going straight into my savings account.
I had a dull, nervous flutter in
my stomach. I didn’t like surprises, and I had no idea what to expect from this
evening. I was dating a girl last year named Lisa. She was very tall, almost my
height, with a short blond bob that bounced when she walked. For my birthday
she’d arranged a spur of the moment ski trip to New Hampshire. Most of the kids
I attended school with didn’t want for money. Weekend trips were hardly unusual
for them. But I had to work on the weekends. Lisa couldn't seem to understand
that.
"But it's all arranged,"
she whined.
"I'm sorry. I appreciate the
thought, but I can't go."
"But it's your birthday. You
can take one day off for your birthday."
"No. I can't even take one day
off. I can't do it.” I suppose I could have. In the long run, one day didn't
mean all that much. But I didn't want to, and moreover, I hadn't planned to.
She stomped around my dorm room
angrily because she had already spent the money. She called me rigid and
unfeeling. That was pretty much the end for us. She took along some guy from
her psychology class instead. By the next semester they were living together.
I checked myself quickly in the
mirror. I had yet to arrange for that promised hair cut and long dark clumps
hung in my eyes, over my ears and onto the back of my collar. I hadn't met up
with a razor that morning either. I actually liked the unkempt look that I was
sporting unintentionally. Pushing my wallet down into my back pocket and
jangling my keys in my hand, I bounded loudly down the stairs.
Mom came out of the kitchen when
she heard me. "I've missed the sound of you stomping around the
house," she said sentimentally.
I kissed her on the cheek, and she
smiled up at me. "Now be careful and remember if it starts
snowing...."
"I know. If it snows I'll come
right home.” For a moment I imagined how it would look if it actually did start
to snow and I had to tell Seth and Eddie that my mommy wanted me home
immediately. I laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, Mom. I'll see you
later."
As I walked out to the car, I
checked my watch. It was just after nine-thirty, and there was no sign of Dad. Could
he be having an affair? It hardly seemed possible. Who would have him? Did he
really meet his buddies every night after work? I felt a sudden bottomless well
of pity for my mother. But I couldn't help think that if she was unhappy it was
up to her to change things. Suddenly, I felt like getting very drunk.
The Southside Tavern was perfectly
situated on a hill overlooking the infamous sea cliff and the wide expanse of
black ocean beyond it. There was a red neon sign in the window that spelled out
its name along with a tiny glowing sea shell in the bottom right corner.
I followed Seth inside the overly
warm, smoke-filled room. It was late for dinner, and the tables which occupied
space at the front by the door were mainly empty. The heavy oak bar in the back
was surrounded though. There was no sign of Eddie yet.
We sat down on a couple of empty
stools at the end of the bar. No one paid much attention to us. I had a fairly
good fake ID which put me at about twenty-five, but I wasn't carded when I
ordered a beer. I wondered where my father went to drink after work. A part of
me was afraid I might run into him here tonight. But this crowd didn't appear
to be his type. Tom and the rest of his drinking buddies liked to sit around in
a more social atmosphere, chatting with the waitresses and the bartender. This
place seemed to be mainly for loners. It didn't take much imagination to see
why someone like Eddie came here. There was a television mounted to the wall
behind the bar. It was tuned to a hockey game.
I looked over the heads of the
people in front of me to try to catch a glimpse of the sea cliff which I knew
was just beyond the window. But there was only blackness, reflecting the sullen
faces of Southside Tavern’s customers back at me. My own
I had a dull, nervous flutter in
my stomach. I didn’t like surprises, and I had no idea what to expect from this
evening. I was dating a girl last year named Lisa. She was very tall, almost my
height, with a short blond bob that bounced when she walked. For my birthday
she’d arranged a spur of the moment ski trip to New Hampshire. Most of the kids
I attended school with didn’t want for money. Weekend trips were hardly unusual
for them. But I had to work on the weekends. Lisa couldn't seem to understand
that.
"But it's all arranged,"
she whined.
"I'm sorry. I appreciate the
thought, but I can't go."
"But it's your birthday. You
can take one day off for your birthday."
"No. I can't even take one day
off. I can't do it.” I suppose I could have. In the long run, one day didn't
mean all that much. But I didn't want to, and moreover, I hadn't planned to.
She stomped around my dorm room
angrily because she had already spent the money. She called me rigid and
unfeeling. That was pretty much the end for us. She took along some guy from
her psychology class instead. By the next semester they were living together.
I checked myself quickly in the
mirror. I had yet to arrange for that promised hair cut and long dark clumps
hung in my eyes, over my ears and onto the back of my collar. I hadn't met up
with a razor that morning either. I actually liked the unkempt look that I was
sporting unintentionally. Pushing my wallet down into my back pocket and
jangling my keys in my hand, I bounded loudly down the stairs.
Mom came out of the kitchen when
she heard me. "I've missed the sound of you stomping around the
house," she said sentimentally.
I kissed her on the cheek, and she
smiled up at me. "Now be careful and remember if it starts
snowing...."
"I know. If it snows I'll come
right home.” For a moment I imagined how it would look if it actually did start
to snow and I had to tell Seth and Eddie that my mommy wanted me home
immediately. I laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, Mom. I'll see you
later."
As I walked out to the car, I
checked my watch. It was just after nine-thirty, and there was no sign of Dad. Could
he be having an affair? It hardly seemed possible. Who would have him? Did he
really meet his buddies every night after work? I felt a sudden bottomless well
of pity for my mother. But I couldn't help think that if she was unhappy it was
up to her to change things. Suddenly, I felt like getting very drunk.
The Southside Tavern was perfectly
situated on a hill overlooking the infamous sea cliff and the wide expanse of
black ocean beyond it. There was a red neon sign in the window that spelled out
its name along with a tiny glowing sea shell in the bottom right corner.
I followed Seth inside the overly
warm, smoke-filled room. It was late for dinner, and the tables which occupied
space at the front by the door were mainly empty. The heavy oak bar in the back
was surrounded though. There was no sign of Eddie yet.
We sat down on a couple of empty
stools at the end of the bar. No one paid much attention to us. I had a fairly
good fake ID which put me at about twenty-five, but I wasn't carded when I
ordered a beer. I wondered where my father went to drink after work. A part of
me was afraid I might run into him here tonight. But this crowd didn't appear
to be his type. Tom and the rest of his drinking buddies liked to sit around in
a more social atmosphere, chatting with the waitresses and the bartender. This
place seemed to be mainly for loners. It didn't take much imagination to see
why someone like Eddie came here. There was a television mounted to the wall
behind the bar. It was tuned to a hockey game.
I looked over the heads of the
people in front of me to try to catch a glimpse of the sea cliff which I knew
was just beyond the window. But there was only blackness, reflecting the sullen
faces of Southside Tavern’s customers back at me. My own
Similar Books
