Broken Family Tree

3 - Road Trip

It took less than two minutes for him to come back with two bulging duffle bags and one smaller leather bag. When he placed the larger bags in the trunk and the smaller one in front of his feet in the passenger seat, Malia asked him what was in the bags.

"This one has medicine made from medicinal herbs I made mys­elf along with dried herbs, and the duffle bags have money in them." He said as he pointed first at the leather bag and then jerking his thumb toward the back to the trunk.

"How much money's in them? " "Malia asked, putting the key into the ignition slot to turn the car on.

"I think... 2 million in each bag?" He said, nonchalant. At that information, Malia proceeded to let go of her car keys and turn in her seat to look at the boy with a dead stare. He looked back at her, tilting his head slightly to show his confusion.

"You have 4 million dollars in cash and you didn't think to use it?!" Malia enunciated, staring right through his soul in an attempt to decipher the boy's thoughts.

"On what should I have used it on? I had everything I needed in the forest." was his reasoning.

"A shower, for one! " She almost shouted, turning her car back on and continuing down the long stretch of road again, mentally shaking her head. Are all men just stupid?! She decided to change the subject.

"I don't know your name yet. Mine's Malia. Malia Tate." She introduced herself, spotting a road sign saying the ramp that led to the expressway was just up ahead.

"Thomas Hale. Are you bonded or were you taken into another family?" Thomas, as he was now known, inquired (I know my use of vocabulary might be all over the place, but I'm trying hard here). 

"I was adopted—taken in, like you said. You go by 'Hale'?" she asked, having expected Corinne to give him her name, whatever it is...or was. 

It hadn't really hit her yet: that Corinne was dead. Malia didn't know that he was telling the truth and that she really was dead, because to Malia, Corinne seemed the type to try her hardest in her endeavors to get what she wants, no matter the obstacles that come. If she was anything, she was adaptable. So hearing that she was dead was surreal to her.

"Mom always told me my last name was Hale, so it stayed that way. Is it supposed to be something else?" Thomas wondered innocently.

"No, just curious." Malia said. "How old are you, by the way? Do you know your birthday?" She didn't know how Thomas' life was like with Corinne, so she wanted to know as much as she could about him without overwhelming him. She was more than willing to be patient if it meant he didn't get hostile in the small car.

"Does it matter? "Thomas said, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Malia could tell his guard was coming up and she didn't know why. She had only asked his age and birthday, right? They were on the expressway now, hundreds of cars passing them or coming up beside them as Malia joined the throng of mundane mayhem that was called "traffic." (Too poetic? Or is the word "dramatic"?)

"Just thought it'd be nice to know, to get to, you know, know you better. How about I tell you mine? My birthday's on November 28 and I'm 21 years old. Now you go." 

She tried a different approach. If he was going to be paranoid, then she would just have to be as open as possible, even if it wasn't totally fair. He stayed quiet for a good ten minutes as he contemplated telling her his birthday and age. Malia guessed that he had been taught to be careful of what he told strangers, and to never reveal too much or there'd be trouble. He had already told her his name, though—maybe that's why he was hesitating now, because he realized he was being too open to an essentially-stranger. In the end, he answered her question, tensing up as if he were raising the highest walls.