It was a good thing the bus system started up early in this city. I caught a bus where J Street turns into Fair Oaks and settled back for the 20 minute ride. I would get to Arden Park a little earlier than I wanted to, but it had been a long day and my legs were tired, so I treated myself to a bus ride. I would have to be careful, if I didn’t watch it the remains of my money would be gone within a few weeks. I was settling myself in to my seat when I overheard two women chatting in the seat ahead of me.
“What’s happening to the city!?!” She was quite appalled about something.
“Why, what have you heard now?” I guessed this was a daily routine.
“I was watching the early news an hour ago and they found a young man dead downtown.” Not good. I listened some more.
“What’s so strange about that?”
“I guess he was killed by a....you know....one of THOSE people.” She wasn’t pointing at me, but it sure felt like it. Actually, I believe both of them were oblivious of my presence. We’re easy to forget.
“How’d they know?”
“It was near the bus station. A bus driver had just driven the killer off the bus and was walking home when he saw it all happen.” Shit, almost makes me feel as if I should’ve killed the damn driver, too. Not much I could do about it now. I slid down in my seat and covered the bottom half of my face with my trench. Not quite a high-tech disguise, but it would have to do. I had no clue how detailed the bus driver’s description would be, but I was guessing the key part of it was my height and there was nothing I could do about that. My stop was coming up. I slid out of my seat and left the bus via the back exit.
---------------
I was a little nervous, to say the least. I hadn’t seen Amy in about two years. Knocking on her door was hard, my arm shook, and my heart pounded. Then she opened the door and my mind truly was turned end over end.
She was more gorgeous than I’d ever remembered. Her hair cascaded down to her shoulders in beautiful dark brown waves. Her brown, bedroom eyes were as alluring as they’d ever been. I found myself staring, but I didn’t care. Then her lips, those lips I remembered so well, opened.....and spat. Right into my eye.
“C’mon, Amy, you knew I’d come,” I tried to sound soothing as I wiped the phlegm from my face with my sleeve.
“What the fuck do you think YOU can do, Kevin?” She nearly screamed at me as her hands went to her hips in a defiant pose.
“I’m not sure, babe.....” Dammit. I cringed a second before her open palm struck the side of my face. She was the only woman I knew that just *couldn’t* stand to be called ‘babe’.
“Call me that again and....” she waved her finger in my face. I’d had enough.
“GODDAMIT WOMAN! Shut the fuck up and get in the damn house! I don’t have time for this shit. Not now.” There were much more important things to worry about than my misuse of the word babe. I didn’t anticipate her reaction though. She broke into tears. This I was not ready for. I scratched the back of my head and looked toward the sky.
“Aren’t you going to hug me, ya smelly bastard?” I chuckled, then complied, edging her into the house and shutting the door behind me at the same time. “Damn, you are just GROSS!” she exclaimed, as she looked me up and down, pulling out of my embrace.
“Soap’s expensive when you’re trying to get enough money to EAT.” Preachy, yes, but very true.
“Your parents are going to be happy to see you,” she said as she collapsed into a rather comfy looking chair.
“Think so?” I was slightly taken aback. It didn’t surprise me all that much though. My parents had always loved me. The main reason I left was because it just wasn’t safe for them. I didn’t want medication, and without it there was always a chance that I might go off and wreck the house, or maybe hurt them.
“Yeah. They miss you quite a bit.” There was ONE thing to feel good about. I guess THEY won’t be spitting at me. I changed the subject.
“What’s the situation with Chris?”, I asked.
“Scary. The police didn’t tell me anything. Just said it was a typical kidnapping, except a limo was used for some reason. I wasn’t happy with just that. I talked to your dad, figuring that since he was a judge he might be able to get some more information. He said he’d get back to me as soon as he found out anything. That was yesterday afternoon,” her voice trailed off and I feared she would begin crying again. She just blinked her eyes and stared off in to space though.
“Amy, I want to help.” I wasn’t sure what I could do, but I just couldn’t sit still. It was my son. I hadn’t seen much of him over the years, but.....well.....I know....
“You just want a free place to stay and a few meals.” Her reply was predictable. A nice bed and a few meals DID sound nice. It was much more than that though.
“I need to help, Amy. Christian is more than a son. He’s my inspiration!” The words flowed out of my mouth easily. Its not hard to sound sincere when you really are. I remembered something. No, I needed something, to put it accurately.
“I need a picture of him, Amy.”
“Why?”
“I had one of him for a while, one when he was a baby. I.... I miss being able to look at him. Do you have one, please?” I sounded like a little bitch, but there’s a time and a place for everything and little bitch fit the bill at the moment.
“Sure, Kev, I can give you a picture of him.” She smiled. God, I’d forgotten what that smile did to me. Lord, what are you getting me in to?
She walked over to a bookcase and pulled an album out of one of the shelves. She tossed the album at me and said, “Take your pick.”
I opened the album and began to peruse. There he was...my boy. With mom, with friends, at school, and look....on the basketball court! I slid out a pic of him taking a jump shot.
“He plays ball, huh?”
“Yep, he plays ball,” as if she knew I was going to say that.
“Is he good?”
