Chapter Three-New Beginnings

Chapter 3

            I walked up the sidewalk, my clothing soaked from the thick black car grease. Working at a car garage was easy yet annoying. I had to walk to and from the station every day until I got time to work on my own car in between taking care Carmen and my shifts, so I really never had any time to get my own car fixed.

            With my hands stuffed into my pockets and the bill of my hat turned around to protect my neck from the heat of the sun. From a block away I could see Don sitting on the railing smoking. We had made a deal that he could smoke outside when I was gone, I still hated it.

            When he saw me he stubbed it out and flicked it away. I stepped up the three porch steps, “Some guy’s in there.” He said to me.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“And you let him in?”

“Yeah, said his name was Kirk and that you knew him.”

            I clenched my fists and looked through the window. Kirk sat at the kitchen table with his back towards me. Carmen leaned against the counter not speaking a word, when she saw me Kirk turned around. His grey eyes burning a hole through me as they looked full of disappointment, when he saw what I had become of myself. I looked down, away from his gaze.

“Stay out here for a bit, until he leaves.” I told him.

“Who is he?” Don asked curiously.

“My father.” I said with disgust in my tone, he may have been my flesh and bones but he was dead to me, and I wished he would leave me out of his life. I opened the door and stepped in, still with my head down.

“Where’ve you been?” Kirk asked.

“Work.” I shut the door and looked at him, “May I ask the same thing?”

“What are you? A grease monkey?” He asked trying to change the subject.

“Somthin’ like that.”

“Who’s the kid?”

“What’s it to you?” I asked sourly.

“If he’s under my roof I want to know why.”

“This ain’t your roof, I’ve been having to pay for it while you’ve been gone.”

“A vacation.”

“Four years ain’t no vacation, its abandonment.” I said.

“Where’s your mother?” he asked looking around.

            I still can’t think about her without flinching, “Dead.”

“Oh.” He was silent, “How?”

“Because of you.”

“Milo, stop being so tough, I came back because I changed.”

“When you left she fell apart, how can you sit there and pretend it wasn’t your fault?”

            I glared at him as he shifted uneasily in his chair. His once thick black hair was turning grey like his eyes, “You’ll never change.”

“Let me show you.”

“You had your chance.”

“At least let me stay here until I get a job.”

“No room, go to a hotel.”

“Common Milo, just kick the kid out.”

“He has nowhere to go.”

“Neither do I.” he said.

“Right now, I have more trust in him than I ever will for you.”

            Kirk stood up, “I’ll show you Milo, don’t worry.” He put his hand on my shoulder, I pulled away. He left leaving the door open.

“Maybe we should let him Milo.” Carmen said.

“No, I’ll never trust him again.”

           

            I remember being his personal punching bag whenever he would go off on one of his binges. Not being able to do anything about it I would stand there, but I had once herd that from every bad thing, something good would come of it. I guess that’s sort of true, I can fend for myself during a rumble and not feel anything, like I had a shell of metal.

 

 

Author's Note

Tell me if it starts to get stupid, or dramatic.