Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 21:48:13 -0600 From: michaelpete@hushmail.com Subject: Where There's a Will Chap 5 Dear readers: Please consider supporting Nifty with donations as that is how they are able to continue their great work. Ten bucks is fine though more is a lot better. Be advised that in the following one will find graphic sexual depiction between minors and minors and adults. The story is fiction but based mostly though not entirely on real characters, events, places and situations. There is no relationship between the names used and that of any real person. Send comments to michaelpete@hushmail.com. Michael Peterson CHAPTER V A NEW HOME I encouraged William to go on. "So where did you go from the trailer?" He took a deep breath and raised his eyebrows lazily. "Ah din't. Some man cum an' closed the doh' up good an' put a lock on it. Nex' thang ah knowed, it wuz bouncin' aroun' `cuz we wuz movin. Ah din't even git up. Ah knowed ah cun't open up that doh' an', anyways, it wuz gittin' me away frum them Migra men wuz chasin' aftuh me. Ah figguh'd we wuz goin' ta sum sto' theah in the city but he kep' on goin' an' purty soon ah could tell we wuz on a hahway `cuz it wuz real smooth an' he din't stop none fo' a long tahm `til they weren't no laht no mo' an' it was naht. An' ah was real, ah mean real hungry `cuz ah ain' et no breakfust an' it wuz tahm fo' dinnah an' cole too so ah pulled up some a that cahdboa'd they had on them furnitures wuz theah an' ah got unnuh it an' it wuz bettuh but it wuz still cole an' ah wuz shivv'rin' sumtahms. "An' then he stopped an' ah fugguh'd we wuz wheah he wuz goin' o' wheah he wuz gonna buy sum gasoline but he din't open up the doh' an' din' git goin' so ah figguh'd he wen' off ta sleep sumwheah an' ah did too but not a lot `cuz it wuz so damn cole. Then, in the mo'nin' ah wuz awake when he stahted up agin an' got ta that hahway an' we wuz goin' fo' ah don' know how long an' mah stomach wuz hurtin' `cuz ah ain' et nothin' all that tam but then ah could tell we wuz off'n that hahway `cuz it felt differnt an' we wuz stahtin' an' stoppin' a lot an' turnin' an' mo' stahtin' an' stoppin' an' ah figguhd he wuz wheah he wuz gonna open the doh' an' `e did an' ah wuz hidin' behin' them furnitures in theah an' they opened up the doh's an' when they had that machine lifts stuff up an' puts it dayon, ah got behin' this big box raht up to when they took it out the doh' an' they weren't lookin' at wheah ah wuz so ah jumped on dayon an' ah run fast as ah could wif them shoutin' that ah gotta stop but ah din't. "Real quick, ah knew ah wuz in anothuh city but ah didn't know wheah jes' that it wuz a whole lot colduh than wheah ah wuz the day befo'. My jacket weren't neah wahm `nough so ah wen' inside this sto' sole hambuhgers but they wuz almos' all mah three dollahs ah had in mah pocket so ah wawked dayon mebbe three o' fo' blocks an' they wuz this supuhmahket, not a big'un lahk the Wahlmaht but ah bought sum cupcakes an' this orange drank cost a dollah sumthin' an' ah et it theah inside but this pohliceman din't say nothin' mebbe'cuz he saw ah only had this li'l jacket an' it wuz real cole outsahd. "Well, then, ah seen people carrying bags all full of stuff outen the doh' an' sum a them wuz ladies so ah figguh'd ah wuz gonna make me some money an' carry sum a they's stuff. Most a `em wuz waht so ah weren't skeered they wuz gonna make me go wheah they wuz niggahs an' they wuz gonna rob me. Well, sho' `nuf, this one ole lady says okay an' ah carried this big bag all full a food `n' stuff she wuz carrying an' we went lahk fo' o fahv blocks an' she give me fifty cent. So ah went back an' foun' me anothuh an' anothuh but then these three waht boys, bigguh'n me `cep' one, they cum up aftuh that las' house an' they wan'ed mah money. Ah tried to run but they knocked me dayon an' almos' tore off mah pants taking e'ry thing ah had including mah li'l radio frum the Christmas befo'. The one mah sahz kicked me couple tams befo' they wawked off. "Well, when ah got back to the sto' lookin' all pissed, the pohliceman asted me if'n sum boys stole mah money an' ah said yes an' ah'm wonderin' how he knowed but he tole me tha's wah weren't no boys doin' it no mo' `cuz they's alus gittin' they's money stole an' he knowed they wuz three an' even one wuz a kid `bout fo'teen name a Mahtin an' had red hayeh an' he wuz raht `cuz the big one had red hayeh lahk he said. "Well, ah had a idée. If e'ry tahm ah got back ah lef' mah money wif the pohliceman, they might git whut ah jes' got but ah wuz still gonna have sumthin' back heah at the sto'. So ah tole the pohliceman whut ah wuz thankin' an' he lahked it an' said okay so ah done that. An' e'rey tahm ah got done wif a lady, ah'd run instead a wawkin' an' ah only got robbed one mo' tahm that day but it wuz jes' the one lahk me an' this othuh `bout mebbe thirteen an' they jes' taked mah fifty cent outta mah pocket an' hit me once in the heyad. So, that day ah had me fo' dollahs an' mo' an' bought me a hambuhger an' frahs an' this bottle a watah. The next problem was where to sleep. It was February and bitterly cold for a lightly clothed boy accustomed to the weather of the deep south. Certain there were welfare ladies ready to snatch him up there as well as where he'd come from, he was afraid to admit to anyone he was alone and without a home. After eating, he grabbed some discarded newspapers near the door of the restaurant and walked along a park nearby looking for shelter. At the upper edge were railroad tracks that passed under a concrete bridge, Leaning over the stone wall just past the end of its protective fence at the far end of the bridge he could see the glow of a fire emanating from well up the incline from the tracks. A street light provided sufficient illumination to see a pathway down so he climbed over and slid down the steep path a few feet until he could see what appeared to be two men huddled over a fire halfway to the other side. Figuring he had little to steal, he crawled toward them. One noticed him and shouted to `Go away!" William protested that he was cold and begged to be allowed to sit by the fire for a while. The second man waved him to them. They too were homeless, neither with a job, beggars for their daily sustenance and smelled bad. They had cardboard and a tattered old blanket to cover themselves and didn't mind William, with his additional body heat, sitting close wrapped best he could in his newspaper. Conversation was about some man who'd chased them away from a parking lot. Entertainment was medicinal alcohol diluted with water which they didn't offer to share. By the end of five days, William, surviving on his supermarket earnings and eating food mostly purchased there, was accepted by the underbridge pair and allowed to cuddle up with them at night. The one, who called himself Brad, on surmising William had no family, pressed him to go to a shelter but demurred to the boy's constant refusal. On the third day, fearing for the boy's health, Brad took William about eight blocks away to a Goodwill store, an organization somewhat similar to the Salvation Army, which carried used clothing and furniture at very low prices. There he put a dollar fifty toward a four dollar coat. Probably sensing the need, the woman salesperson also gave William a slightly large but warm flannel shirt. The second man with whom William slept under that bridge claimed not to have a name and mumbled a lot to himself. Brad said he was crazy but not dangerous. The two men did share what little food they had, often something in a can that Brad said some woman would occasionally give him. The evening of his fourth day there, William, by then an experienced and adept thief, brought canned fruit, vegetables and meats he stole from the grocery store where he worked. Since he was regularly buying food there, the guard never checked under William's slightly oversized coat when he left each evening. Brad said he had a weekly route for begging and odd jobs like cleaning up a car mechnic's garage, and washing the windows or sweeping the sidewalks of a few stores on a nearby commercial avenue. When he told him how much he earned, William clammed up about his income since he earned as much doing what he saw as less strenuous and cleaner work. When he asked Brad where he bathed, he was told that, except the few times a year when he was allowed into a homeless shelter, it was something he mostly did in the summertime and that in a stream a few miles down the railroad tracks. They did their business in the woods along the tracks. William continued carrying groceries making it more secure by convincing most of his clients to deposit the fifty cents he charged with the guard before leaving the store, The three thieves stopped him twice but finding no money just smacked and threatened. He told them the people were just buying him food and not giving him money. On the fifth night of that new scheme, the thieves figured out his system and, at the end of the day, grabbed him a block from the supermarket where they beat and kicked him after taking his money. His underbridge companions didn't notice the facial bruises or comment on his obvious pain. The store cop offered his sympathy but nothing more when he saw William's battered face. For the next few days, William spent all his income on food he bought right there at the supermarket. He did include some vegetables like unskinned carrots and broccoli in hopes of keeping himself healthy. Tia Lili had educated him on food values. And good old concerned Brad one night presented William with a military poncho he claimed to have found. On rainy days, William's customers had always had umbrellas but he'd had to run back to the store unprotected. If the rain was strong, he'd had to hide in the back to avoid refusing to help regular customers. The poncho would put an end to that problem. So, of course, it didn't rain for quite a while. The poncho remained under the bridge hidden in leaves and broken off dead branches. The bully boys, figuring out his latest tactic, adapted theirs as well. Either he gave them two dollars each night on leaving or he faced a beating. The private cop had no ideas how to avoid this extortion. So, two days in a row, William left early, before five thirty in the afternoon. That worked but just twice. His enemies found him the following morning and beat him up. Their new orders were that he had to meet them daily at seven thirty with the two dollars. That forced William to choose between abandoning his livelihood and taking the risk of begging or working harder to pay off. He opted for the latter while trying to come up with a new, safer location. Another problem he faced was his increasingly dirty clothing and body odor. The policeman asked him why he didn't bathe and put on clean clothes then, probably bored with the evasive answers, asked him outright if he was living on the street and, if he was, he would shortly have to stop coming to the store due to his filthy condition. That situation was avoided when one of his women customers gave him a stack of clothes her son had grown out of years before. However, she demurred on his request to bathe in her house. The store guard allowed William to keep his soiled and the rest of his new clothing in a box in the back of the store. The bathing difficulty was solved the following day. That's when he met Mac, or James McElvenny, when he offered to take one of the two large bags he carried toward the door. He'd seen the young man before but hadn't figured him for a potential customer even though Mac had nodded at him when he passed. Most had been women, usually older and a few elderly men. This time, Mac was obviously struggling to keep hold of his groceries. The offer to help and its attendant fee was immediately accepted. As they walked, Mac asked William his name and where he lived. William began to suspect another kind of customer. Was this twenty-something interested in his body? Was there a possibility of lodging? "Ah tole `im ah lived wif mah mothah othah sahd the pahk but he looked at me kahnda funny when ah said that but din't say nothin' an' we wawked onta this street an' `e said his house wuz heah an' we wawked up an' his screen doh' wuz all painted wif trees an' all an' he hadda put dayon his bag so he could open the doh' an' ah asted if'n he had sumthin' ah could eat `cuz ah ain' et all day an' he asted don't mah mama give me no food an' ah said we wuz kahnda po' an' they weren't no food that day so he says cum on in an' his mama's settin' theah in this whulchar lahk she cain't wawk o' nothin' an' he din' say nothin' ta `er jes' taked his bag on in an' tole me to cum on in but ah says, `Hello ma'am,' but she jes' looked at me an' din' say nothin' "In the kitchen Mac asted me whut ah wanted ta eat an' ah says any ole thang an' he did me a sam'wich wif ham an' ketchup an' lettuce an' him one too. Well, ah'm kahnda dirty an' thankin' mebbe this man's gonna mebbe wanna see me nekkid an' suck mah dick fo' money so ah asted `im if'n ah kin take a shar `cuz ain' no watah in mah house `cuz we din' have no money fo' the watah bill an' he said he don't thank ah got a house `cuz only niggahs lived up wheah ah said but ah kin take a shar if'n ah wants an' anyways ah sho' needed one then ah'm sho' this man gonna wanna suck mah dick an' mebbe pay ta fuck me but even when ah wuz all nekkid an' he wuz fixin' the watah he nevah looked at mah dick o' mah ass o' nothin' an' he jes' wen' on out the bafroom an' said wheah wuz the towel an' ta cum on back dayon when ah wuz done. "So when ah cum dayon he wuz astin' me `bout wheah ah really lived an' do ah live on the street an' really wheah is mah mama an' ah tole `im the truf an' then he said ah kin make sum good money wif him an' ah'm thankin' dick suckin' agin but he wuz lahk Bossy an' Jimbo an' looking to break inta places an' houses an' steal stuff an' ah wuz li'l an' could git in places an' he knew all `bout that kahnda stuff so ah weren't gonna git caught o' nothin' so ah asted `im if'n ah kin stay in `is house but he says no `cuz a `is mama an' the nurse an' this welfayuh lady's alus cummin' aroun' an' sumtahms tawkin' to the neighbuhs `cuz a sum trouble he had befo' but he won' say whut it wuz. "So ah tole `im `bout them boys makin' me give `em money e'ry naht an' he says if'n ah do whut he's sayin' ah ain' gonna hafta go carryin' no mo' food an' ah'm gonna make `nuf money wif him that ah kin git mah own room so ah says okay an' that naht we goes inta this drugsto' fah frum `is house an' up on this roof an' they's this li'l winduh they had up theah an' we busted it, an' ah hadda go on dayon this rope he had all wif knots then go dayon these stayehs dayon to the fust flo' in the dahk wif jes; this li'l flashlight he give me an' git dayon on the flo' an' go real, ah mean real slow `cuz a this alahm they had an' go lahk them soljuhs in the movies an' not git up for nothin' `til ah got ta behin' wheah the docs alus is an' he give me this key fo' this box they had on the wall theah an' then ah wuz s'posed ta take all the stuff in that box an' put it in this bag he give me but ah hadda move real, ah mean real slow when ah wuz standin' up an' be raht at the wall an' only git up to wheah ah could open that box an' git that medicine he wan'ed an' real, real slow. Well ah did jes' lahk he said an' ah got all that medicine an' real slow an' then ah got back on the flo' an' back up ta the second flo' an' fust he wanted that bag a medicine an' ah'm thanking mebbe he's gonna take it an' go on an' leave me insahd but ah knowed wheah his house wuz so mebbe he weren't so ah tied it on the rope an' he pulled it on up then he put the rope back dayon but ah weren't strong enuf ta climb back up theah so he says hold on an' he pulls me up `cuz ah wuz kahnda skinny an' din't weigh all that much. "Well, ah wuz thankin' he wuz gonna gimme some money raht off but he wuz sayin' he hadda sell the medicine fust but he wuz gonna cum up ta the sto' an' gimme money the nex' day. So ah said he sho' bettuh `cuz they wuz sum boys alus made me give `em money o' they wuz gonna beat on me an' they done it a couple tahms, oncet real bad. Well, Mac says don' go worryin' none `bout them boys cuz he wuz gonna make `em go away an' not do nothin' ta me no mo'. "Well, he din't cum ta the stoh wif nothin' so ah wen' on dayon ta `is house an' nobody cum when ah wuz knockin' on `is doh' a lot. An' then aftuh a worked all day at the stoh' them boys he wuz sayin' he wuz gonna tawk to, they wuz theah waitin' an' ah hadda give `em mah two dollahs an' then they wen' an' that one big kid wif the red hayeh the pohlice at the stoh' said wuz Martin, he said ah hadda have three dollahs nex' tahm an' they took mah newspapuh wuz ta keep me wahm. "So that naht, wif no newspapuh o' nothin' an' even gittin' close ta them men unnuh the bridge wheah we wuz, ah wuz really, ah mean really cole an' ah din' sleep fo' nothin' an' the nex' day ah wuz sleepy all day an' Mac, he still don' cum but ah'm skeered a goin' ta his house `cuz mebbe they wuz gonna be sum welfayuh lady theah so ah et in the sto' an' got me the newpapahs they alus lemme have an' lef' ta go ta the bridge. "Well, them boys wuz waitin' jes dayon the street from the supuhmahket an' ah seed `em so ah wen' on back insahd an' tole the pohliceman but he said he cun't do nothin' wif nobody wuzn't insahd the sto'. "So ah wuz thankin' an' ah knowed Mac din't do nothin' an' weren't no way ah wuz gonna git outta that sto' an' them boys weren't gonna git me an' beat on me agin so ah seed ah had three dollahs an' a couple dahms an' ah hahded one dollah in mah sock and wen' out the sto' with the two dollahs an' mah newpapuh fo' sleepin'. "Well, them boys wan'ed they's three dollahs but ah said ah jes' had two an' twen'y cents ah give `em `cuz ah hadda bah food ta eat an' this one boy, the li'l un, he stahted stickin' `is han's in mah pockets an' ain' nothin' theah so he goes lookin' in mah socks an' theah wuz mah dollah so they knocked me dayon an' wuz kickin' me an' said ah hadda give `em three dollah the nex' day. Ah wuz so pissed ah cried an' then ah tole Brad what they done `cuz ah ain't tole `im nothin' `bout them boys befo' an' he said medde ah shun't go back theah. "So nex mo'nin', a wen' ta Mac's house but in the back an' ah banged on the do' a lot an' then he cum on dayon an' wuz pissed `cuz what if one a them ladies is gonna be theah but ah told him them boys wuz back stealin' mah money an' beatin on me an' he wuz s'posed to be givin' me money so ah din' hafta go to that sto' no mo' an' he din't. Well, he's sayin' he got robbed too an' they din't pay `im nothin' fo' the medicine, jes' took `em an' he wuz sorry an' all but ah knew he wuz lyin' but whut could ah do so ah asted `im wah he din't make them boys stop robbin' me an' he said they don' listen ta nobody