As Hallam drove, he had a feeling Sam had been watching him. Though she tried to hide it by making it appear she was watching the traffic fly by or observing the landscape beyond his window, he knew. He wondered about Sam, about what really brought her to the point when they met. Sure, they had talked as they drove, but he noticed with Sam it was all surface stuff. She hadn’t shared who she was. He was fine with what she had shown him of herself. In fact, it was the quirky surface stuff which had caught his attention. Now he found himself wanting to know the inside Sam.
“You know, thinking too much causes wrinkles.”
Hallam glanced at her with a grin on his face.
“You don’t think I’d look better with wrinkles?”
“I never said you looked anything. Do you always put words in people’s mouths?”
“Only when they let me or get the story wrong.”
“Which is it for me? Never mind, I don’t need to know.”
Sam wondered what he would think of her if he knew the circumstances which led to her almost running him over. He must have known or at best suspected she was running from something, like he was. She didn’t know why, but she felt she could tell him everything and it wouldn’t change anything.
Hallam pointed out the window to a Husky station up ahead.
“Might as well fill up. No telling when we’ll find the next one.”
Sam rubbed her belly indicating another sort of fuel was required. He pulled into a vacant spot by the pumps. The pumps could only be operated after pre-paying for the gas. Once the tank was filled Hallam walked towards the convenience store attached to the gas station. He could see the clerk watching him approach. As he reached for the door handle an overhead speaker chimed to life.
“I’m sorry sir but unless you’re wearing a mask, I can’t let you in.”
Taking a step backwards so the clerk could watch, Hallam reached into his back pocket extracting his mask. He placed it over his face then waited for the clerk’s reaction which he knew would surely come. The clerk smiled and waved him forward. The latch on the door released its magnetic grip allowing Hallam to pull it open and he walked in. The door clanked firmly in place behind him.
“I love the mask. Where’d you get it?”
“I ordered it online.”
The mask was an exact duplicate of Hallam’s face sans mask. He had convinced himself he was not going to lose his identity hiding behind a mask.
Aisle by aisle Hallam searched the shelves for the practical items they might need. In the aisle bearing feminine hygiene items he selected one of each kind available. He was sure she would have had some, but just in case he thought he should.
He emptied the basket of goods on the counter for the clerk to tally.
“Going on a trip?
“We’re already on a trip. Can I have two hot dogs and four taquitos please”?
With his hands full the clerk released the door once again so Hallam wouldn’t have to fumble for the latch.
By the time he was back to the car Sam was in hysterics laughing. She had seen his mask. He handed her the hot food and placed everything else on the back seat. He grabbed two bottles of water and took his place in the driver’s seat. He took his mask off and hung it over the rear-view.
“Mark says we’re about four hours outside Saskatoon. Do we stop for the night or keep going?”
As Hallam asked the question, he was pointing at the radio which was currently playing The Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads.
“It’s an appropriate question all things considered, no?”
“Can we just play it by ear? No pun intended.”
Soon, Saskatoon was in the rear-view and now a short, faded memory.
As they drove, they sang along to the radio. Every so often Sam would suggest how good they sounded together. Equally as often Hallam would suggest she might be tone deaf if she thought he was a good singer. She reminded him, when they sang together, she carried him so no one would be able to tell.
The more time he spent with Sam the more he was convinced her quirk was the same as his.
“I need to tell you something.”
Her tone was serious. There was hesitation, or perhaps caution in the way she made her statement. The confinement of the vehicle added to the tension that now filled the space between them.
“Is this the part where you tell me you’re a serial killer?
There was silence except for Bob Marley singing about Three Little Birds.
Hallam pulled the vehicle on to the shoulder and put it in park.
“This sounds serious, so I want to give you my undivided attention.”
She smiled faintly and then explained what had brought her to the highway and almost running him over. Sam was reluctant to fill in details for him but responded with his gentle prodding. She was beside herself in tears. He reached for the travel tissues in the visor overhead and handed the pack to her. Somehow, he didn’t think one would be enough.
He waited for her to finish blowing and wiping her nose, then wipe her tears away.
”Let me get this straight, your father, who lost his job because of this, this whatever it is, took his anger and frustration out on you. You finally had enough and fought back, and now you’re sitting here with me, feeling sorry for him? Have I got this right?”
“I hit him, with a frying pan. A cast iron frying pan. Over the head. I got scared and left. What if I killed him Hallam?”
“Sorry to say, but so what. If anything, you may have knocked some sense into him, or so you can only hope. At worst, you just got written out of his will.”
After he was sure she was calmed down he put the vehicle in gear and continued driving. It did not Take long for Sam to fall asleep once they got moving. Nothing like a good cry to bring on the deep sleep needed after a heavy burden has been discarded, he thought. He was relieved her confession did not include being a serial killer. He wondered, if she had been, whether he could have told her about wanting to experience his life force draining.
It was getting close to dawn and according to the map they would soon be entering the border town of Lloydminster on the Saskatchewan side. Sam was still sleeping when they arrived. He considered letting her sleep longer but knew as soon as he stopped the vehicle she would wake up. Finding a 7-11 Hallam pulled into the nearly vacant parking lot. As soon as he put it in park Sam woke up as if on cue.
She looked around through tired squinty eyes.
“Where?”
Comments