Crescent Hill by Jackie Wang

Author:Jackie Wang [Wang, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jackie Wang Books
Published: 2016-12-18T03:00:00+00:00

Later, I saw Langston having a smoke outside with Jesse. They were leaning against their Dodge Ram and staring out at the pale horizon. The two paused mid-conversation, and looked up at me, caution mingled with exhaustion on their faces. They seemed calmer now, especially Langston, whose stricken face looked more ashamed than anything.

“Did Mercy—” Langston began, staring at his boots, and kicking up snow.

“Yes, she did.”

“And?”

“And, I wanted to talk to you,” I said. “In private.”

I glanced at Jesse, who nodded and started shuffling back to the lodge. “See you later, Pops.”

Once Jesse was out of earshot, Langston unlocked his truck and gestured for me to hop in.

“I could use a break. How about you?” Langston asked, rubbing his eyes. He stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into a bin.

I nodded, mouth in a firm line. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

“How about I buy you a beer and some lunch at the Bearclaw?”

I nodded. “Sounds good.” Both of us were calmer now, and I hoped to have a rational conversation about the lodge’s future. And perhaps try to understand him better as a man, too.

As Langston pulled out of the parking lot, I jumped straight to the point. “Mercy wants me to stay.”

“Yes. We had a talk. We both want you to stay,” Langston said, focused on the road.

My brows pinched together. “Sure didn’t seem that way earlier.”

“I was angry. I—I have quite a temper, as you’ve probably realized by now,” Langston said. “I don’t think before I speak. I’m a straight shooter. Always have been.”

“You know I’m here to help, not harm your business,” I pointed out.

Langston nodded. “And we’ve been ungrateful.”

“From what I understand, things began going south five years ago,” I began cautiously.

If I could get this stubborn old man to open up to me about his painful past, perhaps I’d get through to him, and help him change.

“Adam,” Langston said. He let out a dry cough.

“Maggie told me everything,” I said.

“She did?”

“You sound surprised.”

“She doesn’t usually talk about him to anyone, especially not a stranger.”

“Do you think that Adam’s death led to unforeseeable repercussions for this family and this business?” I had to choose my words carefully now. After all, I was prodding at an old, deep-rooted splinter. This conversation would either push the splinter deeper or pull it out.

“It wasn’t Maggie’s fault. I never blamed her. Neither did Jesse. But Mercy…she took it hard,” Langston began, his cheeks wobbling. “Mercy’s never been quite the same since. She has her good days, but…a lot of bad ones too. My boy…what happened to him…it broke this family. We’ve been struggling ever since.”

“Is that why everyone is so averse to change?”

“Perhaps.” Langston sighed. “Our lives stopped the day they found my son’s body. We haven’t been really living since.” He pulled into the Bearclaw Pub’s parking lot and cut the engine. For the first time, I noticed tears welling in Langston’s eyes. I’d never seen him so vulnerable. All of a sudden, he wasn’t the stubborn bull of a man I’d first met.

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