In a tow-truck between Klamath and Eureka, CA, the forest green and wet on 101, Limbaugh on the radio.
“I hate Sacramento, can’t stand it. I grew up there. A cop shot and killed my brother there. Brother went to prison when I was thirteen, got out when I was 19, and that's when he was killed. He was 26. He wasn’t a saint, but you can’t just shoot someone. The cop got away with it. It's…huh. It’s actually about twenty years ago to the day that he was killed. It’s about 20 years ago to the day.
"My mother." He blinks, looking straight through the windshield. "My mother died in a car accident. No." He shakes his head once. "I was 12. Her boyfriend, he pushed her out of a car he was driving. It wasn't the first woman he'd done that to. He’s in prison now, last I heard."
"My father died of sclerosis of the liver when I was 14. He drank quite a bit. Don't drink, myself. Well." He laughs. "Sometimes, a very cold beer tastes good."
"I lived for a while with my aunt and uncle, and my other brother. I guess we're a little close, yeah. Brother’s 10 months older than me. He pretty much cracked after our brother was shot. He did a lot of drugs. Acid. It was just too much, losing his whole family. Too many people gone, a person just can't take that. He has schizophrenia. I found a group home for him in Nebraska. It’s a good place, they give him his meds, stuff like that. I drove him out, but I want to get him back here. There’s a similar place nearby, but I don’t know what kind of people they are."
"I've got a family now, my own kids. I have three daughters, they're great. Yup, all girls." He grins. "Lots of toys around the house. Disney movies. Pink. Have to shovel stuff into the back room to make space. Angie likes dress up, she's definitely a girl. I'd kind of like a boy. I was a little disappointed they weren't, but would never, ever tell them that. No, don’t get me wrong -- I’m happy with what I’ve got. I don’t know what I'd do if a child of mine died. Probably kill myself."
"No, I don’t have much time to do things outside. Gotta work as much as I can before my arthritis gets too bad. Starting to worry about it. Both grandmothers, mom and dad's sides, have hands like claws. I know what mine are going to look like. When I took my motorcycle to Sacramento, I couldn't even turn off the ignition, couldn’t grip the key it was so bad. Probably should think about surgery, but I don't have medical, and they're real expensive. Can't afford that with the girls."
"I’ve had this job with AAA for about two and a half years. It's a good one, they pay more than other tow companies. I’ve lived in Eureka for about two and a half years. I never want to move again, love it here. Had it hard, when I was a kid. Just bulled through it. But it could be a lot worse."