No Freedom?
I swear I have no fuckin' freedom. After school I usually went down to the hole to go swimmin' if it was hot out or I just went down and messed about the vacant field talkin' to the hobos that lived there. Nice enough guys but wouldn't make a good meal. Charlie (The Cook) said that you don't know what they been doin' prior to harvest. Harvest. Now that's a funny word. Hoytt usually called em' cattle or slaughter. But Charlie was more sophisticated and "took no pleasure in killin'" but you do what you gotta do right?
Anyways after school I had to come directly home. No more hole no more meadow no nothing.' Mama said it was because I was technically still to young to be wanderin' off all the time on my own. I knew it was because I almost died that day when Tex shot me. And if mama knew I was talkin' to hobos she's have a fit. Not because I was fraternizing with food but she considered hobos to be very filthy on site and in mind. Who knew what things they could dream up to do you young girls in their dirty minds? I was in no real rush for school to end that day…I was just goin' home where nothin' even remotely fun went on. Unless we had visitors or robbers that thought they were slick enough to come into our home. (more on the robbers later.)
I sighed and rode the bus home in silence. Ignoring all the other kids' songs of inbreeding. "Hey Hewitt. I heard you got blasted in the side. How come you lived?" a boy I knew named Bowen asked. I ignored him no sense in arguing with what cant even understand simple English. "Hewitt. I'm speaking at ya. Ya wanna answer when I speak." I turn my head towards him with an uninterested gaze. "It's I'm speaking to you. Not speaking at ya. Had you the intellect and brain compacity to understand what was taught in grade school then you'd know that by now. But I forget….its you. Smart and you don't go over to well." That earned a small chuckle from the others as they turned and looked. Bowen's fist came forward and I ducked just in time. I rammed my fist into his gut doubling him over and kicked him square in the face about three or four times.
The bus pulled over and the fat bus driver jumped out of his seat in record time (pretty good for a fat man) and grabbed a hold of me and dragged me to the front of the bus and threw my out the door. I landed on my side with an uncomfortable grunt. "Dammit Hewitt! You always have to cause problems. You and your family always causing problems!" he bellowed. I got to my feet as he was driving off and flipped him the bird. I hated him and Bowen. I think I should invite them over for Thanksgiving dinner this year. We'd have the biggest turkey ever, and we'd have some "chicken" for future meals. I grinned to myself before realizing I was late getting home.
I arrived home at 4:45 on account I had to walk all the rest of the way. I had barely stepped inside when mama embraced me in the biggest hug and asked if I was ok. Then she wanted to know why I was late getting home. And it had better be a good reason or she'd fuckin' kill me herself. (not really…mama had threatened my life many times but she'd never actually do the deed.) I told her and I still got in trouble for "fighting in the bus" as mama had told me time and time again…if someone rousts you out just ignore em.' If they go to hit you then don't hold back.
I had learned the reason why mama was on edge. It turned out Tea Lady's place had been robbed earlier in the day. (no one was hurt) and the robbers had gotten away and were still at large. Hewitt and Nubbins was on the lookout for those two. I hoped they would turn up here. As if my prayers were answered I heard the doorbell ring and raced down to get it.