The Hitchhiker

Santa Barbara has that dry heat that Kaiah doesn’t get in San Francisco. Hard and crisp against molten sidewalks, throbbing in the rubber wheels of roller bladers as they whip down the side walk for relief.

It was Kaiah’s mother’s idea to take this trip, a farewell gift to both her daughters before they jettison into adulthood. Precinct as ever, her mother expected that their communication would be minimal once the nest was flown and wanted a final stamped memory of Something Good. Kaiah accepts this in the same way she accepts her mother pilfering the savings she kept in cash under her bed, annoyed but knowing wanting her mother to be anything else as unreasonable.

Josie had already been out of the house for a year and had taken to freedom with languished ease, the constant tension in her shoulders now relaxed against a maroon crop top, her face clear and wandering as she takes in the flurry of color and activity on the main drag against the beach. A boy skimps by her on a skateboard, making her take a step back and watch his back disappear, his long hair flickering like a flag as he is absorbed into the horizon.

“Look at the fire dancers!” their mother cries, pointing at a group of people flinging flames into the air and catching it casually. Kaiah feels a tensing in her chest, a longing at their braided hair and laughter. Her phone vibrates as the trio walk over to watch. She discreetly checks it and sees a text from Bailey /what are you up to tonight/ and rolls her eyes he’s already forgotten about her going out of town even though she's talked about nothing else for the past week.

The sun sets against the rings of fire--girls with tight outfits and dangerous hoops that hiss as it gets whirled around, someone eating a lit ball of fire. Kaiah sits on a rock wall that separates the beach from the sidewalk and watches the show. She looks to her left and notices a man reading. He’s using the rock wall as a back rest, one leg up to support the thick book, the other casually leaning against a cardboard sign. She can see in the dying light it reads TRYING TO GET TO FAMILY UP NORTH ANYTHING HELPS.

He reminds her of Bailey, with his uncut brown hair that whisps right under his ears in chaotic swirls, nonchalant turning of pages as the sun slowly disappears. Perhaps its this familiarity, or perhaps its the fact he’s reading Song of Susannah, her favorite book, that makes her approach.

“You like Stephen King?” she asks and he looks up at her voice, the last of the natural light slipping across his face and being consumed by the street lamp that flickers on.

“Yeah,” he replies and slips a bookmark to the page he’s on as he closes the book.

“The Dark Tower is my favorite,” Kaiah suddenly feels self conscious that she has struck up a conversation with a complete stranger, the impulse fading. He doesn’t seem to mind though, leaning back to get a better look at her.

“Where is your family up north?” Josie inadvertently saves Kaiah but sliding up to her, their mother still entranced by the fire dancers on the beach, “we’re from northern Cali, leaving tomorrow actually.”

“I’m trying to get to Gilroy,” the man says and Kaiah notices a lilt she can’t quite place.

“That’s on our way,” Kaiah blurts out before she can think better of it.

“What are you girls up to?” her mother calls out, realizing her daughters have departed and making her way to them. She’s flush with the excitement of the beach, her cheeks red and eyes wild with adventure. When she reaches them she sees what the man is reading and exclaims, “Oh I love that book! Kaiah does too, we read them together.”

“Thats cute,” the man smiles and Kaiah is consumed with fierce embarrassment.

“Mom, he needs a ride to Gilroy,” Josie says, “we have room, we should take him.”

Their mother has two distinct personalities that she flashes between. One is the type of person who would drive a transient man up the coast of California. The other would be offended at the suggestion. Kaiah eyes her mother, who sizes up the man’s flannel, his calloused hands grasping the book that’s pulled them together, and wonders which personality is out tonight.

“Of course,” their mom says, “that wouldn’t be a problem at all.”

“Seriously? That would be great,” the man smiles and extends his hand, “I’m Silas.”

“Nice to meet you,” their mother says, “pick you up here tomorrow?”

***

In the morning, their mother has switched to the type of person who has absolutely no interest in driving anyone anywhere. She huffs through breakfast and complains about the fact she felt *pressured* into saying yes, her eyes hot daggers that slip into Kaiah. Josie avoids this entire confrontation by pretending to be on the phone with a professor. In the end, their mother’s fear of being perceived as rude overrides her annoyance and they pile into her truck to pick Silas up at the boardwalk.

