There was a small patch of grass near the front door circled in chicken wire.
‘This is my place,’ he said and pulled into the drive and parked the car. ‘It ain’t much but what are you going to do?’
He found a pair of vise grips on the floor boards and handed them to her. ‘You got to use them to get out. These cars are pieces of shit, all the handles broke off in the same year. You can come in if you want.’
‘I’ll just sit in the car,’ she said.
‘Suit yourself,’ he said and got out and disappeared inside.
He came out of his trailer a half hour later dressed in black pants and a pink short-sleeve dress shirt. He’d showered and shaved. He was carrying a small cage with a ferret inside and a paper sack. He walked to the car, opened the driver’s side door, and put the cage and the sack in the back seat. He got in, shut the door, started the engine, and backed onto the street.
He lit a cigarette. The stereo was still playing and he began to sing along with the song in a quiet, broken voice. When it ended, he took a drink off the nearly empty wine bottle, looked at her, and said, ‘What do you think of her?’
‘Who?’
‘The ferret.’
‘I don’t know,’ the girl said. ‘I didn’t really notice her.’
He gave a faint whistle. ‘Come to me, little Emily,’ he said. ‘Come here to me, little one. Show this lady your stuff.’
He called again as he drove, this time in a louder voice. The ferret began making noises and pacing back and forth in the cage.
‘What’s she doing?’ the girl asked. She turned around in her seat and looked at the animal moving about in its cage. ‘She’s running around so fast. Is she upset?’
‘Come on, Emily,’ he said again. ‘Come on, little one.’
He kept talking to her. The same thing over and over. The ferret began pacing quicker, its noises grew louder. The girl sat back and faced the road ahead of them.
‘There’s nothing to be scared of. She’s harmless,’ he said and laughed. ‘We’re just playing.’
He got them back on the main road.
The girl heard noises in the back and turned around again only to see the cage and the small latch door on it open. The ferret wasn’t there, but she could hear it wandering around the floor below her making its way through the magazines and papers and bottles.
‘She’s gotten out, I think.’
‘Has she?’ he said and turned off the music. He looked in the rearview. ‘Did you get out? Jesus, Emily’s good if she did that.’
‘She’s out,’ the girl said nervously.
The man pushed up the speed of the Eldorado, and moved them into the left lane.
The girl got more worried and grabbed the pocket knife that lay between the seat and the door and opened a blade. She lifted her legs up onto the seat.
‘Could you pull over?’ she said finally. ‘I’m sorry, but that thing scares me. I can walk from here.’
Justin eased off on the gas, moved into the right lane. ‘Hell, I was going to see if you wanted to keep her. She’s my favorite one.’
‘I’m sorry,’ the girl said, her voice cracking in fear.
‘Emily,’ he said. ‘Come here, little one.’
The ferret moved slowly underneath the seat and climbed up and moved to between his legs. He pulled the car off the road and onto the shoulder. She set the pocket knife on the floor, and with the vise grips opened the door and got out. She didn’t say anything at all. She just walked away from the car as fast as she could.
He sat there in his car for a long time, holding the ferret and watching the endless rows of cars pass him. He could feel his depression slowly creeping back in, just with that ride, just with seeing the way the girl almost cried. His eyes began to water, he took a drink off the wine bottle, then looked in his rearview for a space, and got back on the road.
Chapter 14
The Lamplighter
The girl walked two blocks before she stopped on the shoulder of the road to look back and make sure he was gone. A clock on the
‘This is my place,’ he said and pulled into the drive and parked the car. ‘It ain’t much but what are you going to do?’
He found a pair of vise grips on the floor boards and handed them to her. ‘You got to use them to get out. These cars are pieces of shit, all the handles broke off in the same year. You can come in if you want.’
‘I’ll just sit in the car,’ she said.
‘Suit yourself,’ he said and got out and disappeared inside.
He came out of his trailer a half hour later dressed in black pants and a pink short-sleeve dress shirt. He’d showered and shaved. He was carrying a small cage with a ferret inside and a paper sack. He walked to the car, opened the driver’s side door, and put the cage and the sack in the back seat. He got in, shut the door, started the engine, and backed onto the street.
He lit a cigarette. The stereo was still playing and he began to sing along with the song in a quiet, broken voice. When it ended, he took a drink off the nearly empty wine bottle, looked at her, and said, ‘What do you think of her?’
‘Who?’
‘The ferret.’
‘I don’t know,’ the girl said. ‘I didn’t really notice her.’
He gave a faint whistle. ‘Come to me, little Emily,’ he said. ‘Come here to me, little one. Show this lady your stuff.’
He called again as he drove, this time in a louder voice. The ferret began making noises and pacing back and forth in the cage.
‘What’s she doing?’ the girl asked. She turned around in her seat and looked at the animal moving about in its cage. ‘She’s running around so fast. Is she upset?’
‘Come on, Emily,’ he said again. ‘Come on, little one.’
He kept talking to her. The same thing over and over. The ferret began pacing quicker, its noises grew louder. The girl sat back and faced the road ahead of them.
‘There’s nothing to be scared of. She’s harmless,’ he said and laughed. ‘We’re just playing.’
He got them back on the main road.
The girl heard noises in the back and turned around again only to see the cage and the small latch door on it open. The ferret wasn’t there, but she could hear it wandering around the floor below her making its way through the magazines and papers and bottles.
‘She’s gotten out, I think.’
‘Has she?’ he said and turned off the music. He looked in the rearview. ‘Did you get out? Jesus, Emily’s good if she did that.’
‘She’s out,’ the girl said nervously.
The man pushed up the speed of the Eldorado, and moved them into the left lane.
The girl got more worried and grabbed the pocket knife that lay between the seat and the door and opened a blade. She lifted her legs up onto the seat.
‘Could you pull over?’ she said finally. ‘I’m sorry, but that thing scares me. I can walk from here.’
Justin eased off on the gas, moved into the right lane. ‘Hell, I was going to see if you wanted to keep her. She’s my favorite one.’
‘I’m sorry,’ the girl said, her voice cracking in fear.
‘Emily,’ he said. ‘Come here, little one.’
The ferret moved slowly underneath the seat and climbed up and moved to between his legs. He pulled the car off the road and onto the shoulder. She set the pocket knife on the floor, and with the vise grips opened the door and got out. She didn’t say anything at all. She just walked away from the car as fast as she could.
He sat there in his car for a long time, holding the ferret and watching the endless rows of cars pass him. He could feel his depression slowly creeping back in, just with that ride, just with seeing the way the girl almost cried. His eyes began to water, he took a drink off the wine bottle, then looked in his rearview for a space, and got back on the road.
Chapter 14
The Lamplighter
The girl walked two blocks before she stopped on the shoulder of the road to look back and make sure he was gone. A clock on the
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