Jesus is Our Lord Used Tires

The Bean Trees

By: Barbara Kingsolver
(pg. 47-70)

We are back to Taylor and Turtle as they adventure into Arizona. After staying at the Broken Arrow Lodge for a few weeks to make some money and stay for the Holidays. Mrs. Hoge had convinced her that they would need extra help around the Holidays because her overweight daughter couldn't stand for too long.

Shortly after arriving in Tucson they ran into trouble. Taylor managed to pull into Jesus is Our Lord Used Tires and discovered she had two flat tires. The owner Mattie was as sweet as could be. She offered Turtle peanut butter crackers and even got her some juice. Taylor told Mattie that she really didn't have the money for tires right then until she found a job and a place to live. Mattie was really sweet and was willing to keep her car until Taylor had the money.

Taylor stayed at the Hotel Republic, which wasn't what you would call nice but it was a room. It was downtown near all the hustle and bustle, which there was defiantly none of in Pittman County or at The Broken Arrow. Taylor took Turtle everywhere with her and every morning they would eat breakfast at the Burger Derby, where Taylor met a girl who worked there who also had a child and had found a place she could have free daycare while she worked. Taylor thought she might check that out and apply.

Taylor and Turtle have begun to settle down in this pleasant area and have met some very nice people and it looks like she plans to stay a while. I wonder how Taylor is going to afford all the expenses of herself and a child. Will she keep Turtle or try to report what happened to authorities? I would be scared to just drive away from my home with no idea where I was going with no one I knew and just start a new life. Taylor seems pretty brave.

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