dmseay

He took his finger and ran it over the desk top. Dust was collected. On the bookshelf someone had drawn a heart with an arrow through it in the dust. Placing the initials J and M on top of it.

There was saw dust on the hardwood floor. Piles of it. There was a table saw over in the corner and a sledgehammer up against the dull white wall. Sheets of drywall were off to the side by the windows. This project was taking too long.

It was in the spring of last year when he started. Knocking out walls, tearing apart bathrooms, remodeling the kitchen. All because she wanted this done. She wanted this old house to be cured of it’s disease. Brought back to life. Modernized.

She told him whatever it takes. Just fix it. Make it liveable. He always thought it was. He liked the old woodwork of the house. He liked it’s creaks when he walked on the floors. Liked the wooden flush boxes above the toilets. He would often hide his bottles behind them. She knew they were there. Never said anything about it till she left. Then she let everything spill. His drinking, womanizing, gambling, God knows what else. She said he wasn’t fit to be a husband. He agreed.

All this time they were playing house. No kids, just two dogs. The wife would take them for walks in the evening to get away from him. She would go on trips throughout the year without him. Always saying she needed time alone. That’s when his affairs started. She’d leave town and he’d hit the bars in search of blondes, brunettes, red heads, white women, black women, it didn’t matter. He was not choosey. Anything to get him through the night.

She used to call him from the road. Check in. See how he was doing. After a while those calls stopped. Or, she’d call in the middle of the night and hang up.

Alone, she would lie there in her hotel bed talking to the television. Having conversations with Tom Snyder, or, Larry King. She kept the sound down and mumbled to herself.

Do you love me, Larry? she’d ask. Do you still find me attractive Mr. King? The middle-aged wife would talk till she fell asleep. Saying goodnight to her television lovers had become a ritual. It was the only thing in life she looked forward to. Her misery was always on her sleeve.

So, at the age of forty-five she left him and the house that was falling apart. Headed for the West Coast. She wound up in Oregon. Lived in cheap hotel rooms. Continued her affairs with Tom and Larry. Some said she’d gone crazy. Others said she’d had enough.

And he never finished fixing the old house. He sold it. Took a loss. Wandered around aimlessly from town to town till he got to Oregon. Wound up in the same small town she was in. Their paths never crossed. She never enetered his mind. And he was just a ghost from the past.

He looked at her picture for a long time that morning. It was actually a black and white of the two of them. She leaning back in his arms and he with his cheek against her red hair. That was a long time ago. Back when they loved each other. Or, pretended to care.

Over the years the couple would go their separate ways. He turned to the bottle whereas she turned to church. She would judge him and question his motives. He’d take off on weekends to far away places just to get away. He was always buying a bus ticket.

During their time apart, she would call and call and call. Asking him where he was staying? Wasn’t he spending too much money? Isn’t there a chance you’ll get mugged?

He stopped answering the phone. He turned it off. Didn’t want to hear from her. That was the whole point of getting away. And, she’d ask, Why don’t you bring me with you? He told her the truth. He just wanted to be alone for awhile. Take in cities all by himself. Go to art museums, poetry readings, see films. He asked her, Do you have an interest in any of those things? She would tell him, no. She said she only had an interest in him.

It became too much for him. The old fat man had now gotten to the point where he would be gone every night. Out drinking in bars. Sitting alone in the park with a bottle of whiskey and a beer chaser. Going home at strange hours and sleeping on the couch. She would stay up and wait on him with the front room light on and a cup of coffee. They didn’t talk. They both went their separate ways.

Curdled cream in coffee. A mass floats on top of the liquid. Looks like a map of North America. Actually, the curdled cream looks more like Russia. Not the former Soviet Union with it’s attachments. Just Russia in it’s current state. One mass of white.

It’s separating now. Going in different directions. He takes a drink. The flaky white substance sticks to the side of the cup. A John Deere coffee mug with tractors on both sides. He’s got the complete collection; mugs, plates, silverware, bowls. Each with the tractor on it. Inside the cup is the John Deere logo. A yellow deer with a green background and the words, John Deere. It’s getting close to the bottom.

