The Past Is Present by John Markowski

Author:John Markowski [Markowski, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781734705706
Published: 2020-03-21T22:00:00+00:00

—TWENTY-SIX—

Alex

Monday – August 28, 1995

Alex updated the electrical inspection calendar in his department’s new computer. Instead of being wowed by the new technology, he was actively ignoring the conversation being held at a nearby cubicle.

“I think this is the Chargers’ year,” asshole number one said.

“You think? I’m putting my money on the 49ers,” asshole number two said.

Alex mumbled to himself, “Guess who couldn’t give two fucks?”

Alex hated the NFL. He’d been there and done that, and it didn’t end so well.

Every August Alex dreaded the return of the new NFL season. It dredged up memories he didn’t care to dredge up, and it was a reminder of how much his life had changed as a result of football. He hadn’t watched a minute of a football game since the infamous Browns–Broncos game, and he couldn’t bear to listen to any wannabe-jocks wax poetic about it—like the two a-holes sitting behind him.

The month of August also represented the time when the rich kids headed off to college. They got to say goodbye to having to work for a living and hello to parties and orgies. They got to meet up with their fraternity bros again, where they could harass the girls and vomit all over each other. Asshole One and Asshole Two no doubt were those guys once.

Alex wasn’t one of those kids.

When Ben and Chad left for college after their senior year, Alex stayed behind in Midland Park. He didn’t go to college. He didn’t even apply to any schools. His grades were decent enough, that wasn’t the issue. He just knew that his family couldn’t afford college. Or maybe a better way to put it was that his family relied on him to support them financially. Alex couldn’t do that while in school. His dream of studying restaurant management never came to fruition.

As the football discussion continued and Alex plugged away at the computer, he thought back to the night five years earlier almost to the day. He flashed back to that night often, way too often. It was a hot and humid Saturday evening with Ben and Chad that started out with dinner and then a few beers in Alex’s basement. The boys could drink there since there was little adult supervision. Ben and Chad got drunk and shared their college anxieties with each other. They rambled on and on while Alex sat by in silence.

Alex drove Chad home later that night in Chad’s car. Chad was too drunk to drive. Alex then walked a mile or so back to his own house so he could then drive drunk Ben home as well.

When they got to Ben’s house, the two boys sat on the hood of Ben’s car for a few minutes. Alex had held out hope that Ben would finally give him a heartfelt apology for what he had done to all of them as a result of the gambling. He knew Ben had remorse when it came to Ryan, but he never heard any concern from Ben for him or Chad.

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