he stared at the coffin that held his father’s corpse. Robert’s heart had just exploded in his chest, stopped working because of the years of drinking and stress he’d put on his body. The priest softly spoke, reading from his black leather-bound Bible. Placed on top of the casket was a bundle of white roses, so pure and innocent that it was the opposite of what Robert Mason had been. Toby wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulder, pulled her in close, and listened to her cry harder. As he watched the coffin slowly sink into the earth, he felt this sense of freedom, and how fucked up was that?
****
The music overhead was somber, slow, and made the entire atmosphere even more depressing. Although Toby still felt nothing, was void of emotion inside of him, and he knew that this was how he would always feel. He hadn’t loved his father for far too long, had hated him in fact, and this was just another step in the direction that Toby had always dreamed of when he had been lying in bed with a black eye courtesy of his father. He stared out his mother’s living room window, saw the cars continue to pull up and park, and saw the black dressed people make their way into the house. Bringing his red Solo cup to his mouth, he drank half of the vodka. He wasn’t about to drink the lemonade the people were handing out. He needed something stronger to get through this fucked-up time.
“Hey, man.”
The sound of Ace Renaldo’s voice behind Toby had him turning and staring at the guy that had been his best friend while growing up. “Well shit, man. It’s been a long time.” They clasped each other on the back, and when he pulled away he saw the uncomfortable expression on his face. “How in the hell did you find me?”
“Believe it or not, your mom is the one who found me. About a week before your dad passed away she found my phone number and address, thinking getting us to reunite would be good. Your mom’s like a detective.” He grinned.
His mother had a good, pure heart. It was just a damn shame she had gotten involved with his drunken, piece of shit father.
“You look well, though,” Ace said and smiled. “Lots of people turned out for him.”
Yeah, Ace knew the truth about what Toby had gone through on a daily basis with his dad. Ace had gone through the same thing, only a lot more violent, in his own home. Growing up next door to a guy that had been going through the same horrific life had been a godsend when Toby had nowhere else to turn and no one else to talk to. But then Ace had left right before freshman year of high school. That had been the time Toby had started fighting back with his father, not letting the violence continue without a fight.
“Toby, it’s been a lot of years, brother.”
He’d thought of Ace as a brother, the closest thing he had to a best friend, and the closest member of his family he ever had. But the years had passed, they had lost touch, and this was the first time he had seen Ace since the summer before the ninth grade. “Yeah, it has been a long time, man.” Toby finished off his vodka, and pointed to the kitchen. “You probably need a drink, too.”
Ace nodded, and they headed out of the living room and into the kitchen. A few people that loitered inside left when they entered, giving Toby their condolences as they exited.
“This is crazy shit, man,” Ace said and grabbed the glass of vodka Toby handed him. He tipped it back and downed the whole thing. The kitchen was silent for a moment, and all the memories of the times they had sat in the dark and talked about how shitty their dads were came flooding back to Toby. He saw the way Ace’s shirt sleeve rose up, and the burn scars from the cigars his old man had smoked and put out on Ace’s skin littering the tanned, muscular flesh. He lifted his gaze over Ace’s impressive height and weight, and knew the other man had not let his past control him. He looked healthy now, with a head full of short, dark hair,
****
The music overhead was somber, slow, and made the entire atmosphere even more depressing. Although Toby still felt nothing, was void of emotion inside of him, and he knew that this was how he would always feel. He hadn’t loved his father for far too long, had hated him in fact, and this was just another step in the direction that Toby had always dreamed of when he had been lying in bed with a black eye courtesy of his father. He stared out his mother’s living room window, saw the cars continue to pull up and park, and saw the black dressed people make their way into the house. Bringing his red Solo cup to his mouth, he drank half of the vodka. He wasn’t about to drink the lemonade the people were handing out. He needed something stronger to get through this fucked-up time.
“Hey, man.”
The sound of Ace Renaldo’s voice behind Toby had him turning and staring at the guy that had been his best friend while growing up. “Well shit, man. It’s been a long time.” They clasped each other on the back, and when he pulled away he saw the uncomfortable expression on his face. “How in the hell did you find me?”
“Believe it or not, your mom is the one who found me. About a week before your dad passed away she found my phone number and address, thinking getting us to reunite would be good. Your mom’s like a detective.” He grinned.
His mother had a good, pure heart. It was just a damn shame she had gotten involved with his drunken, piece of shit father.
“You look well, though,” Ace said and smiled. “Lots of people turned out for him.”
Yeah, Ace knew the truth about what Toby had gone through on a daily basis with his dad. Ace had gone through the same thing, only a lot more violent, in his own home. Growing up next door to a guy that had been going through the same horrific life had been a godsend when Toby had nowhere else to turn and no one else to talk to. But then Ace had left right before freshman year of high school. That had been the time Toby had started fighting back with his father, not letting the violence continue without a fight.
“Toby, it’s been a lot of years, brother.”
He’d thought of Ace as a brother, the closest thing he had to a best friend, and the closest member of his family he ever had. But the years had passed, they had lost touch, and this was the first time he had seen Ace since the summer before the ninth grade. “Yeah, it has been a long time, man.” Toby finished off his vodka, and pointed to the kitchen. “You probably need a drink, too.”
Ace nodded, and they headed out of the living room and into the kitchen. A few people that loitered inside left when they entered, giving Toby their condolences as they exited.
“This is crazy shit, man,” Ace said and grabbed the glass of vodka Toby handed him. He tipped it back and downed the whole thing. The kitchen was silent for a moment, and all the memories of the times they had sat in the dark and talked about how shitty their dads were came flooding back to Toby. He saw the way Ace’s shirt sleeve rose up, and the burn scars from the cigars his old man had smoked and put out on Ace’s skin littering the tanned, muscular flesh. He lifted his gaze over Ace’s impressive height and weight, and knew the other man had not let his past control him. He looked healthy now, with a head full of short, dark hair,
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