Chi

The silence flashed for an hour or so. She offered me a smoke, and we took care of our cigarettes. Taking drags and blowing smoke every now and then, eyeing the road passing by. She didn't know me, did I know her?

I took one last drag and began to hum an old tune. The lyrics to it were simple but charming to. "Don't tell anybody anything, if you do, if you do, you'll start missing everybody"

She flinched at said tune, and slowed the car. Then turned her face to mine, and I grinned. I grinned cos I knew what she didn't. I knew her. She was starting to know though.

"What you singing?" Her voice didn't shake, as her eyes scanned me scrutinizing but the smoke rested between her index and middle fingers, burning down.

"Its just an ol' tune I picked on the road" I answered staring deep at her icy eyes. She kept glaring at . "Can't recall the rest" I shrugged it off, careless. "I am the catcher in the rye" I hummed and again looked away, to West Virginia? Ohio?

She stopped the car and sighed. I grinned again, and grabbed my guitar in its caseless state to my lap. I played the tune. How could I dare forget it? After all the insane hours of playing bus stations and trains. She stared and heard like hell knew she should have done before!

"Luc?"

"Took you damn long!" I said and kept playing the song like devil was chasing behind our back. She didn't look surprise not effusive, but I saw her smile to herself. I played. I wasn't as good as her, but I had leanrt in Tennesse and Lousiana, from rockabilly boys and blues negro men. I could hold the tune and she sang.

"Hey Holden, where did you go? You can't up and leave us, You're the star of this show. Oh Mr. Caulfield, the edge is getting close. Oh Mr. Caulfield, over the edge we go"