Alexander's Gift

The Worker- 2

Jerry waited breathlessly nervously for a sign of the train, bouncing from foot to foot as he kept his eyes peeled for any gumshoe trying to sneak up on him. Finally he heard the faint whispers of the train and felt the vibrations when he put his hand to the cool surface of the track.

          Stepping back a good five paces, Jerry tensed himself, heart racing furiously within his chest as he prepared himself to jump. He knew that as long as he could make it onto the train, he was a shoe in for that job.

          As the train rolled up, spurts of steam hissing past him, the sight of the first few cars caught Jerry off guard: rows and rows of men, teens, and even dames sat atop the roofs, clung to the sides, and stood on the ladders in between. He'd only seen that many people altogether like that at the annual all-school assembly.

          The raw excitement that coursed through Jerry jerked him from his trance, and he sprinted alongside the train, faintly hearing the shouts of some of the other kids to him above the roar of the train moving beside him-seemingly soaring above the ground.

          He kept reaching for a hold on the dark metal, but his legs were tiring and he didn't think he was going to make it until out of nowhere a door in the side of the car he was racing slid open and a big, soot-blackened hand stuck out, gesturing for him to grab on.

          Using his final reserves of adrenaline-pumped energy, Jerry threw himself forward, one hand grabbing the edge of the open boxcar, the other taking hold of the outstretched hand. The sole of one of his shoes popped off when for a frightening second his feet dragged against the rocks and he thought he was going to fall or lose a leg of something. But then the hand pulled him up with one swift, surprisingly strong motion, and he was in the car.

          The door slammed shut and he lay there on the wooden floor for a second, catching his breath as his head swam dizzily. Finally he pulled himself to his feet, catching sight of glinting pairs of eyes all around him in the darkness of the car, and his grateful relief abruptly vanished as fear replaced it.

          The hiss as a match was struck was followed by four looming men advancing in on him, some of them not much older than him.

          "Alright, kid, what have ya got in that there bag a yours?" Came a foul-breathed snarl from one of the men closest to him, and Jerry just shook his head, clutching his bag close to his chest. A metallic click followed, and Jerry didn't have to look down to know a blade had been pulled on him. "Nothin'. Just some old clothes, that's all."

          "I been needin' some old clothes, boy, so let's take a looksie-"

          "That's enough!" A voice rang out loud and clear above the shuddering of the car and the clicking of the wheels from beneath. Jerry followed the four fellas' gazes beyond to the back of the car, amidst the line of other men watching silently, to a suited man lounging with crossed arms and a hat tilted over his eyes as if the boxcar was his own private beach.

          "We was just givin' the kid a proper welcome, that's all." The same looming man grumbled back, stepping back begrudgingly but obediently. Jerry's shoulders sagged as he was left alone, and was in grateful awe of the man who'd saved him from being jumped, but something told him thanking him right now wasn't really the greatest idea.

          He settled for standing in one of the corners in the shadows, listening to the creaking and groaning of the boxcar and trying not to think about how hungry he was- he wasn't going to chance taking out his food in front of these bums.

###

The night passed torturingly slowly, with nothing for anyone to do except smoke if one was lucky enough to have a cig, try not to fall with every violent jolt of the car, and try to escape the strong scent of pine and creosote.

          The rest of the guys left him well enough alone after that first incident, with the only real excitement lying in him being the new guy.

          He was honestly surprised at his own guts as he stood there silently and bleary-eyed. He could be caught by a gumshoe and thrown in jail! Or worse- beaten near to death by one- he's heard the stories, and knew they could be real mean bastards. And not to mention the injuries that could happen falling off the train, or even just being around these tramps who'd kill for the food and supplies he had.

          But in all truthfulness, Jerry was so tired he didn't have the wherewithal to be afraid- only somehow at the same time, he was too hyper to go to sleep.

          Then all of a sudden the door of the boxcar was being yanked open, momentarily blinding Jerry as the others began jumping out. The train hadn't stopped moving yet, so Jerry asked one of them why they were jumping now.

          "If we wait til it stops, the coppers'll be waiting for us." Came the short reply before the kid jumped, and Jerry braced himself between the doorframes, watching the posts go by sickeningly fast.

          "We don't got all day, kid. Just jump-you'll either make it or you won't- waitin' won't change that." He recognized the voice as from the suited man who'd saved his hide earlier, and saw that he was still sitting in the same position at the back of the car.

          "Okay, thanks." Jerry turned back to the terrain flashing by, blending into a warm palette of earthen colors, and just did it. He tried to leap far enough so he wouldn't be caught by the train, and at the same time not hit the tracks.

          He landed sprinting faster than his legs could take him on their own from the momentum of the train, and he followed the rest of the hoboes across the tracks  and into the forest lining the station.

          When his head had cleared from the exhilaration of trying to just escape alive, he looked through the foliage and trees desperately for the man who'd saved him twice in one day. Streaks of black and brown weaved between trees and filled the forest of people running away, and Jerry half ran along with them, not wanting to miss the man, and really not wanting to think about what would happen if he did.

          Finally the streaks were gone, and Jerry found himself wandering through the forest all by his lonesome. Sunlight littered the carpet of moss and plants along the forest floor in stripes as it beamed against the towering tree trunks. He sat down hopelessly at the base of one of the warped trees that seemed like the curve of an arm down to a hand whose fingers had long ago embedded themselves in the ground. Greens of every which kind, but which were all indistinguishable to Jerry, crept up the trunks and served as cushioning for his back.

          A heavy sigh left his lips as he realized that without someone like that man by his side, he was toast. The self-pity made him hungry and he unzipped his bag woefully to see which food he felt like comfort eating.

          All of a sudden the snapping of twigs came from behind Jerry, and he shot to his feet, holding his bag close to him as if it were his own child. To his astonishment, it was him! Jerry just watched in relief as the man walked past him to sit at the base of the tree across from him wordlessly. Jerry caught a glimpse of his face before he tipped down his hat again, and saw the man had a long, tan face with strikingly handsome features and warm brown eyes. As curious and grateful as he was, the man was already sleeping- or at least wanted to look it so Jerry wouldn't try to talk to him- and to be honest, Jerry was too exhausted to talk. He had been so worried about his own safety that he hadn't been able to sleep. But now . . . now he had the inexplicable feeling he was going to end up alright.