Once everything was back on the bike (us included) we road into the next town, found a gas station that was open and filled up both the bike and our extra gas can. We were even able to get into their bathroom and wash up a bit. It felt so good to feel that warm water on my face because it sure got cold the previous night.
In the bathroom, Meek said he wanted to ask the gas station guy what town this was, but he didn’t want the guy thinking we were runaways or something.
“We are headed in the right direction according to the compass so it don’t much matter what town we are in now does it?” I asked while using the toilet as a chair.
“I guess not.” Meek agreed, “I’ll wait for you by the bike.”
“Alright, I’ll be out in a minute.” I said while standing up and unzipping my shorts.
It was actually more like five minutes and it wasn’t me that came out, but Meek who came back in.
“Alvin the bike is gone!” he shouted in panic.
“WHAT?” I shouted back.
I had been washing my hands and turned around when he ran in shouting.
“The bike, our stuff, everything is gone!” Meek was nearly in tears.
We both ran out of the bathroom and listened but we didn’t hear any sign of the bike’s loud engine.
“Someone must have pushed it away.” I suggested.
“You boys lose something?” The gas station guy asked.
“Someone stole our dirt bike.” Meek said.
“Saw a couple men putting it in a pickup right after you went in the restroom.” The guy said right before he spat tobacco on the ground.
“You didn’t stop them?” I asked.
“Weren’t none of my business.” He said, “Besides, they said you stole it from ’em.”
“NO WE DIDN’T?” Meek shouted.
“Now just you two take it easy. I done called the sheriff and he’ll be along any minute.” He said.
Meek and I looked at each other. I am sure he could see the same fear in my eyes as I could see in his. I suppose, had we time to think, we would have run off and found another way to finish our trip, but as it was, a brown car with a single red light on top skidded to a stop only feet from us.
It didn’t take long for the lady sheriff to figure out that we were not from her town. She put us both into the back of her car, which wasn’t a police car, but just a regular car with a police radio and a light on top. We were taken into the middle of town to a building that had a sign on the top like a store sign. It read SHERIFF’S OFFICE spelled out in big black letters.
We were led into the Sheriff’s office and told to sit down on a long wooden bench. She asked if we had any identification and that is when Meek told her that someone stole our motorcycle and everything we had, including all of our money and any identification we may have had. Until right then I hadn’t realized that we’d also lost the money.
There was a call on the desktop radio that was sitting on a large metal desk behind the sheriff. She turned around so that her back was to us. That gave the two of us a chance to take in our surroundings.
Meek nudged me, “Look over there.”