April 6th, an hour before dusk
Samantha Cooper shifted sideways slightly in her seat as she
wrestled one handed with her purse wedged between her feet and her backpack.
She was trying to dig around for her cinnamon gum. She was hungry and it was at
least an hour until the mid point rest stop. Gum would have to do for now.
Samantha’s curly strawberry blonde hair was in a half hazard slept on sideways
ponytail and she was wearing grey rolled up sweat pants, white Adidas runners
with a black hoodie jacket bearing the University of Iowa icon in yellow
lettering. Stacey Chung slept in the
window seat beside her, glasses askew in an impractically short denim skirt
with pink tie dyed leggings under it, tall leather boots and a loose pink
t-shirt under a leather jacket on top. She slept face against the window with
her mouth slightly open, creating a small patch of fog on the glass with each
exhale. Samantha chuckled towards Stacey’s sleek black bobbed hair at the face
planted nap pose. She popped the stick of gum into her mouth and began to chew.
Her whole mouth tingled as the tangy spice infused it.
The forests dwindled and the corn fields began, rolling by
the window in their sad wet pre-planting phase. Last year’s deadfall still
scattered the fields with spindly brown debris. In no time though every field
would be lush with green shoots in tidy rows; every farm except the Cooper farm
that was. For four generations the Coopers had defied the corn monoculture and
grown wheat, not just any wheat, "turkey red wheat" brought to Kansas
by Mennonite immigrants from Russia. Samantha’s paternal great grandmother
Katerina Volkov had emigrated from Russia to Kansas with her family. Her father
had told her the story so many times as a child. When the Volkov’s settled into
American life they shortened their traditional name to Volk and sent their
children to the local school. Katerina Volk became Kate Volk and eventually met
and married Benjamin Cooper. The Coopers had originally landed in New Amsterdam
in 1657 when they came over from England with the Quaker movement. Over time
the original Coopers migrated west. Land became available in Strange County for
cheaper than Ben and Kate could ever save for in Kansas but Benjamin was a
terrible farmer. His crops failed and the bank threatened to foreclose. The
Volk family came with shovels, prayers and turkey red wheat seeds and saved the
farm. The Coopers were about to have their first child. Samantha’s grandfather,
Avery Cooper, was born fast and early in the shoots of the first wheat field
while Kate Copper weeded alongside her husband and her two brothers that stayed
on through the season. The harvest bestowed its generous bounty and the Cooper
wheat farm in Strange County began its long history.
The yellow dingy glow of a small gas station diner came into
focus as the sun met the horizon in amber and purple hues. The bus rattled and
squeaked as it slowed and turned in. Stacey jolted awake and then yawned in
irritated protest.
Samantha giggled and elbowed her “Come on let’s get
something to eat.”
The girls knew the rest stop plan well. They just had time
to order takeout and use a non-moving and slightly cleaner bathroom so they
didn’t waste a minute. Back on the bus they ate in their laps.
Stacey wrapped the uneaten half of her sandwich back up and
stuffed it in her bag “I better not arrive totally full. It’ll break my Mom’s
heart if she can’t feed me something.”
Samantha laughed “At ten at night? I’m lucky my Dad’s
willing to stay up that late. I’ll probably have to drive us home.”
Stacey groaned “I could never be a farmer. You have to get
up stupid early!”
Samantha finished her sandwich and then heard the buzz of
her phone and fished it out of her purse to read the message “It’s Malcolm. He
wants to make absolutely sure I’m coming to the game tomorrow. D’uh….it’s
opening day buddy. Why’s he even asking?”
Stacey had opened a compact and was re-applying her soft
pink shimmery lip gloss “Maybe he’s flirting with you Sam. I mean enough time
has past….”
Samantha shifted in her seat uncomfortably “Nope. Not gonna
happen. Dave’s best friend? Stacey seriously?”
Stacey smacked her lips and shrugged “Dave flew off to
another planet and Malcolm’s still home and cute.”
Samantha looked slightly annoyed now “Then you ask him out.
We’re just friends. And it’s Jupiter Florida not the other end of our solar system.”
Samantha rolled her neck back and to the right until it cracked before an
obvious subject change “I have to be at the ballpark diner first thing in the
morning for the breakfast thing. We should have taken the earlier bus.”
Stacey perked up at this “Me too. Mom signed me up to serve
with you. She texted me yesterday and told me she picked up my t-shirt.”
Samantha smiled now, happy the shift in topic had taken “You’re
so lucky your Mom texts. My Dad is so adverse to it. I mean seriously, he’s not
that old!”
Stacey laughed “Mom’s totally addicted to her iPad. And aren’t
you descended from those luddites?”
Samantha swatted at her “Mennonites Stacey. Mennonites and
Quakers.”
Stacey curled up now, bunching her jacket into a pillow “Mmmmm
oatmeal. I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a minute.”
