Chapters 2-3 Summary

Bruce and Henry start Bruce's old car for the long journey from Minnesota to Bainbridge, Georgia, Bruce's birthplace. Henry decides not to bring up Bruce's illness until Bruce is ready to talk about it, but instead Bruce slowly unwinds stories from his childhood, especially as they get closer to the region he is familiar with. Even far away from home, Bruce seems to know everything about nature, but in Georgia, he knows every river, forest and path. Each night, Henry calls Holly collect, with each of them giving ridiculous names, but Holly never accepts the calls. This way, they can hear one another's voices without having to pay a long-distance bill. Finally, Henry is able to tell Holly about Bruce's condition, and she is appalled that Henry makes jokes. He tries to explain that the shock can only last so long...