Open blinds let in sunlight. The room where he sits is quite warm. August has begun. The fat man looks outside at a park across the street. No one is there. No children playing on the swingset or slides. No teenage boys playing basketball. Just an empty park. His coffee is growing cold.

He looks at candy wrapers on his desk. Fun size Snickers and Butterfinger. He tries to scrape off tiny bits of chocolate on the silver insides. Fatty licks his fingers and takes a sip of coffee. Rarely does he throw anything away. Candy wrappers, cigars and books pile up on his desk that has been in his family for years. His grandfather made it out of cherry wood. It has drawers and side shelves. Kind of in the Shaker style. He runs his fingers over the smooth top. Dusty.

Fat man opens up Moby Dick which is lying on top of Tropic of Capricorn. Takes the last drop of coffee and sits the mug down on the desk. He begins to read the first paragraph. Then realizes this is a monumental task. He places the classic atop bills and a post card advertisement of Russ Meyer’s film, Motor Psycho. Pictures of cleavage and motorcycle riders. A man with a gun. An Amazon woman leaning on a car in a bikini. He can hear her now. Saying, Go daddy go. He tosses it to the side. Takes his mug into the kitchen and washes it. He then starts his day.

Summer is nearly over. Long days will end soon. A harvest moon will rise. That’s what she wanted; a glowing light to lead her on midnight walks through the garden. The girl will find peace there amongst mums of purple, gold, and rust. Kicking through leaf piles. Making that undeniable sound of autumn. But, for now, she waits. She waits.

Now is the time when men play games, she thought. Summer’s heat makes them crazy. Drinking cold beer on August nights in the back of a pickup truck. Shooting off leftover fireworks from the fourth of July. Kissing girls under tall oak trees as stars look down. Only to leave them wanting more, she laughed.

The round freckled ginger girl dreamt of love’s lost ways in her sleep. Like a movie in her head, she watched a romance. A boy taking her hand. Walks down trails. Late night I love you’s whispered on her front door step. The seasons were ready to change.

A dress of lavender laid on the bed. She wore it on the first day of fall. She was warm during days of Indian summer and a coolness came in the evening. She was at peace sitting on her porch swing. Thinking of what the new year would bring.

Just don’t let him be too tall dear Lord, she prayed. I don’t want my feet to leave the ground, she giggled.

And like magic, she turned to the sky and watched seasons change.

The old man must’ve driven past it a thousand times in his life. Old house on the west side of town. Tall grass, never mowed, with weeds in the flower beds. Chipped white paint on the front and sides. Shingles falling. It’d been like that since he was a kid. Nobody ever lived there. Nobody knew who owned it. He just knew it was old and falling apart. Just like him.

He stopped his truck one day while passing by. Parked it on the side if the road. The old man was finally going to see what was inside. See if it’s guts had been neglected all these years. Like his.

Upon opening the front door with a slight push, a hundred bats fluttered from the attic. They flew down to greet the old man. They made a terrible noise. Screeching, yelling out for their souls. The old man was guilty of this calling out for salvation when he got too drunk to stand. He understood the bats. They seemed to talk to him. Warning him of an end coming soon.

Cobwebs filled the corners of the ceilings. Dust was on the hardwood counter tops and cabinets. The fireplace had gray ashes in it. Wood that was burned long ago. Maybe by some rich family, the old man thought. Could’ve been a son that gathered the firewood, he whispered.

Pictures hung on the dingy white walls. Old framed black and whites of women wearing fancy dresses and men in fine suits. There were pictures of children sitting in a parlor. Sitting on an old sofa that looked Craftsman like. He shook his head and walked up the spiral staircase. Opening doors to rooms where people once slept, dreamed. The old man often dreamed. Had visions of paradise.

Old wood floors creaked as he walked into each room. Carefully he watched his steps. Sunlight poured through windows showing a light that called out to him. I’ve been here before, the old man said. All this is familiar. I had a family once, he laughed. Once.

In the master bedroom was a king size bed with a canopy over it. He took off his shoes and laid down on the old mattress with holes in it. Rats scurried out from underneath.

