12 Drummers Thumbing by David Connor

Author:David Connor [Mulder, David Connor and E.F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2018-12-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Rob: Two stars. Bright Green. Robbin’ the cradle more like it. Seems to be obsessed with Ixaax, the kid with the bat tattoo and about a million others. Batman and Robbin’…maybe they’re a thing. Ixaax—what’s with that name, by the way—looks to be about twenty years younger. Robbin’ is average. Mid-forties, maybe. I’m probably too old for him, so who cares? Plus, he’s groomed his eyebrows to the point he hardly has any left. Leave the hair where it grows, dude. Hasn’t hardly looked at me once, so F him.

AC was finishing up a lengthy conversation with his sister-in-law, Luanne, when Rob climbed into the seat beside him.

“Hi.”

AC waved. Once again, he hadn’t gotten a chance to grab the notebook containing his harsh, mean-spirited, and definitely premature evaluations. He envisioned tossing it over a cliff, down a ravine, into the middle of the highway to be destroyed by a convoy of big rig eighteen wheelers, or into a roaring fireplace somewhere, one with pine garland and stockings hung with care. After speaking with Bartholomew, and now Luanne, AC was suddenly in the mood for a family Christmas.

“We almost ready?” Rob clicked and unclicked his seatbelt three times.

AC nodded, while still trying to concentrate on his phone call. Luanne did all the talking. She’d called in response to AC’s text, to explain how his name had been embroidered on the afghan Carlton had slept with so comfortably the night before. AC didn’t understand most of it, but he loved Luanne’s enthusiasm.

“We should go.” Rob started pulling at his eyebrows. “Hurry up, AC.”

AC held up a finger. A day and a half ago, he might have chosen the middle one. “I g-g-gotta get m-movin’, Luanne. I’ll s-s-see you in a d-d-d-day or so.”

“I can’t wait! I think those are the most words you’ve said to me since I married Sullivan ten years ago. I want to hear some more!”

“Thank you. T-there are t-two r-r-right th-there.”

“Love you, AC. I’ll have Sullivan get back to you concerning the other matter.”

“Th-thanks, Luanne. B-bye.”

“Let’s play a game,” Rob insisted the moment AC turned off his phone.

“O-k-kay.”

“Think of a color.”

“G-green.” AC went with the color of Rob’s shirt.

“Okay, so we have to keep naming green things, until we can’t think of any, and then we come up with another color. Like a driving game. We could just sing ‘One Hundred Bottles of Beer,’ but this involves more thinking.”

“You l-l-like to th-think?”

“I kind of have to. I’ll go first. Christmas tree.”

“Frog.”

“Christmas wreath.”

The road was busy. AC had to wait a while to pull out into traffic.

“Go, AC.”

“Oh. S-s-sorry. T-traffic l-l-light.”

“Spud’s eyes.”

Cars were still coming.

“Go, AC.”

“Um, g-g-g-grass.” Fuck this was not a good game for AC, especially while waiting for an opening in bumper to bumper morning traffic.

“Leaves.”

“Um…m-m-m-mon-m-m-money.”

“I’m making you nervous.” Rob frowned.

“I’m g-good.” A woman in a red Jeep let them in.

“I have something that sometimes causes really bad social anxiety.”

“L-l-like R-Rohan.”

“No. He’s just shy. He’s quiet. I can’t stop talking.”

“Like Emery.”

“No,” Rob said. “It’s its own thing…what I have.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.