The Ability to Abscond

by Max St. Pierre

"Damn, why is the bus always late in this town?"

"Yeah I know right, its like honestly, is it that hard? I could

understand a few minutes late if it were rush hour or some shit but

honestly, at five in the morning there is no real reason, except that

the fat ass bus driver needed a snack break."

"Ha yeah, well at least its nice and cold out."

* * * *

Ralph and Amos chattered amongst themselves in between shivers. They

were neither on their way to school nor their way home.

Ralph came from a wealthy family and knew it, just as well was ashamed

of it. He didn't want his wealth; he didn't want the privilege that

came from his parents. His parents insisted all his scholarly life

that he attend only the best private schools and the society that came

with it, they boys clubs, the weekends away from home, the ski trips

to Utah and Colorado, the trust funds, and all the other perks of

being wealthy youth. But of course Ralph did not see himself in this

light, every private school he attended he would sabotage the

experiment and get kicked out, public school was the path he wanted

and after eight years of struggle his parents folded and let him

attend the large, "rough" public school.

Amos was similar to Ralph in all the little ways, the both liked

bikes, sports and all the other less significant character attributes.

Amos came from a family that was fairly well to do but not at the

same caliber as that of Ralph. His parents didn't live on the top of

the hill, no three-car garage, no trust fund, just fine. That's what

they were, they were fine. His parents didn't fear job loss, the

bills were no problem, money was tighter, but still Amos and his

family lived very comfortably.

* * * *

Finally thirty minutes late the bus pulled up. The usually squeaking

of the breaks excited the boy's ears; the noise was too much in the

morning and forced the boys to wince. The bus door swing open to

reveal the driver, he looked just as tired as them.

"Y'all know it's a dollar now?"

"Yeah yeah"

The boys said together.

Ralph ascended the stairs first and slid two dollars into the till.

"For him too"

The driver nodded and the boys continued to the back of the bus where

the fell into their seats.

* * * *

"Mom, I don't want to go the snow this weekend, I don't want to be

with Lance and Charles and Chad this weekend! I don't like going and

you can't make me go up!"

"Jesus, ok ok. Well your father and I are still going, you do realize

you can't stay at the house alone, not after last time."

Last time Ralph was home alone he had a few people over, Amos brought

a keg and then of course, the crowds followed the keg and Ralph

accidently threw a massive party, his parents arrived the next morning

to fifty kids passed out in the living room and a keg in the middle of

it. Where was Ralph? In his room sleeping.

"Mom that wasn't my fault! But whatever, I'll stay at Amos's; his mom

already said its cool. Are you guys getting back Monday or Sunday

night?"

"Monday morning earlyish."

* * * *

As the bus began its journey through the city more and more people got

on. Before they knew it the bus was packed, what was once a quite and

tranquil drive through the city was a now a hot and noisy irritation.

The boys had to wait until the last stop to get off; this was nearly

forty-five minutes away.

Forty-three minutes have passed; Amos turns to Ralph who now sits

lifeless and still.

"Ralph, Ralph, wake up bro, we gotta go."

As he shakes Ralph.

They get off the bus and once again, wait for a bus. Today they will

be taking three buses today. As the sun started to rise so did the

boys spirits. The plan started to come together, what once seemed so

outlandish and so impossible was now possible, and not just possible,

but real.

When the boys thought of this plan they never thought that it would

truly be real, they never thought that all things would align

perfectly, it never seemed do able.

* * * *

As Ralph sits in his room distraught he looked out the window,

starring intently at the horizon, lost in thought.

BEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP BEEEEP

The honking of the airport shuttle, here to snatch away his parents

and take them on their trip to Aspen broke his gaze.

"By Ralph, see you in three days, be safe, don't do anything stupid!

Dad left one hundred dollars on the table for your food and what

not…bye I love you"

And like that they were gone.

Soon Amos's parents were to arrive and pick up Ralph to take him to

their house. Ralph began to pack a lot of stuff, he grabbed an

enormous amount of unnecessary cloths and other valuable, he was

packing for much more than a few days. Violently stuffing cloths and

other goods into his duffle bag. Clif bars, a radio, water bottles.

It was obvious to him that he wouldn't be gone for a weekend.

* * * *

"Alright, so Amos, we take this bus, then we get of at the station,

the bus leaves at eleven so we should be good on time. Then we take

the bus and then what?"