The old man rested with his green eyes open. He stared out the windows as the sun began to fall. I’m home again, he smiled. After all this time. I’m home again.

I’m not writing today

the sun is out.

I’m not writing today

I’m heart broken.

I’m not writing today

Democrats don’t want me.

I’m not writing today

Republicans called me a socialist.

I’m not writing today

I twisted my ankle.

I’m not writing today

America’s on the brink of collapse.

I’m not writing today

my head hurts.

I’m not writing today

I’m not writing today

I’m not writing today

it’s time for a nap.

There’s no food, he said. Nothing, he said to himself. An empty pot in the refrigerator once had soup in it. Now, nothing. It’s just an empty pot with stains. Some kind of tomato soup, I believe. Maybe it was a sauce. Not sure, the fat man examined it closer.

No beer. It’s all gone, he laughed. Thought I had a twelve pack. Old Style. I’m not sure. Could’ve been Milwaukee’s Best. I’d love a beer right now, his wrinkled hand closed the door.

He’ll be home soon, he continued. Bet he took it all. Eating me out of house and home. Doesn’t replace a God damned thing. Just takes. Money only goes so far, he paused. I’ll show him, he went to the closet and pulled out his shot gun. Barrel was empty. He didn’t have a bullet to his name. Thought he’d just scare the boy. Get him to act accordingly.

Boy came in and found the old man asleep in his recliner with the gun on his lap. TV was on. Some show about animals in the wild. Hunting each other. Marking their territory. Hyenas eating antelope. Making a hideous sound. The boy turned the volume down. Quietly he took the gun from his dad. Checked it. He laughed.

The kid pointed the gun right at the old man. Told him, Wake up, the old man was startled. Get up sleepy head, the boy ordered. Maybe I put a bullet in this gun, maybe I didn’t. We’re about to find out, he smiled. On the count of three. One…two…three…,the trigger clicked. The boy smiled. Next time you might not be so lucky.

He said he didn’t see him. Some old drunk staggering across the street. Pint bottle in his hand. Old suit jacket from the Salvation Army store on Jefferson. A crucifix around his neck. It was broad daylight.

The kid hit him right in the center of his Dodge. Knocked the old man a good fifteen feet. Cops said the driver was going 60 in a 30 zone. The victim was pronounced dead on sight. There was quite a bit of blood on the street. Like he’d hit a deer. The old man laid there. Blood shot eyes staring up at God.

Boy was showing off for his girlfriend. Dodging in and out of traffic. Speeding through red lights. Playing music real loud. She was not impressed. The teenage girl sat on the curb crying. She saw the body hit the car; felt the impact. She cried even harder when she saw the cover pulled over him. The boy just sat there in shock. Cops asked him if he’d been drinking? He shook his head no.

He just came out of nowhere, the boy said. I didn’t see him. Neither one of us saw him till it was too late. It all happened so fast. I was driving through town and he just jumped out in front of me, he began to sob as well.

The EMT’s placed the body in the back of the ambulance. Shutting the doors. Closing the life on the old drunk. People gathered around to watch. Couple of bums said they knew him. Saw him down at the shelter for dinner about every night. He’d say grace then eat. They said it’d been a long time since the old man had a drink. Told the officers he’d been sober for a good couple of months. Even went to meetings at the church. He was going through the book step by step. Said he was up to the part about making amends.

That old man had a wife and a kid at one time, one of the bums told the police. He talked about em. Said he’d written a letter to say he was sorry for all the damage he’d done. Wasn’t quite sure where to send it to so he kept it in his pocket, the beggar said. Shame. Real shame.

The boy was taken away in a squad car. Charged with vehicular manslaughter. He was looking at six years. That’s what his attorney told him. And that’s what he did. He never drove again.

It was just talk. They spoke to each other. Some of the words made sense. Then there was just silly words and lies. Made-up stories. Whole life histories told on the spot. Didn’t add up. They were both trying to out do the other in terms of life experience. Who’d done what, where, and when? They wanted to believe these fictional tales. But, something was holding them back. It was truth.

