Katie understand the choices she’s making if she doesn’t go home? This lifestyle is unique, but it’s not for everyone.
“We wait.” I tell her squatting down and inspecting the ground under us. “We have to get off the freight lines and back to passenger trains to get you back to Arizona. Once the engineer finishes his inspection of the locomotive and replenishing fuel, this train will move out.” I gaze out to the station area. “There are three tracks. This is a small station. We have to be patient and I’ll approach the office to figure out what city and state we’re in. Depending on that information we’ll even have to wait for another load to catch out again or we can hoof it on foot into a bigger city close by.”
She nods with wide eyes. “I’m hungry.”
Ugh. I am too but I also know the risks to trying to get into parcels. “Sit tight,” I order. “I’ll go see what I can get.”
Just as I am about to take off and try to get into some of the boxcars, she reaches out grabbing my arm. “Don’t leave me, Talia.”
She is full of despair and desperation that I find myself giving her hand a squeeze. “Okay we gotta see what we can find. If I say run, you run back to this spot, Katie and you don’t look back.”
The poor girl in front of me wants to break down I read it in her eyes. There is no time for that. This train may leave and we need to be ready to catch out again if another load moves in quick.
Keeping to the edge of the woods, I move out from our hiding place following the train all the way to the caboose. Each boxcar we pass, I stop and crack the door enough to try to see what is inside. Rarely is food transported this way. It’s mostly industrial supplies. Not letting my frustrations win, I keep moving beyond the train and over to one of the covered buildings. The smaller stations have these bays set up for merchandise that needs to be offloaded in the event the brakes on a boxcar are damaged or there is some other kind of damage to the car.
Under the overhang I count seven bodies all laid out in different ways, and see the metal barrel drum used for a fire. These riders are comfortable here telling me the conductor or engineer are accepting of their presence.
This clues me into a few things, the most important being this is a small town. In the bigger cities rail riding is frowned upon. Also in the metropolitan areas the cops wouldn’t tolerate the loitering.
If I was alone this would be fine. Having committed to returning Katie to Arizona this presents a problem.
Before I can educate Katie on the dangers to other hobos, she takes off in a sprint to the sleeping bodies. A couple of them jump up on the ready to run while a few remain sleeping. Katie looks around and spotting something, she moves to one of the sleeping bodies. Squatting down, she isn’t even aware of the others getting ready to pounce on her. My pulse quickens as fear grips me. Shaking the male figure, I try to pull her back when the man rolls over and opens his eyes.
“Katie?”
She squeals in delight, “Caleb! I thought I’d never see you again.” As quickly as the elation hit her she begins to sob. “I was so afraid.”
Standing up, she jumps excitedly while opening her hands like she’s featuring me on a commercial, she introduces, “Caleb, this is Talia. She’s my friend.”
He blinks and then extends a dirty hand for me to shake. I don’t shake it, but rather give him a small wave of acknowledgement.
“Talia, this is great!” She gives her full attention to me not caring that there are other people around. “Now, I don’t need to go home. I have Caleb!”
“Go home?” He stands up. “Why would you go home, Katie?”
She laughs it off. “I didn’t know what to do without you. It doesn’t matter now, we’re back together.”
He pulls her to him and kisses her loudly, passionately, and in such a way that draws everyone’s attention.
I don’t say anything feeling awkward in the situation.
A figure approaches from behind me and I jump to the side twisting in a way where I am ready to fight.
“Easy girl,” the raspy voice of the tall man says. The lanky frame of the man