The bus engine before him spit gray exhaust into the morning air. There were men in suits carrying duffel bags, and women in skirts with handbags. They all boarded the bus in a horde. They seemed busy, hurried, and they behaved like their lives were more important than they truly were.

The sign on the front of the large silver vehicle read Birmingham, Ala.

Coot waited on the sidewalk, observing his own reflection in a shop window. Behind his reflection were mannequin torsos wearing suits. In the reflection he looked awkward. His long, skinny neck. His puny shoulders. He thought himself to be an ugly kid. Maybe the ugliest who ever lived.

Blake was several yards away, speaking to the bus driver. Their voices were drowned out by the sound of the heavy engine. But Coot could see the driver nodding and listening to whatever Blake was saying.

Coot looked at his own reflection again. Why couldn’t God have made his ears a little bit smaller? Or at least God could’ve made his neck shorter.

“We’re all set,” said Blake, appearing in the shop window reflection behind Coot. “Nice-lookin’ men, ain’t we?”

Coot shrugged.

Blake tousled Coot’s hair. “You’ll grow into your paws. Give it time.”

Then Blake squatted on his heels before Coot and fixed his collar. “Gosh, Coot. I’m sorry I couldn’t get your baseball bat. Too many cops around the car.”

“It’s okay.”

Blake shook his head. “No, it ain’t okay. That was your bat.”

Coot was indeed sorry he didn’t have the bat. It was the most impressive thing he had ever owned. But the truth was, he’d forgotten about it ever since they’d been running from dust and hiding from deputies in dark corners of a foreign city.

Blake placed his hand on Coot’s head. The hand weighed more than Coot thought. “One day you’re gonna forget all about me, you know that?”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes, you will, and you should forget. You know I ain’t brought you nothing but trouble. I shoulda taken you away from E. P. a long time ago. I hold myself personally responsible for all you went through.”

“Stop it, Blake.”

“I’m bad luck, buddy.” Blake cleared his throat and flashed a big smile. “But hey, we’re gonna start a new life, you ’n’ me, right? We’ll have big fun together. This bus is gonna take us straight to the promised land, and maybe, once you finally see Alabama, you’ll forgive me.”

“Blake, you ain’t done nothing wrong.”

Blake brought himself eye level with Coot and looked both ways. Coot noticed the old man’s eyes were pink and wet. Blake said in a whisper, “I’m putting you in charge of our money, hear me?”

Coot nodded.