The Bomb - 2. Chapter 2

My route would take us south of Chicago, and then I would be driving north and head towards the Dakotas.

I drove until it was getting late. I covered quite a few miles. I stopped at the first gas station, which was open, refilled my gas tank, and checked if they had any food. I was concerned with the extra boys I might need more food, at least until we got to North Dakota. I paid for the gas and bought some fruit and soda for the boys. Where we can spend the night was my next question.

It was Jon who spotted the sign. I pulled into a spot where it would be quiet from the noise of the road. "I have a big bed in the back, where you two can share. I'll convert the sofa into a bed for me." I was glad that this coach was designed for my comfort. I'm not sure that one of those 'off-the-shelf' units would have worked.

Sleep came easy for me, but I heard a few sobs from the back. I guess it was Jon.

Morning came, and we had to line up for the bathroom. Showered, I was ready to move on, but I had a few things to do. I pulled the RV to the dumpsite emptied the waste tank since I wasn't sure when I'd have the opportunity to do it again. Cereal again for breakfast and juice, the boys asked if they could have a cup of coffee, so we shared a pot of coffee, and then we hit the road again.

I swung south of Chicago then headed north through Wisconsin before heading west to North Dakota, just south of the Canadian border. Just north of Chicago, we picked up my third young man. He was hitchhiking but had no bags. Jon said we should stop, so we did.

"Where are you going? We're heading to North Dakota, where are you heading?"

"Anywhere away from Chicago, I got this far last night. The guy who gave me a ride had some other ideas. He told me to get out and left with my knapsack."

Jon looked at me, I nodded. "Ollie, open the door and help him in." Jon has taken over the RV. I smiled at this young lad who had assumed to be in charge. I was okay with that, it showed independence, and he'll need a lot of that with what I presume happened to his folks.

"Jon, see if he's hungry. There are still some sandwiches in the fridge."

"Can we have one as well?" "Sure, help yourself."

My next stop was just north of Minneapolis. Again I stopped at the first gas station that was open and filled up the gas tank. I asked the boys to see if there was anything they wanted from the store. One nice thing about traveling on the interstate is that most gas stations have a small store where you can get fruit, candy, and sandwiches.

The boys came back with a bag. "We got some fruit and snack stuff.

"Okay, I'll pay for it when I pay for the gas."

"I paid for it."

I was surprised, and I guess it showed, "My mom and dad gave me some money so I could get a snack when the bus stopped."

"You should save your money, Jon."

He smiled as they got back into the van. I turned to the new boy, "I'm sorry, I don't know your name?" "My name is Paul."

Well, Paul, welcome aboard. Jon, tomorrow we'll be in North Dakota, so start looking for a place to sleep for the night."

Jon claimed the front right seat and held it as if it was his right since he was the first. The fact that he was the youngest never crossed his mind.

As he had the night before, he spied a sign indicating that there was a rest stop just ahead. I pulled in and noticed that there were quite a few truckers there as well. I found a spot that looked relatively quiet.

"There's a restaurant here, and it looks like it's open."

"Good, let's go and see if we can get a hot meal." I got out of the RV, followed by Jon. Ollie and Paul stayed in the RV. "You boys coming?"

"We don't have any money."

"Did I ask you that? Now come on and let's get ourselves a hot meal."

They got out, I locked the RV, and more or less steered them toward the front of the restaurant. "This may be your last chance of getting a hot meal, so make sure you get enough, and don't worry about the money."

As we started to walk, I heard, " No, I'm not that type of boy. I'd rather stay here and sleep in the woods than ride with you."

"Sir, we can't let him sleep in the woods."

I looked at Jon. He had tears in his eyes. "Jon, what's the matter?"

"When I was waiting for the bus, a trucker stopped and asked if I wanted a ride. He didn't look nice, he was smoking, and the truck smelled like cigarettes and beer. He said I could ride in the back of the cab. One of the men waiting for the bus told him to get out of there, or he'll call the police. The man told me what he wanted. I bet it was the same thing that that man wanted."

We walked over to the boy, a young man, probably the same age as Paul. It was Jon who spoke first.

"You don't have to sleep in the woods. Come with us. You can sleep in the RV." The other two boys nodded in agreement.

The boy looked at me, "Yes, you can join us if you want. We are headed to the restaurant, and you can join us."

The boy looked at the trucker, gave him the finger, picked up his bag, and headed toward me. I went to open the RV, put his bag in, and lock it again. Then headed to catch up with the boys. They were talking a mile a minute. I'm sure they were sharing their stories.

"Sir, this is Thomas, he said to call him Tom ."

"Well, Tom, welcome aboard. Let's see what they have to eat."

Whenever I stopped at a restaurant on the interstate, almost all have the same things. Fried chicken, french fries, two vegetables, a tossed salad, hamburgers and hot dogs.

"Okay, guys, make sure you get enough. This will probably be the last hot meal you'll get until we're in North Dakota." I watched each of the boys, adding an extra piece of chicken to Ollie and Paul's plates. When Tom saw this, he took an extra piece as well. I was last in line and paid for all of them.

The food was good. When they were all finished, they had to go to the bathroom. I went and bought a large box of fried chicken. Waiting for the boys, I heard a commotion in the men's room. The boys came out laughing.

"What was the commotion?"

"Tell him, Tom."

"I was the last one in, and that trucker came in after me. He went to grab me when Paul pushed him away. He said, excuse me, and then Ollie bumped into him. Jon stuck out his foot and tripped him as he was backing away. He was lying on the floor. Paul said we should pee on him. He got up and started to hit us; that's when Paul and Ollie punched him in the stomach. He threw up, and we ran out. There's a big mess in there now. I wouldn't want to be the person to clean that up."

We watched the manager and an employee enter the restroom. "I think we better get back to the RV."

The boys thought it was funny, but I didn't want to get into a fight. "Okay, I think that bed is big enough for the three of you. I'll sleep on the couch and you Tom can sleep on the chair, it will pull out into a bed, I'll show you. I want to get an early start tomorrow morning, so plan on it. Get your showers tonight, and you won't need a shower in the morning."

I watched as Jon followed by Ollie, then Paul, followed by Tom, I was the last. I'll need to fill the water tank as soon as possible.