"Alright, dude, don't worry I know some people and stuff, we can

figure all that out later. Hey, wake me up when we get there, I am

tired as balls."

"Yeah sure."

Ralph reached into his pocket to reveal a music player; he plugged in

his headphones and left reality. He left the bus, he left his fear,

he left the uncertainty. When he had his music he was able to leave

his body and just be one drop in an ocean of people.

* * * *

His packing interrupted Ralph by a phone call, it was Amos.

"Bro were outside."

Ralph hung up and took only a small bag with only one change of

cloths; he left this duffle bag behind and proceeded out the door. No

smile on his face. He entered the car and the drove down the hill to

Amos's house.

As soon as Ralph entered the house he regained composure, he returned

to his lively self.

* * * *

As the bus came to a stop the driver announced the final stop. Ralph

awoke from his mediation and woke his friend. The grabbed their bags

and exited the bus and entered the Grey Hound station.

"Two tickets to Austin please"

Ralph exclaimed to cahier

"Austin Texas? That's awfully fair isn't it?"

"Not far enough"

Shot back Amos

"Alright fair enough, well that will be one hundred and twenty dollars"

"Alright"

They boys handed the gentleman the money and in return got their tickets.

"Alright, we got one and a half hours till we are outro dude, we are

actually leaving."

Ralph said to Amos.

* * * *

"Dude, I think its time"

Ralph said to Amos

"What do you mean?"

"The plan dude, lets do it, I packed and I have money, enough for me

and you, at least for a while, but we can move and get jobs, we can

leave and live our own lives. No teachers, no school, no rules, no

parents, no curfew, no more of this shit, we can live OUR lives the

way WE want to."

"Yeah, you know what, yeah, lets do it. We have nothing to lose. And

worse comes to worse we simply return home, no problems. Oh and I have

been saving some money as well, so yeah, we have some money."

"Alright then…when do you want to leave?"

"My mom leaves at four in the morning, I know right, screw being a

nurse. So we can leave anytime after that, how about 4:30?"

"Ok, I'm down, start packing your shit, we must make haste in the morning."

* * * *

As the pulled into the terminal Ralphs face lit up like a child's face

on Christmas's. He felt the immediate satisfaction of being without

the parental law. He threw his bag on the bus and strode up right to

the driver.

"Thank you!"

Ecstaticly.

Ralph walked to the back of the bus and set in for the ride, he was leaving.

* * * *

As the bus pulled in to the terminal Amos felt his stomach drop. The

pain was new to him; almost as if he had eaten bricks, his stomach

ached. He knew this was not right.

Why the hell am I going through with this? I have absolutely no

reason to leave. This is one plan I can't go through with.

He saw Ralph and felt responsibility, he felt like he now had to go

through with the plan, he felt as if he had to abscond from his family

and his life. He knew there was no reason and that this was all

Ralph, Amos was just there for the ride. The thrill had left Amos and

now it was replaced by fear.

He inched on to the bus; he followed Ralph to the back and plopped

down in his seat. He could barely compulsion to grab his phone and

call his mom.

"That's it? All right were off, everybody ready? Nobody left anything?"

The driver said over the PA system.

This was Amos's chance to leave, he knew he was either all or none; if

those doors closed he was gone.

* * * *

Throughout all of Ralph's struggles none of them were real. He lived

his life in manor in which he wanted, his parents presented no real

consequence to him ever. His life was spent pushing their limits.

Ralph confused his anger towards his parents with frustration, he was

angry with them for their "spoiled" interests, the trips to Aspen, the

house, and the cars. His anger manifested in this rather futile

problem. He had the life almost all American youth wanted, but he

didn't want it because his parents already had it. He wanted what

they didn't have, he wanted unplanned adventure, uncalculated risk,

and he wanted to take chance and to work towards his own success.

Amos would never know this feeling.

* * * *

Just as the doors were beginning to close and the engines of the bus

began to roar, Amos got up from his seat and sprinted towards the

door, he was out, he was on the street. As the bus started to pull

away he looked back at his best friend, starring at him through the

window. The bus pulled away and Amos saw his friendship fleeting, the

more the bus drove away the more he felt, until it was gone.

* * * *

After a few months passed of course Ralph was picked up. He was found

at a bus station in Albany NY, they found by the credit card his

parents gave him. Of course he was not personally wealthy. His

parents funded his trip and eventually found him.

Military school the felt was the only solution.