waist and drew her to me. “Anywhere at all.”
The sweet hum of the mighty and ancient engines drummed softly through the deck. Together, we watched the blaze of Center move to fill the screens.
A TRIP TO THE CITY
1
“She’ll be pulling out in a minute, Brett,” Mr. Phillips said. He tucked his railroader’s watch back in his vest pocket. “You better get aboard—if you’re still set on going.”
“It was reading all them books done it,” Aunt Haicey said. “Thick books, and no pictures in them. I knew it’d make trouble.” She plucked at the faded hand-crocheted shawl over her thin shoulders, a tiny birdlike woman with bright anxious eyes.
“Don’t worry about me,” Brett said. “I’ll be back.”
“The place’ll be yours when I’m gone,” Aunt Haicey said. “Lord knows it won’t be long.”
“Why don’t you change your mind and stay on, boy?” Mr. Phillips said, blinking up at the young man. “If I talk to Mr. J.D., I think he can find a job for you at the plant.”
“So many young people leave Casperton,” Aunt Haicey said. “They never come back.”
Mr. Phillips clicked his teeth. “They write, at first,” he said. “Then they gradually lose touch.”
“All your people are here, Brett,” Aunt Haicey said. “Haven’t you been happy here?”
“Why can’t you young folks be content with Casperton?” Mr. Phillips said. “There’s everything you need here.”
“It’s that Pretty-Lee done it,” Aunt Haicey said. “If it wasn’t for that girl—”
A clatter ran down the line of cars. Brett kissed Aunt Haicey’s dry cheek, shook Mr. Phillips’s hand, and swung aboard. His suitcase was on one of the seats. He put it up above in the rack and sat down, then turned to wave back at the two old people.
It was a summer morning. Brett leaned back and watched the country slide by. It was nice country, Brett thought, mostly in corn, some cattle, and away in the distance the hazy blue hills. Now he would see what was on the other side of them: the cities, the mountains, and the ocean: strange things. Up until now all he knew about anything outside of Casperton was what he’d read or seen pictures of. As far
The sweet hum of the mighty and ancient engines drummed softly through the deck. Together, we watched the blaze of Center move to fill the screens.
A TRIP TO THE CITY
1
“She’ll be pulling out in a minute, Brett,” Mr. Phillips said. He tucked his railroader’s watch back in his vest pocket. “You better get aboard—if you’re still set on going.”
“It was reading all them books done it,” Aunt Haicey said. “Thick books, and no pictures in them. I knew it’d make trouble.” She plucked at the faded hand-crocheted shawl over her thin shoulders, a tiny birdlike woman with bright anxious eyes.
“Don’t worry about me,” Brett said. “I’ll be back.”
“The place’ll be yours when I’m gone,” Aunt Haicey said. “Lord knows it won’t be long.”
“Why don’t you change your mind and stay on, boy?” Mr. Phillips said, blinking up at the young man. “If I talk to Mr. J.D., I think he can find a job for you at the plant.”
“So many young people leave Casperton,” Aunt Haicey said. “They never come back.”
Mr. Phillips clicked his teeth. “They write, at first,” he said. “Then they gradually lose touch.”
“All your people are here, Brett,” Aunt Haicey said. “Haven’t you been happy here?”
“Why can’t you young folks be content with Casperton?” Mr. Phillips said. “There’s everything you need here.”
“It’s that Pretty-Lee done it,” Aunt Haicey said. “If it wasn’t for that girl—”
A clatter ran down the line of cars. Brett kissed Aunt Haicey’s dry cheek, shook Mr. Phillips’s hand, and swung aboard. His suitcase was on one of the seats. He put it up above in the rack and sat down, then turned to wave back at the two old people.
It was a summer morning. Brett leaned back and watched the country slide by. It was nice country, Brett thought, mostly in corn, some cattle, and away in the distance the hazy blue hills. Now he would see what was on the other side of them: the cities, the mountains, and the ocean: strange things. Up until now all he knew about anything outside of Casperton was what he’d read or seen pictures of. As far