“Yes, Kev, he’s very good,” Again, as if she knew. Was I that obvious? I put the photo in my jacket pocket for lack of a better place.
“I’ll have to play with him once he’s back.” Amy started sobbing. I wasn’t sure why, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You said it as if he’s going to be back! HE COULD BE DEAD, KEVIN!”, she screamed at me, tears rolling down her face. My reply was out of my mouth before I even thought about it.
“HE’S NOT DEAD!” I screamed. I stood up and looked her in the eye.
“How the hell do YOU know!”
Yeah, Kev, how do you know?
Not the time to piss me off.
“I know.....I know....,” and I did what came naturally. I hugged her again. This time she didn’t pull away or make any snide remark about my smell. She just hugged me back. And that was enough.
---------------
I was a little nervous, to say the least. I hadn’t seen Amy in about two years. Knocking on her door was hard, my arm shook, and my heart pounded. Then she opened the door and my mind truly was turned end over end.
She was more gorgeous than I’d ever remembered. Her hair cascaded down to her shoulders in beautiful dark brown waves. Her brown, bedroom eyes were as alluring as they’d ever been. I found myself staring, but I didn’t care. Then her lips, those lips I remembered so well, opened.....and spat. Right into my eye.
“C’mon, Amy, you knew I’d come,” I tried to sound soothing as I wiped the phlegm from my face with my sleeve.
“What the fuck do you think YOU can do, Kevin?” She nearly screamed at me as her hands went to her hips in a defiant pose.
“I’m not sure, babe.....” Dammit. I cringed a second before her open palm struck the side of my face. She was the only woman I knew that just *couldn’t* stand to be called ‘babe’.
“Call me that again and....” she waved her finger in my face. I’d had enough.
“GODDAMIT WOMAN! Shut the fuck up and get in the damn house! I don’t have time for this shit. Not now.” There were much more important things to worry about than my misuse of the word babe. I didn’t anticipate her reaction though. She broke into tears. This I was not ready for. I scratched the back of my head and looked toward the sky.
“Aren’t you going to hug me, ya smelly bastard?” I chuckled, then complied, edging her into the house and shutting the door behind me at the same time. “Damn, you are just GROSS!” she exclaimed, as she looked me up and down, pulling out of my embrace.
“Soap’s expensive when you’re trying to get enough money to EAT.” Preachy, yes, but very true.
“Your parents are going to be happy to see you,” she said as she collapsed into a rather comfy looking chair.
“Think so?” I was slightly taken aback. It didn’t surprise me all that much though. My parents had always loved me. The main reason I left was because it just wasn’t safe for them. I didn’t want medication, and without it there was always a chance that I might go off and wreck the house, or maybe hurt them.
“Yeah. They miss you quite a bit.” There was ONE thing to feel good about. I guess THEY won’t be spitting at me. I changed the subject.
“What’s the situation with Chris?”, I asked.
“Scary. The police didn’t tell me anything. Just said it was a typical kidnapping, except a limo was used for some reason. I wasn’t happy with just that. I talked to your dad, figuring that since he was a judge he might be able to get some more information. He said he’d get back to me as soon as he found out anything. That was yesterday afternoon,” her voice trailed off and I feared she would begin crying again. She just blinked her eyes and stared off in to space though.
“Amy, I want to help.” I wasn’t sure what I could do, but I just couldn’t sit still. It was my son. I hadn’t seen much of him over the years, but.....well.....I know....
“You just want a free place to stay and a few meals.” Her reply was predictable. A nice bed and a few meals DID sound nice. It was much more than that though.
“I need to help, Amy. Christian is more than a son. He’s my inspiration!” The words flowed out of my mouth easily. Its not hard to sound sincere when you really are. I remembered something. No, I needed something, to put it accurately.
“I need a picture of him, Amy.”
“Why?”
“I had one of him for a while, one when he was a baby. I.... I miss being able to look at him. Do you have one, please?” I sounded like a little bitch, but there’s a time and a place for everything and little bitch fit the bill at the moment.
“Sure, Kev, I can give you a picture of him.” She smiled. God, I’d forgotten what that smile did to me. Lord, what are you getting me in to?
She walked over to a bookcase and pulled an album out of one of the shelves. She tossed the album at me and said, “Take your pick.”
I opened the album and began to peruse. There he was...my boy. With mom, with friends, at school, and look....on the basketball court! I slid out a pic of him taking a jump shot.
“He plays ball, huh?”
“Yep, he plays ball,” as if she knew I was going to say that.
“Is he good?”
“Yes, Kev, he’s very good,” Again, as if she knew. Was I that obvious? I put the photo in my jacket pocket for lack of a better place.
“I’ll have to play with him once he’s back.” Amy started sobbing. I wasn’t sure why, so I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You said it as if he’s going to be back! HE COULD BE DEAD, KEVIN!”, she screamed at me, tears rolling down her face. My reply was out of my mouth before I even thought about it.
“HE’S NOT DEAD!” I screamed. I stood up and looked her in the eye.
“How the hell do YOU know!”
Yeah, Kev, how do you know?
Not the time to piss me off.
“I know.....I know....,” and I did what came naturally. I hugged her again. This time she didn’t pull away or make any snide remark about my smell. She just hugged me back. And that was enough.