On the Other Side of the Bridge by Ray Villareal

Author:Ray Villareal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arte Público Press
Published: 2014-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

LONNIE’S HOUSE WAS UNUSUALLY QUIET when he arrived. The TV wasn’t on, and his dad wasn’t asleep on the couch. The Suburban was parked in the driveway, so Lonnie knew he was home.

“Dad?”

No answer.

“Dad, I’m home.”

Still nothing.

He peeked in his dad’s bedroom. It was empty. He checked the study. The same. He wasn’t in the bathroom, either.

When Lonnie looked in the kitchen, he recoiled in horror. He found his dad slumped in a chair, eyes closed, with a gun dangling in his hand. The gun holster and three beer cans sat on top of the breakfast table.

“DAD!”

He opened his eyes slowly. “Oh, hey, buddy. You home already?”

“Dad, give me the gun,” Lonnie said.

“What?”

Lonnie inched closer toward him with his hand outstretched. “Dad, please. Just give me the gun.”

He stared at it and made a face. “Whoa, what did you think I was gonna do, buddy?” He slipped the gun back in its holster. “I know I ain’t the smartest guy in the world, but I ain’t crazy.”

“What are you doing with Mom’s gun?” Lonnie asked, still feeling spooked.

His dad picked up a can and finished the rest of the beer. “I was trying to figure out where I could get some money,” he said. “Then I got an idea. I’m gonna take your mom’s gun to a pawn shop to see what they’ll give me for it. I was looking it over, and I guess I must’ve dozed off.”

With a silent sigh of relief, Lonnie pulled out a chair and sat down. As a precaution, he moved the gun away from his dad. “Have you heard anything from those places where you applied?”

His dad shook his head. “Nobody’s hiring right now. I mean nobody. And when I do get a bite, there’s always that question on the application that asks, ‘Why did you leave your last job?’ I can’t lie about it. They’re gonna check. Or they’ll ask, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a crime?’ What am I supposed to say? Yeah, but I promise I won’t do it again?”

“Somebody has to hire you eventually,” Lonnie said, trying to sound optimistic.

“Like who?” His dad picked up an empty beer can and crushed it like an accordion. “I don’t know how to do nothing, except drive a truck. But with a DWI conviction on my record, nobody’s gonna give me a job doing that.”

Changing the subject, Lonnie asked, “How much do you think you can get for Mom’s gun?”

“Couple of hundred, maybe. But it’s worth a lot more.” His dad folded his arms on the table and gave Lonnie a despairing look. “I’m gonna be honest with you, buddy. Things ain’t going too good right now. I thought we’d have some money left over from your mom’s insurance policy, but the cost of the funeral took it all. I was able to pay most of last month’s bills, but I don’t know how long I can keep doing it.”

This was the first time his dad had been open about their money problems.

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