Minataro

Chapter 2: The ride

(For xxvintagedaisyxx , who wants nothing more than for me to crank out another chapter)

The car smells. It smells of gasoline and body odor. Also the unforgettable smell of a tobacco cigar.

The Mina-Guard driving us decided to light one, making us all cough at first. Not that he noticed.

I turn to the boys beside me. They're both still so nervous. The kid right next to me is sweating bullets. He is probably the culprit for the stench of the body odor.

The kid next to him looks nervous in a completely different fashion. His face is greenish and he looks like he might lose his breakfast.

"Have you fellows ever traveled from home before?", I say, trying to ease the obvious tension and also start up a conversation.

Neither of the boys answer at first. They just look at me, as if the words wanted to come out, but couldn't.

I eventually turned my head towards the window. We were still on an empty dirt road, passing nothing but sagebrush and dead trees.

"I've only been away from my mother once,", said the kid who looked like he was about to vomit. "But that was only for a day, no, half a day. I don't know how long we'll be gone!"

I gave him a look of empathy, he looked like he was going to start crying and puke at the same time.

The kid next to me spoke next. "I don't 'ave a mum. Died right affer I was born."

He had a strong cockney accent. Maybe he moved from London or something.

"I'm nervous too, but let's try not to think of it.", I say, sounding much like a mother myself. "Let's change the subject. What're all your names?"

"Jonny.", said the boy who looked like he was going to barf.

"Herbert.", said the smelly kid.

"And I'm Nache. It's a pleasure."