Me and Charley

14. Clinic Day

The rude buzz of the alarm clock invaded my dreams. I pushed the button on top. It announced "The time is five-fifteen." A gentle tapping on my door reminded me why I was getting up so early. Mom asked, "Trey, are you awake?"

"Barely, Mom."

"OK, get moving, son. I'll have a bit of breakfast ready for us when you come down. And don't forget your sneakers."

"Yes'm." I did my bathroom business and got into the sport shirt and shorts Mom had laid out for me, and my socks and sneakers and my glasses. In the kitchen Mom had set out a glass of orange juice, a bowl of cereal and a sweet roll. I really didn't feel like eating anything. I finished the cereal and said, "Mom, I think that's all I can eat right now."

"That's all right, Trey. Put the roll back in the bread box. I've packed a few nibbles for the trip. I'm sure your belly will wake up later on."

"Yes'm." We tidied up the kitchen, went to the garage and got into the pickup. Despite the early hour it was still warm at this mid-July dawn. The eastern horizon brightened rapidly and the sun would not be long in making its appearance. When we got to Charley's house Charley stood next to the open door of the garage. He pointed at the space in front of the other door, indicating we should park there. He seemed wide awake. He always seemed wide awake, except when he was actually asleep. I got out and greeted him, "Hey, Charley."

"Hey you. Didja sleep all right?"

"Yeah, pretty good. You?"

"Real good." He greeted Mom, and she and I got his wheelchair into the Suburban.

"Hey Charlie," I said, "it's gotta be hard usin' this thing to get around."

"Yeah, I guess so, if you're not used to it. Not as hard as not seein' right, though, that's what I think." I just shrugged in reply. I did not like being reminded of what awaited me that day. Ms. Rhoda came out of the house carrying a picnic basket. I put the basket in the back with the wheelchair and shut the door. Ms. Rhoda and Mom got in in the front seat of the Suburban and me and Charley in the back. We mostly rode in silence. The sun rose and illuminated the morning mist that hung over the broad fields of corn and the soybean plants just springing up where the winter wheat had been harvested. The village was mostly still asleep, though lights were on in the bakery that would open shortly. We crossed the railroad branch line that went to Lachaine, and left the village on the better maintained two-lane road that paralleled the track. At Lachaine we found a little more action as we circled the courthouse square. Leaving Lachaine, we crossed the main rail line and picked up the highway to the city.

Somewhere after Lachaine I must have fallen asleep. Charley poked me awake as he said, "Hey, look at that old rattletrap train." I looked where he was pointing and saw we were passing the ratty-looking diesel engine and three ancient passenger cars that ran twice a day to the city from Lachaine and places farther down the line. The paper regularly carried news that the railroad wanted to stop the service because hardly anyone rode the trains anymore and they were losing money hand over fist on them and they messed up the freight service that paid the bills. A big stink would then erupt about how if the railroad would keep the trains clean and run them on time more people would use them, and the politicians would say the towns had to have the service, so the government said they had to keep running.

Charley said, "I never seen cars like that 'cept in cowboy movies." The cars had open platforms at each end, nothing like the sleek silver ones I'd seen in magazines.

I said, "Well, that's the only kinda train I ever seen in real life."

Ms. Rhoda said, "I'll be glad when school starts so the teachers will drill some correct grammar into those little noggins of yours." We let that pass.