Summary
The story begins with a family trip in mind. The mother of Bailey, called “the grandmother” refuses to go to Florida, where Bailey wants to take his family. Bailey and his wife have a baby and two children, named John Wesley and June Star. The grandmother says there is a prisoner on the loose, The Misfit, who is apparently headed towards Florida. The next morning, despite the grandmother’s warnings, the family heads off in their vehicle for Florida from Georgia. The grandmother seems to have let her worries go and even brings her cat along. She plays games with her grandchildren in the car. The family talks to the owners of a restaurant where they stop. Bailey’s mother speaks about the Misfit, then how it is difficult to find a good, trusting man. When they continue traveling, they take a detour to show the children a plantation the grandmother used to visit. It’s in the middle of a dirt road when she realizes it is actually in Tennessee. She becomes startled, and the cat reacts by jumping on Bailey. This causes the car to flip over, startling everyone. After watching for help, a car finally comes. Three men step out and the grandmother recognizes The Misfit. In fear for her family, she persuades him to believe that he is a good man with no intention of hurting them. The Misfit commands his cronies to shoot John Wesley and Bailey. Following are June Star, Bailey’s wife, and the baby. The grandmother, distraught, encourages The Misfit to pray to Jesus. He tells her some ideas of his about Jesus. She becomes moved and calls him her child. When she attempts to touch him, he shoots her three times. When his partners return from murdering the family in the woods, he requests that they dump her body with the others. To conclude the story, The Misfit remarks, “She would’ve been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”
Filed by hayej at June 9th, 2009 under Uncategorized