Lighting up a cigarette, Gojyo sauntered over to the Jeep. He looked at Hakkai, noting the gleam in the other man’s eyes and he sighed. They would be dragging this hunk of junk back to Sanzo, after all. But, how? It wasn’t like they could call someone to come pick it up. Cars were extremely rare. In fact, this was the first one Gojyo could ever recall seeing.
“Got any bright ideas, Hakkai?” Gojyo kicked a tire.
Kyuuu!
Surprised, Gojyo stumbled backwards, landing hard on his ass. “Hakkai! That old fart was telling the truth! This thing does make noise!” With a shaking hand, Gojyo picked up his cigarette that he’d dropped. He was so shocked that he stuck the dirty cigarette into his mouth, spitting out dirt when he’d realized what he had done.
“Please, Gojyo. Don’t kick him.” Hakkai ran his hand lovingly over the hood of the Jeep, earning another ‘kyuuu’. But this kyuuu was softer, more pleasant than the one it let out when Gojyo kicked it. Did he hear Hakkai right? Calling the Jeep, him?
Digging around under the floor mat, Hakkai came up with a key. “Aha. That’s what I was looking for.” Climbing in the Jeep, Hakkai ran his hands over the steering column, looking for the keyhole. Finding it, Hakkai put one foot on the brake and one on the clutch and put the key in. Wiggling the stick shift, he made sure he was in neutral. Gojyo watched Hakkai with ever widening eyes, wondering just where the hell Hakkai learned to drive.
At first, the Jeep coughed and sputtered. Really coughed. It almost sounded like a child with a cold and Gojyo pinched himself. This had to be a dream, right? He kept telling himself that it was a dream but as he watched Hakkai, that theory didn’t hold up very long. How could he be dreaming this? He didn’t know the first thing about cars and Hakkai really looked like he knew what he was doing.
Climbing out of the Jeep, Hakkai lifted the hood. “Oh, you poor thing.” Clicking his tongue, Hakkai pulled out handfuls of weeds from the engine. “Just how long have they left you alone?” Headlights blinked several times. “Days?” The horn beeped once. “Weeks?” The horn beeped once again. “Months?” The Jeep went crazy, beeping and blinking it’s lights. “They left you out here for seven months? All alone?” A sad ‘kyuuu’ sound. “Well, you’re not alone anymore. You have me and Gojyo.”
Now he was convinced that he was dreaming. Hakkai was talking to the Jeep and the damn thing was answering him! Burning heat bit at his fingers and Gojyo stubbed out the cigarette that he had forgotten he’d had in his hand.
Back in the Jeep, Hakkai turned the key and it started. Black smoke from the tail pipe sputtered out and the Jeep died again. Once more, Hakkai started the Jeep and this time, it was running. Smiling and patting the dash, Hakkai spoke softly to the Jeep. Pushing the clutch in, Hakkai shifted to first gear and gently pushed down on the gas, making the Jeep buck and shudder but they traveled about 10 feet before the Jeep stalled.
Hakkai laughed, his laughter ringing out in the afternoon. Unconsciously, Gojyo started to laugh, too. It had been a long time since he’d heard Hakkai laugh that freely and it was a nice sound. Soon, they were both laughing and the Jeep kyuuu’d with them, as if he was laughing, also. Starting the Jeep up again, Hakkai pushed down harder on the gas and before Gojyo knew it, Hakkai was driving around in circles, as if he’d been driving for years. One last circle and Hakkai stopped the Jeep next to Gojyo.
“Ready to go home, Gojyo?” Dusting himself off, Gojyo tossed their satchels in the back and climbed in. They rounded the front of the monastery and Hakkai waved at the monks who were peeking out at them. Gojyo wasn’t so nice…he flipped them off.
Finding Hakuryu pt. 4
“Got any bright ideas, Hakkai?” Gojyo kicked a tire.
Kyuuu!
Surprised, Gojyo stumbled backwards, landing hard on his ass. “Hakkai! That old fart was telling the truth! This thing does make noise!” With a shaking hand, Gojyo picked up his cigarette that he’d dropped. He was so shocked that he stuck the dirty cigarette into his mouth, spitting out dirt when he’d realized what he had done.
“Please, Gojyo. Don’t kick him.” Hakkai ran his hand lovingly over the hood of the Jeep, earning another ‘kyuuu’. But this kyuuu was softer, more pleasant than the one it let out when Gojyo kicked it. Did he hear Hakkai right? Calling the Jeep, him?
Digging around under the floor mat, Hakkai came up with a key. “Aha. That’s what I was looking for.” Climbing in the Jeep, Hakkai ran his hands over the steering column, looking for the keyhole. Finding it, Hakkai put one foot on the brake and one on the clutch and put the key in. Wiggling the stick shift, he made sure he was in neutral. Gojyo watched Hakkai with ever widening eyes, wondering just where the hell Hakkai learned to drive.
At first, the Jeep coughed and sputtered. Really coughed. It almost sounded like a child with a cold and Gojyo pinched himself. This had to be a dream, right? He kept telling himself that it was a dream but as he watched Hakkai, that theory didn’t hold up very long. How could he be dreaming this? He didn’t know the first thing about cars and Hakkai really looked like he knew what he was doing.
Climbing out of the Jeep, Hakkai lifted the hood. “Oh, you poor thing.” Clicking his tongue, Hakkai pulled out handfuls of weeds from the engine. “Just how long have they left you alone?” Headlights blinked several times. “Days?” The horn beeped once. “Weeks?” The horn beeped once again. “Months?” The Jeep went crazy, beeping and blinking it’s lights. “They left you out here for seven months? All alone?” A sad ‘kyuuu’ sound. “Well, you’re not alone anymore. You have me and Gojyo.”
Now he was convinced that he was dreaming. Hakkai was talking to the Jeep and the damn thing was answering him! Burning heat bit at his fingers and Gojyo stubbed out the cigarette that he had forgotten he’d had in his hand.
Back in the Jeep, Hakkai turned the key and it started. Black smoke from the tail pipe sputtered out and the Jeep died again. Once more, Hakkai started the Jeep and this time, it was running. Smiling and patting the dash, Hakkai spoke softly to the Jeep. Pushing the clutch in, Hakkai shifted to first gear and gently pushed down on the gas, making the Jeep buck and shudder but they traveled about 10 feet before the Jeep stalled.
Hakkai laughed, his laughter ringing out in the afternoon. Unconsciously, Gojyo started to laugh, too. It had been a long time since he’d heard Hakkai laugh that freely and it was a nice sound. Soon, they were both laughing and the Jeep kyuuu’d with them, as if he was laughing, also. Starting the Jeep up again, Hakkai pushed down harder on the gas and before Gojyo knew it, Hakkai was driving around in circles, as if he’d been driving for years. One last circle and Hakkai stopped the Jeep next to Gojyo.
“Ready to go home, Gojyo?” Dusting himself off, Gojyo tossed their satchels in the back and climbed in. They rounded the front of the monastery and Hakkai waved at the monks who were peeking out at them. Gojyo wasn’t so nice…he flipped them off.