an' we wuz tawkin' an he give me food an' let me git washed up in `is shar an' we's tawkin' `bout wheah ah wuz livin' befo' an' whut ah done an' ah tole `im sum thangs lahk about bein' wif Bossy an' Jimbo an' makin' money at the Wahlmaht an' he says he knows a Wahlmaht, well it weren't a Wahlmaht but same thang but they wuz lots a people wif money but ah jes' hadda not let the pohlice see me `cuz they wuz gonna wanna make me go away. Then he tells me `bout how this place wuz lahk that befo' an' wheah he an' sum a `is frien's usta go an' steal an' othah stuff but he don' say whut. "So we go on this bus out the road sum an' they's this big shoppin' centuh got a big ass supuhmahket an' lots, ah mean lots a cahs an' ah goes dayon by wheah the people is cummin' out but not all that close an' ah staht doin' lahk ah done befo' in Mis'sippi an' sho' `nuf ah gits a couple says okay an' one give me a dollah even when ah said she jes' hadda give me fifty cent. "Wahl ah'm doin' that, Mac is insahd sumwheah lookin' at stuff an' when he cum back, ah gots two dollahs an' it wuz just lahk a owuh an' `e's gonna go on back ta `is house but shows me wheah ta git on the bus but it's a dollah jes' fo' the bus so ah knowed ah gotta work a long tahm, mebbe five six owuhs an' mebbe the pohlice back at wheah ah wuz carryin' gonna git pissed `cuz ah ain' theah but it wuz a lot mo' money an' mebbe weren't no boys gonna steal mah money. "So ah made mebbe six o' seven dollahs an' ah went in an' bought me some food at the McDonal's' they had theah an' it wuz real good an' ah went back an' made `bout three mo' so ah figguh'd mebbe ah could sleep out theah somewheahs an' ah went aroun' an' they wuz cahs that wuz theah all naht so ah got me a couple boxes frum behin' some sto's an' ah slep' between two a them cahs but it wuz cole, ah mean, real cole an' it wuz too late ta git back ta the bridge so ah hadda real bad naht an' the sto's din't open `til ah don' know whut tahm in the moh'nin' but ah got me some coffee soons they did `cuz ah wuz real cole. For several days, William bussed back and forth from the bridge to the suburban shopping center. Even with the two dollars of bus fare, he made more than at the local food store, enough to buy a sweater for under his coat and a second pair of warm pants from the Goodwill store, and didn't have to worry about being robbed. "Then one day, this man asted me if'n ah wanted to go ta `is house wif `im an' do some cho's fo' fahv dollahs. Well, ah said okay an' when we wuz theah he give me sum food an' ah asted if'n ah could take a shar, you know, `cuz we don't have no watah an' all an' `e says okay an' when ah wuz nekkid he wuz lookin' at mah dick an' all an' ah knowed he wan'ed ta suck mah dick but he din't do nothin' even when ah asted did he wanna do sumthin' an' ah din't mind none anythang he wanted ta do but ah din't say sex o' nothin' an' he jes' carried me on back but he give me fahv dollahs an' said mebbe he wuz gonna see me the nex' week. "Well, ah knowed whut he wanted an' ah wanted ta do it too but ah din't know how ta say it an' not go gittin' `im pissed o' nothin' so a couple days aftah ah went ta Mac's house an' he weren't theah an' nobody cum ta the doh' so ah stayed theah at the supuhmahket wheah ah wuz befo' an' the pohliceman asted wheah ah been an' ah tole `im the truf `special `bout weren't nobody robbin' me out theah an' he says tha's good an' ah made sum money theah that day an' the ladies wuz astin' too wheah ah bin but ah jes' tole `em ah wuz wif mah mama an' they lahked that but ah lef' when it wuz aftuhnoon an' din' see them boys wuz robbin' me befo'.. Two weeks later on a Saturday, another man was looking at William long enough to catch his attention. "Ah seed `im lookin' at me an' ah smahled an' `e smahled an' ah went ovuh an' asted if'n ah could hep `im an' that ah needed money an' did `e have any cho's ah could do at `is house an' `e din't unnerstad so ah said lahk cleanin' sumthin' o' anythang he wanted an' then `e said okay an' we went ta `is house an' it wuz fah `cuz it wuz a long tahm gittin' theah an' all the tahm `e's astin' me mah name an' wheah ah lived, an' how ole am ah an' whut grade ah wuz in an' all an' ah'm lahin' an' lahin' that ah got a mama but no daddy an' ah'm twelve an' in fif' grade an' a whole lot a bullshit an' `e's touchin' me an' grabbin' me on the leg. "When we got bah `is house, ah seed he had a gayrage lahk yo's wif the `lectric doh' an' we wen' in an' ah carried his food insahd an' asted could ah eat sumthin' afo' ah done mah work an' he says okay an' le's me cook eggs an' ah had Rice Crispies wif milk. Ah really lahks milk. Then ah says whut's he wan' me ta do an' he says ah kin hep `im clean `is basemen' an' we done that fo' a wahl an' he's lookin' at me so ah asted could ah take a shar an' he don' unnerstan' so ah says a baf wif watah in `is bafroom an' then `e unnerstan's an' says okay. "So we go on up ta the second flo' an' this big bedroom he gots up theah an' this gret big bafroom wif a baftub in the middle an' two shars an' ah taked mah clothes off raht theah an' he's really, ah mean really watchin' me an' mah dick. Even when he's fixin' the watah ah kin see he's lookin' at mah dick so ah play wif it an' it gits hahd an' ah says if'n he can wash mah back an' he washes all, ah mean all a me even insahd the skin on mah dick an' it's hahd an' ah says if'n he knows a way ah kin make mo' money `cuz ah need money bad an' he's jes' standin' theah thankin' an' ah knowed he wan's ta suck mah dick so ah says we kin do anything he wan's an' ah ain't gonna say nothin' ta nobody `cuz ah need money an' ah'm gonna lahk anythang he wan's ta do. Then, aftah thankin' some mo' he says le's go to the bedroom an' ah jes' got raht up on his big bed an' mah dick's stickin' raht up in the aeah an' he sets theah an' touches it an' ah says he kin suck on it if'n he wants an' he done it but he ain' so good as y'all o' Bossy an' ah knowed it wuz gonna take a long tahm so ah astes if'n he wan's me ta suck on `is'n fo' ten dollahs an' he don' say nothin' but he gits up an' tries ta git `is pants off but he cain't get'em off `cuz he ain' took `is shoes off an' he got ta pull `em back up an' take off `is shoes an' then his pants is off an' `is dick is all hahd an' big as Bossy's an' he lay theah an' ah got to suckin' on `is dick an' puttin' mah han's on `is balls an' movin' `em `roun'. "Well, ah kin feel he's gonna git off real quick so ah stops an' says he's gotta tell me befo' his stuff cums out but if'n he give me fahv mo' dollahs ah'll jes' swalluh it all and, real quick, he says okay an' ah sucks `im good an' he's gittin all hahd all ovuh an' breathin' lahk he's been runnin' an' ah kin feel `is dick gittin' bigguh an' he goes `unh' o' sumthin' and out it cums an' ah'm swalluhin' an' swalluhin' `til they ain' no mo' an' then ah asted fo' sum Kool Aid but he give me orange juice which is bettuh.. "Well, then he's sayin' ta be sho' ta nevah say whut we done an' mebbe we can do it agin an' ah says he don' gotta worreh none `bout me `cuz ah ain' nevah tole on nobody an' nevah will an' can ah sleep at his house sumtahms. Well, raht off, he's thankin' mebbe ah wuz lyin' `bout sum stuff lahk ah gotta mama so quick ah says it's `cuz we ain got no watah an' not much food, so mah mama knows ah stays wif frien's a lot so he said he gotta thank on it an' he taked me on back ta the shoppin' centah an' give me this twen'y dollah bill." Monday morning, Mac reappeared. He'd come to the shopping center seeking William for another burglary he guaranteed would fetch immediate cash but William wasn't going for it. He produced the unspent twenty dollar bill and told Mac, "Ah'm doin' okay out heah so ah think ah'll jes' keep on doin' this. Then Mac wuz astin' how ah got me the twen'y dollahs an' ah tole `im this man give it to me an' Mac says kahnda lak a joke whut ah do, suck his cock an' ah wuz s'prised `cuz ah din't know he wuz jokin' an' ah wuz thankin' mebbe he knowed whut ah done but how wuz he gonna know but then he's laughin' an' ah knowed he wuz jokin' `roun' but, Mac, he wuz smaht an' he seen ah wuz s'prised so then he ain' laughin' an' `e asts if'n ah went wif sum man ta `is house an' ah lah'd an' said jes' ta carry his stuff but Mac din' b'lieve me an' he says ah could git a whole lot mo' money frum a man lahk that an' ah'm lookin' at `im an' ah asts how `cuz ah know he knowed ah done sex wif the man. Well, he's thankin' an' ah'm waitin' an' he asted if'n ah really sucked his cock an' it wuz okay if'n ah did `cuz lots a boys done it befo' wheah he lived an' ah asted if'n he done it an' he said he jes' let `em suck on his'n but then ah weren't b'lievin' him none. Well, he says that mens lahk that is easy ta git money outta `cuz if'n the pohlice evah knowed whut they done they wuz gonna go ta jail fo' the rest a' they's life so ah could jes' say they gotta give me a thousand dollahs o' ah'm gonna tell the pohlice `bout whut they done an' they gonna give it ta me, mo' even an' he's thankin' an' ah'm thankin' tha's stupid `cuz a man see me gonna put `im in jail fo' the rest a `is life is jes' gonna kill me raht off quick. "Well, Mac, he's wantin' ta know wheah this man is livin' an' ah tole `im ah din' know but it's fah `cuz we wuz a long tahm gittin theah. Then's he's astin' whut kahnda cah the man gots an' how big wuz `is house an' wuz it fancy an' all an' ah'm telling `im an' ah'm thankin' too this man he got money an' nex' tahm ah'm gonna ast fo' mo', mebbe thirty an' if'n he wan's ta fuck me mebbe fifty. So Mac, he's thankin' some mo' an' he says mebbe the man's gonna cum back an' we kin git him ta give us mebbe fahv thousan'. Then he's thankin' mo' an' says if'n we kin git a pitchuh a him suckin' mah dick we kin git mo, an' he says ten thousand, an' then mo'. But ah'm figg'rin' the man mebbe he got `im a gun an' he's gonna shoot us bof but Mac says he got him a gun too. But ah don't know when this man is gonna cum back an' mebbe lahk the othah man wheah ah sharred an' he din't do nothing, well, mebbe he ain' nevah cummin' back `cuz a whut Mac said that they could go ta jail fo' life. "Well, ah needed to git back ta workin' an' Mac says he's gonna thank on his idée an' he's gonna cum back mebbe the nex' day. Well, ah'm thankin' ah don't wanna do whut he's sayin' `cuz sumthin' bad's gonna happen an' ah'm gonna git caught an' even if'n the man goes off ta jail, ah'm gonna git mahself locked up too. "Well, that wuz the naht that the man din' have no name up an' died. He jes' din' wake up in the mo'nin even wif Brad pushin' on `is haht an' cryin'. Ah ain' nevuh seen nobody dead an' it din' look all that bad. Mebbe it wuz okay an' ah'm thankin mebbe tha's whut ah wuz gonna do, jes' not git awake one mo'nin lahk ah wuz gonna do back in Mis'sippi. "An' ah'm thankin' tha' mebbe wif me sleepin' in the cole unnuh that bridge mebbe one mo'nin ah weren't gonna wake up. Tha's when ah was thankin' this thang wif' Mac wuz a good idée. If'n ah had `nuf money, ah could git me a room wif mah own bafroom an' sumthin' ta cook on an' a `frigerator an' all. "Well, ah hadda hep Brad carry `is frien' up onta the bridge. Couple tahms when we wuz tryin' ta git `im up on the wall an' oncet he falled dayon an' wen' neah all the ways ta the tracks an' we hadda git `im all the way back up but then these othuh mens they hep'd us an' then ah lef' `cuz ah knowed the pohlice wuz gonna cum an' they wuz gonna wanna know wah ah wuz sleepin' unnuh a bridge an' wuz gonna carry me to the welfayuh. "Well, ah wen' raht on that mo'nin ta Mac's house but he weren't theah an' `is mama din' ansuh the doh' but she nevah did so ah wen' back ta the shoppin' centuh an' wuz workin' when ole Mac cum ta me all smahlin' wif them gole teefs a his an' he gots this plan an' he says he thunk on it all naht an' we gonna git rich an' have a cah an' anythang we want an' ain' no way them mens we gonna do this on kin do nothin'. Then he's tawkin' `bout how ah'm gonna git five thousan' dollahs an' ah don't even know how much that is but ah'm listenin' `cuz ah know tha's a lot an' ah ain' nevah gonna hafta sleep cole unnuh no bridge no mo'. "So he's tellin' me his big idée an' how he's gonna borry this moto'sahcle an' a cam'ra frum `is frien' an' he's gonna be theah at the pahkin' lot an' watchin' an' when ah goes wif sum man, he's gonna folluh an' then ah gots ta git nekkid soons ah kin but on the fust flo' an' tha's impo'tant but then ah goes up ta take my shar an' then ah gits the man ta wheah he's wantin' ta do sex wif me an' ah gits `im all nekkid too an' then Mac, he's tawkin' `bout he's wantin' me ta let `im fuck me `cuz tha's impo'tant an' ah'm wond'rin' how he gonna know ah let men fuck me an' ah says ah don' do that `cuz ah don' wan' `im thankin' ah ain' no fag o' nothin' but he says it don' hurt all that much an' if'n ah lets `em fuck me tha's impo'tant `cuz tha's how ah'm gonna git back ta the fust flo' so's ah kin open up the do' fo' `im ta cum on in wif `is cam'ra. Ah'm s'posed ta say ah gots sum stuff in mah pocket fo' fuckin' an' ah fo'got mah pants an' ah'll be raht back an' then they ain' gonna thank nothin' `bout me goin' back dayon stayehs an' ah cum back up wif' this stuff in a toofpaste tube tha' makes it easy fo' they's dick ta git insahd mah ass an' it won' hurt all that much but fo' fahv thousan' dollahs a li'l hurtin' ain' all that bad. Well, ah'm thankin' onliest way he gonna know `bout that is if'n he got fucked hisself by sum man but ah din't say nothin' but then ah knowed. "Then, `e says, when they's fuckin' me, he gonna cum up an' take they's pitchuh so they ain't gonna be fuckin' me all that long an' ah gots ta push `em off'n me an' git all lahk ah'm pissed an' call `em fag an' how they wuz hurtin' me an' then Mac, he's gonna say he's mah uncle an' they bettah pay twen'y thousan' dollahs o' we gonna go ta the cops an' they gonna go ta prison fo' the res' a they's life an' they gonna pay an' mebbe couple tahms `cuz they gotta an' they know they gotta an' we gonna be rich mothafuckuhs. Jes' Mac said that `cuz ah don't say them words no mo'. "Well, ah'm skeered sum but it's lookin' so good an' ah ain' gonna nevah hafta sleep unnuh no bridge no mo' an' die lahk the man done an' ah'm gonna git me new clothes an' anothuh radio lahk Tia Lili give me that wuz robbed by them boys, mebbe lahk the big'un she give ta Jorge, an' mebbe a television too, one a them li'l ones people kin carry in they's pocket. But mos'ly ah wuz gonna git me a nahs room, mebbe it weren't gonna be wif mah own bafroom but ah wuz gonna be wahm an' ah could be nekkid if'n ah wan'ed an' ah wuz still gonna be wahm." Then, when William arrived under the bridge, Brad informed him that, even though he was glad to have his company each night, the loss of his nameless friend left him feeling lonely and vulnerable. He announced that he was going to move into a shelter and that William could join him. The bed and food Brad assured him about didn't overcome William's fear that all facilities for street people had social workers who would immediately take him to the welfare department of the city who would in turn stick him in an unpleasant, restrictive home. The effect of Brad's imminent departure was to make Mac's plan even more attractive. Since Mac figured that any man with a good job who'd be interested in William's body would only be coming around on weekends, the plan was to wait until Saturday to begin staking out the shopping center's parking lot. That left William in a difficult position. Sleeping under the bridge had been functional because there were three of them together sharing a fire and body heat. William could build a fire but it would die out and what he had to keep himself warm was hardly sufficient with the current frigid winter temperatures. In the morning, it was again off to Mac's house. This time the young man was there but none too happy to see William's face. His solution to the boy's problem was to give him an old sleeping bag and an over the shoulder bag to carry it in, items Mac had had since boyhood. William's first reaction was anger that they had not been given to him before but anticipation over the life change Mac's plan seemed to promise cooled his emotions. Still, "How'm ah gonna go carryin' this thang when ah'm workin' wif them people out theah?" Mac suggested he find a hiding place under the bridge and even offered to go with him to locate one. One would have thought that finally seeing the terrible conditions where the eleven year old was sleeping would have melted even Mac's cold heart but it didn't. He found a place in the underbridge structure where the sleeping bag could be hidden from anyone even close by. William reluctantly accepted the compromise and went off to hustle shopping cart customers. That first night alone was difficult. "It wuz a long tahm since ah wuz needin' ta sleep by mahself an' it was cole, ah mean really cole an' ah got all up inside that sleepin' bag Mac give me wif my coat an' all but ah wuz still cole an' then ah wuz shiverin' an' aftah a wahl ah almos' wen' on dayon ta Mac's house an' ah wuz thankin' this wuz stupid. If'n we wuz gonna make all this money wah cun't Mac lemme sleep in `is house? "So, fust thang in the mo'nin' ah wen' on dayon ta Mac's house an' ah tole `im ah weren't gonna sleep unner that bridge no mo' an' he hadda lemme sleep theah at his house o' sumplace wahm. Well, Mac, he gits all uppity an' says ah cain't an' bes' he kin' do is git me sum mo' blankets an' ah'm gittin' real, ah mean real pissed an' ah tole `im he gotta let me sleep at `is house an' ah kin cum in at naht when they ain' no nurse o welfayuh lady an' git out eahly lahk at six o seven but he says no `cuz people gonna see me goin' in an' out an' they's gonna be big trouble an' we kin go look fo' sumplace bettuh." Riding around south of Mac's neighborhood on his motorcycle, they spotted some boarded up homes. They went into the alley behind them and found two that had been broken into and were open from the back. Mac parked at the next corner and convinced William to go back and take a look. "Inside was all bad, er'ythang busted, all the winduhs, even the to'lets, holes in the walls an' all an' it smelled lahk shit an' they wuz the shit on the flo, lots a it so ah wen' back an' tole Mac an' said ah weren't nevuh gonna sleep in no place lahk that so we goes lookin' sum mo' an' then Mac is sayin' he knowed this man mebbe lemme sleep in `is house but mebbe he's gonna wanna fuck me. Well, ah jes' wan'ed sum place wahm an if'n ah hadda git fucked fo' it, it wuz bettuh'n shiverin' an' not sleepin' so ah said okay. "Well, this man, he sees me an' he's tellin' Mac ta go away real quick `cuz he don' wan' no li'l kids `roun' his house so we git." In the end, Mac provided a quilt from his mother's closet and promised ten dollars a day of his own money so William wouldn't have