He’s standing where they met last night, wearing a backpack with a canvas duffle bag at his feet. Their mother roars up and barks at him to get in. His eyes widen slightly at the change in tone but he obliges, chucking the bag into the back of the truck and hopping in the back next to Kaiah.

He looks older than he did in the nighttime lighting, a spray of faint lines at his eyes and skin that's become tough with the elements. His long sleeved black shirt looks too hot for the southern California sun but he doesn't look uncomfortable. Kaiah’s phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket to see her best friend has sent her /saw Bailey out with some girl last night TRASH/. The grits her teeth and doesn’t have a response.

Silas absorbs the tension in the cab of the truck like a robust filtration system, pulling out a beat up red iPod and headphones. Before he can slip them on Kaiah jumps in and asks, “Where’s your accent from? I’ve never heard it.”

“Oh I’m from Maine,” he says.

“Did you move with your family to California?” Josie asks from the front seat.

“No, uh,” Silas looks uncomfortable before blurting out, “I don’t actually have anyone in Gilroy, I’m trying to get to rehab but no one will give you money if you say that. I tried to get in before but they were full but they just called and said they had a bed open.”

“That’s very admirable of you,” Josie says genuinely. Kaiah thinks about the fact she and Bailey have started doing coke in the back room of his apartment during parties and wonders if one of them is destined to bum rides to rehab from chaotic middle aged women. Their mother doesn’t say anything, her anger still palpable throughout the car.

“Uh yeah,” Silas replies and his cheeks color in shame.

“Tell me about Maine,” Kaiah changes the subject, “I’ve never been there.:”

“It gets really cold there,” Silas laughs, “Like colder than you can imagine.”

“What do you do when it's that cold?” Josie asks.

“All sorts of stuff, skiing, snowshoeing,my brother and I used to go ice fishing.”

“Is that the thing where they cut a hole in the ice and try to get fish?” Kaiah asks.

“Yeah. I grew up next to a pond and my brother and I would go every year and catch fish.”

“Where’s your brother now?” Kaiah knows he probably doesn’t like being interrogated but she can’t help herself.

“Oh,” Silas looks down and sadness visibly envelops him. His shoulders hunch and his eyebrows crease together. For a second Kaiah is worried that something tragic happened to this brother, that he slid into the opening while fishing and became trapped the water. Silas panicked as he watched his brother succumb to the frigid temperatures. She can almost see it play out, this horrific tragedy that would scar someone so deeply she isn’t ready when he says, “he stopped talking to me when everyone found out I was doing heroin.”

“Did you meet Stephen King?” their mother has decided to join the conversation, ‘I think he’s from Maine.”

“Yeah he is,” Silas looks at her with wide eyes, “I’ve never met him, though my buddy says he saw him run over a sidewalk when he was still drinking. He lived a town over from mine.”

“That’s so cool,” Kaiah says.

“Yeah,” Silas uses the pause to slip his headphones on and end the conversation. Kaiah still has questions but she watches the coastal scenery instead, focusing on the waves and decaying rock. When her mind wanders she thinks about Bailey, which she absolutely does not want to do. She reaches out and tugs at Silas’ flannel. He takes off his headphones and looks at her cautiously.

“When you’re done with rehab what are you going to do?”

“Hopefully go back to Maine. Try to talk to my brother. I dunno man, I’m just tired, you know? I’m really really tired.”

Kaiah nods even though she doesn’t know.

“It’s still exciting to you, isn’t it?” Silas says so quietly Kaiah can barely hear him. Josie and her mother sit oblivious in the front seat.

“What?” she asks equally quiet and leans towards him.

“The parties, the drugs, bad boyfriends,” he says, “you love the chaos and it loves you yeah?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she swallows dryly.

“I know my kind,” he says with a smile that’s heavy with sadness, “you’ll get tired too. I hope it happens sooner for you than it did for me.”

Kaiah stares at him and doesn’t have anything to day. Her phone vibrates loudly. She knows its Bailey asking her out tonight. Silas looks at her and she knows he knows it too. The continue in silence. Silas slips his headphones on and turns towards the window.