Better Men Have Won

His vision blurred as it merged the lone red light with the surrounding blackness. He began to stumble as he backed away from the worn dresser; he fell backwards, hitting the old, torn up mattress. The loud thump of him hitting the bed echoed throughout the dark basement, his vision worsen as he turned his head towards two figures. He smiled, as one of them begun to pull him up, “Your friend’s here mayne” said a low voice. As he was pulled to his weakened feet, he raised his head to view the other figure, its slender profile was match with curves, he knew this figure belonged to his old friend, Jennifer. He smiled at her arrival, “Come on, Diego” she said in her soft, soothing voice. Diego slowly nodded, then pause, “One more line?” he asked her. She slowly shook her head in disappointment, “Whatever, go ahead.”

            Diego’s short smile suddenly grew into a large grin, as he went in for another line to snort, after a half a minute the line was cleared; he quickly threw his head back, and placed his thumb over his right nasal cavity, sniffing multiple times before pouring a small glass of vodka. “Alcohol and pills don’t mix” she said, this time in a louder, more commanding voice. Diego turned his head towards Jennifer, smiled, then downed the entire shot glass, “Alright, I’m ready.” The two begun to exit the formerly abandoned house as Diego turned towards his friend, raising a peace sign, then they left.

            “Plus nobody in the hood cries, it's like they celebrate to death and wish they could die” he sung as his friend drove down the long, winding road. He was laid back, his head resting against the window glass, staring up at the night sky. His eyes quickly training on each and every star as they drove, “Will I…forever be alone…in this world” he continued to sing. She listened to her intoxicated friend, wondering why she even cared anymore, Diego was rarely sober, he was a trouble case, previously arrested for assault on a deputy and currently out on bail for marijuana charges. She wondered if he was truly helpless, she looked over towards him, continuing to sing.

            He begun to repeat the chorus, “Will I…forever be alone…in this world,” he silently chuckled, “Teardrops and Closed Caskets!” he exclaimed, continuing the chorus. She sighed at the chorus, quickly pushing the radios’ off button. Diego turned his head, wondering what had happened, he begun to ask if she was alright. She shook her head, knowing he wouldn’t remember this conversation, “You know, Diego” she paused, “a lot of people care about you, you got people who love you-”, she was interrupted by Diego’s laughter, a tear begun to drop from her blue eyes, “I…I…” she struggled to release the words, but she managed to do it, “I care about you.”

            Diego’s eyes widen once he heard those few words, his mind had crafted the idea that no one cared for him, he knew this to be true for most of his “friends”, who only supplied him various drugs and alcohol for small fees. He realized he had someone that cared; he moved his view to her. Single tears falling from her eyes, she continued to speak, her voice weakening as if she was about to cry. “Diego, I’ve known you for a long time, I care about you, I’m worried about you” she paused yet again, she knew her feelings were more than that, but she decided not to reveal everything because she knew he would never remember it. “I…I care…about you” she said to close things off. Diego, in his shocked and intoxicated state, began to sit up, he had begun feeling warmth throughout his cold body, he began to become sober, as if hearing her say that had made him come down from his high.

              Jennifer took her eyes off the empty road to look at him, her eyes full of tears, “I really do care, I really do” she reassured him, he turned his head towards the bright red light ahead of them, “STOP!” he yelled. She quickly turned to see a large eighteen-wheeler stopped at the intersection. As the tires screeched, the pair yelled and screamed as nothing could change their fate. The small Chevy Impala was turned to pieces, its white paint turned to black metal, smoke rose into the night sky. Sirens could be heard approaching the horrible scene; Diego pulled himself together as he scanned the mangled skeleton of the automobile.

            He tugged as Jennifer’s brown leather jacket, she wouldn’t move. A tear dropped from his brown eyes, he lowered his head, thinking about what she had said. “I really do care, I really do”, her last words echoed throughout his brain. More tears continued to drop, as the flashing mixture of red and blue lights neared the accident, he turned his head towards them, wondering what was to happen in his life without his closest friend. Time had passed, and the time had come to bury Jennifer’s cold, torn body. The rain would match Diego’s tears, steadily falling as he watch Jennifer’s family place her casket into the ground. All he could do was whisper “Will I…forever be alone…in this world” he paused, “Teardrops and Closed Caskets.”