Country Roads [Kamae]

Ma's old pickup rattled and clunked as Celerous drove it down the road, in the direction of East City. It was an antiquated thing, the farm truck. Once, it had been a bright pearlescent red. Now, though, the paint job had become sun bleached until it was a flat and faded pink. Spots of rust cropped were dotted across the body, and the wooden side boards that lined the bed were old, cracked, and stained a dark brown. In Celerous' opinion, the truck was a relic from a time long before he was born.

Even so, Ma refused to replace it. No matter how many times she had to replace the carburetor, or the throttle ignition switch, or the fuel pump, or the...

Well, the truck had been through many parts, and not enough face lifts. Their farming equipment -the tractor, the harvester, the plow- was all far newer than this old rattling truck. In a way, that made sense: they were farmers, and to make a living, they had to ensure that their equipment was in top shape. So of course the truck wouldn't be a priority. But Celerous was certain that they could afford a payment on a new vehicle. One that he didn't have to worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

But it was Ma's farm, and Ma's truck, so he didn't get a say.

So, he sighed, and rolled the sleeves of his flannel shirt up as he continued down the road. It was time for his biweekly shopping trip into East City, to get the essentials that farmer's couldn't grow. Things like toilet paper, deodorant, milk (because they didn't have farm animals), meat, and whatever amenities that the farm needed. It was a chore that Celerous didn't mind: he rarely had the chance, or a reason, to leave the farm. So when it came time to go shopping, the young hybrid always volunteered. It was a chance to get off the property and do something for a few hours.

The drive was slow, though. He'd make much better time if he flew by himself, but he needed the bed of the truck to haul the groceries. Oh well, it was an excuse to be off the farm for a little while longer. Celerous loved his home, but he wanted more. More than being sequestered away in a small corner of Earth for the rest of his life. More than being a simple farmer. His father had been a Saiyan warrior; a mercenary who traveled wild space. There was a part of him that just wasn't suited to farming.

But the other part of him was Earthling. He was an Earthling in all but name, really: he was raised as an Earthling, looked like an Earthling (since Ma pulled his tail out of his butt as a baby), and honestly considered himself an Earthling. So, maybe he ought to be satisfied with his life the way it was.