Page 7 of The Hitchhikers
“Well, times are changing,” Tom said. “The first women’s rowing team is competing at the Olympics. Handball and basketball too.”
Alice thought about that. The worldwasshifting. Women were fighting for their beliefs. They wanted equality, but what did that mean for her? She had never feltunequalbefore. She had spent her entire life thinking she’d be a mother and make a home. Tom loved having a hot dinner and a clean house waiting for him, his clothes washed and ironed for the next day. That’swhy she’d taken temporary jobs, filled in here and there. What had been the point of a career?
“What’s this area called again?” Blue said from the back, and Alice had the distinct feeling he was trying to change the subject.
“This was all part of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.” Tom gestured to his left, where the river ran far below. “Hell’s Gate is supposed to be spectacular. The canyon walls are more than three thousand feet above the rapids. They had to cut into solid rock bluffs to build the highway.”
This man would make a great father, she’d thought when she first saw Tom coaching the school’s football team, the players all looking up at him like he was their hero. He’d cheered the loudest of anyone. She’d been charmed by his quirky mismatched socks and colorful ties, impressed by his vast knowledge of history, and amused by his enthusiasm for board games.
Alice’s mother had birthed four healthy children, and Alice’s sisters, both younger than her, already had children of their own. For Alice, it was three miscarriages, one stillbirth of their sweet baby boy, and a doctor’s severe warning about her age and the risk of death if she were to get pregnant again. Tom had insisted they stop trying. Sometimes she wondered if Tom would leave her for another woman. A younger, cheerful woman who could give him the family he’d always wanted. She didn’t share these thoughts, paralyzed by a superstition that if she voiced her fears, Tom would promise never to leave, and she’d be doubly heartbroken if he did.
The highway had indeed been cut into the mountain and they had to travel through a series of tunnels. Tom announced each name as they approached—Saddle Rock, Sailor Bar, Alexandra, Hell’s Gate, Ferrabee, and China Bar. Alice didn’t like the sudden darkness, the flickering lights, the hum of their tires against the concrete walls, the way it felt as though their roof could besheared off. She breathed a sigh of relief each time the RV was back in the light.
When they reached Lytton, it was much smaller than they’d thought, so they discussed pressing on until they found a more populated town to leave Ocean and Blue in. One where there was a nice campground and hopefully a safe ride. They drove for another hour, passing small town after small town, until Tom pointed to a sign marking a turnoff to a lake.
“There’s a rest area. How about we take a break and do some fishing?” He glanced at the couple in the rearview mirror. “You can teach me a few things, Blue.”
“Do we have time?” Blue said.
“That’s the great thing about a road trip. We can stop whenever we want.” Tom was already making the turn. Alice stared at the map on her lap, confused by a flutter of fear in the pit of her stomach. Why did leaving the highway make her nervous? Had she become such a stick-in-the-mud? The lake wasn’t far off the highway, and it would be nice to use the facilities.
Rough pavement turned to gravel, and a few minutes later there was another sign for the lake. Tom pulled into the parking lot—empty except for a pickup and a blue Trans Am—and placed the RV parallel to the lake so they could extend the awning. Alice got out and used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. The water was deep blue and calm, mirroring the cloudless sky. Trees blocked the shore all the way around, except for the portion that made up the rest area beach. In the distance, Alice could make out the shapes of two men with fishing rods in a red canoe. The only other people were a man and a woman swimming at the far end of the beach. Alice guessed the blue Trans Am belonged to them. From her location, she could see the hood and the driver’s door with the window down, a smiley face hanging from the rearview mirror.
Blue and Tom took the tackle box and fishing rods down tothe shore. Ocean followed, carrying her backpack and sodas. Alice had wanted to stay in the shade of the RV. When Ocean offered to keep her company, Alice urged her to go and enjoy the water.
“You can use the RV to change into your swimsuit.”
“Maybe. I’ll see how cold it is first.”
Alice settled into her lawn chair to read Erma Bombeck’sThe Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank. Her neighbor had raved about how funny it was, but Alice found herself reading the same sentence over and over. She used the book to fan her face.
Ocean was wading along the edge of the lake. Occasionally, she bent over to pick something up out of the water. Stones, Alice guessed. Ocean studied them in the palm of her hand, slipped some into the pocket of her romper, and tossed others back into the lake.
Ocean had finished wading in the water and was now pulling a towel from her bag, spreading it out on the sand. She lay back, her small bump rising into the air. Alice turned her gaze to Blue and Tom. They were casting their lines with quick snaps of the wrist.
The heat was making Alice sleepy. She closed her eyes, drifting in and out. She had no idea how long she’d been dozing when she heard voices and a car door slam. The couple with the Trans Am had returned. The man started the engine, but they stayed inside their car for a minute, talking and listening to music. Alice recognized the pungent scent of marijuana and wrinkled her nose. She fanned her face harder, shifted her position, leaning away. The driver was flipping through radio channels. Static, a few seconds of guitar, then a male newscaster’s voice.
Simon Gray is twenty-one and described as tall with a slim build, brown hair, and brown eyes. Jenny Perron is eighteen, with long blond hair and blue eyes. They may be hitchhiking.
Hitchhikers? Had something happened? Alice turned her head to hear more, but the car was reversing now, the muffler loud. She only caught the tail end of the announcement.
Anyone who has information regarding their whereabouts is urged to contact police.
The car drove away in a cloud of dust. Alice looked back to the lake, where Blue was knee-deep in the water and Ocean was sunbathing on the beach, and frowned. Blue had brown hair and eyes. Ocean was blond and blue-eyed. It couldn’t be them, could it? Had they lied about their ages? Sweat dribbled down Alice’s neck. She wiped at her brow. She wondered why the police were looking for the couple. Maybe they were runaways and their families were desperate to find them. No, that didn’t make sense. Even here in Canada, eighteen and twenty-one couldn’t be considered minors. Well, the radio hadn’t said the girl was pregnant. That seemed an important detail. So, another couple then. But itwasstrange that they didn’t have a tent. Blue was reluctant to talk about where he lived. They had odd names. No. She was being ridiculous. There were probably countless young travelers who could fit that description.
Alice watched as Ocean got to her feet and waded out into the water again. She talked to Blue and Tom for a few moments, then she turned, collected her belongings from the beach, and walked back to the RV.
“I’ve been sent to help you with lunch,” she said when she reached Alice.
“Lunch? Already?”
“They’re hungry.” She shrugged with a shy smile. Her nose and cheeks were prettily flushed from the sun, her shoulders freckled. “I’m a terrible cook. But I’m good at sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches are fine.”
Inside the RV, Alice got two sodas from the fridge, offered one to Ocean, then drank a few mouthfuls from her bottle beforepressing it to her hot cheeks. “I feel like a baked potato. I need a moment to cool down. Would you mind laying the bread slices out?”
“Sure.” Ocean picked up the loaf of bread, but when she realized it wasn’t already sliced, she stared at the knives in the woodblock.
