Why not wait until we got that town?
'Cause I really had to go.
Zig laughed.
Your laugh is good; you should laugh more.
But then again, there isn't much to laugh about, is there?
Say something in Spanish.
It sounds interesting.
What do you want me to say?
Um . . . cat. Say cat.
Zig laughed again.
Magnet smiled. What's so funny about that?
It's just funny. Zig tried to say it, but it sounded funny. I can't say that right.
You don't have the accent right, Magnet said.
He parked the truck at a small building. It appeared to be a small diner, and there was a help needed sign in the window.
Let's go see what they need help with, Magnet said.
He hopped from the truck.
Zig followed. I don't wanna wash dishes, he whined.
You will if you have to.
They were hired.
No questions asked.
And they had to wash dishes;
wash floors;
peel potatoes;
chop carrots;
serve;
and clean table tops.
Over all, they each made fifty bucks after several hours.
They climbed back into the truck and swerved away.
The town was soon behind them.
This should take us out'a Oklahoma, Magnet said.
What's after Oklahoma? asked Zigzag.
Magnet shrugged. I dunno. I wanted to go to New Mexico, but I went the wrong way, and I'm not turning back now.
New Mexico? Why?
Close to home.
Okay, not really.
Why then?
Well, never been there before.
Interesting conversations.
Weird ones.
Say that again.
Weird ones.
They both laughed.
Man, you should laugh more too, Zig informed Magnet.
Magnet smiled broadly. Never gotten that complement.
Zig shrugged.
