How We Were Before by Jonathan Kravetz

Author:Jonathan Kravetz [Kravetz, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781960018922
Publisher: Running Wild Press

Carlton staggers back to his pickup. Once there, he tries to steady his hands against the steering wheel. He starts the truck.

As he drives out of the lot, Pearson is stumbling around the corner. His spilled milkshake is streaming down the driveway.

With rush hour past, the streets are clear on the drive back. The sky suddenly spits a few fat raindrops onto the windshield, promising a storm, but it’s only a passing cloud and the air dries up. At a stoplight, a car pulls up behind him, and Carlton catches a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. His eyes are cold and dead. Why is everything so complicated? Why can’t there be a simple button he can push that will make everything all right?

As he calms down, he’s glad he didn’t rough up Pearson. Beating him up wouldn’t have been worth screwing up his own life. But he still feels deeply unsatisfied; it’s all so fucking unfair. Then he has a thought. Maybe he can call the cops and report Pearson for something. Make up a story—they’d want to believe it and put that prick behind bars again. And maybe Sam will see that there is a little bit of justice in the world.

At the next intersection, he grips the steering wheel and turns left instead of right. He isn’t sure why, but he wants to see the house he and Sam lived in during their first year of marriage. He clears his mind as he drives down the dimly lit roads.

It’s a small house with a cross-gable roof. A basketball hoop now stands alone on an extension of the driveway. A modest chandelier illuminates the living room from within. He remembers the young couple who bought the house. Both are tall, thin, and good looking. He wonders what’s going on inside. Carlton gets out of the pickup and leans against the truck door. A slight breeze tousles his hair. He pictures them cuddling together on the couch, watching a movie. Afterward, they caress each other the way only intimate lovers know how.

Carlton pulls out his cell phone and holds it for a moment, unsure. Then he presses the numbers.

As the phone on the other end rings, he sees a few years into the future. The young couple now have a girl old enough to shoot baskets. She plays one-on-one with her father. Her mother watches from the stairs that lead to the front door, proud. The girl has nothing to fear; her life is a long, smooth road that stretches into an unencumbered future.

It’s all a fantasy. Reality is harder; it calls for difficult decisions.

A woman’s voice answers the phone. “Jesus, Carl, I just fell asleep.” Sam says. Then, more gently, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” he answers. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

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.