The Ghosts of Miller's Crossing by David Clark

Author:David Clark [Clark, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frightening Future Publishing
Published: 2019-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

17

When Edward and his children arrived home, Sarah and Jacob ran inside to avoid melting in the heat. Edward took his time and looked at the thunderheads developing. As a kid, he would ask his father, “How long do we have today?” Meaning, how long could he play outside before the storms would force him inside. There was no such conversation with his kids. They were inside turning down the air conditioning.

Edward walked in with the ancient Greek aphorism “Know Thyself” echoing in his mind. The pile of photo albums and old books in the dining room bookcases called to him. These were off limits when he was a child. Any time his mother saw him close to them or looking at them she admonished him, “Sweetie, you can look at them, but don’t touch. They are old.” Those books and that one antique chair in the corner were off limits. The devious seven-year-old inside him came up with an idea. He should sit in that chair while he looked through the books.

First, Edward headed upstairs to change into something comfortable. Once changed, he found himself standing in front of the bookshelf. “Where to start?” he wondered aloud. The obvious answer was the top. He pulled the first album off, a red covered, drugstore bought photo album loaded with instant pictures pressed between the pages. Edward’s younger self was the main subject in most pictures. Christmas morning, candid school shots, and him in a few Halloween costumes. He didn’t remember ever dressing up as a dog. That was one picture he’d never let his kids see.

He found one picture his eyes lingered on while emotions stirred inside. It was one of a younger version of himself flanked by both his mom and dad, probably the best picture he’d seen of the three of them. Carefully he removed it from the film covered page and put if off to the side. He was sure his mom would forgive him.

Edward returned that book and retrieved a larger dust covered book. Carefully prying it open, he sensed the age of it. The pictures weathered to shades of brown, grays, and hints of faded colors. They were of his father, grandfather and various other men. Sides of the house and the old barn appeared in several of the images. One picture showed a fresh coat of red paint on the side of the barn. His father was maybe eleven years old in that photo. Someone probably wrote a date on the back, but he did not dare attempt to check.

Page by page he flipped through. Several of the pictures showed a woman with his father. He assumed that was his grandmother. He never had the opportunity to meet or even see a picture of her before. The next picture caused a pause. His father and grandfather were standing on either side of another older man. The mystery man was holding the cross and the book, and both his father and grandfather had their hands on the objects.

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