to work if he didn't want to and could get some hot coffee to keep himself warm. In angry disgust, William demanded and took a shower, put on clean clothes, insisted on an additional ten to get a haircut, took the twenty dollars and quilt and left. After depositing the quilt with his sleeping bag, he got on a bus and went off to hustle shoppers. The length of his hair had been an increasing concern. It hadn't been cut for years, not since he'd left the home. Tia Lili had wanted to to cut it a number of times but he'd refused. Now, though, it was well down his back and a shake of his head blinded him. So, before going to work, still not completely committed, he went into a shopping center barbershop. However, looking at himself in the big mirrors there, he decided he preferred his hair long and spent some of his money on a hairbrush instead. He went into the men's room and tried different ways of styling his hair, none of which suited him. For one thing, there was always hair falling over his eyes. Though he thought the way it flowed over his shoulders was neat, it looked too much like a girl's, even tying it in a ponytail lake Bossy had done. Finally, he went back to the barbershop and negotiated a twelve dollar trim that let him see and got his locks up off his shoulders. He liked what he saw in the mirror when the man was done, and so did one of the other barbers who'd been glancing his way via the mirror during most of the procedure, glances William picked up and returned. The quilt did make a significant difference that night and William slept relatively comfortably. After a slightly less profitable day on Tuesday, he again saw the glow of a fire under his bridge. Brad was back. "He said he felt all bad `bout leavin' me alone lahk `e did an' din' lahk the sheltuh wheah he wuz stayin." Brad appreciated the quilt they were able to share. William's desire to take part in Mac's scheme was shaken. He was again warm and with company at night and making what he considered good money at the shopping center. Friday evening, though, William found Mac waiting for him up on the bridge. After some wrangling and promises only half believed, William agreed to meet Mac right there the next morning at ten. To be sure he knew what time to be there, Mac gave William a cheap digital watch which William had to explain he knew how to use. So, Saturday morning, after giving William a small tube of KY lubricant to carry in his pants pocket, Mac, armed with a newspaper and several comic books and wrapped warmly in a hooded parka and long johns, began his surveillance seated on a wall in one corner of the parking lot from which he could see the front of the broad supermarket. His plan was to move around so as not to attract the attention of shopping center guards but he only had to wait a bit more than an hour before William's customer from the previous Saturday approached the boy and suggested they go out to his house. Mac ran to the borrowed motorcycle and took off, easily spotting the large green SUV the man was driving out onto the boulevard. Mac later gave William a running description of how it had gone for him. He quickly realized the man wasn't headed in any one direction but driving around to confuse William enough that he'd have no idea that his house was, in fact, a mere half mile from the shopping center. After nearly half an hour of detours, the man drove up a street with well-appointed homes and turned up a concrete drive to a two story brick house with a landscaped lawn and a two car garage. To Mac, it wreaked of wealth. The garage's electric door was rising as he passed by. Mac had been on the alert for an unobtrusive parking place but the closest was two blocks away from the man's house. He hoped William wouldn't follow his instructions to disrobe quickly and give him time to get into a position from which he could see when the front door was opened. There were no bustops or commercial locations near enough to post himself without drawing suspicion. It was Saturday morning and, even in the cool air, several men were doing outdoor chores including one just two doors away from the target house. Mac stupidly pulled out his camera and pretended to be taking photos though using its most telephoto range to watch for any indication that the man's front door was opened. He was fortunate no one called the police. As time went by, he began to worry William had been unable to get back downstairs alone or, worse, that the door had a lock that required a key inside as well as out but, eventually, he saw a shadow to one side of the entryway indicating William had been successful. He walked slowly down the street with his cellphone to his ear and acted as though he was being guided to the open door. He entered quietly and carefully, with the handle turned to avoid any clicking of the latch, closed the door. Immediately, he pushed off his shoes and trotted up the carpeted stairs ahead of him, taking out his camera as he went. There were no voices in either direction so he walked carefully to his left only to halt at the sound of a man's grunt from behind him. He quickly turned and stopped at a partially closed door through which he could see the slowly moving bare upper body of a large man on top of a small boy. Mac checked that the cheap digital camera was turned on then poked it inside and pressed the shutter release. There was a flash. He waited through the brief rising sound of the flash recharging itself and fired again just as the man was saying "What the...?" The flash recharged again as he pushed the door completely open. The man was rising, his glistening hardon bouncing upward as it was pulled out from between William's ass cheeks, when the camera's flash went off again. Mac reached for the small revolver in his pocket. Reluctantly since the man had been poking his little prostate just right and had him close to orgasm, William growled, "Git off'n a me, faggot," the words Mac had rehearsed with him. As he jumped off the bed, the man growled back something like, `What the fuck is this?' but quickly sized up his weak position and sat back down heavily on the bed, his erection deflating like a lost dream. William, as he'd been prepped to do, grabbed up the man's pants, rifled through the pockets and came up with a wallet which he tossed to Mac who almost dropped his camera in order to catch it. "Ah wuz a'skeered an' quick went ovah to wheah Mac wuz standin' wif his gun but the man wuz jes' sittin theah shakin' his head an' lookin' at the flo' almos' lahk we weren't even theah. Well, Mac says he wuz fuckin' his nefew an' if'n he din't wan' me ta go ta the cops he wuz gonna hafta give us twen'y-fahv thousan' dolluhs an' quick. "Well the man, he jes' says he ain' got it raht then but he kin git it on Monday an' then he's sayin' tha's all he gots but Mac is sayin' he gonna hafta pay us a thousan' e'ry month fo' as long as he says an' he knows he can `cuz a all the stuff he' gots an' the nahs house he gots an' all. "Well, ah'm still feeling lahk sex `cuz the man wuz fuckin' purty good an' mah dick wuz still hahd so ah says ta Mac that he should make the man suck me so ah kin git off an' Mac gits all pissed an' is tellin' me ta shut up an' go put mah clothes on. Well ah din' lahk that none but ah went an' got dressed so he could make the man pay us." I was tempted to ask if he felt at all sorry for their victim but sensed that any answer would be self-serving, what he felt I wanted to hear. "Well, Mac, `e took the man's drivuh's license an' the money wuz in `is wallet an' give me twen'y but ah'm sho' he got a bunch mo' `cuz ah knowed how `e wuz but he wuz sayin' the man only had fo'ty. So when we wuz leavin' ah tole Mac he hadda give me mo' money `cuz ah sho' cun't go back ta that shoppin' centuh no mo' an' ah needed ta eat an' all an' ah din' wanna sleep no mo' unnuh that bridge. Well, Mac says he ain' got no mo', jes' his twen'y an' ah gots mah twen'y dollahs frum befo' an' the twen'y he give me an' anyway, we gone have a shitload a money on Monday when the man pays an' then he's sayin' we need ta be lookin' fo' anotha shoppin' centuh'cuz they's mens at all of `em an' we kin git us anothuh. "Well, ah'm thankin' wif five thousand frum this man ah ain' gonna need no mo' fuh a long, long tahm so ah says ah don' wanna do it no mo' but Mac says we gotta `cuz if'n we do mebbe twen'y mens an' we ain' nevah gonna hafta work agin in all ouwah lives an' ah'm thankin' twen'y is a lot an' we do that many we gonna git caught o' mebbe kilt so ah still said no." William's determination to stop lasted until Monday night at Mac's when he was shown the twenty-five thousand dollars cash but given the bad news that they needed to wait before they spent any of it because the bills might have been marked, something that required extensive explaining but seemed valid enough that William accepted it on the condition that he knew where the money was at all times. Mac put it in an old knapsack which he stuffed on a high shelf in his closet. Then Mac, probably feeling he could con this naive boy even more, expanded on the traceable money theme by claiming that eventually, they'd have to leave the area in order to spend their money probably expecting that William wouldn't realize that if it were actually traceable it would continue to be anywhere inside the US. But it did make it easier to convince him that they ought to do a number of additional extortions so when they did leave the city, they'd be sufficiently well heeled that they'd be able to take care of themselves anywhere they went. William agreed to five after Mac promised to buy him new clothes and shoes. On William's insistence, he took him on the borrowed motorcycle and bought new jeans, a button up shirt, green and yellow striped sweater and genuine Nike tennis shoes. However, he instructed William not to wear anything new when he was hustling customers. "He said lookin' po' made `em wanna give me money an' ah said if'n ah weren't dirty, then wah wuz ah astin' ta take a baf." Mac then claimed to have spotted another shopping center well away from where they'd made their first score and took William on the borrowed motorcycle, convincing him first to put two dollars toward the needed gasoline. From what William said, it sounded as though Mac hadn't the slightest idea where he was going and just rode out major thoroughfares until he found a place with an expansive parking lot and a large supermarket as an anchor. There was no guard at the supermarket entrance but William felt sure one or more would be nearby. Nonetheless, while Mac waited and watched from the far end of the shopping center building, William tried for a few customers. His well used solicitation line worked fairly quickly and he picked up three customers within a relatively short period of time. I tried to figure out how long that was but William's sense of time was rather loose. The problem with that shopping center was that it took two buses and well over an hour to get there but William felt it worth the inconvenience. After having Mac show him where to catch the first bus then transfer to the second, he went back and made enough to eat well twice and take home a couple of dollars after paying his transportation. Around that time, William was on the verge of another dental problem. Although he'd bought himself a toothbrush and stolen a tube of toothpaste, he'd seen in a shopping center bathroom mirror the developing caries and now one was beginning to hurt. The experience with Tia Lili's dentist told him that such problems could be repaired. So, he went to Mac's house to tell him he had to help out including taking him to and paying the dentist. "Well, Mac's goin' on `bout how we cain't go usin' none a the money we got `cuz they wuz gonna fahnd us an' `e din't have `nuf ta go payin' no dentist. Well, ah tole Brad `bout mah toof wuz hurtin' an' nex' day, he takes me ta this place got all kahnds a doctuhs an' we hadda wait aroun' theah almos' all day but then this one doctuh give me lahk three needles in mah mouf an' he wuz fixin' sum a mah toofs an' `e took one out an' we din' gotta pay nothing. But then he wan'ed me ta tawk ta this sosha workuh but ah knowed she wuz gonna wanna make me go ta the welfayeh so ah tole Brad we hadda git an' we git an' Brad wuz sayin' how cum ah don' wanna go live in sumplace nahs an' they wuz good homes an' all but ah tole him ah bin in homes an' they wuz all bad so he din' say nothin' `bout that no mo', leas' not raht then but he did latuh." That Saturday, Mac was back for another stakeout, that one and the next completely unsuccessful. William hadn't seen a single man who'd shown the slightest interest in him that weekend or any of the weekdays he'd worked. It took two more weeks before they found what appeared to be their next mark. "He wuz kahnda young almos' lahk Mac but `e had this big ole cah an' said `okay' real quick when ah asted im if'n `e wanted hep. When ah asted `im if'n `e had sum work fo' me at `is house, `e wuz sayin' no but ah said how me an' mah mama wuz real po' an' ah needed ta make sum money an' how ah weren't makin' all that much an' then he says okay an' ah kin do sum cleanin'. Well, he gots this li'l house but it got lots a grass all `roun' and inside it's real nahs wif this big, ah mean real big TV on `is wall an' he le's me watch it a li'l befo' ah'm s'posed ta work but ah asts if'n ah could eat somethin' 'cuz ah ain' et all day an' he said okay an' he gots this thang gits stuff hot real fast an' we et sum pizza he got at the supuhmahket. So then ah asts how ah kin make sum money `cuz ah need it bad an' ah'll do anything he wan's me to an' all that an' ah ain' gonna say nothin' lahk wif the othuh man an' he's thankin' an' ah asts if'n ah kin take a shar an' ah hadda tell `im whut that wuz an' well, aftah ah tawks sum mo' he says okay an' ah'm takin' mah clothes off raht theah in the kitchen an' he's watchin' an' thankin' an' tellin' me wheah wuz the shar which wuz aftuh his bedroom but then he says ah gotta do mah shar alone an' he's gonna be in the kitchen an' he don' do nothin'. Well, when ah cums outten the shar, he ain' lookin' at me fo' nothin' an' washin' stuff in the kitchen an' sayin' we gotta go `cuz he gotta do sumthin' an' he takes me wheah ah tells `im neah the pahk an' say's mebbe he's gonna see me at the supuhmahket but ah din't b'lieve `im fo' nothin' `cuz he's actin' all crazy almos' lahk he's skeered a sumthin'." I guessed the young man was overcome by horse sense because William never saw him again. Mac was upset that William hadn't gotten the man into bed. During the course of the week, William's underbridge companion was becoming increasingly morose, even crying over the loss of his no name friend, particularly when he was high on the medicinal alcohol he'd been acquiring. He'd even declared his intention of standing in front of one of the trains that passed by and ending his misery. William tried to soothe Brad with stories of how he'd overcome his own unhappiness but that had always been accompanied by a connection with another person. Brad only grew more miserable until Thursday night when he brought along another street bum, an older black man who claimed that before alcohol brought him down, he was the founder and first president of Coca Cola. He told William that he was the only man in the world who knew the secret formula for the Coke syrup. The drink had been named after him, Samuel Cola. The Coca came from part of his secret formula which he would take with him to the grave. He expected to be rich again when his civil suit against Pepsi was decided in his favor.When William insisted he should still have sufficient money to be sleeping in a bed and not under a bridge, Mr. Cola, as he called himself, would just go back to the booze argument which William found impossible to believe. He slept less that night than when he'd only had to deal with Brad's miserations. That Wednesday, the day before the founder and president of Coca Cola arrived, just as he was about to quit for the day and get something to eat, William struck what he saw as pay dirt. A middle aged man accepted his offer to work at his house. At no point was heavy persuasion needed, just the usual assurances of confidentiality, and within a short time at arriving at the suburban home, William found himself in bed with the man. Did he want a blow job for twenty-five dollars? Fine. Sensing an open wallet and willingness, the offer of a fifty dollar fuck was accepted but he had to earn it. "His dick weren't all that big, he jes' cun't git off fo' nothin'. He wuz fuckin' me and fuckin' me, holdin' on tight, goin' fastuh an' fastuh an' hahduh and hahduh an' ah'm gittin' off mebbe three tahms an' then he stops an' says he's all done but ah knowed he weren't but he give me mah fif'y dolluhs an' takes me back bah the pahk an' ah'm thankin' if'n ah kin go wif this man a couple tahms a week, ah don' need none a this stuff Mac wan's me ta do an' the man says he kin see me Satuhday in the mo'nin an' ah says okay. "Well, Mac, he's theah Satuhday an' astin' if'n ah seen any mens lookin' at me an' ah lahd an' said no but `e's still watchin' an' the man cums an' ah got in `is cah an' ah knows `e's gonna give me fif'y dolluhs an' Mac mebbe ain' gonna give me nothin' `cuz `e only give me twen'y all week `stead a the fifty he said but ah knowed Mac wuz followin' us so when ah wuz at the man's house ah nevah opened the doh'. Ah put that fif'y dolluhs in mah socks an' ah jes tole Mac the man din't do nothin' but tawk an' lemme clean sum in `is basemen' but mebbe nex' tahm he wuz gonna do sumthin'." Then, as luck would have it, the day after another Tuesday screwing by his fifty dollar trick, another man showed interest. This one did nothing that first time but agreed to pick up William Thursday evening when there was a virtual repeat of the series of events of the first extortion except this man cried. He paid off in full the following day. Once again, Mac wouldn't give up any of the cash with the same claims of its traceability and the need to wait until they could leave the area. So, Saturday, quietly rejecting Mac's claim that they needed to change location in case their victim were to try anything, William told Mac his ass hurt from the forceful Thursday fucking of their victim and he'd didn't want to go riding around on his motorcycle looking for a new shopping center. While Mac was scouting new supermarkets, William went back and met his fifty dollar customer arranging afterward to meet him the following Tuesday near the park where he slept. Mac did find another shopping center with a huge parking lot and a full sized Walmart and again waited at the supermarket near his home for their five o'clock appointment. Mac was irritated when William showed up almost an hour late. "Ah tole `im ah wuz in a movie wheah it wuz wahm `cuz ah had sum money an' he ain' give me