The Freeze

Parker Canby
October 3, 2014
6
Ms. Hamilton
One More Dollar Essay

The air was crisp and the temperature was just below 40. He walked down
the long dirt driveway with rows of apple trees on either side of him. The fog was
low and he could just make out the shape of the bunkhouse. His sack was heavy on
his shoulder from the long walk from town. His only thoughts were a pray to god
that there is work left for him. As his steps drew him closer to the bunkhouse, he felt
his feet grow heavier with every step and the pain from the blisters started to throb.
As he made his last steps to the door he warmed his hands and adjusted his coat.
Knock Knock Knock. The old wooden door creaked open on its rusty hinges. There
stood a man in his fifties, he had grey hair and an aftershave. You could see that he
hadnt had much sleep by the creases under his eyes. His jean overalls and white
shirt had dirt smudges from not seen some soap and water in what seams like two
weeks.
Im here for work,
Im sorry but as you can see, the boss said pointing to the rows of trees, last
nights unexpected chill froze all our apples, so there is no more work left,
Not even taking the apples off the trees?
The boss shook his head, Im sorry.
The man turned around and looked at the long dirt driveway in front of him, his
heart broken. A cold breeze wafted through the trees and a chill went down his

spine. He lurched forward with his steps weighing him down as if he had an
elephant on his shoulders. He looked up as murderer of crows flew overhead.
Thoughts of his family raced through his mind. It was the time of when he left. His
wife and three children, one boy and two girls, siting on the steps of their home,
tears streaming down their dirt smudged faces. He was walking towards the bus
that would take him 3,000 miles away from his family. Before he reached the bus his
youngest, the boy, ran towards him with his arms outstretched for one last final hug.
I love you daddy, said the boy into his ear.
I love you to Johnny, He said back facing his boy now
Johnny backed up and waved to his dad. He turned around and faced the bus, and
walked up those traitorous steps. When he found a seat he looked at his family out
the window. They sat there waving. The bus lurched
When he reached the end of the lane he sat down. His feet ached with pain and
tiredness, but sitting down felt good.
He sat there for a while and collected his thoughts about all that had
happened in the past 30 minuets. Oh god what am I going to do I needed just a little
more to have enough to go home. Im so sick of this place. He stood up and walked
along the dirt road heading towards town.
He walked into town right around dusk and his feet felt as if he had just stood
on a bed of nails for 3 hours. He was walking down Main St and he found a bar
named Sallys saloon. He hoisted up his dirty denim jeans and walked inside on the
left side had the bar where there were wooden stools of which on two people were
seated. On the left side was a row of different types slot machines. He walked up to

the nickel slots, sat down at the first one and started to play. 1st nickel, loose, 2nd
nickel, loose. The waitress walked up, she was wearing a knee length green dress
with poufy shoulders. Her golden hair had a natural wave to it. It looked as if her big
hazel eyes through him.
Can I take your order? she asked with a big smile on her face.
Yeah, can I get a beer?
Sure the waitress said as she turned and walked away.
He kept trying but had no luck he had already spent 50. He leaned back in his chair
as the waitress came back with his beer. He gave her a dollar as she walked away. H
faced his game again and took a long swig. The bitter taste was sadly familiar and
brought back memories of his family that he had left behind to make money, and
here he is spending it. He shrugged it off and put in another nickel. No luck. He stood
up and grabbed his beer and walked over to one of the empty chairs at a table. He
leaned over and put his head on the table. The last thing he remembered of that
night was the band on the stage playing a slow song.