CHAPTER 18: Mound Bayou, Mississippi

　　“Chunk”

　　“Ker-chunk”

　　“Rattle”

　　Sitting there at the light in this little town called Mound Bayou in Mississippi, the Jeep decides to stop after making quite a bit of noise. When the rattling and shaking finally stops, the engine shuts off and I notice the engine light goes on when I check to see what’s wrong. “Great!” I exclaim before I slam my fist against the steering wheel.

　　As I open the door, I scan the area for a gas station or a mechanic and find nothing immediately. It’s just a small hoe dunk town in the middle of Mississippi and today is a scorcher. Matter of fact, it is probably why my Jeep gave out in the first place.

　　I remember a while back, there was a bank with the number 101 on its billboard flashing. Now surely that meant that it is 101 degrees, because it feels like it. Staring down at my shirt, I see that it is stained in the arm pits and my pants feel like they are sticking to my legs. That is what I call hot.