all that much an' he gots a shitload a money. Well, he's sayin' ah'm s'posed ta be listenin' ta `im `cuz he's gonna make me rich an' ah says how cum ah'm still sleepin' all cole unner a bridge." Mac ignored his solid reasoning and told him about the new shopping center he'd found. It also required a two bus trip but had better off patrons than the one where they'd scored their second hit. "An' Mac had these three ole pants he wan'ed me ta put on an' they wuz too li'l `cep one but it wuz real taht an' Mac said they wuz good `cuz they made mah ass look bigguh `cuz men that lahk li'l boys alus lahk `em wif big asses. Well, ah knowed they sho' lahked ta fuck me so ah said okay an' he said ah hadda weah `em all the tahm an' no unnerweah which ah din't have nohow." Sunday morning when Mac picked up William, he handed him a cheap cellphone, and showed him how to answer calls on it. He was told to say it was his mother if anyone was around to ask. They went to the new shopping complex on Sunday. Guards were on top of William before he could approach his first potential customer. When he pulled back two rows of cars from the Walmart entrance, the shopping center police arrived almost immediately threatening to call the police the next time they found him trying to hustle shoppers. That was the end of that location. Mac took William to another shopping center closer to the city. It too had private police but they didn't seem concerned about him. In fact, he was able to approach shoppers right at the store exit, scoring customers almost immediately. Mac took up a position on the outer edge of the parking lot. William received a call on his cellphone. Mac, on the other end, said he was just being sure William could answer it correctly. William did only moderately well hustling groceries but Mac left empty handed. No one had shown any interest in anything beyond getting their purchases from the store to their car. The new shopping center gradually proved the most lucrative so far, at least for cart pushing and grocery carrying, leaving William with two to four dollars a weekday over the cost of bus fares and food to put into his underbridge stash along with the hundred dollars earned weekly with his backside. Strangely enough, weekend earnings were not nearly as good as during the week. It seemed that most Saturday and Sunday shoppers came in family groups and pairs, few of which needed or wanted to pay a cart pusher, not even as many during the week, to get the cart to the cart corral after unloading. Rain was helpful. None of the single men gave him more than a passing glance, even the few who accepted his offer of help. One even refused to pay him citing his statement that they didn't have to pay him if they didn't want to. I liked William's ces't la vie attitude regarding that little incident. Mr. Cola, William's and Brad's under bridge companion, was slipping deeper into drunkenness. One night, William found Brad trying to lift him over the wall after finding him slumped unconscious against it. On another, he had made it over the wall but then tumbled halfway down the hill, prevented from reaching the tracks by a pair of saplings. There were nights when he didn't arrive at all. Brad himself was consuming more medicinal alcohol sometimes mixed with water, sometimes straight. William feared for both their lives and the situation he'd be in should they both perish as had Mr. No Name. What that situation accomplished was to reinforce William's determination never to use any intoxicants since it led to a total lack of control over one's fortunes, an interesting decision for an eleven year old street child. With, for him, a virtual treasure trove of cash stashed in the under bridge structure, William became impatient to get into some kind of housing. However, he faced three major problems in doing so. First was the danger of his unstable underbridgemates learning that there were several hundred dollars stuffed back over a steel beam. Second was Mac finding out he had a customer able to provide such wealth. Finally, unable to tell either Brad or Mac that he had sufficient resources to afford a room and certain no one was going to rent anything to an obviously homeless eleven year old boy, he had no idea how to make use of his income. So, with the warm clothing he was purchasing at the Goodwill store, the sleeping bag and quilt to keep himself warm and comfortable along with the good food he could then afford to nourish himself, he put off time and again thoughts of insisting that Mac arrange a room for him. Anyhow, he felt the money was secure and would keep building. Something good would come out of it. It wasn't until Wednesday of Easter week that they got their first bite at the new location, a very tentative one at that. A man agreed to take William home to rake leaves and pay him five dollars for the work. The requested food was provided but the shower turned down though pleasantly. After eating and answering all the standard questions, he was taken back to the shopping center. The same man appeared again the following Thursday at five thirty. With daylight savings time in effect, there was still an hour of daylight so he agreed to have William sweep off his driveway and sidewalk. Once again a meal was provided. The shower was allowed but William was put into the bathroom fully clothed, shown how to operate the shower control and told get dressed before leaving the room. Naturally, William found a reason, he couldn't get the water right, to, stark naked, seek out his host. The man walked quickly past William up the stairs to the bathroom, adjusted the water lukewarm and left, trying his best not to look down at the desireable boy in the doorway. "Ah seed `e wan'ed ta look at mah dick but `e was lookin' up lahk ah weren't theah so ah asted din' `e never see a kid nekkid but `e jes' said ah should go on an' shar. Ah asted `im if'n `e'd wash mah back but `e said he cun't `r' sumpin'." But, the man wasn't able stop himself from again picking up William the following week. This time there were a lot of questions. "'e wan'ed ta know wheah ah wuz frum `cuz a how ah tawked lahk ah did an' wheah ah lived an' wheah ah wen' ta school an' ah lahd lahk ah alus did but he kep' astin' lahk mebbe `e din't b'lieve me. Well, then `e asted me ta read sumthin' outten this newspaypuh `e had theah an' ah cun't so `e wan'ed ta know how cum ah weren't in school an' ah jes' sad we wuz po' an' mah mama din't have no money fo' school so he's astin if'n ah really lived wif mah mama an' wuz ah livin' on the street so ah said ah wuz livin' wif frien's which wuz the truf `cuz Brad an' Mistuh Cola wuz mah frien's. Well, this tahm `e lets me go ta `is shar an' `e washes mah back ah kin see `e's lookin' at mah dick so ah says, ya know, we kin do anythang `e wan's an' ah ain' nevah gonna say nothin' ta nobody `cuz ah need the money. So, `e says lahk whut an' ah'm gittin' mah dick hahd an' ah look at mah dick an' `e says do ah mean lahk sumthin' wif mah dick an' ah says tha's okay then `e's touchin' it an' beatin' me off real slow so ah says he kin suck it if'n `e wan's an' `e says we gotta wait `til ah'm dry an' we kin do it on `is bed Well, `e sucked good an' `e said okay when ah said twenny-five ta suck `is'n but thirty if'n ah wuz gonna swalluh `is stuff an' ah did. "Well, ah'm thankin' wif this `un an' Mistuh John, he wuz the man givin' me a hunnert a week, that wuz a hunnert thirty a week an' ah could git me a room but ah din't know how ah wuz gonna do it so ah wen' ta Mac's house an' asted `im." Asking Mac about such a thing was probably a mistake because he could easily assume that, in order to afford the rent, William had boy lover customers he wasn't telling him about. After convincing him that no one was going to rent a room in his city to a kid his age, he pressured him about the source of his income while regaling him with tales of what they could do with the extortion money, thousands instead of hundreds, a house instead of a room, his own television, clothes, shoes and so on. Eventually, William gave up his most recent customer. The next week, Mac followed William to the man's house. Based on experience there, William figured it would be easier to open the side door from the carport and did. After waiting thirty minutes, Mac walked nonchalantly into the carport, saw no one was in the kitchen, and entered. He had to wait for William's signal, a relatively loud, "Ah gotta pee!" before moving up the stairs to where William had indicated on a house drawing he would find the bedroom. The man's reaction on realizing he was being photographed was anger but more at himself. "He wuz sayin' `ah shoulda knowed' ovuh an' ovuh an' ah ain' sayin' `fag' lahk Mac wan's `cuz ah wans the man ta git me off `cuz ah wuz really close but Mac `e's jes' lookin' at me all pissed lahk ah'm s'posed to be sayin' sumthin' but ah jes' wan's ta git off an' Mac' `e's jes tawkin' `bout money wif the man an' `e's sayin' he ain' got no twen'y-fahv thousan' jes' ten o' sumthin' lahk that but Mac says he's gotta pay whut `e says an' a thousan' a month but Mac says he kin pay ten that week an' then mo' an' ah'm thankin' ah wanna git off an' ah ain' nevah gonna tell Mac `bout the man fucked me las' naht." Although Mac said the man finally paid all after three weeks, William didn't really know for sure since his counting ability didn't quite make it to a hundred. Jorge had been an erratic teacher. The next victim was an easy target though not so easy a victim. He drove a Cadillac Excaliber, had an apartment that didn't seem lived in, a kitchen with no food was the clue, though it did have a computer with a large monitor, a projection TV and other expensive looking devices attached to it, a single upright but comfortable chair in front of it, a large locked metal cabinet, a bathroom with Jacuzzi and a great bed. Though to William, this just indicated wealth, after pulling many of the above details from the boy's mind, it appeared to me that this man likely was either married or living with his parents and the apartment was for enjoying kiddie porn and, or possibly even for bringing boys. The ease with which he accepted William's offer of doing something to earn money indicated a man on the lookout for action though it might well have generally been older. It took three trips to the apartment and a learning process before William could figure a way to get Mac inside at the opportune time. The apartment building was locked up, renters only having keys, video intercoms and electric door openers providing security. William didn't particularly like the man due to his overbearing physical attention, especially open mouthed kissing nearly every moment they were in the apartment and the twenty-five dollar payment even though he did fuck him all three times. "He wuz alus wantin' ta hug an' kiss an' gittin' spit all ovuh me an' had `is han's all ovuh me all the tahm an' `e hadda take off mah clothes an' `e wuz lickin' me all ovah, even mah asshole but jes' aftuh we wuz in the shar an' then it wuz suckin' an' then fuckin' an' `e wan'ed me ta fuck `im this one tahm but ah jes' wen' in a li'l so we din' do it no mo' but `e kep wantin' me ta stick mah tongue in `is ass but ah nevah done that even when he said five mo' dollahs." William cleverly learned how to operate the door by declaring hunger and requesting pizza. Mac, based on how long the two were in the apartment the second time, calculated that the actual fucking would take place approximately three quarters of an hour after entering the apartment. William had to figure how to get the apartment door open. By feigning interest in the video intercom, William was to let Mac into the building shortly after going in himself. William's trick was to play with the man, enticing him to chase him naked around the apartment, do a little hide and seek, watching for the opportunity to open the door slightly then immediately rush into the bedroom before the man noticed what he'd done. It worked. Mac got very explicit photos and only had to show the gun in his belt. William played his angry name calling part. The money was handed over the next day with a request that the thousand dollars a month include weekly visits by William for which he'd pay the usual twenty-five dollars apart from the monthly fee. I felt sure Mac was wishing he'd asked for a lot more. William refused to comply. William was quite content with his twice weekly fifty dollar tryst. He was getting paid and having good sex to boot. Mac, however, continued to convice him that more hits were required for the two of them to get away with sufficient funds that they'd never have to work again. Still, it was a month before William was inspired to go after another mark. He was an older man who agreed to have William help clean out his garage. It was real work. The garage was so full of odds and ends that the man's car no longer fit inside. They filled a dozen or so large trashbags with everything from old magazines to a broken tricycle the man couldn't remember who it had belonged to though it had to have been one of his nephews from many years before. The request to take a `shar' afterwards was agreed to. "So, ah wuz takin' off mah clothes in the kitchen an' this othah room an' `e says ah gotta pick `em up an' take `em up to the bedroom but he's lookin' at mah dick an' mah ass so ah knowed he wuz wantin' ta suck mah dick so ah made it hahd an' he wuz lookin' at it all the tahm. So, ah asted `im ta wash mah back an' he did an' mah ass too an' inside wheah mah hole is an' ah's says that ah needed ta make mo' money an' ah din't cayeh whut `e wan'ed me ta do, ah weren't gonna say nothin' ta nobody an' all an' when ah'm gittin' dry an' `in `is bedroom, ah'm still tawkin' an' then `e says cum on the bed an' ah done it an' he's puttin' `is ahm `roun' me an' touchin' mah leg an' puts `is han' on mah dick an' he's beatin' me off an' ah says `e kin suck on it if'n `e wan's but ah gotta make sum money so `e says okay but not how much so `e does an' `e makes me lay dayon an' `e's suckin' on mah balls too an' puttin' his tongue dayon, ya know, un'er mah balls an' almos at mah asshole an' nobody evah done it befo' but it's okay an' then he's pushin' mah legs up an' even stickin' `is tongue in mah asshole which ah know gots shit in it `but `e wuz stickin' `is tongue in theah. Anyways it wuz kahnda nahs so ah gits mah legs up hah so `e kin do it bettuh but then ah'm thankin' he ain't gonna pay all that much jes fo' doin' that so ah astes `im if'n he wan's me ta suck `is dick an' it's only twen'y-fahv dollahs but `e says tha's too much but he'll gimme fifteen if'n ah does it an' ah says ah alus gits twen'y-fahv but he's back stickin' `is tongue in mah hole an' don' say nothin' an' it's feelin' real, ah mean real good but then `e stops an' real quick says twen'y an' gits back in mah hole an' `is tongue is gittin' way inside theah but then ah `membered an' says twen'y-fahv `cuz ah knowed he wuz gonna pay twen'y-fahv an' `e don' say nothin', jes' keeps on stickin' `is tongue way up in mah hole an' it's real good, an' you an' me kin do it sumtam if'n you lahk but ah'll wash real good fust an' ah kin do yo's too." He paused to get my reaction to his offer, a smile, but I just wanted to hear more of his story. "Okay, one day, so what did he say?" "He' din' say nothin' so ah put `is han' on mah dick so he could beat me off but he's gittin' his shoes off an' then `is pants an' he wan's me ta suck `im an' ah says twen'y-fahv an' he says okay wif `is tongue still stuck up in mah ass so `e gits me so ah'm sittin' on `is face then he pushin' mah head on dayon so's ah kin suck on his dick an' it gots hayuhs that's white jes' lahk the hayuhs on 'is hayed an' `is dick ain' hahd yet so ah gots ta suck on it an' suck on it but then it gits hahd an' it's okay but ah'm wantin' ta git off an' ah ain' gonna git off lahk ah wuz so ah asts the man if'n he wan's ta fuck me fo' ten mo' `cuz a really wan's ta git off but he's goin' `unh uh' wif `is tongue way up in mah ass. So ah tried ta git mah han' in on mah dick but it weren't workin' an' the man is pushin' mah head ta go fastuh on `is dick an' ah did but it's a long tahm an' ah'm gittin tarred all bent ovah an' suckin' an' ain' nothin' happenin' "So, ah stopped for a rest an' he's goin' `unnnh unnnh' an' pushin' mah head on dayon so ah sucks on `im agin an' hahd an' fas' an' then `e gits off but not that much cums out an' `e takes his tongue out mah ass." William figured it was the hardest he'd ever worked in sex to earn twenty-five dollars. I reminded him about getting fucked by Jimbo for two but he replied, "Shit. Tha' wuz easy. Mah neck wuz huhtin' fo' a couple days aftuh that tahm." Worse, the man claimed to be too tired himself to suck off William so he had to masturbate himself. Though he did enjoy the rimming, William didn't see the man as a lucrative customer so told Mac about him and Mac started coming on weekdays as well as weekends. On the first day, Mac told William he wouldn't have to open the front door of any house he got into, just unlock it and call him on the cellphone claiming he was just letting his mother know he would be home late. Mac wouldn't answer but William should leave a message. Saying he'd be home late meant all was ready and for Mac to come on in. Anything else meant there was a problem and not to come. The man didn't show up again until the following Monday afternoon well before Mac arrived. William's quickly made up excuse that he had a customer at three who always bought him lunch was accepted and five o'clock set for their get together. Mac was to arrive at four. William, worried that the sex customer might be watching him to see if he was telling the truth or not, went inside the shopping center to a Taco Bell and ate. When the old man drove off with William at five, Mac was behind them on his motorcycle, a new one he claimed was also borrowed but I was sure was purchased with their some of the seventy-five thousand dollars of extortion money plus who knew what else he'd scored. At the house, William found it easy to unlock the front door when the man went briefly into his downstairs bathroom. After showering, he insisted on calling his mother on the cellphone. The man had his face buried in William's ass when the camera's flash went off and didn't seem to realize it had happened. The second flash did register but so slowly that he didn't react fast enough to beat the recycling of the camera's capacitor and was caught with his face looking dead on when it went off again. "That ole man wuz fas! `E knocked me onta the flo' an' `e wuz shoutin' `son a bitch, son a bitch' at Mac but Mac had `is gun an` wuz an' pointin' it at the man so he stopped but he wuz still cussin' sumthin' terrbul an' Mac wuz sayin' `shut up, shut up' an' ah wuz skeered theah wuz gonna be sum real, ah mean real trouble, so ah din't say