They thought they’d never hear from him again…all that time away…seems like he was gone forever…didn’t have a phone number or an address…nobody knew where he took off to…just left one day…like some mischievous dog that you best keep on a leash and the one time you don’t…he’s gone…

Well…he come back to town…friend of mine saw him down at the bar the other night…said he was nursin’ a Coca-Cola…didn’t sound like him…he was drinkin’ whisky last time I saw him…he’d put down three or four in less than an hour…in fact…I never saw him sober…stayed drunk all the time…and he’d get in that mustard colored Chevy of his and drive all ’round town…runnin’ stop lights…swervin’ and turnin’ down one way streets…nobody dared get in the car with him…put your life in his hands…no sir…no sir…

It’s a funny thing when people leave…they don’t give you any clues…just leave…his daddy left a long time ago…raised by his momma…her parents would watch him when she went to work at the plant…worked the graveyard shift…she’d get off work and go to the bar too…stay there til noon…playin’ pool and drinkin’ whisky…just like he would…she was probably thinkin’ ’bout that man that’d left her…

But…he’d keep runnin’ away throughout high school…took off to Chicago…Denver…took off for New York one time…thought he never would come back from there…but he did…kept comin’ back and comin’ back…momma put him in some special councilin’ to try and make his head right…it was no use…he just took off again…

So now after years he’s back in town…drinkin’ Coca-Cola…wonder if he’s gonna stay…I wonder…