Faith's Bar Mitzvah part 16 #420 episode 175

Gas, Grass, or Ass, Nobody Rides For Free. Its orange letters stood boldly against the white background of the bumper sticker. Sarah was the first to notice. This was because, she insisted on being the first person in line at the bus stop. She would bolt out of bed every morning. Sometimes meeting Darlean in the hall. Sarah would hurriedly dress. Knowing her only competition was Delaney, who lived in the dark green house right across from the bus stop. So there it was, but yet it was different. Sarah no longer cared about the bus stop. She stood above Faith's bed, commanding that he get up, in a hushed tone.

Faith's eyes looked towards the morning sun. He could tell he still had time to sleep. Why was she bothering him. She had never done it before. Usually it was Mary waking him. Her silence warned him of impeding danger. Something was wrong. Sarah was way too quiet as she asked where Mary was. In the bathroom Faith whispered back. Oblivious to why Sarah was whispering. But all the while wanting to know desperately.

It was back... the last time it was there they did not see her for quite a while. Everyday they where at their Aunt Learna's waiting for her to pick them up. Which usually came in the middle of the night. They were awakened from their slumber by unfamiliar hands. Asking her where such and such slept. Faith usually went back to sleep. But every once in a while his interrupted sleep would bother him to the point where tossed and turned. Laying this way and that way wanting to go back to sleep. That's when he would hear them.

Faith turned from the bumper sticker. "Maybe he'll be her just a little while," he said. Faith looked back at the car. It's long sleek yellow paint glistened from the sun rising in the eastern sky. Faith walked timidly behind Sarah and Mary. Each walking with their own thoughts about what the strange car in the drive way meant for each of them. Faith marched towards the bus stop looking in each person's eye for any glimpse of awareness as to the yellow Buick Electra, deuce and a quarter that sat boldly in their front yard.

His name was Johnny Ray. He would be in Faith and his sisters life for the rest of their lives. A truck driver by trade he had met Darlean at the Cozy Inn, the local watering hole for Negroes in Winnfield. He was a hulk of a man. His arms held muscles on top of muscles. His long fat hands cradled a beer as he leaned against his yellow car. Faith stepped from the bus, waiting on his sisters to show them the large man surveying the Bottom's landscape like some type of overseer or something.

"Hello son," his words surprised Faith. He stammered for the right words. His mind told him to let this stranger this "Johnny Ray" he was not his son. Although his mind dreamed one thing, his mouth said hello.

"Your momma tells me its your birthday next week. How old will you be? Faith looked in the large man eyes. What had Darlean told him? "Yes sir," Faith answered. "My names Johnny Ray and you don't have to say no yes sir to me, yeah is good enough. Yes sir, Faith replied. Unaware of his proper reply again. "Come go with me," he said. Faith looked towards the door. Johnny Ray told him that his mother already knew he was going with him. Faith climbed into the front seat. The leather burned through his jeans as he adjusted himself as the car motored up the hill. The motor chimed and begged for Johnny Ray to press the accelerator down even further. He looked towards Faith as he answered the motors request.

They reached the top of the hill and pulled into the Western Auto