I
made
my
way
around
the
Cadillac
and
climbed
in
to
the
driver’s
seat.
The
mixture
of
unwashed
Norman
and
pine-‐freshener
burned
my
sinuses.
I
could
feel
a
headache
beginning
behind
my
forehead,
and
tears
forming
at
the
corners
of
my
eyes.
“Nice
ride,
brother,”
He
said.
I
looked
at
the
passenger
floor.
He
had
already
managed
to
cover
the
plush
carpet
with
mud.
“Thanks,”
I
said.
I
started
the
Cadillac.
I
decided
there
was
no
way
I
could
breathe
the
cabin
air
any
longer.
I
rolled
down
the
window
and
blurted
something
stupid
about
the
heat,
trying
to
be
polite.
Norman
didn’t
hear
me.
As
I
pulled
out
of
Merle’s
busted
up
lot
and
on
to
the
main
drag,
Norman
trained
one
of
his
milky,
dog-‐shit-‐brown
eyes
on
me.
The
other
seemed
to
remain
traine