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It was the middle of the next day when disaster struck. They hit a pot hole, jumped in their seats and were thrown forward. A loud bang issued from behind them and Alfred stopped the car. He looked at Mei with raised eyebrows and she returned the look.

Alfred climbed out of the car and stood in the dusty road with his hands on his hips. Mei scurried up behind him. "What happened?" She asked. He sighed. "Back wheel blew, honey." He knelt to examine it and then to check for a spare but there wasn't one. He ran a hand through his hair.

"What are we gonna do?" Mei asked, sounding worried.

He looked at the car. They couldn't carry all of her things and they certainly couldn't walk all of the way to Vicksburg. He didn't even know how close they were to the next town. "Well, give me some time to think. . ." He sat on the edge of the road and did his best to come up with something. She stood on the road and watched him, holding a doll.

He smiled, trying to hide his worry. "Well, we could always risk it and take the chance of walking. Maybe the next town is close.

She looked down the road, shielding her eyes with a hand. "It looks far and I can't see a town."

He hopped to his feet. "Won't know till be try." He didn't want to leave the car, some one could go through the luggage and take things. "Hmm. Lets do this, we'll walk on for a mile and if we don't find anything we'll turn back." She still looked doubtful. "I'll carry you if you get tired."

She gave a small nod. "I guess." She took his hand and the two of them set off. After a little bit she asked: "Can you tell me a story?"

He thought for a minute. "How about the time I was down by the creek and I met this French guy. Man he was something. Looney. Anyway, his name was Francis and he really thought he was somethin'. Well, Francis was goin' to head on over to Hollywood and become famous. He said he was gonna get in on the movies and be a big star. Guess he had the looks but. Anyway, man he was soemthin' he was so full of himself. Everybody at the camp wanted to shut him up. Well, guess they felt the same about me cause I ended up at Francis's fire and we got to talking and then about halfway through the night there was this noise like a dog only we knew it wasn't a dog, it was a wolf. You ever heard a wolf?" Mei shook her head. "Well it sounds a bit like this." He demonstrated and she laughed. "So there we were, all out in the open with this wolf howling the night away and we didn't have any weapons on us. We huddled together and were sitting around the fire, scared to turn our backs and that was when the wolf came walking right up to us. He was huge and he stood there, no more than three feet away with his eyes glowing in the dark. And I'll tell you, that Frenchman could fly. He was up a tree before I even knew he'd moved. Well, that left me all alone with that wolf and I stared it down!" Mei gasped. "it took two steps towards me and I took a running leap and ran to the other people's camp. I told them what was up and we watched all night. That wolf didn't leave until dawn and it was noon before that Frenchman came down from the tree. He came down with his hair a mess and his face all scratched up. He claimed that the wolf was rabid but I think that he was just trying to cover for running up a tree."

Mei laughed. "Did he ever make it to the movies?"

Alfred shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe. Maybe one day we'll go to the movies and he'll be staring in one."

"That would be amazing! Then you could say you know a movie star!"

He patted her head. "Yep. Hey, maybe I should go in for the movies!"

She giggled.

"What, you don't think I could do it? I'd be the biggest movie hero ever!" He held his arm up, flexing his muscle.

"Look!" She cried. "Someones' coming!" And true enough a black car came rumbling up. "Hey!"She yelled, waving.

The car slowed. And a man could be seen within. He grinned. "You guys need a ride?" He asked.

Alfred nodded. "Our tire blew out back down the road and we gotta find a mechanic."

"I got a spare if you need it." The man said. You two got any money?"

Alfred scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "No."

The man raised his eyebrows. "Well, whatever. You can still have it." He pulled over and let them in. "I'll take you back to your car." He said.

Mei climbed in the back seat and sat quietly, peering over the front seat.

"I'm Alfred, thanks a lot."

They shook hands. "Gilbert Beilschmidt. So, what were you two going to do about that tire situation if you don't have any money?"

Alfred shrugged. "Dunno. We're headed to Vicksburg, guess we would have had to walk." He laughed a little.

"That little girl walk?" Gilbert laughed. "Fat chance. She's a princes and princesses don't walk that far."

Mei huffed but still liked being called a princess.

"Well, I'd have carried her."

Gilbert grinned. "You her slave?"

"Something like that."

They stopped by their parked car and got out. Mei stood on the side of the road watching as the two men set to work. "Lucky you came by." Alfred said, grunting with effort.

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, damn lucky. I'm headed east myself. Goin' to Georgia, I heard that it's pretty happening out there."

"Happening?"

"Yeah, I'm a driver. I race other cars. Bout the only way I can make money in this damn economy."

"Gambling?"

"Yeah. My brother is real smart, he's back home in California but me, I guess he got the family smarts and I didn't. I like driving. It's fast, dangerous and manly and I'm good at it." They finally got the wheel in place. "Illegal though. And let me tell you, when those cops show up you better drive like you mean it!"