nothin', uh uh, ah jes' pick'd up mah clothes real quick an' ah went outta that room fas' an' ah wuz puttin' on mah clothes same tahm ah wuz goin' dayon them stayehs an' they's still yellin' at each'n othuh so ah goes back up them stayehs jes' a li'l an' ah'm callin' fo' Mac ta jes' cum on an' le's git but he's tellin' the man real loud `bout the money he gotta pay an' he's loud an' ah'm thankin' people outside gonna heah all the fussin' an' whut he's sayin' an' ah gits on back dayon an' ah'm lookin' out the winduh but ah don' see nobody but ah'm still skeered an' waitin' an' thankin' ah'm gonna heah that gun a Mac's an' we gonna be in real, ah mean real trouble but then Mac cums on dayon an' says le's go an we did." As they were heading for the motorcycle, Mac was very angry but kept insisting not to worry, that the old man was going to pay. William had no idea if he ever did. The old man's name was Paul Jones. The next shopping center was mine. William had only been there three days when he found me, the quickest turnover of victims they'd had. "Ah knowed you wuz a nahs man an'..." He sat silently for a moment. I waited to see what was on his mind. "How cum you nevah wuz pissed at me `cuz whut we wuz doin' wuz stealin' yo' money? An' ah'm sorry ah done that." I put my arm around him as I sought words that wouldn't entirely excuse his behaviour. "What you did was wrong. I'm glad you understand that but I know that you wouldn't have done it if Mac hadn't put you up to it but," I was still organizing my thoughts, "look what has happened. Two people are dead. What Mister Paul did was wrong too but what you and Mac did to him made him so sad he wasn't thinking, well, thinking right." The message I wanted to deliver wasn't coming out. "Your life so far hasn't been fair or right and I'm sure you know that," another pause to search for words, "well, we all need to," more silent cursing at myself for the inability to express what was needed to be said, "we just..." "Ah knows. Be nahs to er'ybody an' don' go stealin' an' ah'm sorry ah called you them names `cuz ah know you love me `cuz heah ah am an' you ain' pissed at me an'," he turned and hugged me. "Ah'm sorry. Ah ain' gonna do nothin' lahk that no mo', `special ta you." Rather than get into anything regarding their extortion, I took us to the Sunday night after Mac's death, the night before he left early so as not to be around when I was to go, though in the end I didn't, speak to the police. "When I came to say good night, you were crying. Were you sad about leaving, or afraid?" William took hold of my left hand and fiddled with my fingers. I waited. "It wuz jes' that so much shit wuz alus happ'nin' ta me an' ah knowed you wuz nahs but if'n ah stayed wif you the cops wuz gonna git me an' ah cun't even go back to the bridge wif' Brad all cuz' a Mac an' his stupid idees `bout gittin' money outta men. Ah coulda jes' kep goin' wif this one man wuz payin' me a hunnert e'ry week an' mebbe y'all an' this othuh man an' ah coulda git me a room o sumthin' mebbe wif Brad an' mebbe go ta school lahk you said but, well, ah knowed ah coulda stayed wif y'all but..." He frowned then, "Well, now it's okay `cuz ah'm gonna be wif y'all, raht?" "I really hope so. It's just that we have to be very careful that..." I sighed, "I'll find a way." It was pushing nine o'clock at night. We'd been sitting on the sofa where we'd eaten a ham and potato dinner a couple of hours before. I suggested watching some TV before we went to bed. William seemed pensive, staring at my fingers he continued to hold. "Ah lahd ta y'all that naht when ah cum back an' wan'ed sum mo' money." I let a quizical expression be my reponse. "They wuz this boy wuz wif me but ah tole `im he hadda wait up the block `cuz they wuz a dawg heah but it knowed me an' weren't gonna bahk but if'n he cum too it wuz gonna bahk an' mah money ah stole, ah tole `im ah stole it, the res' a mah money was hid in heah an' the man wuz in the house wuz in bed an' ah could git it. Ah said you give me work a couple tams an' the money wuz hid in a closet an' y'all din't know." "Why did they, how did they know you had any money?" "Ah kahnda tole this one boy said if'n ah got sum mo' we wuz gonna go ta New Yo'k an' he knowed sum people theah wuz gonna give us jobs an' they hadda a house wheah we could live." "But why did he think you might have any money? Did he see some of the money you had when you left here? Wait, where did you go when you left here with the sixteen hundred dollars, that first time when maybe I was going to have to speak to the police?" "Ah don' zac'ly know `cep it wuz kahnda neah wheah the pahk wheah ah slep' befo' but not all that close. Couple nahts ah jes' stayed bah mahself then these boys wuz wantin' ta see whut ah had in mah backpack but this nigguh named Waltuh, he wuz real, ah mean real big an' `e made `em go away an' he wuz sayin' ah hadda go be wif mah mama an' all an' then ah tole `im ah din't have no mama an' `e wan'ed ta carry me ta the welfayeh but ah said ah done been wif `em an' it wuz all bad so he let me sleep wif `im in this ole fac'ry o sumthin' but he kep trahin' ta git me ta go ta the welfayeh but ah kep' sayin' no then `e said okay `cuz ah wuz bahin' `im food an' ah knowed he werren't gonna let nobody do nothin' ta me even when they knowed ah had sum money an' wuz bahin' `im food an' all. "Aftuh wahl, ah wen' back ta the bridge ta see if'n mah money an' stuff wuz still theah an' it wuz so we stayed theah that naht ta see if Brad cum but he din't but Waltuh lahked it theah an' `e wuz astin' wah ah wen' away frum theah an' ah lahd that sum boys wuz wantin' ta hurt us but he said weren't nobody gonna hurt me wif `im theah so we stayed. "Well, ah wuz wantin' ta see if'n ah could fahnd that man give me a hunnert a week ta fuck me but ah wuz skeered the pohlice wuz watchin' the supuhmahkets `cuz tha's wheah we wuz wif all them men so we wuz goin'places Waltuh knowed even this one rivuh wheah we could take a baf an' ah got `im clothes in the Godwill an' me too so we wuz clean all the tam. "But Waltuh wuz kahnda crazy too, tawkin ta hisself a lot an' sumthin' `bout these people from a planet called Arkul o' sumthin' wuz lookin' ta cum an live on owah planet, the earth, an' they wuz already heah but they wuz smaht `cuz they figguhed they could get all a us ta go killin' each'n othuh lahk in wars they wuz all ovuh an' they wuz in gov'mints lahk owahs. He said owah vahs pres'dent wuz one a them an' Osama Biladen an' a bunch a pres'dents an' they wuz usin' drugs too an' tha's wah drugs wuz eelegal `cuz people gonna use `em mo' if'n they wuz eelegal `n if'n they wuz legal `cuz that wuz how people wuz, alus doin' e'rythang the wrong way. "Well, ah said ah weren't nevah gonna use no drugs `cuz ah seed how bad they wuz wif Bossy an' Jimbo an' ah hadda tell `im `bout them but not e'rythang lahk the sex cuz ah seed his dick an' it wuz big, ah mean real big an' ah'd be dead quick if'n he stuck it in mah li'l ass but he said ah wuz smaht an' he din't nevah use no drugs jes' wahn sum an' a li'l whiskey. Well, we wuz sleepin' unnuh that bridge unnuh that blanket Mac give me an' eatin' good an' Waltuh he din' know how ta cook but ah knowed so ah bahed us a frahin' pan an' sum plates an' stuff ta eat wif an' ah made us sum eggs an' even hambuhguhs an' salad lahk Tia Lili but then one naht, these boys lahk teenaguhs we seed befo' but they din' do nothin', they cum up an' they had these poles o bats o sumthin' an' they said ah hadda give `em mah money an' Waltuh he said we din' have no money but this one got up behin' `im an hit `im on the hayed wif that bat a his an' Waltuh falled dayon an' `e hit `im agin an' `e din't move o' nothin' an' ah trahed ta run but they grabbed me an' this one boy wuz goin' inta mah pockets an' them othuhs wuz lookin' at all mah stuff an' they got mosta a mah money an' then they wan'ed me ta say wheah ah got it so ah said ah stole it an' they said wheah an' ah wuz thankin' an' lookin' ta see if ole Waltuh wuz gonna git up an' this one boy hit me hahd in the mouf an' ah said ah stole it outta sum cah ah seed an' they weren't b'lievin' me fo' nothin' an' wuz sayin' wheah did ah live lahk wif mah mama `cuz ah wuz alus clean an' had me new clothes an' ah tole `em the Goodwill and `bout wheah we went ta the rivuh but they din' b'lieve nothin' ah wuz sayin' an they wuz hittin' on me an' ah wuz crahin' an' this one boy had `im a gun an' he wuz gonna kill Waltuh if'n ah din't say wheah wuz mah money frum an' me too so ah said this house but it wuz fah away an' ah weren't sho' ah could fahnd it agin an' weren't all that much an' please don' go shootin' Waltuh `cuz he din' do nothin' ta them an' they had all mah money but they wuz smackin' mah face an' the boy put `is gun bah Waltuh's hayed so ah said okay but it wuz a couple busses so they said le's go an' two of `em wen' wif me an' the res' wuz theah wif Waltuh an' the one had the gun. Well, we cum out heah on two busses but ah git off back up the street a ways so mebbe they weren't gonna know wheah we wuz an' ah wawked dayon back behin' wheah yo house is an' all an' it wuz dahk but then we got close an' ah said y'all had this big ole dawg knowed me but if'n they wuz gonna git close he wuz gonna bahk an' bite `em if'n they cum in so they stayed up the street when ah cum in ta see y'all." "So you were afraid they were going to kill your friend." I hugged him. "You did what you had to do, what I'd have done, and that's okay. I just wish you'd have told me and maybe I could have helped." As I was saying it, it was apparent that anything I could have done probably would have dragged William and me down with the thugs threatening Walter. I asked, "Are they the ones who broke your hand?" "Jes' this one. They din't take me back ta the bridge. We wen' ta this house ah din' know wheah it wuz an' had lahk a pahkin' lot in front but jes' dirt. All the othuhs wuz theah `cep' Waltuh an' they wuz countin' the money an' ah asted `bout Waltuh an' they said he dahd but they wuz laffin' an' then when ah wuz crahin' this one boy said no he weren't `cuz they let `im go an' now ah wuz wif them an' they wuz gonna pertek me an' all a us wuz sleepin' on the flo' in this house din' have no chayehs o' beds o nothin' an' the bafroom din't work so the toh'let wuz full a piss and shit an' smelled real bad so ah figguh'd they wuz lak Bossy an' wuz livin' in a house wuz gonna git knocked dayon. "Well, in the mo'nin, this one boy name a Dawg, that' whut they called `im, Dawg, well, he wuz actin' lahk he wuz mah frien' an' all an' ah'm thankin' mebbe he wan's ta fuck me o make me suck on `is dick but he din't say nothin' `bout that, jes `bout if'n ah wuz ta git mo' money, we could go off an' live in New Yo'k in a nahs apahtment an' they wuz a bis'ness he could do up theah in New Yo'k but he needed money ta git it stahted an' he wuz gonna make me `is pahtner which mean ah git half the money, lahk he makes ten, ah git fahv. Well, ah tole `im ah din't got no mo' money but he wuz sayin' mebbe that man in the house do an' how cum ah knowed `im an' ah said y'all let me do sum work heah wuz all an' ah kep' the money heah so nobody wuz gonna steal it an' you din't know it wuz heah but he kep' sayin' all frien'ly lahk that he wuz sho' y'all had sum mo' an' wuz givin' it ta me o' sumthin' `cuz mebbe ah wuz doin' sumthin' fo' y'all weren't really work an' ah knowed whut he wuz sayin' but ah said ah only wuz doin' work an' you wuz givin' me fahv dolluh when ah done it lahk a couple ladies out neah heah mebbe once a week an' the money ah give him was jes' whut ah stole but then he's sayin' ah lahd `bout that dawg `cuz they weren't no dawg so he weren't b'lievin' whut ah wuz sayin'. "Well he wuz jes' tawkin lahk that fo' a couple days an' we wuz eatin' chicken from this res'rant an' all then this othuh boy he's gittin pissed an' sayin' ah gotta tell the truf `cuz he knowed ah wuz suckin' yo' dick o wuz lettin' y'all fuck me an' if'n ah din't tell the truf he wuz gonna fuck me an' the othuhs too `til ah wuz bleedin' but ah wuz crahin an' ah said ah wuz jes' cleanin' `roun' yo' house an' it wuz how ah got money ta eat `cep' when ah stole that money outt'n that cah wuz at this shoppin' centuh an' then ah wuz jes' workin' fo' y'all so ah could cum an' git money when ah needed it but then this boy wuz hittin' me agin an' said ah bes' be thankin' raht o mebbe they wuz all gonna fuck me that naht. "An' it wuz the aftuhnoon when two a them boys wen' wif me cum in the house wif Dawg an' they wuz tawkin' all quiet and the boss boy he wuz gittin' all pissed an' sayin' wah they din' write the address wheah wuz yo' house an' ah knowed they din't know wheah wuz yo' house an' ah knowed they wuz gonna go beatin' on me so ah wuz gonna tell `em but ah din' know yo' address so whut wuz ah gonna say? "Well, ah knowed ah wuz in big trouble an' ah hadda git outa theah but they wuz alus one a `em close ta me an' we wuz on the second flo' a that house so ah knowed weren't no way ah wuz gonna git dayon them stayehs an' if'n ah wuz gonna jump out the winduh ah wuz gonna break mah leg but mebbe it wuz bettuh ah wuz gonna trah that o' mebbe they wuz gonna kill me o' hurt me real bad. So, ah waited `til it was dahk an' ah wuz thankin' how ah wuz gonna jump out that winduh. They weren't no glass in hit but they wuz this wood in the middle an' wuz ah gonna jump out head fust o' trah ta git mah feet up an' hold on ta that wood piece. Well, it wuz rainin' so ah figguh'd they wasn't gonna heah me runnin' so ah did but this one boy seed me when ah git up an' stahted ta run at that winduh, `e grabbed me bah mah foot an' ah falled dayon an' hit mah hayed an' they wuz laffin' but this one boy, the one wuz boss, well, they wuz all bad but this boy he nevah tawked nahs ta nobody an' he wuz the boss, well, he grabbed me bah mah hayed an' put me bah the wall an' tole the othuhs ta hold onta me an' he wuz takin' of mah pants an' sayin' ah bettuh tell the truf an' git that man ta give `em money o' he wuz gonna fuck me bad me raht theah an' when ah trahed to yell this one boy put `is han ovuh mah mouf an' this othuh one put a shirt in mah mouf an' couldn't breathe good an' ah wuz trahin' ta git that shirt outta mah mouf an' one a them wuz hittin' on me an' the boss he tole this one ta fuck me but `e said no so he tole this othuh boy an' he said he cun't `cuz he only fucked girls an' nobody wan'ed ta do it so `e kicked me in mah sahd an' that hurt real, ah mean real bad an' ah cun't breathe good wif mah nose an' he pulled out that shirt an' said whut wuz yo address an' ah said ah din't know, jes' how ta git theah an `e pulled on mah hayed an' ah wuz crahin' an they tahd me up wif this string they had an' put that shirt back in mah mouf. "Well, they lef me lahk that all naht an' din't give me no food in the mo'nin' an the boss and a couple othuhs wen' away sumwheah then they cum back wif this motosahkle an' they wuz gonna take me out ta wheah yo' house wuz, two a `em wif me in the middle an' they wuz fahtin' `bout a cop wuz gonna stop'em so they wuz gonna wait `til it wuz dahk an' the boss boy, he wuz real pissed an' `e cum up an' kicked me agin' then `e taked out `is gun ' an wuz sayin' ah hadda tell whut wuz yo name an' whut wuz ah really doin', suckin' o gittin' fucked an' how much you wuz givin' me each tahm an' if'n ah did, ah wuz gonna keep on doin' hit an' `e wuz gonna let me keep sum a the money but ah said ah wuz jes' cleanin' an' `e untahd mah han's an' he made this one boy hold mah han' on the flo' an' said he wuz gonna shoot a hole in hit if'n ah din' tell `im the truf and ah wuz crahin', ah mean really crahin' an' `e hit mah han' wif `is gun an' that wuz badder'n when he kicked me an' ah cun't stop crahin' an' ah thank `e kicked me couple tams mo' but ah don't know an' `e wen' on dayon an' ah cun't do nothin' `cuz ah hurt so bad, jes' crahin' but then, ah trahed ta git up but it hurt so bad ah cun't an' this boy tole me a bettuh stay dayon so ah done it. "Then, it wuz latuh, ah don't know whut tahm it wuz but it wuz still laht, ah heared people yellin' an one wuz a man wuz all pissed `cuz they had `is motosahkle an' ah thank they wuz fahtin' an' ah heared this othuh man an' then sumbody shot off a gun an' ah thank them boys run off `cuz the boy was watchin' me he wen' on dayon the stayehs an' ah din't heah nothin' then ah heared this motosahkle staht up an' go away an' it wuz all quiet. "Well, even me hurtin' bad, ah knowed ah hadda git outta theah fast `cuz them boys wuz gonna be cummin' on back fo' me so ah trahed ta git up but it hurt so bad ah jes' crawled ta them stayehs an' sat dayon an' went dayon sittin' but then ah hadda git on up an' it hurt but ah wawked out that house an' theah wuz this big man. Ah wuz skeered sumpin' awful figg'rin' he wuz theah so ah cun't git away but he wuz lookin' at me lahk who wuz ah. Anyways, ah cun't run o' nothin' so ah jes' stayed bah the do' but the man wuz jes' lookin' at me then he asted whut wuz ah doin' in theah an' wuz ah hurt o' sumpin'. "Well, ah din't know whut ah wuz gonna say so ah jes' said ah wan'ed ta go home an' ah thank ah wuz crahin sum `cuz ah hurt so bad an' the man wuz cussin' but not `zackly at me, jes' all pissed an' lookin' all `round lahk if'n anybody wuz seein' me then he asted wheah ah lived an' ah said out heah lahk they said on the bus an' he wuz still all pissed an' thankin' an' ah'm skeered he's gonna kill me o' sumpin' then he asted whut wuz wrong wif me an' ah said ah hurted an' let `im see mah han' an' ah touched wheah the boy kicked me heah (He looked down at his side.). Well, he seed ah wuz skeered so `e said `e weren't gonna hurt me none an' said cum wif `im an' he wen' out bah the street but it hurt bad when ah wawked so ah wawked real slow an' he seed it an' wuz cussin' agin an' he's lookin' up and dayon the street then he gits out `is phone an' he's callin' sumbody an' ah'm thankin' it's them boys an' he's tawkin' ta sumbody sayin' `stupid shit' lahk three diff'rent tahms an' ah kin see he's all pissed then he says ta me ta `jes set dayon an sumbody gonna take me neah mah house." When he saw that William couldn't move well, he went to him and held his good arm. As they waited, he told him that he should have his mother take him to a doctor and not to worry about the boys who'd hurt him. They'd be taken care of. There was also some questioning which I surmised was to see if William knew where he was, more importantly, if he knew how to get back. He probably realized William had no idea where he was because when a young man showed up in a car, they drove around, with William laying flat on the rear seat, for probably half an hour before the man helped him out on one small street then walked him to a main drag where he flagged a taxi and gave the man some money, William didn't see how much, with orders to take William where