Ashley reached over and adjusted the piglet’s seat belt and mask.

You want a name, don’t you?

Oink.

OK, OK, I’m thinking. Oink’s a good name. But it sounds like pig Latin and I’m not fluent in a second species language.

Oink.

You’re the only person who knows I left Sterling alongside the road to die. But he did it to himself. You heard how mean he was, not caring about freeing pigs and not being able to breathe if you’re black. He didn’t care about quality of life for anybody but himself.

Oink.

The irony of his downfall is in the end he wasn’t able to breath. We better get tested for that virus, you and me. I don’t think you can get it and give it to me but Sterling might have given it to me and maybe I can give it to you. I want you to grow up big and strong like Porky Pig or Arnold Ziffel on Green Acres. Not Miss Piggy, even though you’re a girl. I don’t trust her. Stay away from her. She’s trouble. Are you related to Porky and Arnold?

Oink.

I knew it. That’s the problem with people. Humans don’t see the good in anybody but their own kind. I grew up rich and white. My father made my brother greedy and self-absorbed. My mother pampered me and expected me to be her. I thought Sterling was different. Humans are uncivilized.

Oink.

How about Hammer? That’s a good name. On second thought, never mind. Hammer’s a terrible name for a pig. My mission is to keep pigs off the dinner table. No more ham and eggs ever. That’s a good chant for our protest marches. No more ham and eggs! No more ham and eggs! Because poultry’s precious, too.

Oink.

No war pigs, either. That’s the name of a Black Sabbath song that’s scary. I don’t like war. We need peace. Whoaa. Give pigs a chance. How about that? John Lennon just came to me on a brain reincarnation karma wave and said give pigs a chance just like his song give peace a chance. John just told me that personally. He says to tell you oink. That is so awesome, having John Lennon on the VW bus with us, don’t you think?

Oink.

How about Porker? No, never mind, that’s too much like pork chops and pork loin and pork butt. I wanted so badly to name you Taylor, like Taylor Swift the singer, but when I was little my parents took us to the New Jersey shore for a week every summer and to this place to eat on the boardwalk called Taylor Pork Roll, I am so ashamed to admit it, like now that’s the worst sin I ever committed. I am so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?

Oink.

We’ll try to find your mother someday but for now at least she’s free and running for a buffet table somewhere that’s not a meat packing house. Three cheers for her! Pig pig hooray! Pig pig hooray! Pig pig hooray! That’s it. I got it! We’ll call you Pig, with three g’s.

That is so you, Ashley squealed.

Oink.

I knew you’d love your new name as much as I love you.

Oink.

Give pigs a chance!

Oink.

By the way, Sterling asked for it.

Oink.

You hungry, Piggg? Let’s go get something to eat, I’m starving.

Oink.