Alfred laughed. "What kinda money do you make on that?"

"Enough to live. Guess if I had a real job I'd do better but then I'd be board as hell. I'm heading to a race not far from here, you two wanna come and see?"

Mei jumped up and down. "I wanna! I wanna!" She cried.

"Guess we will." Alfred said, leaning back against the car and wiping his neck with a handkerchief. "You lead the way.

Gilbert lead them to a deserted farm a couple of miles down the road. There were at least six other cars there and a small crowd of locals who'd gathered. One man was taking bets and another was playing referee.

Mei gave Gilbert a good luck kiss on his cheek and he patted her head. "Good Luck!" She cried, waving.

Gilbert drew Alfred aside. "Here, make a bet on me. Bet ten on me and I'll split it with you., we'll both leave with ten."

"I don't have any money." Alfred said.

Gilbert looked around nervously. "Here." He handed over a couple twenties. "Remember, bet ten and I'll give you half the winnings. This is all my money too so don't you go running with it."

Alfred promised he wouldn't and went and made the bet. He had a strong feeling that if they didn't win, Gilbert would be in a lot of trouble.

"It's starting!" Mei cheered as the sound of engines starting up reached their ears. They were all rather old, rusty looking cars, none of them actually made for racing but if Gilbert could make a living doing it, then Alfred guessed there must be something capable about them.

The race was to the county line and back, there was a man waiting to count the cars when they reached the county line and a prize of twenty dollars for the winner. Mei sat next to Alfred on their car roof and hugged his arm in excitement.

Once the cars were gone, there was really nothing to do. Several sleepy farmers were barbequing and selling what they cooked and one of them took kindness on Mei and gave her a chicken leg, patting her head and she shared it with Alfred. Not long after that, the sound of wheels and engines could be heard in the distance and all at once, Gilbert's car came speeding up ahead of the others. Mei let out a squeal and clapped her hands as he crossed the finish line.

Alfred collected their money. They'd won twenty dollars and he split it with Gilbert who'd also won twenty from the race. He grinned and there was no small amount of gloating on his part. He made his victory known.

It was lat in the night that the racing party departed and Alfred and Mei were left alone with Gilbert. He'd stashed his money and was talking with them while they enjoyed their barbeque.

"Well sure, I've thought about getting a real job." Gilbert said. "But I don't think I will. I like this. It's fun, exciting and I get to see the country. If I piss someone off, there's almost no chance I'll see them again. There's a kind of freedom to never being in the same place more than once of twice." He looked up to the stars and grinned. "I feel really free like this."

Alfred smiled too, pushing up his glasses as he did so. Mei slept next to him, using his knee for a pillow. "That's nice. I've been on the road since I lost my farm./"

"You an Okie?"

"I guess, but I didn't head to California."

Gilbert chuckled. "I'll tell you a secret. I'm from California and it's no better than anywhere else. People are poor there too. Heck, I left." He shook his head. My brother, he's smart. He hasn't let this depression hit him. I admire him a lot but I don't think I could ever be like him. I don't think I could spend my life trying to build something like the way he has. I think if I did, I'd fail. Ah well, some people are builders, some people are destroyers and I'm a flower. I go with it." Gilbert lay down and propped himself up on his arm. "I just go with it and you know? There's something nice about it. It's just me all alone and be damned if it isn't awesome! I get to see the world and do whatever I want!"

Alfred smiled a little but something held him back. "Isn't it lonely?"

Gilbert's smile faded too for just a second. "Heck no!" He said, a little too enthusiastically. "What about yourself? I know that little princess isn't your daughter."

Alfred looked down. "Her parents died. I'm taking her to Vicksburg. There's an orphanage waiting for her."

Gilbert made a noise. "That's awful. Poor kid. You know though, even though I can tell you're not related because she's Asian, if she wasn't, I'd have been fooled." He grinned. "I'd have thought you guys were a proper family."

Alfred looked down again. The thought almost scaring him but at the same time, he liked it. "Really?"

"Really. You take good care of her. I can tell."

"I haven't known her very long."

Gilbert shook his head. "Doesn't matter. If yer meant to be family, then it doesn't matter how long you've known each other."

"Meant to be family, huh?" Alfred looked up at the stars and sighed, thing deep and complicated thoughts.

Gilbert threw a log on their camp fire, making it crackle.

"But we'll be in Vicksburg soon and the I gotta say goodbye to her."

"That's up to you. You can take her to that orphanage and let her live with those strangers or not."

"What do you mean 'or not'?"

"You know. Just keep going with her. I know she's not really yours but I think you two would be happy together." Gilbert yawned. "I'm goin' to sleep. Don't rightly know what I'm saying anymore. Could be saying anything."

And yet, Alfred could not sleep. Now that he thought about it, he did not want to say goodbye to little Mei. Not ever.

Thank you for reading! I'll have the next chapter up soon!