he needed to go which, of course, was to my house. The deeper he got into his story, imagining the terrible pain he went through, the tighter I held him. Most boys would have given me up almost immediately merely faced with such threats but then to take the torture he went through? There was no doubting his story. I'd seen the damage. On top of that, no one ever came out and tried to get into my house or threaten me. William was my hero, a tainted one, but a veritable hero. I kissed his head. "You are a very brave boy, William, incredibly, very brave." The words that were in my mind assured him that there was no way I'd abandon him after what he'd gone through to protect me. My reticence to say them was the fear that it would be impossible to back them up. What came out was lame. "Would you like some milk before going to bed?" The absurdity of my inability to be reassuring made my ears burn. When, in bed, he suggested sex, I did recover a bit, "What I really want is to hold my hero and tell him how much I love him." Sadly, due to the frightening plethora of difficulties confronting the ideal of his permanence with me, the promise he needed wasn't forthcoming. William accepted the physical comfort of my embrace but his unusual silence augured a weakening of his trust of my commitment to him. Rather than fall asleep in minutes as he usually did, I could tell William remained awake for quite a while. I hardly slept at all William seemed cheerier at breakfast so I asked him to pick up his story when, after his hospital stay, he was returned to his original Mississippi children's home After a long, perhaps two hour drive, the woman who picked him up at the airport took him straight to the preacher's wife. Her husband was away and not expected back for several days. "She wuz tellin' me whut ah done wuz real bad an' mebbe ah cun't stay theah but she wuz gonna wait fo' the rev'rund an' he wuz gonna deesahd if'n they wuz gonna let me stay theah o' mebbe ah wuz gonna go to sum othuh home fo' bigguh boys lahk me an' if'n ah made trouble, she wuz gonna hafta lock me up `til the rev'rund cum back. "Well, ah' thankin' ah'm gonna see if Beadie's thaeh an' mebbe him an' me can git away frum theah tagethuh but then ah' don' know if'n y'all gonna wanna have two boys, not jes' me so ah ain' gonna say nothin' ta Beadie, jes' see `im an' git me sum food hid away so's ah kin git. "Well, the lady said ah wuz gonna stay fo' a wahl in the baby house `cuz a mah han' an' mah ribs hurtin' an' so they put me in theah wif the babies an' wuz theah a couple days an' they wasn't lettin' me go out an' see mah frien's frum befo' lahk Beadie an' they cut all, ah mean all mah haeah off `til they wuz jes' mah skin an' that wuz terrbul but they weren't no mirrors so ah din' hafta look at mahself lahk that. "Then, even afo' the rev'rund cum back these mens cum in a cah an' carried me off ta this othuh home fah away `cuz it wuz the mo'nin' when they cum an' ah ain' et breakfust an' we wuz drivin' all day. They had sam'wiches a couple tams but we din't stop fo' nothin' so ah knowed it wuz gonna be hahd, ah mean real hahd gittin back up no'th heah wif y'all. "Well, it wuz gittin' dahk when we got ta wheah we wuz goin' an' all ah seed theah wuz jes' big boys, ah mean, sum a them wuz big as y'all an' a kid cun't do nothin' less'n they said do it `cuz e'rythang we done wuz ouwuh schetchul lahk we hadda git up at fahv thirty an' go shar an' be at the dinin' hall at six all dressed in them stupid ahmy unifo'ms they had. Well, ah din' do nothin' for a wahl `cuz ah was still hurtin' an' they wuz stupid. All a us wuz boys but ah still hadda wash mahself `cuz weren't nobody s'posed ta see nobody nekkid an' they give me this pan ah hadda use ta wash mahself an' how wuz ah gonna wash mahself wif mah one han' in a cas' an' wif a plastic bag on it an' mah ribs hurtin' if'n ah did this o this (He turned side to side and bent over.). But one day aftuh they seed ah wuz alus dirty, they let this man cum in an' hep me but ah still hadda wash mah ass an' mah dick an' all. He jes' done mah legs an' ovuh heah (He indicated his left side.) wheah ah cun' `cuz ah cun't use this han'. "An, they wuz cummin' an' tawkin' ta me wif they's bahbuls all `bout how homasexshuls wuz sinnin' an' if'n ah prayed an' all, ah weren't gonna be no homasexshul an' this one man, he wuz saying he wuz a homasexshul befo' an' he prayed ta Jesus an' now he weren't an' he hadda wife an' ah said ah weren't no homasexshul an' they got kahnda pissed at me `cuz, well, they din' lahk how ah tawked," "You mean your accent, I mean like the people from Mississippi?" "Nah, it wuz je's they din' lahk sum a the words ah wuz usin' `cuz ah got kahnda pissed at `em fo' sayin' ah wuz a fag an'..." "You used cuss words?" "Uh huh, a couple, but they wuz callin' me a fag an' ah ain' no fag. Jes' lahkkin sex don' mean a kid is no fag `cuz ah lahk girls an' ah'm gonna fuck girls one day but they din' lahk it when ah said that neithuh so ah got kahnda pissed agin. Then they said ah hadda read frum this bahbul they wuz givin' me an' ah said well ah cun't read an' they din't b'lieve me an' said ah jes' din't wanna do whut they wuz tellin' me an' ah wuz gonna alus be in trouble `cuz ah wuz alus lahin' an' ah wuz pissed agin' an', you know, said some bad words an' they made me go sit in this church they had theah an' ah'm s'posed to pray that ah'm gonna tell the truf an' ah ain' gonna do no mo' homasexshul stuff an' ah don' know whut `cuz ah ain' lahed `bout nothin'. Well, they wuz jes' stupid an' ah knowed ah wuz jes' gonna hafta git outta theah fust chance ah got even wif mah han' an' mah ribs. "Well, ah cun't go outta that big house cept' fo' eatin' an' church which we hadda go to e're day an' then ah seed mah bes' frien' Beadie frum the othuh home wuz theah too an', boy, he wuz big, ah mean real big an' he seed me but all he could do wuz look an' go lahk this (He nodded his head up and down.) `cuz they wun't let me go nowheahs an' he wuz in this othuh house. "Well, they put me in this school they had theah an' the teachuh wuz all pissed `cuz ah cun't read nothin' an' ah got pissed `cuz it weren't mah fault `cuz nobody nevuh learned me nothin' an' anyway ah already done tole them othuhs wif theys bahbuls ah cun't read an' he called this othuh man took me ta this office an' ah hadda set theah fo' a long tahm an' then he cum back an' he takes me ta this othuh teachuh an' he's gonna learn me how ta read in this class wif jes' mebbe six othuh boys, all of `em a lot bigger'n me an' he wuz okay an' ah learned sum lettuhs an' how ta raht `em. "An' e'ry day them two mens wuz cummin' ta me afta school when e'rybody else wuz playin' an' readin' frum the bahbul an' tawkin' ta me `bout how ah wuz s'posed ta be prayin' ta Jesus an' makin' me pray wif `em so ah wun't be no homasexshul an' ah hadda listen ta that shit e'ry day, ah mean, e'ry day, even Sundays when e'rybody else wuz on whut they said wuz free tahm an' they could go anywheahs they wan'ed insahd them fences they had `cep' me'cuz ah hadda be wif them stupid mens. "Well, me an' Beadie wuz trahin' ta tawk ta each'n othuh but they weren't lettin' us `cuz we wuz in diff'rent houses. Well, ah asted this one boy wuz in mah room, we wuz fo' a us jes' lahk in the othuh home, but this one boy wuz listenin' an' he tole the man wuz boss a ouwah house an' he wuz tellin' me ah ain' s'posed to be messin' `roun' no boys an' if'n ah did they wuz gonna put sum kahnda merit on me an' ah wuz gonna hafta do extra work which ah cun't do nohow `cuz a mah han wuz still in a cas' so whut wuz ah gonna do. "Well, ah seen that this winduh wuz jes' a screen in ouwah room ah could open but it made a noise when ah opened it so one night when mah ribs wuz good an' mah han' din't hurt none, ah waked up real late an' ah trahed ta open that winduh an' it did an' nobody waked up when it made a li'l noise but whut wuz ah gonna do `cuz ah din't know wheah Beadie wuz so when we wuz in the church this one naht, ah looked at Beadie lahk mebbe he wuz gonna unnuhstan ah wan'ed ta tawk ta `im but he wuz movin' `is shoulduhs lahk weren't nothin' he could do. "Then, this one Sunday, when ah'm theah mebbe three weeks, them two men's ain't theah at church an' don' cum aftuh me in the aftuhnoon so ah wen' out wif' the othuhs an' ah wen' lookin' fo' Beadie an' theah he wuz so we set agin' the sahd a this house wheah they weren't none a them mens watchin' an' ah asted Beadie how long he been theah an' he said only a few months an' wheah ah been but then ah asted `im wah they put `im an' he said `cuz a Ahzack wuz makin' `im do sinfull stuff an' ah asted whut an' `e din' wanna say so ah asted wuz he fuckin' Ahzack `cuz wif `im big an' all ah fugguh'd that wuz whut Ahzack wuz gonna want an' `cuz he wuz sayin' `sinfull'. "Well, ah'm figg'rin he been listenin' ta that bahbul stuff them mens wuz preachin' ta me so when Beadie wuz astin' wheah wuz ah, ah hadda say `cuz he said wah he wuz theah so ah tole `im sum a whut ah tole y'all but nothin' `bout mens o sex, not even `bout me an' Soliman, o' stealin', jes' that ah wuz livin' on the street an' beggin' an' eatin' in them churches." Their discussion covered a lot of ground but was peppered by Beadie's frequent references to Jesus, being saved and the importance of never doing anything sexual. "Ah asted `im if' he wuz beatin' off an' `e got all afeahd an' said it wuz bad an' ah weren't nevuh s'posed ta say nothin' lak that an' nevuh touch mah privates `cept ta pee o wash `em o' ah wuz gonna be in `ternal hellfahr. Well, when he said that ah knowed them mens got `is mahnd all fucked up wif they's stupid shit `cuz Beadie lahked beatin' off mo'n me." Nonetheless, with escape his priority, he probed for helpful information, receiving little. Over the next several weeks, with decreasing pain in his side and his hand close to losing its cast, he worked constantly on a plan to get away. Food and water, as he'd learned before, were critical. However, the dining hall and kitchen were off limits during the day and well locked up at night. Another matter was clothing. He was sure that anyone seeing a boy walking around in the military style uniform he wore would immediately suspect him of being a runaway from some kind of institution. His greatest concern, though, was that he had no idea where he was in relation to my city. The latter turned out to be the easiest problem to solve and led to other solutions. Being a bright boy, he was quickly picking up the alphabet and the basics of reading. In the school library, there was a world globe. On his own, locating first the United States, then crisscrossing the country with his finger, he found my city. Unable to find the name of the small town he'd learned was nearby the home he was in, he asked an older boy to point it out. Trying to be helpful, the boy pulled an atlas off the shelf and showed him a map of Texas and Oklahoma then pointed out where they were. By returning to the same book the following day, William was able to locate where he was on a full sized US roadmap then going state by state, found main highways leading back to me. School was also where he figured out how to acquire food and water. Two of the teachers were a married couple who lived in one of several staff houses to one side of the main compound. They had two small children who went by bus daily to a school in the nearby town leaving their house empty during the day. That didn't seem helpful since he could think of no way to get out there and back in daylight. However, the whole family attended Tuesday and Friday night church services. If he could hide out somewhere during the day, a visit to their kitchen would be viable. On a Friday about eight weeks after arriving at the home, my clever little rogue ate more than his fill of lunch then got permission from his teacher to go to the bathroom. He did go take a pee so he wouldn't have to later, then rushed to the library, grabbed the atlas and ran to the auditorium where he hid the atlas under the lecturn then esconced himself, of all places, standing on a stool in the corner of the stage wrapped in the American flag. "They cum in theah a couple tams, oncet cumin up wheah ah wuz an' lookin' aroun' but ah weren't movin' fo' nothin'. When they cum ovuh neah me ah din't even breathe." "Well, ah stayed theah all day, settin' on that seat when they weren't nobody cummin' `roun'. Then, when it wuz dahk an' e'rybody wuz in the chapel, ah got that atlas an' wen' out this winduh in the back a the school. Ah figguh'd mebbe sumbody wuz outsahd watchin' fo' me so ah crawled lahk them soljuhs ta the house a them teachuhs. The doh' weren't locked so ah wen' raht on in an' fried me sum eggs an' et' bread they had theah an' got me this big ole box a cohn flakes an' carrots an' othuh stuff an' two a them plastic bottles a watuh they had theah then ah wen' an' got the bookbag a one a they's kids an' put e'rythang in it an' then ah wen' out ta this othuh house wheah they had a kid mah sahz an' wen in an' got me sum a `is clothes an' put sum on raht theah, even `is shoes which wuz kahnda big so nobody wuz gonna see me in them stupid black thangs we wuz wearin. An' ah got me sum mo' food lahk cakes o' sumthin' had fruit insahd an' anothuh bottle a watuh too." Rather than carry the heavy atlas, William turned on the bedroom light, found the boy's school scissors, quickly cut out the pages he needed, and turned off the light. At the last moment, remembering how cool it could be at night, he snatched a blanket off the boy's bed then folded and rolled it. Using the staff houses as cover, William ran away from the compound then, when he felt he was far enough out, ran crouched, the backpack in his arms instead of sticking up off his back, around to the dirt entry road, along that in the brush and out to the highway about half a mile away. Avoiding cars as he had during his first flight from the Mississippi home, this time having to flatten himself in the ditch that ran along side the nearly treeless road, William walked swiftly toward what he thought would be a major highway. As it got cooler, he wrapped himself in the blanket, feeling confident about his ability to pull off this escape for having brought it along. Unfortunately, his idea of distance based on the atlas maps he carried was well off the mark. He walked straight through the nearby town, this time dodging the single car that passed by hiding behind a building. Other than stopping to pee or avoid cars, William walked through the night, twice drinking from the water bottles as he went. By dawn, he was frustrated that he hadn't reached the interstate highway he thought to be within a forced all night walk. Sure the people at the home knew by then what he was wearing and carrying, he sought shelter in an overgrown field. Insects became an immediate problem, the blanket an effective but hot protection. He survived on his rations for two days finally reaching a major road though not the interstate he expected. Using the number posted at the side, he was able to locate it on the map. It was going in the right direction so he took it though quickly tiring and again going to rest in a field where he took a crap wiping himself with leaves which chafed his rear end and bothered him for a day and a half. Late afternoon, feeling he was far enough away from the home to risk some daytime exposure and hopeful of finding water and food for his long empty stomach, he headed out, ignoring passing cars. Around dusk, he stopped at a gas station to fill his water bottles. "Missed the schoolbus," was his stated reason for being out alone when the station attendant asked. He ignored the information that a bus would be coming by in the next hour and left, hopeful there would be a town sometime soon. What he came up on quite a bit later was a single redlight town with everything closed. The lone restaurant had empty trashcans out back. His confidence waned. There was a gas station at the edge of the settlement. Through its window, he could see a display of cupcakes, chips and candy along with a two door refrigerator filled with sodas and juice. After rejecting the thought of breaking the window since it would probably tell the people from the home where he was headed, he continued on though the pain in his belly finally forced him to seek respite on a roadside woodbench where he slept until roused by the sound of pre-dawn rooster crows. He forced himself to sit, gloomily considering his prospects and possible solutions. Then, as the sun came up, he saw a man, at a house up a dirt road closeby, loading up a large pickup with full burlap bags. Desperation kicked in. When the man walked back into his house, William ran fast as his weakend body would permit and climbed into the back of the pickup. Pushing the heavy bags out of the way and getting down on the metal bed with his knapsack and blanket but loose enough to jump out at the last minute if the man turned the wrong way on the highway. He was lucky. The man turned in the right direction and drove at a high rate of speed for a couple of hours, passing through two towns and finally stopping at a diner on the outskirts of another. William's stomach dictated the next move, out of the pickup and to the back of the restaurant. Again, there was good fortune, A large plastic garbage can was placed outside as he turned the corner. The dark skinned man saw him, must have understood what he wanted, returned seconds later with three partially eaten breakfasts still on their plates, placed them on the concrete then disappeared back inside. "Thems wuz the bestest pancakes ah evuh et!" Since there are a number of other people in the rest of William's adventure, I think I'll put it into a narrative form. Here goes. It turned out that the pickup had taken William into the outskirts of a large city, probably Houston. Walking ahead for the better part of an hour, he found himself in a working class area with single story homes and Latino looking residents. A pair of small kids spoke to each other in a strangely accented Spanish. The sweetness of the pancakes had created a thirst so when he spotted an older woman sweeping the walkin in front of her house, he asked her in Spanish if he could have some water to drink and fill his water bottles. She countered with, "You're not from around here. You Salvadoran or something?" "Honduran. Can I have some water?" She smiled and nodded him inside. "How come you got that blanket?" she asked in the kitchen as she ran water into a glass. His lack of a response prompted, "You living on the street?" Again, he was slow to answer. She continued, "You with your mother?" "She's in anothuh place right now." He realized that could have been taken to mean she was dead. The woman looked him over for a moment then asked, "You hungry?" She fed him leftover chicken with rice and chopped tomatoes and tortillas. When