“Hi, Earl”
Adam stepped out of the terminal at the Seattle Airport. He wearing a black backpack and holding two large suitcases. It was raining outside, and a cool night wind was blowing. As he looked out at the lamp-lit road leading up to the terminal, his cellphone in the back pocket of his jeans vibrated. He dropped the two suitcases on the sidewalk.
Adam raised his cellphone to his ear. “Yeah,” he said.
“I’m here,” said a gruff male voice on the other end.
Adam looked down the street. “Where at?” he asked.
“I’m pulling up now,” said the man on the other end.
A gray 1970 Chevrolet Camaro roared up to the airport terminal, its headlights glaring through the rain and mist. It came to a stop near Adam, and its deafening engine shut off. The rust-covered driver’s side door swung open, and a middle-aged man with a beard and a pony tail stepped out. He was wearing a plaid shirt and a baseball hat. He walked around the Camaro and under the airport awning. “Hi, son,” he said.
“Hi, Earl,” said Adam.
Earl walked up to Adam and embraced him. “It’s good to see you, son,” said Earl.
Adam’s arms hung limp at his sides. “Sure,” he said, leaning back.
Earl released him. “You got big,” he said.
“Ten years will do that,” said Adam.
“What are you now,” asked Earl, “thirteen, fourteen?”
“Sixteen,” said Adam.
“Sixteen,” said Earl, his eyes widening. “Wow.” He took off his hat and scratched the back of his neck. He glanced at one of the suitcases on the sidewalk. “Those yours?”
“Both of them,” said Adam.
“I got room in the trunk,” said Earl, walking behind the Camaro. Adam carried the suitcases to him, and watched as Earl loaded them into the trunk. “You don’t travel light,” said Earl, dropping the trunk door.
“I packed for a month,” said Adam, “like you said.”
“Good,” said Earl, walking up to the driver’s side door. He ducked into the Camaro.
As Adam opened the front passenger side door of the Camaro, a strong earthy aroma wafted out at him. In the backseat were dozens of dirt-packed egg cartons stacked one on top of the other with seeds germinating in them. He looked at Earl, who was sitting behind the wheel in the driver’s seat.
“Well,” said Earl, “climb in.”
