It’s on me

Lewis looked at his older brother, who was also confused. Their dad really was pulling into the drive thru right after finishing dinner.

“You boys want anything?” Their dad looked up at them at the rear view mirror. The cars brakes wrenched as it slowed down to a stop beside the intercom and the automatic window fell, responding. “Going once, going twice..”

”We just ate, Dad.” Blake said. The older brother speaking for both of them.

Their Dad nodded just as the voice of an older man came on the intercom, the familiar restaurant indentified, and order request.

”Hello, one black coffee. Please. That is all. Thank you.”

”Drive ahead. First window.”

As the car moved to first window the back door of the building swung open, and a stranger carried two trash bags outside. The corner of the building blocked out the figure before Lewis could see any more.

The car’s brakes squeaked again and the first window slid open. A man clean shaven with brown eyes resting on wrinkled skin leaned over and smiled. “Hey! How’s it going, John?”

”Just fine and dandy, Chip. How are the kids?“

”Well the youngest has just started school. She’s doing okay.”

”That’s nice, what about“

Chip turned his head backwards while steadying his headset in his hand. “One sec!” He yelled over his shoulder. He sighed, and looked back at their dad. “One second,” he said, and stepped away. A moment later he held the brown paper cup, lid secured, in his hand at the open window.

”Sorry, what were you saying?” There was no insulator on the cup. Lewis looked at his hand holding the hot cup, then looked up at Chip, who was looking at his Dad for an answer.

”What about you know who-“ their Dad said. His volume was lower.

Chip blinked and shook his head.

”Nothing new yet. She was home for Christmas. That was nice. We didn’t give her any cash or anything she could sell.”

”That’s good. That’s the best you can do for her. I can go check on her right now if you want. Ouch.” He set the coffee cup down with his stalky fingers in the cup holder in between the front seats.

“No, she’ll be fine. Good to see you John. I need to take care of this guy behind you.”

“Hold on, I didn’t pay yet.”

”It’s ok. I got it. It’s on me. Just one coffee.” He closed the window and smiled at the register, pecking a couple buttons and waved his card over the terminal. He looked back and waved at their dad and he waved back. As they slowly pulled away Chip saw Lewis and his brother and smiled and waved again but they just stared.

As they stopped at the exit of the parking lot their Dad reached over, cracked the divet on the lid and took a sip, steering and driving with his other hand. He began talking, while the rubbery smell of the coffee filled their car.

”That - was Chip Ernaldstein. We both went to the same high school together. I think he dropped out in grade ten. He was such a funny guy. I actually had tears from laughing so much in class. I think that’s why I loved Geography so much.”

”Is there a point to this?” Blake asked.

Their dad took a long quiet sip, not making any noise, and pulled onto the road and waited at the red light.

”Yes, son. There is. A very good point. You’ll see.”

The cars turning signal began clicking. But instead of waiting and turning left to go back home, the car turned right. Another sip. Short.

”After he dropped out, he got a good job helping out at a mechanic shop. He was so excited. He even got himself an old motorcycle after just a few months. He waited on it outside the school one day at 3:00 when school closed for the day. As soon as he had a big enough crowd outside, revved the engine and drove off. He was so proud of himself. Did you see how red his lips are? Picture them pursed making a dopey smug smile on his face.”

Lewis looked down as he spoke. His dad paused to take another sip, and he looked up and recognized some buildings in town. Insurance brokers, a bakery, a grocery store, a bank, and a small clothing store. The sun behind them was setting, turning the sky red and pink, blue fading and all but gone. They slowed down and turned right on a street Lewis never saw before. A convenience store went past, half of its outdoor lights on, the other half either flickering or out completely. A couple people standing outside in the cold, not looking at each other. The car drove over a pot hole and everyone’s shoulders and heads bounced with it.

Their dad continued up the rural road, trying to time short sips away from each bump that shook the car's frame and everyone inside. As he started talking again, Lewis glanced over at Blake who discreetly rolled his eyes.

“Anyways he and his motorcycle must have got the attention of Diane, because she was pregnant with their first kid within a couple months.”

“We’re not quitting school or doing any drugs, dad.” Blake said. “ And we don’t plan on getting anyone pregnant either.”

Without looking up at the mirror, their dad nodded. “Good. That’s good to hear.” In his right hand he rotated the cup around in a circle like a slow rotunda. “And I want you two boys to know that I’m very proud of your choices so far. But what happened on Monday-”

“Oh my God. I thought we talked about this already!” Blake said. He was not yelling but it was loud inside the car.

“And I wasn’t even there!” Lewis said. “Why do I have to hear all this?” He was surprised by his own words, but they were true. He looked at Blake, whose arms were crossed, staring at the back of their dads seat.

Their dad continued, unfazed. “Yes, we did. And I know you weren’t there when he got into trouble. But-“ He stopped swirling the cup in his hand, brought it to his lips and tilted it upside down, emptying its contents and swallowing.