He was famous for his story telling. She was known to tell a few tales herself. They sat at the bar with drinks in hand, telling some whoppers. The boy said he’s been all over America. Said most recently he’d been out West working on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. He told her about drinking cowboy coffee at five in the morning. Roping steers. Said he could ride a horse bareback if he had to. Just like an Indian.

She told him she’d been out East. The short, squatty girl said she’d been working as a plus size model. Told the boy she did photo shoots in New York and was on her way to Paris.

I call bullshit on that, he said. You ain’t going to no Paris. I doubt if you’ve ever left Albion, he laughed.

Well listen to you Mr. Cowboy. I doubt if you even know how to tie a rope, she flirted. I know all about men like you. Telling women some adventure story like a romance novel you’d buy at the drug store. You think you got me fooled, but, you don’t, she warned.

The boy put his hand on her hip. She didn’t seem to mind. He looked her square in the eye and said, I been out there. I’ve seen some shit. I’ve seen men shot dead in a war zone. I’ve seen women and children slaughtered. I don’t need some woman like you telling me I ain’t seen shit, he said. I served this country. I got the scars to prove it.

She laughed. Show me your dog tags soldier, she put her hand on his chest. Show me your ID. Next you’re going to tell me you’re some kind of war hero. Ain’t that right?

That’s right. Gotta a purple-heart. Shot behind enemy lines. Captured and made a prisoner of war, he said.

I’d like to see that purple-heart, she smiled. What war were you in?

I was over in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban, he paused. Still don’t believe me? She shook her head slightly. Well, you either do or you don’t. Nothing halfway. That’s my motto. Next time I see you I’ll show you my medals.

Uhhuh, she said. Sure. Why not tonight?

I got business to take care of. Top secret. Can’t tell you, he smiled.

The two finished their drinks. He leaned in to kiss her and she turned her red cheek.

Is that all I get is some kiss on the cheek? he asked. She stared him down.

Well. ‘Least it’s something.

Yeah. It’s something alright.

Nothing could be done. It was too late. Once you give something up it’s gone forever. ‘Least you think it’s gone forever. One day an old habit shows up again. Smoking, drinking, women; could be anything. We think we’re in the clear, but, that thing, that one thing, is always haunting us.

She came back in autumn. Days were warm. Indian summer. Said she’d been out East. Driving back and forth, up and down on 95. Stopping in cities along the way, small towns, slept on the beach naked in Maine. Felt the night air against her thick body. Bathing in the Atlantic Ocean. Stopping in Philadelphia where she thought she’d found true love. Turned out to be another man stealing her heart. She moved on. Went down to D.C. and hung out in jazz clubs. Barely able to afford a cocktail. The girl was always calling home asking for money. Friends and family would wire her just enough to get by. They’d ask when she was coming home. She said she was home.

The young woman called. Asking him for money. Got to a point he didn’t answer the phone. Just let it ring. She left messages on the answering machine. Long drawn out stories of how she wasn’t eating. Barely had enough for gas. Said she’d work a job then quit, or, get fired. He’d cry when he heard her voice. But, he never folded. Never gave-in. Didn’t think she’d ever come back. Thought she would die out there in America. Prayed for her soul.

And, she knocked on his door one day. They just looked at each other. Old feelings rushed through him. You can never truly give anything up. They embraced. He invited her in. Those emerald eyes looked right through him.

Do you want me here? she asked. I can leave, he shook his head. Whispered, No. Please stay, he couldn’t believe those words came from his mouth. She smiled.

Have you been waiting on me? she paused. Have you been with other women? Wouldn’t blame you if you did, she said. Look, she stared at him. I need money. Got nothing. I know I left you, but…maybe for old time sake?

He looked in his wallet which was empty. Showed her there was nothing there.

You got money in the bank? he nodded yes. Think we could go get some from that magic money machine? again he nodded.

They drove through town in silence. Not a word. He pulled up to the ATM and took a hundred in twenties. He handed it to her. Placed the cash in her hand. She kissed him on the cheek. Said, See you around.

He never saw her again. She called a coupple of times after that. Said she was out in Wyoming. Or, Colorado. One of the two. He erased her voice. Like that, she was gone.