Frozen food in the freezer. Beer battered fish from Gorton. Green Giant green beans. Hamburger patties. A cauliflower crust pizza with mushrooms and red peppers on it. He rummages through the products. Spies ice cream. Chocolate mint chip. He grabs it and frantically looks for a spoon. Sifting through drawers. Looking in the dishwasher where he’s found one. A large spoon covered in chili. He rinses it off under hot water and a little hand soap.

That’s still going to have germs on it, his partner says to him. It has to be washed at a certain temperature to clean it, Tom tells him as he eats an onion roll.

You ever heard of handwashed? Bill asks him. He then proceeds to eat the frozen dessert.

When I was a kid, my mom would make us shakes for breakfast, Tom says. Chocolate shakes, vanilla,  strawberry, and mint chocolate chip, he laughs. Had milk in them. Guess she thought they were healthy.

That explains a lot. Bill finishes off the ice cream and licks the spoon. He then drop kicks the empty bucket across the kitchen, where it lands next to a litter box.

You done?

It would appear so, Bill answers.

Let’s get out of here.

Shhh. I’m going to take this knife, Bill tells Tom. You never know when you might need one.

Fine. Let’s get out of here.

As they walk down the street, a light comes on upstairs. The husband walks down to the kitchen and sees the ice cream bucket in the corner. The cat is licking inside of it. The back door is unlocked. He calls the police.

I’d like to report a break-in, the father says. Please send someone. Dispatch assures him that help is on the way. He looks around the kitchen and notices rolls half eaten. A drawer is open. A knife gone.

Someone ate my ice cream, he says. Son of a bitch.

Tom and Bill walk back to their tents under the bridge. A train goes by. Bellies are half full. They’ll get more fuel tomorrow. But for right now, they dream.

Both men snore loudly. Another train travels by. They both have the same dream of going west. Traveling out to California or Arizona. Some place where it’s warm and there’s plenty of food and comfort. The luxuries of life. This is what they long for.