Tails From the Rails
7-15-2008
I remember the day my brother left clear as day. I remember because it was the day after my 16th birthday. I was still in my bed that morning when I heard my Ma crying in her room down the hall. I knew Toby had left because he had been telling me all week how he was such a burden on Ma and Pa. So that morning I packed a small bag with food and a change of clothes and I followed my brother all the way to the train station in town. He didn't even know I was following him. If he did he would have made me turn around and go straight back home to Ma. But I couldn’t go if Toby wasn't there. We've been friends since I knew what friends were. Ma said it was because we were only two years apart and siblings that close cant bear to fight with each other. So, if I let Toby go alone there was a possibility that I would never see him again. I didn't take any chances.
When they loaded the train Toby waited until the train jerked forwards an inch before jumping into a hobo filled box car. I jumped in right after him along with a few others. I hid myself in the crowd so Toby wouldn't notice me. But that didn't last long. Eventually, Toby spotted me amongst the many heads hiding out in the box car. He must have hollered at me for ten whole minutes before he calmed down enough for me to talk to him. Then it took me over ten minutes to convince him to let me continue with him.
Toby started talking to the boy sitting next to us. He looked about my age and had a grand old time with Toby. Unfortunately some bulls found our group and kicked us all out. They made everyone pay half of what they had for their fare. They also beat a few men who kept saying they didn’t have any money to give them, but that beating shook their money out of them.
The next time we hopped a train, the boy, whose name was Paul, got on with us. We stood on the ladders in between two box cars. We had to hold onto the cold metal bars for hours till we came to stop in Texas. We slept in a forest near the station and woke up early the next to catch a train. It was going to take us all the way to the middle of New Mexico.
Toby never made it to New Mexico. Some bulls caught us when they were patrolling the train. They got rough with me so Toby got rough with them. They just shot Toby. They shot him and then went on with collecting money for people's fares. Paul had to carry me out of the train because I couldn't stand I was crying so hard. We took Toby's body and buried it in a little town near the station. Then it was just me and Paul making the journey.
I remember the day we got to California clear as day. I remember because it would have been Toby's 19th birthday.
When they loaded the train Toby waited until the train jerked forwards an inch before jumping into a hobo filled box car. I jumped in right after him along with a few others. I hid myself in the crowd so Toby wouldn't notice me. But that didn't last long. Eventually, Toby spotted me amongst the many heads hiding out in the box car. He must have hollered at me for ten whole minutes before he calmed down enough for me to talk to him. Then it took me over ten minutes to convince him to let me continue with him.
Toby started talking to the boy sitting next to us. He looked about my age and had a grand old time with Toby. Unfortunately some bulls found our group and kicked us all out. They made everyone pay half of what they had for their fare. They also beat a few men who kept saying they didn’t have any money to give them, but that beating shook their money out of them.
The next time we hopped a train, the boy, whose name was Paul, got on with us. We stood on the ladders in between two box cars. We had to hold onto the cold metal bars for hours till we came to stop in Texas. We slept in a forest near the station and woke up early the next to catch a train. It was going to take us all the way to the middle of New Mexico.
Toby never made it to New Mexico. Some bulls caught us when they were patrolling the train. They got rough with me so Toby got rough with them. They just shot Toby. They shot him and then went on with collecting money for people's fares. Paul had to carry me out of the train because I couldn't stand I was crying so hard. We took Toby's body and buried it in a little town near the station. Then it was just me and Paul making the journey.
I remember the day we got to California clear as day. I remember because it would have been Toby's 19th birthday.
♠ ♠ ♠
Something I wrote for schoolI liked it.
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