Hillbilly Elegy

now. We’ve got all fucking day in the car
together.” But he did apologize with
deeds: The rare times when he lost his
temper with me were always followed
with a new toy or a trip to the ice cream
parlor.
Papaw was a terrifying hillbilly
made for a different time and place.
During that cross-country drive with
Aunt Wee, they stopped at a highway rest
stop in the early morning. Aunt Wee
decided to comb her hair and brush her
teeth and thus spent more time in the
ladies’ room than Papaw thought
reasonable. He kicked open the door
holding a loaded revolver, like a
character in a Liam Neeson movie. He