A lava lamp sits on a coffee table. He sits, watching the colors move around, floating. The young man rolls another hand-made cigarette and pops open an Old Style. He hums Proud Mary while watching old TV clips of Creedence Clearwater Revival. The sound is low on the television. His father is asleep down the hall. Dishes are piled up in the sink. A mouse runs across linoleum tile. It’s two in the morning.

You still up boy? the old man asks as he stumbles to the living room. There is no response. The kid just keeps humming along to music on the TV. I said, are you still up? the old man looks in the refrigerator and grabs a piece of bologna. He opens kitchen cabinets. We got any crackers? Saltines? Boy pays no attention. Hey, the old man raises his voice. I’m talking to you. The son continues looking at the lava lamp. You know. You can get lost in that thing, the old man says, pointing at the colored water. Might not come back for days. Ain’t you got work tomorrow? The kid looks at him. Shakes his head. The music is now Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones. They both look at the television and then turn away.

Outside, a gun is fired. Shots ring out into the night. This sound is ignored. They’re used to it. Same crazy neighbors every night. Shooting guns and revving up trucks. Men are talking. They’re speaking about a revolution. A takeover of America. Make this country what it used to be. A Confederate flag waves under a floodlight.

You hungry? the old man asks. Kid continues looking at the yellow and red blobs floating. I said, are you hungry? he continues looking through cabinets. Wheat Thins? Who bought Wheat Thins? It’ll have to do, he says. It’ll have to do.

The gun shots have stopped. It is silent except for the humming of the son. The old man tears bologna in two and folds it on the cracker. The two men sit there. An alarm goes off down the hall. They both just sit and pay it no attention. The Fifth Dimension is singing on the television. The Age Of Aquarius is being sung. The trucks next door get louder. They spin their tires and take off. The lava lamp turns green.