he was almost done, he asked if he could bathe there. She not only agreed but suggested she wash his clothes in her washer and dryer. William wondered if he had a woman who was interested in his body but, even though she did go into the bathroom with him and wash his back, that was the the end of it. "She din't even look at mah dick." The bathing relieved the irritation from wiping himself over a day before with the rough plants. The woman suggested William take a nap while his clothes washed and dried. Unsure about her motivation, William nonetheless accepted the opportunity spent some time in bed and quickly fell asleep. Later that afternoon, he was awakened. His clean clothes lay on the foot of the bed. "You gotta go now," she told him. "My husband and our son gonna be home soon and they don't like other people in the house." He left with a full belly, a five dollar bill and no idea why the woman had been so kind but he'd never understood Miss Alice's motivation either. Maybe some people were just very nice. According to his map, the best he could figure it out, the major interstate highway he sought went through a large city, probably this one. William, remembering the woman's question about his blanket worried him it had become a liability. He sought a place he could sit down out of sight and see if it was possible to stuff the blanket inside the bookbag and look over his maps. When nothing appeared, he switched the bookbag to his front and managed to get the blanket partially inside but there was no way to hide its presence. Two girls playing in front of their house reminded him it might be school hours but the appearance of a few more including a pair his age allowed him to dismiss concerns about being stopped for being on the street before three. What he didn't realize that it was summer vacation time. School was out. He pulled out his maps as he walked, the knapsack again on his back. He found the one with the highway he'd most recently been on and compared the distance to the Interstate he sought with distance he thought he'd travelled. "They wuz this big place wheah ah figguh'd ah wuz an' the hahway wen' east wuz raht wheah ah wuz so ah jes' kep on wawkin'." It wasn't far before the road he sought appeared above him. Having ridden on a similar roadway with Mac, he was aware that there was nowhere to hide and often a fence prevented escape if needed. A different strategy was required, a ride of some kind. He sat on the curb of a main street passing under the Interstate, thought and observed. Many of the tractor trailers passing by had large windbreakers over their cabs. "If'n ah could git mahself up insahd one a them, weren't nobody gonna see me." Food was the downside. Walking, he felt he could count on finding something to eat at least once a day. He went back to his maps. There didn't appear any parallel roads though he was sure there had to be. He needed more detailed maps but had no idea, especially since his five dollars was reserved for food, how to acquire one. "Ah wuz thinkin' kin ah fahnd me a shoppin' centuh an' make me sum money. So a wuz wawkin on the streets went wif the hahway, well, wheah ah could see hit. Ah hadda piss but there weren't nowhere so ah hadda piss atween these cahs an' this man seed me an' wuz shakin' `is head but ah din' cayeh. He hadda bafroom an' ah din't. Aftuh a couple owahs o' sumthin' lahk that, they wuz big ole places wif lots a trucks pahked by `em It was getting dark and hunger again piqued his insides. The large truck lot had a restaurant at the side. As he approached it with thoughts of checking trash containers, a man came out the main door with a bag full of what had to be food. Street instinct caused William to say, "Ah ain't et all day. Kin ah haf sum a that?" The man frowned and started to pass him. William appealed again, "Jes a li'l?" The man stopped, shook his head, turned and with a twisted grin, handed William the bag and walked back toward the restaurant. Uttering a few `Thank ya's', William, opened the bag, pulled out a bag of Dorito chips which he stuck between his teeth, then a sandwich. He walked to the grassy strip backed by bushes in front of the large restaurant windows through which he watched his benefactor go to the counter and speak to some men sitting there. When he nodded toward the outside, two turned to look. William dropped to his knees, sat and began to eat. The sandwich contained lettuce, tomato, onions and a kind of unknown but good tasting meat. William ate slowly, enjoying his meal. After a bit, the kind trucker came back out with a fresh bag and smiled his way as he headed into the mass of tractor trailers. Moments later, another man, tall, unshaven but not bearded, well built with his hair in a ponytail, this one with empty hands, walked toward him, speaking as he passed. "You live around here, boy?" He stopped a few feet from William facing out toward the lot. William answered with his mouth full. "Unh uh." "You gotta place to sleep?" That required some thought. Was it an offer? "Ah don' know." "I ain't goin' nowhere `til the morning. If you want, you can sleep for a few hours in my truck while I get some paperwork done." Sounded good. "Okay." "Just go on out to the third line. It's the green cab with Rockford in big letters on the door." That was beyond William's limited reading skills. "Ah cain't read." "How about that. Okay, follow me but not close." Beginning to suspect a customer, William waited then, as the man turned left out among the tractor trailers, William got up and walked casually. His potential client was waiting two trucks down when William made his turn, waiting beside a huge green tractor. "Get in the back," said the man as William climbed up to and through the open door. The `back' was behind a ceiling hung curtain. The moment he was inside, a light came on, illuminating what could be compared to a small efficiency apartment complete with the large bed, a refrigerator, microwave oven, music system, a huge curtain to rear wall flat screen TV, and shelves with books, CD's and DVD's. The bed was unmade with a sheet and blanket tossed against the rear wall and the pillow lying in the middle. Under the bed were two large side by side drawers suitable for clothing or whatever. "Go ahead and lay down. I'm gonna be here all night.' Then he added, "Take off your shoes, pants and shirt too and get under the sheet, gonna get cool later on." Moments later, "You don't gotta pee or nothin', do ya?" "Unh uh. Ah done it a wahl ago." His thoughts that this man might be interested in his body fading, William obeyed, pulled the sheet and blanket over himself, cuddled up on the pillow and quickly fell asleep. It was some time later when he was roused by a hand masturbating his stiff penis. It took a few seconds to remember where he was and realize that his host was pressed against his back. It took longer still to get his wits about him and mention his need for cash and offer something more than what was going on. "Ah kin suck on yo's but ah need sum money, ten dollahs." The price seemed low considering the apparent riches surrounding him. "Fahv mo' if'n ah swalluhs yo' stuff." "Christ, kid, you sound like a pro. You done this before, huh?" "Sum. Ya wanna?" The man was already naked, his cock at the ready. This was the hairiest man William had ever serviced. His lips easily reached down into the mass of pubic hair each time he took in most of what was an averaged sized organ, William by then experienced enough to know what was an average organ when sucking on one. The truck driver opened up and took in William's cock, whiskers tickling bare flesh each time he reached bottom but he was good at it, swallowing balls and all, moving William's three inches all about inside his mouth, keeping orgasm close but just that. William was thinking about going for more. He let the large organ loose long enough to inform, "Y'all kin fuck me if'n ya want, jes thirty dollah." The man slowed his ministration, lifted off and lay his furry face on William's hip. "Where you been livin', boy? What's your name?" "Jackie an' ah ain't got no place raht nayow." He saw no need to ask his customer's name. It wouldn't have been his real one anyhow. "So where you sleep, on the street?" "Sumtams." This man had a truck. He was going somewhere, his way? "Wheah y'all goin' tomorrah?" "East. You headed somewhere?" He told him. "You runnin' away?" "Unh uh. Gotta git back ta, sumbody." "A man?" "Uh huh." "So where's your family?" "Ah ain't got no family, jes' him." "You gotta have a mother somewhere." "Unh uh. She went off when ah wuz a baby." "So where you been living?" "Bunch a places, wif that man wuz the onliest good one." Tiring of the interrogation, "Wanna fuck me?" With a lubricated condom covering his boner and a glob of something slick at the point of entry, the man climbed on top and pushed slowly inside before laying full on top of William's small body, his abundant body hair feeling like a prickly sweater. When the fucking got underway, it was slow and deep, the long thick organ nearly withdrawn each time then nudging open the small anus and sliding up and over the little prostate, just as William liked it. His cock was being pushed back and forth over the soft mattress. He came ahead of the man who stopped when he felt the pulsing. "Christ, you cum already?" "Uh huh but it's okay. Keep on fuckin'." "Don't hurt none? I can wait a little." "It's okay." William quickly regained the pleasant feelings though didn't climax any more. After he'd emptied his balls, the man rolled the two over onto their sides. Shortly after the cock had slipped out of him, William fell back asleep. It was still dark when the driver roused William with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, large cup of orange juice and coffee on a Styrofoam tray. William's small tummy couldn't hold more than the eggs, bacon and potatoes. During the meal, the interrogation continued. John, as he called himself, offered to take William as far as an east coast highway where, "This friend of mine's taking a load to Orlando but then he's carrying another on back up to Richmond. That's pretty close to where you want to go, well, not all that close, a hundred fifty miles or so, but a lot closer than here. "My friend is gonna wait at a truck stop outside Atlanta and you can switch over if you want, maybe make some more money on the way. Oh," he pulled out his wallet, "here's the thirty I owe you. It was worth it." Sounded good to William. "How long before we get there?" "Oh, it'll be tonight." Before they left, William walked into the restaurant's ample bathroom to relieve himself front and back and wash his face and hands. None of the men who came and went while he leisurely cleaned up seemed to take any notice of him. A line of light was growing in the sky ahead as they left the city. William was impressed by all the gadgets John dealt with, the constant shifting, the whirring sound of the motor. John explained some of what he was doing, what the various gauges meant. When they twice had to stop at weigh stations, William was asked to get into the back. He guessed why so didn't ask. William slept part of the afternoon. The rest of the time he watched DVD's with older Looney Toons cartoons, prepared sandwiches out of the refrigerator for their lunch then, as they ate, asked the man about other boys he'd had in the back of his truck. "Just a few. You're the youngest." "They wuz livin' on the street, too?" "Couple, yeah. Took one home a few years back. He was pissed off at his mother for something stupid. You ain't just pissed off at somebody, are you?" "Un huh. Ah jes' don' lahk nobody beatin' on me." "Your mother, father?" "Ah tole ya. Ah ain't got none a them." "So, between us, I ain't gonna tell nobody, where you been living?" "Jes' these homes but they weren't no good. Mah frien' wheah ah'm goin', he's good." William admitted some of his street experiences though avoided any reference to stealing or sex until, "Where'd you learn about sex, you know, like with me for money?" He almost mentioned Mac but, "These mens in Wahlmahts. They wan'ed ta do it so ah did an' they give me money." The man thought for a moment then, "Must have been a lot of them for you to get your, you know, your rear end so big." "Well, theah wuz this man ah wuz livin' wif befo' an' we done it." "So how come you stopped living with him?" "He got busted, ah thank. He jes' din't cum home so ah left an' stayed wif this kid ah knowed." "Busted? What for? Sex?" "Nah. He wuz sellin' drugs an' stealin' stuff. This otha, well, ah s'pose he got busted `cuz wah he din't cum home?" "What other, guy?" "Jes' sum frien' a his. He got busted too." "You having sex with him too?" "Sum, jes' beatin' off, lahk that." John went for specifics that William was unwilling to give up. At some point, they must have driven past the city where William had lived for several years but he didn't seem to have realized it. The man spoke over a radio a few times with the other truck driver who was to meet him. He sounded young, almost like Bossy. William wanted to say hi but John said it wasn't a good idea. "We ain't supposed to be taking passengers." At one point, he said, "We're gonna be spending the night at the truck stop. I can't make my delivery until morning. You wanna stay with me? You can make some more money." Money was okay. They arrived hours after sunset at the Atlanta truck stop, a place similar to the one they'd left early that morning. His host's friend was a younger man, slimmer, clean shaven though with the same ponytail. He climbed up into John's cab and looked over William. "Hey Jackie! How you doin'? I'm Bill. So you're goin' with me to Orlando then back up to Richmond?" William nodded, his thoughts about what sex with this young man was going to be like. He compared him to Jimbo, deciding that his current customer was probably the more gentle of the two. The three of them ate dinner together in the big truck. Bill asked some of the same question's that had already been tossed his way by John. A prolonged trip to the large men's room, even taking off his shirt to use paper towels to wipe himself off, created only a couple of casual grinning notices. Sex that night was the same as the night before except that William was able to get off twice, the second time between the big truck driver's lips. Once again, breakfast and departure was pre-dawn. The older man stayed in his skivvies expecting to get some more `shut eye' since he couldn't drop off his load until after ten in the morning. Bill's tractor wasn't as fancy or new as his buddie's. The bedroom had all the same acoutrements, just less expensive looking. The TV was smaller but still hanging on the wall. Also, once again, there was the friendly interrogation and repeated solicitations for details of sexual adventures. William did expand a bit on Jimbo and the fifty dollar customer, the latter in hopes of upping his income. The stop in Orlando was a warehouse similar to the ones back where William had unwittingly left on his first, life changing trailer ride. He was required to stay in the back for the better part of two hours during the unloading process in the first then over three hours as they waited then loaded up in the second of two closeby locations, in both cases sweating in the heat and humidity with the air conditioning turned off. It was night again when they pulled out of the second warehouse. William had to wrap himself inside a blanket to defend his damp flesh against the suddenly cool conditioned air as Bill ascended onto an interstate. A little over two hours later, they parked in another huge truck stop. Bill bought them both hamburger steak dinners with mashed potatoes, succotash and chocolate milk. He went back for apple pie a la mode deserts when they'd finished. After shaving with an electric razor and both of them brushing their teeth, William with a new toothbrush right out of its sealed package, Bill wanted to kiss. William resisted. "You gonna bill me for this too? This free ride's gotta count for something." He'd already been told about the thirty dollar fee. "Ah jes' don' lahk doin' it. Okay, but jes' a li'l." With Bill seated on his bed and William standing, his back against the curtain and arms straight over Bill's shoulders, Bill put lips to lips, backed off then returned, mouth slightly opened and sucked in William's lower lip. He turned his head and took in William's upper lip, pushing his tongue up against William's teeth which slowly parted to let it in. William knew the routine, even sucking for a moment then following Bill's retreating tongue with his own into the man's mint scented mouth. While Bill orally fondled his tongue, William hurried things along by going for the man's zipper. Taking the hint, Bill reached down and opened his belt and unsnapped his jeans. A flick of the fly's brass tab and the zipper opened itself due to pressure from within. William easily found the opening in the boxers and got hold of a relatively small hardon, not much bigger than Jimbo's. He dropped down to the less offensive, at least to William, penis and took it full into his mouth. Bill fell backward and sighed, "Jesus, that's good!" With a proud smile, William told me that he immediately thought to himself, "A course, `cuz ah'm really good." Aparently, it took a long time for them both to get each other undressed. Billy would stop the fellating to take off something then guide William's head back to his cock for more. William began to worry that the blow job would be all the man wanted. Then he confirmed it. "Let's just do this now and the other thing tomorrow. We can stop somewhere." He did return the favor but wasn't nearly as good at it as his older friend had been, or William knew he personally was. Still, after swallowing the man's surprisingly large amount of sperm fired forcefully into the back of his mouth, he didn't take William to completion. William was again awakened before dawn after a night somewhat uncomfortably sleeping in the young man's full embrace, but this time it wasn't for breakfast, not yet. Bill had on a self lubricating rubber. Without a word, William backed into the man's crotch, comfortably taking in his morning erection. Bill lazily fucked from behind then gradually moved on top increasing the intensity of his thrusts, taking William to an orgasm the young man either didn't sense or acknowledge. Finally, he pulled William's hips up and screwed doggy style eventually reaching a wrenching climax that had him shaking like an entranced Pentacostal. "Christ, oh Christ!" he exclaimed after pulling out. "We gotta find some way to get together again. I get up that way sometime. You gotta phone number or something?" Of course, he didn't and Bill, probably for reasons of security, was not about to give up his. For much of the time William spent in the cab, Bill tried to no avail to con sex