Gerry joins them. Bob chases them. Mom puts everyone to sleep and then, unseen, she cries. The Old Man is revealed to be riding in the freight car next to them. He continues telling the story of how the mother dealt with her child's death after being killed by a truck.
Mom overhears the story and is comforted to sleep.
Mom's posse is hungry in Dumas, Texas. She joins them too. Once again, by chance, the Old Man is right behind them telling a story about how he met his wife. They stop in a Louisiana swamp. They catch fresh fish, but have no way to cook it.