time has her finger in everybody’s pie,” I responded, my thoughts clouded with worry and anger.
Justin looked at me funny.
“Did I say that out loud?” I went outside, the putrid stink of the dead assailing my nostrils. “Oh yeah, that never gets old,” I said sarcastically. I walked over to the gas pumps looking over the abandoned cars. The third one I looked at was perfect, mainly for the reasons that the keys were hanging in the ignition and the tank was mostly full.
I had thought foolishly a few months ago that the parting with Paul and Alex was bad. That was topped tenfold when I left the East Coast Talbots, but that paled in comparison to what I was feeling now. I am not a perfect man, I do not claim to be. I am rife with shortcomings and my own sets of insecurities, but somehow Tracy has always been able to bring my better qualities to the fore. For twenty-three years she has been the vital piece that allows me to function correctly in a dysfunctional society. We were parting as cleanly as a rock breaks under the assault of a sledge hammer. There would be, there could be no reunion , we were now two separate parts. .
“Mike, you come back to me,” she said, grabbing the front of my jacket. I couldn’t look her in the eyes, mine were rimmed with tears. “Mike, you bring my boys back,” she said, softly beginning to sob. I met her eyes and she saw the truth. She let go of my jacket and stepped back, an inaudible gasp flowing past her clenched mouth.
“Mike you have to promise me!” she said, raising her voice.
“I can’t Tracy , it would be an empty one. I will not let my last words to you be a lie.” “Stop! You will promise me! Or I won’t go!”
I looked at her and over towards the kids who were waiting expectantly. Would a lie be so bad if it saved six others? “ Tracy , please.” I wanted her to let me off the hook.
“Listen Talbot, you stubborn bastard. I do not want an empty promise. I want a promise that you will not break. I have known you long enough to know that you would rather go to hell, come back, and maybe revisit one more time before you would break your damn word. That is what I want from you, not this death march mentality I see in your eyes.” I looked away marshaling my reserves. The best part of me was leaving and she wanted me to be a better man than I was. “How?” I said so softly Tracy did not hear.
“I’m waiting,” she said, arms crossed, foot getting ready to start tapping.
“Dad,” Justin said. “Multiples coming.” Just the way in which he said it implied that this was a major battle about to take place. Saved by zombies, again! I was going to have to send them a Thank You card.
I started to turn to judge the new threat. Tracy grabbed my arm. “Don’t even think about it.” I coalesced the scared little boy inside of me. I drew on all the best parts of me that Tracy saw. I reached down, figuratively not literally, and grabbed my balls. “I promise you, I will do all that is within my power to bring all of us home,” I told her with conviction.
She stepped in and pulled me close; we kissed. No further words were needed.
“Um, Mike we gotta go,” Gary said as he stepped away from the window.
Tracy quickly told Justin and Travis how much she loved them and that they needed to watch out for each other and especially their dad.
I walked over to a darkened corner. Crying was a solitary endeavor for me; I did not want an audience. Gary grabbed some gear off the table and walked over my way.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.
I quickly rubbed away the incriminating evidence from my cheeks. “Do I look like I want to talk about it?” I told him without looking to face him.
“Well I don’t know, that’s why I asked, and you didn’t turn around, so how would I know?” “It’s a good thing you know how to shoot,” I said as I brushed by him.
“What’s that mean?” he asked as he struggled to catch up to my quick pace.
Speeders
Justin looked at me funny.
“Did I say that out loud?” I went outside, the putrid stink of the dead assailing my nostrils. “Oh yeah, that never gets old,” I said sarcastically. I walked over to the gas pumps looking over the abandoned cars. The third one I looked at was perfect, mainly for the reasons that the keys were hanging in the ignition and the tank was mostly full.
I had thought foolishly a few months ago that the parting with Paul and Alex was bad. That was topped tenfold when I left the East Coast Talbots, but that paled in comparison to what I was feeling now. I am not a perfect man, I do not claim to be. I am rife with shortcomings and my own sets of insecurities, but somehow Tracy has always been able to bring my better qualities to the fore. For twenty-three years she has been the vital piece that allows me to function correctly in a dysfunctional society. We were parting as cleanly as a rock breaks under the assault of a sledge hammer. There would be, there could be no reunion , we were now two separate parts. .
“Mike, you come back to me,” she said, grabbing the front of my jacket. I couldn’t look her in the eyes, mine were rimmed with tears. “Mike, you bring my boys back,” she said, softly beginning to sob. I met her eyes and she saw the truth. She let go of my jacket and stepped back, an inaudible gasp flowing past her clenched mouth.
“Mike you have to promise me!” she said, raising her voice.
“I can’t Tracy , it would be an empty one. I will not let my last words to you be a lie.” “Stop! You will promise me! Or I won’t go!”
I looked at her and over towards the kids who were waiting expectantly. Would a lie be so bad if it saved six others? “ Tracy , please.” I wanted her to let me off the hook.
“Listen Talbot, you stubborn bastard. I do not want an empty promise. I want a promise that you will not break. I have known you long enough to know that you would rather go to hell, come back, and maybe revisit one more time before you would break your damn word. That is what I want from you, not this death march mentality I see in your eyes.” I looked away marshaling my reserves. The best part of me was leaving and she wanted me to be a better man than I was. “How?” I said so softly Tracy did not hear.
“I’m waiting,” she said, arms crossed, foot getting ready to start tapping.
“Dad,” Justin said. “Multiples coming.” Just the way in which he said it implied that this was a major battle about to take place. Saved by zombies, again! I was going to have to send them a Thank You card.
I started to turn to judge the new threat. Tracy grabbed my arm. “Don’t even think about it.” I coalesced the scared little boy inside of me. I drew on all the best parts of me that Tracy saw. I reached down, figuratively not literally, and grabbed my balls. “I promise you, I will do all that is within my power to bring all of us home,” I told her with conviction.
She stepped in and pulled me close; we kissed. No further words were needed.
“Um, Mike we gotta go,” Gary said as he stepped away from the window.
Tracy quickly told Justin and Travis how much she loved them and that they needed to watch out for each other and especially their dad.
I walked over to a darkened corner. Crying was a solitary endeavor for me; I did not want an audience. Gary grabbed some gear off the table and walked over my way.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asked.
I quickly rubbed away the incriminating evidence from my cheeks. “Do I look like I want to talk about it?” I told him without looking to face him.
“Well I don’t know, that’s why I asked, and you didn’t turn around, so how would I know?” “It’s a good thing you know how to shoot,” I said as I brushed by him.
“What’s that mean?” he asked as he struggled to catch up to my quick pace.
Speeders
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