stories out of him. He'd already handed over forty-five dollars but offered another thirty as they neared a Virginia truck stop. William wanted to try something new. "Ah git mahself all nekkid an' him too behin' that curtain an' ah lay on mah back wif mah ass bah the sahd a the bed an' ah tole him tag it on `is knees but `e wuz already doin' that an' ah got mah legs all up in the ayeh an' pulled mah ass apaht an' he wuz theah but he wuz sayin' wait a minute `cuz `e wan'ed ta trah sumthin' too an' `e wen' inta one a them drawuhs unnuh the bed an' `e had sum waht plastic thangs, one a `em long an' `e put sum a `is grease on it an' ah knowed whut `e wuz gonna do but it weren't all that big so ah said okay an' he wuz stickin' it insahd mah ass slow an' `e wuz astin' whut it feeled lahk an' said it wuz okay but ah'm thankin' a dick is bettuh but then `e turned on this switch an' it wuz goin' `rrrrr' insahd me an' astin' me agin whut it wuz lahk an' that wuz kahnda neat an' he wuz pullin' it in an' out an' movin' hit aroun' an' that wuz real good. "Well, ah'm gittin' almos' ta gittin' off wifout even touchin' mah dick an' `e takes that thang out an' says he got sumthin' else an' it's lahk ta othuh thang but shoht, kahnda lahk a egg but longuh an' got a wahr cummin' out an' `e sticks it in mah hole an' then it goes on up insahd me, ah mean all the way an' only the wahr is cummin' out mah hole an' `e gots this thang wif batt'ries insahd an' `e turns it on an' that tahng insahd me gits ta doin' lahk t'othuh, ya know, `rrrrr' an' `e's pullin' so it almos' cums out then pushin' it on back but not all the way `cuz then it goes back insahd even wifout `im pushin' lahk mah ass is suckin' it back in an' `e's astin' if'n ah lahk that an' ah'm holdin' onta mah knees an' watchin' an' mah dick's all hahd an' feelin' real, ah mean' real good an' y'all kin git one a them thangs an' we kin do it heah too an' mebbe y'all gonna lahk it too. "Well, `bout then ah'm bad wantin' fo' him ta fuck me `cuz ah'm real close ta gittin' off an' `e does an' he pulls that thang out an' raht off sticks `is dick in me an' real quick ah git off but `e keeps on fuckin' but slow an' it's good an' then he's doin' it hahd an' pushin' me back up on that bed an' he's gotta pull me back 'cuz `is dick ain' gonna in that much an' then ah'm gonna git off agin `cuz `is dick's hittin' on mah paht feels good but `e gits off fust an' stops but ah said don' stop so `e fucks me sum mo' an' ah beat off." I noticed that William had a hard on. Of course, I did too but other than pause, there wasn't the expected request for sex. It had been messy with the air conditioning turned off. Both were covered with sweat, even William who'd done no more than hold on to his knees then briefly masturbate. Worse, while Bill could go inside for a shower, he didn't think it would be safe or even acceptable for William to do the same. However, Bill used some of his drinking water and paper towels to wash the grease and small bits of shit off William's rear end. He dried by lying naked in the back as Bill drove onto and up the interstate. William spent the night in the truck, earning another forty-five dollars sucking to fruition then again being penetrated before dawn, leaving in the morning with a full stomach, emptied bowels, a clean face and a hundred and eighty-five dollars including the five the woman had given him back in Houston. The money was distributed between both socks, his newly purchased underwear and two pockets. Before dropping him off at a highway intersection north of Richmond, Bill used a yellow marker on William's map to trace the route he needed to take and marked where buses would be available, especially once he reached the outskirts of Washington, D.C. He apologized for not being able to tell him which buses to take but felt sure people up that way could guide him. With Bill's help along with the estimation that William could walk at a minimum speed of two miles per hour, the two of them had calculated that, were he to walk twelve hours a day the entire distance, he'd reach my city in a week or eight days, Bill didn't expect he would have to do that since there were buses along most of the route but walking was exactly what William planned to do. His reasons were simple. A boy his age, with his deep southern accent, unable to read bus signs and carrying a knapsack asking questions about such a route would raise suspicions, possibly moving someone to notify police. Taking city buses through Washington wouldn't be much of a risk but, before and after that big city, they were out of the question. Anyhow, he had sufficient funds to keep himself well fed so walking twelve hours a day wouldn't be all that difficult. And, of course, he wouldn't have to beg or seek food behind restaurants. Cleanliness would be a problem but, who was going to complain? He set out on a highway that roughly paralleled the interstate. He also decided to stop in a shopping center and buy a smaller backpack just for his spare clothing and two water bottles. An orange cap with a colorful logo hung from a rack near the cash register caught his fancy so he bought that too. The blanket was ditched with the backpack he'd stolen from the teacher's house. No sense in looking like a runaway. As soon as he'd cleared the suburbs, he soon noticed that he was the only child, and one of very few adults walking along that highway. No one, however, even two police cars which passed, seemed to take notice of him. He walked until he spotted a Burger King where he visited the bathroom then had lunch with desert. It was dark and cooling before he stopped again, this time at a McDonald's where he ate another burger and had more ice cream for desert. He filled his water bottles at a gas station and walked until he saw a small forested area to his left and climbed over a fence after tossing his new backpack over it. Inside the trees it was quickly very dark. Neither the street lights nor the quarter moon were of much help. Laying his spare clothing on the ground, he lay down to sleep only to be attacked by mosquitos. In defense, he pulled the knapsack over his head and, after tucking his pants inside his socks, stuck his hands inside his shirt. That worked until the cold awakened him. When he couldn't halt the shivvering, he gave up, re-packed and climbed back over the fence to the highway. Sure the police would grab him if spotted, he stayed off to the side. The almost constant street lighting allowed him to see if an approaching car had police lights, enabling him to dodge the two that came by. He was in an area with spread out businesses, most with empty parking lots. Shortly he noticed one with a shaded loading platform with large boxes or containers on it. He slept there relatively unbothered until daylight which awakened him. He tired quickly during his second day walking and took advantage of the small space between a large trash container pushed into a corner of a loading area and a low concrete overhang. It was cool with no mosquitos, just a few flies. The rest of the day and all of the next found him travelling through either populated or business areas, both nights with relatively hidden sleeping spots just large enough for him. Around midmorning on the fourth day, he crossed a river and found the highway to be entirely a business boulevard with the occasional commercial or residential districts. Farmland was behind him. He'd been watching for numbers on crossing roads and looking at his map to determine where he was. Ahead was the nation's capital and the likelihood of a lot of police. He'd resisted taking busses up to that point, but they seemed the safest and fastest way to get through to the other side, particularly with the confusing tangle of roads and streets displayed on the map. Not finding anything he could identify on his maps, he was forced to ask for help. The first person he approached wanted to know why he was so dirty and alone with a map that showed him travelling from well south of where they were. "Ah tole him ah wuz goin' home an' sumbody stole mah bus money. I don't thank he b'lieved me an' said ah needed ta see a pohlice. Well, ah sho' weren't gonna do that so ah jes' wawked sum mo' an `asted this kid `bout lahk Bossy an' he tole me wheah ah wuz an' ta jes' keep goin' lahk ah wuz so ah did." William was aware how grubby he'd become and how bad he likely smelled, both conditions certain to be a problem when getting on a city bus. According to the area map he carried, there was a small river ahead. He stopped in a supermarket and bought soap, detergent and a towel. The disapproving looks he received in the checkout line confirmed the need of a good bath and change of clothes. He came upon the wide stream, which was all his river really was, as the sun was falling behind the buildings off to his left. Not wanting to be seen stripping himself naked, he bought a half submarine sandwich and an orange drink and waited for darkness. Nightfall didn't much diminish the number of people around so he wandered about until late before descending to the water from a side street. He took off his clothes behind a pair of bushes, ran down to the water and jumped in. "It weren't all that deep but it smelled worse'n me." Nonetheless, he soaped up, scrubbed himself hair to toe, rinsed off, ran back to the bushes and dried off with the towel. As he was about to put on his new clothes, he realized he stunk just like the polluted stream. In hopes air would whisk the odor off him, he stood bare, arms out, legs spread for a time. When that didn't seem to accomplish anything, he went back into the water, soaped up again and used his bottled water to rinse off. The towel smelled bad so he just stood around again until he felt he was dry enough to dress. He planned to seek a laudromat for his clothes and the towel the next day then rejected the idea in favor of just buying new clothes if he didn't reach my house before he needed them. The backpack, clothes and towel were discarded into the bushes. He slept in the entrance of a large building. The nearest street light was well to one side leaving him in the shadows. A man chased him away shortly after sunrise. A Wendy's was chosen for breakfast. After lunching on pizza, he started looking for someone who might be safe to ask about busses that could get him from where he was through the large city ahead. A teenager who seemed to know told him to get a bus with a particular street name in front above the driver. "Don't it got a numbuh?" He gave him one and the name of the street where he had to get off. William sat near the driver and asked him to say when they arrived at the street he needed. It was a long ride which caused William to worry the driver but the man put up with it and eventually let him off as directed Since he'd had success with a teen, William went that route again but none of the three he asked knew much about bus routes. He approached an older black woman. She wanted to know where he lived so she could give him complete directions that could get him home. He had no idea what to say. "Are you lost?" she asked. "Unh uh. Ah jes' need ta git pas' Washin'ton." She stared at him for a moment then glanced around. William was sure she was looking for a cop and ran. In the next block, not seeing the woman make any attempt at pursuit, he continued walking but quickly realized he had no idea where he was. He knew the sun set in the west so north was to its left but it was still too high in the sky to be of any help. The route on his map directed him between north and east. For the sun to be of any help, he'd need to wait a few hours but didn't want to be seen hanging around. He sat on a bustop bench and thought. Taxi popped into his mind. He had plenty of money, probably enough to get him through to the far side of the capitol. The cabbie would want a destination. Looking at his map, he picked a spot that appeared to be well outside the city. He needed someone to read him the name. Another kid would tell him without asking any problematic questions but there wasn't anyone his age in sight. He risked a teenager. The boy told him and walked off. It was easy to remember, Beltsville. Every taxi seemed to either have a passenger or be unwilling to stop for a kid. Finally, one driven by a dark man with straight black hair pulled over. William, figuring the driver to be Hispanic, spoke to him in Spanish. He drove off shaking his head before William could try English. It took a few minutes to find another, this driver, a young black man. When William asked how much, he said about thirty dollars but wasn't sure. It depended on what the meter said. That sounded well within his means. William was impressed that the cabbie knew his way around such a complicated city. He lost count of the turns he had to make before reaching a boulevard that took them out of the city into the suburbs. William didn't notice the meter clicking away until it was in the high twenties. He pulled together all his cash, finding a few coins more than thirty dollars. With his stomach tightening, he fruitlessly again went through all the places where he'd been stashing his money. Another look at the meter and he asked the man to stop. It read twenty-nine seventy-five. "Ah know mah way frum heah," he told him as he handed over a twenty and two fives and opened the door. The cabbie said something William didn't hear as he walked swiftly away afraid there might be another charge and worrying about how he was going to eat over the minimum two day walk he expected was ahead of him. What had happened to all that money? He was furious with himself for not keeping track of what he'd been spending, worse for taking an expensive taxi instead of finding busses or just walking. The anger he felt injected some adrenalin into his step but, with just a dollar forty-five, most of which he'd need for a bus, it seemed prudent to use less energy so he stepped not so much more slowly as with less force. Spotting a small sign with the number of the highway he was supposed to be on allowed his twisted gut to relax somewhat. It led right into my city though he had no idea where. He was sure he'd eventually recognize something to guide him to me or an appropriate bus. Of course, should two busses be required, he was going to have to find a way to earn fifty-five cents more than he had. Food would require restaurants with food out back or another kind truck driver. He was already hungry not having eaten since breakfast. Still, he was relieved he hadn't had lunch or there wouldn't have been enough for the cabbie. That might have involved the police, a tragedy after getting so close to me. He drank the last of his water then stopped at a gas station with a convenience store to refill it. "Ah wuz watchin' them people comin' outta theah wif they's food an' ah asted `em if'n they'd give me sum but they jes' got awl pissed an' wouldn't say nothin'." There began a long walk. Afraid to try the trash behind restaurants until after dark, he tried to force the thought of food out of his mind and, instead concentrated, strangely enough, on religion. "All them mens at that home wan'ed ta tawk `bout wif me wuz sex an' it wuz s'posed ta be a sin an' if'n ah done it ah wuz gonna be in `ternal hellfahr `special if'n ah done it wif othuh boys `cuz that wuz homasexchul but ah wuz thankin' how cum sex is s'posed ta be a sin when ain' nobody gittin' robbed o' beat on o' nothin' an' it feels good, kahnda lahk scratchin' only bettuh so wah ole Jesus gonna go gittin' so up an' pissed `bout a kid beatin' off o' gittin' sucked on o' fuckin'. E'rybody's doin' hit, well, mebbe not e'rybody but lots. All the kids ah knowed good wuz doin' hit. Jesus prolly done it when he wuz a kid, well, mebbe not if'n he wuz a god lahk they wuz sayin' `cuz if'n he wuz a god he hadda feel good all the tam even not doin' nothin', jes' settin' theah. "Anyways, ah weren't so sho' Jesus wuz a god'cuz ain' no way no god's gonna let no bunch a mens go beatin' on `im o' bang no nails inta `is hans an' stick `im wif no speeah. Tha's jes' stupid. If'n sum god wuz wantin' ta save owah souls, all `e hadda do wuz do it. "An' sayin' that nigguhs `n spics wuz all gonna go ta `ternal hellfahr? That wuz real stupid too. Ah mean Miss Alice an' Tia Lili an' them wuz a lot nahsuh'n them waht people in them homes, a lot nahsuh, so ain' no god gonna say they cain't go ta heaven. They gotta go fust way befo' them preachuhs `cuz whut's a preachuh do? He don' do shit, sorry, ah won' say that no mo'." He was apologizing to me. "So ah wuz thankin' all `bout god an `r'ligion an' not `bout bein' hungry an' all an', ya know, ah wuz thankin' all that stuff they wuz preachin' wuz outta this book. Well, jes' 'cuz sum' mens wen' an' wrote sum book don' mean it's the truf , ah mean lahk they's lots a books `bout stuff din't really happen so whut if'n they's bahbul's jes' one a them. "Whut if the bahbul's jes' a bunch a lahs they made up ta make us do whut they want?" William's take on religion was fascinating though understandable from the perspective of the conflicting messages he'd received in his convoluted life. I speculated on how he'd see Christianity once he learned about the rest of religions in the world. Amazingly enough, William was able to force himself to walk right into the night. "If'n ah jes' kep' on goin', ah wuz gonna git ta sum bus wuz gonna take me raht by yo' house an' when ah cum in you wuz gonna hug me lahk Miss Alice done an' e'rythang wuz gonna be okay so ah jes kep on goin'. Ah only stopped ta pee an' poop this one tam in this gas station an' git mo' watuh. Ah jes' hadda watch so they weren't no cops gonna see me." It was sometime well before dawn that he found himself walking along side a park. He must have been very drowsy because it took him over a block to realize that this was the park below the bridge and railroad tracks that had been his home for months. "Ah wuz thankin' mebbe Brad wuz up theah an' ah could go an' sleep sum an' mebbe he had sum food but then ah'm thankin' if'n ah go raht on down this street inta dayontayon, tha's wheah the bus wuz out to heah so ah drunk all mah watuh an' kep on goin' but ah knowed ah really, ah mean really hadda watch for them cops `cuz weren't no kid lahk me s'posed ta be on the streets in the dahk lahk that an' ah seed a couple but ah got behin' stuff an' they din't see me an' then, ah wuz in dayontayon but weren't no buses, jes' cahs an' trucks so ah hadda git me sumplace nobody wuz gonna see me but they wuz people sleepin' in all the good places an' ah din' `membuh whut street that bus for heah went up, `jes wheah ah hadda git on hit so wen' in this alley neah theah an' wuz sittin' theah an' trahin' not ta sleep." Shortly, along with the first light of day came the second of two buses, this one with the number he was waiting on. By a little after six, he was rapping on my kitchen door.