Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: PHOTOS and/or SOUVENIR(S) (vacation) (07/16/15)
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TITLE: ANGRY SHADES | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dixie Koch
07/22/15 -
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The sun was too bright, even while wearing his anti-glare, light weight, and stylish sunglasses.
He glanced back at the jail house. Part of him wanted to stay there.
“Hey bro!”
“Hi back!” Chad's lips parted in a half smile. Through his dark shades he could see the sun bouncing and glistening all over Derrick's black skin.
“You breaking out of that place again? Why this time?”
“Ah you know, I was speeding and didn't want them to catch me.”
“Same story, huh? Drinking too?”
“Ya.”
“Mom made lemonade, freshly squeezed from the lemons. Want some?”
“That all ya got to drink?”
“Yep. I gave up the hard stuff.”
Derrick rolled his eyes and it seemed his dark pupils disappeared into the white.
“Really!” Chad looked back at the jail. “It wasn't long ago you were there, too.”
“Yep,” he opened the house door and gestured for Chad to come in. “But, someone there got my attention. And, I listened for a change. Lemonade tastes pretty good now.”
Derrick grabbed the pitcher of lemonade, and Chad watched as yellow liquid splashed so happily on a few ice chunks hunkering at the bottom of the tall glasses.
Chad shifted his weight to his left leg. “Let me guess. There's a new counselor there. His name is Bob.” He sipped on his lemonade. “Bob almost convinced me to believe in God.”
Derricks eyes bulged. “Man, that's him! And he's right!”
“Ya, but trusting is dangerous.”
“But” Derrick rubbed the back of his neck. “Like Bob said, sometimes we need to go back to that place where we first got hurt. God can show us stuff. I know I was seeing things all wrong.”
Chad tossed in his sleep. The darkness in his basement apartment seemed ready to swallow him up. He sat up, breathing hard, sweating profusely. “Sometimes we need to go back to that place where we first got hurt,” he whispered.
“So this is it?” Derrick asked with a whistle. “Lost Lake Resort. It's Peaceful.”
“It was.” Chad's voice drifted away with his unreigned thoughts.
“Bro, I don't know what happened here, but I'm glad you came.”
“Thanks for dropping me off,” Chad said, nodding his head.
Chad stood holding his blanket and duffle bag, watching the dust puff and swirl behind Derrick's disappearing old muscle car. He wondered aloud, “There's a lot of dust to move yet. But then what?”
The cabin he and his family had frequented hadn't changed. But in the midst of total emptiness, he began to lose it; lose his right to feel happiness or any chance among the countless sand particles about him to find a sliver of hope. All he felt was grief like a massive amount of dirt covering him. Would this God that Bob talked about really meet him here?
Outside again, he laid belly down in the sand, his right hand holding his shades. He closed his eyes. The scenes were more gentle than the breeze stirring the water.
He and his daddy running into the playful water. The splashes, the hugs, the smiles.
“Daddy can we go fishing again?”
“But you always catch the biggest fish?”
Laughter
“Ah, come on daddy. Be a good sport.”
“Okay. Let's go then.”
Laughter.
“I love you daddy.”
“I love you too, son.”
A dark cloud covered the sun, and Chad felt a shiver shoot through his soul. His memories shifted.
He was seven years old when Scott was born. His mom had died during child birth, leaving daddy to hold baby Scott very close. At first it was fun having a baby brother, until it became clear that daddy needed and wanted Scott more than anyone else.
He had left home with his angry heart. The news that his father had died was more than Chad could bear. Only Scott had been with daddy to say a final good bye. He himself had never said good bye to anyone, and not to the hate and anger either. He was chained to them.
Hours later he sat up.
He noticed a young man weeping.
He stood and walked closer.
“Scott!” he cried
.
The youth stood up. Then he was running toward Chad.
A picture fell from Scott's hand.
Chad picked it up.
”It's me and you and dad,” he said. His dark shades dropped to the ground.
“Dad gave me this picture before he died. He said, 'tell Chad I love him.'”
“Want to go fishing?”
Laughter.
“I love you.”
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