“But some things need more repetition.” When he reached the next stop sign he put the empty cup back in the holder and turned right. They turned onto a dark rural street. The shadows from the trees had already painted the road black. Their father hit a button with his left hand and their doors all locked. The only building they could distinguish was a church a quarter mile away and it had its outdoor lights on already. The tail of blue and red emergency lights disappeared around the corner. The car moved slow on the street in the direction of the church while the lecture continued.

Their dad’s nose whistled as he took a deep breath.

“Where was I?”

“Diane got pregnant.” Blake said fast.

“Yes thank you. So Diane and Chip had their first kid Vincent. He had some bad problems with his lungs, and passed away at just a few months old. It was very sad. Not your fault. Anyways, they had two more. Tiffany, one year later. And Rose, eight years after that. Two beautiful healthy girls.”

As the church grew closer on the right, what Lewis thought were the shadows of parked cars, mailboxes and trash were revealed to be people. People laying on the sidewalk, people leaning forward into a standing arch, people sitting on the cold stone steps in front of the gate containing the clergy and choir inside.

”How many out here tonight? Thirty? Forty?” He stopped on the road in front of the mass of people. One young man sitting on the curb who was looking down looked up in response. When their dad still didn’t move he stood up and walked to the front window like a curious cat and leaned forward. Their dad lowered the window a quarter inch. It was dead silent outside.

”Hey man, do you have anything?” The man said, he sounded detached. He looked at Lewis, then Blake.

”Not really.”

The man’s eyes turned back to their dads.

”Oh hey, John. How are you?”

”I’m good. Have you seen Tiffany anywhere tonight?”

”Which one?” The man said. His face strained as he stood up and straightened his back.

”The blonde one.”

”Why? What’s she to you? Are you a cop now?”

”Yes. I’m a cop now. I wasn’t last month when you asked me the same question, but I just finished a quick online course. That was very brilliant of you. I go around with my kids and arrest people now. But you were the first to figure it out. Congratulations.”

”I don’t know anything.” He answered. But stood there.

Their dad sighed. He put the car in park, twisted in his seat, and took out his wallet. He opened it and took out a five. He held it out the small crack in the window. “What?” He said, when the man didn’t take it.

”I saw more in there.”

”So?”

”Give me a twenty and I’ll tell you.”

”So you really do know where she is.”

”Yeah, but it’s worth twenty, not five.”

”You are getting a five. You can tell me a lie if you want, but you are only getting five.”

The man snatched it and said, “She’s gone.”

”Is that the truth? Or a five dollar answer?”

”I’m serious. She OD’d a minute ago. I tried giving her CPR but an ambulance just came and took her away.”

He put the car in gear and they peeled away.

They stopped a minute away in front of another stone building, behind a black fence. Their dads breathing shook like he was about to cry. He wiped his eyes with one quick swipe.

“Is there any trash back there?” He said, as he recovered a small plastic bag from the door at his side and shook it open. He dropped the empty cup inside and it kicked the corner on the bottom. Lewis looked down on the floor and Blake did also. They recovered fast food receipts, pieces of twigs, a stale air freshener, and a straw and dropped them inside. Their dad took his time looking around in the front for more.

While they waited, Lewis looked over and saw a bronze statue. When he leaned closer to the window he realized he was seeing the nose of the angel. She was as tall as a Christmas tree and green as one too. Her wings were half open behind her and her hair was long. Her hands were in front of her chest, in a prayer position. A plaque at her feet that he couldn’t read in the dark. Behind it was the funeral home he knew.

“Ok, let’s take you two home. ”

Blake’s arms were folded and he was looking down the rest of the drive. And Dad wasn’t quite finished talking yet.

“You can always make the right decisions in life. The problem is, you think you can control how bad it goes wrong when you don’t because it feels wrong when you do it. But you don’t. You still did it. Some of us never start doing what’s right until it is too late. I smoked up with Chip several times at school. My life still turned out ok, and his could be better. I was lucky. I guess what I’m trying to say is bad luck is like a disease. Keep messing with the wrong people is like not washing your hands. You need to try harder. If you can’t say no to them next time they aren’t your friends.“

Then they were silent the rest of the way home.

“Okay boys, you go in. I should tell Chip about Tiffany. Lewis, take this trash in with you please.”

Before he handed the bag to the back seat he squeezed the air out and the smell of the coffee filled the car again.

…

Lewis lowered the bag of coffee from his nose while his daughter watched, eyes wide. Her short legs swung from the small child’s seat on the shopping cart. He handed her the bag and she made a face at it.

A slender woman in a green dress took the bag and smelled it. “This one? Are you sure?” She said, “It smells kind of rubbery.”

“I like it.” He said, as he reached down and tussled his sons hair, messing it a little.

“It takes me back.”