Chapter 23
Emmett
“Holy shit! I have to get up!” I felt the bed move as Autumn jumped out of it in a panic.
“What is it?”
“It’s morning. That’s what it is.” She was running around the room looking for her clothes. “I can’t find my nightgown!”
“Here.” I got up and picked it up off the floor.
“She can’t find us here like this.” She held her hand over her heart and then shook her head as she slipped the gown over her head and pulled on the robe. As soon as she had it tied, she ran out of the guest house and to the back patio where I saw her trying to put on her slippers.
I didn’t even get a kiss goodbye. I made a mental note to remedy that in the car and went to find my clothes and get ready so I could drop the beauties off and head to the base.
I hoped that Pen hadn’t woken up in the night or before her mother, and maybe everything would be okay.
I slipped on my shoes and then headed across to the main house where there didn’t seem to be a conflict or even a tear shed as I went to the kitchen to fix us something to eat.
I took some eggs from the fridge and decided to scramble them. As I found the butter hiding behind the milk, Penelope came in dressed for school, with her little backpack on her shoulders. The thing was nearly as big as she was, but it didn’t look too heavy.
“Are you cooking this morning?”
“Yes. I hope you like scrambled eggs.”
“I do, but my mom hasn’t made them in a long time.”
“Well, you’re in luck.” I started cracking the eggs into a bowl I got out of the cabinet, and then I whisked them with a fork and had them in the skillet when Autumn came in looking like a million bucks.
She gave me a thumbs-up when Penelope wasn’t looking, and I knew it was to let me know that her daughter was none the wiser to the fact that her mother had spent the night out in the guest house with me. I was glad that she hadn’t been awake when Autumn came in this morning because at least Autumn wouldn’t be hesitant to do it again.
After we ate, I drove them to school and work, and then stopped by the cellular store to buy myself a phone. An hour later, I was hooked up and on my way to Camp Lejeune. I decided that during my long drive, I’d make a call to my brother and see if he would finally like to talk things out.
I kept his number in my wallet and while I’d stopped to fill up the car with gas, I took it out and programmed the number into my phone. Then I hit the call button, thinking it would be a fluke if Paul actually answered, but to my surprise, his gravelly voice sounded out on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Hey, this is Emmett.”
“Hey, I’m glad you called. I tried to call the number you gave the hospital, but it didn’t work.”
“I lost my phone,” I said. “I would have replaced it, but I was in a country where cellphone stores aren’t exactly on every corner.”
“Right. Is this your number?” I wondered if he’d keep track of it.
“Yeah. I tried to call you from the hospital again, but you didn’t answer.” I thought it best he knew that I had at least tried, too, even after he was an asshole.
“I had shit to do.” He had the same pissy tone as before. Just when I thought I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him, he cleared his throat and decided to continue. “What’s your day like?”
“I’m leaving for Camp Lejeune to go take care of my out-processing.”
“Oh, I was going to ask if you wanted to meet up and talk.”
“You could always ride with me, Paul. You could hang out on the base and look around while I’m doing the class, and we’d have the entire ride there and back to talk.” I didn’t think he’d go for it, but I thought it couldn’t be the worst thing to ask and be rejected.
“I don’t know, man.” A deep breath sounded through the phone. “I guess that’s cool. I’m at the house if you want to come and pick me up. It’s on Washington and Juniper. 305. You can’t miss it.”
“I’ll head that way.” Even though I had to backtrack a little, it only took me about ten extra minutes to get him, and since my class wasn’t until eleven, I had plenty of time to get there.
Just driving down the road, I could tell what kind of neighborhood it was from all the people who seemed to have nothing better to do than hang out on the corner instead of going to work. Paul didn’t have a chance in a place like this.
I saw him standing in front of the small dingy blue house, which looked like it hadn’t ever been kept up. There wasn’t a car in sight, and I had a feeling that he didn’t own one. I wondered what had happened to our father’s old truck. Things were obviously worse than he’d let on.
“Where’d you get this ride?” He opened the door and slid into the seat of Autumn’s black Land Rover.
“It’s not mine.”
“Yeah? You know, when other people drive cars like this through these neighborhoods, it’s usually not their car, either.” He gave a little laugh and then shut the door. “I guess you found a place to stay. I kind of felt bad that I hadn’t offered you a place after that generous offer you made me the other day.”
“It’s cool, man. I was actually on my way to a veterans’ shelter house, but Autumn intercepted.” I took off as soon as he shut the door and headed back out to the main highway.
“Autumn? As in, the old neighbor? Damn, that’s crazy. I haven’t seen her in ages.” I wasn’t going to shame him by telling him that Autumn had seen him in the papers and heard about his bad reputation and involvement in childish, petty crimes.
“She’s all right. I’m staying with her, but I plan to get my own place soon enough. You know, that offer still stands. I know you’ve got shit to do, but maybe you want better shit to do with your day.”
He tapped the window with the back of his fingers. “I’ve thought about selling the house, and I actually looked into it, but you’d have to help me do it since Dad’s in the shape he’s in.”
“You mean like the paperwork? I’m sure I can help you with that.”
He shifted his seat, getting comfortable. “I think you’d be entitled to half.”
“I don’t want it, Paul. I think you should sell it and take the money to better yourself. I’ll help you if you’re really ready to do it.” I knew that whatever he’d get for the old place might be enough to help him get his shit together, and I didn’t need it. I had enough saved up for myself and a good job on the way.
“You don’t want your half?” He looked at me like he couldn’t believe it.
“No, man. I’m good. I want you to be good too, you know? I didn’t leave you to abandon you. I just tried to move on with my life like any other person who graduates and moves out would.”
“I know, man. I don’t fucking blame you. I’ve spent a lot of time pissed about it, but I know if I wasn’t so chicken shit, I’d have done the same. Now, no one wants me with my past.”
“There are people out there that will give you a second chance, Paul. But you have to really show them that you’re going to change.”
“I’ve been trying. It’s just not an easy thing to do. I got people breathing down my fucking neck for money, people making offers that I’d rather not fucking take, but I don’t have much choice, man. Either I do the shit or starve. I don’t have a car, so I have to work close, and all of the places that are close don’t pay shit, and then I have to worry about people showing up and shaking me down. My boss got pissed at the food joint I was working last and canned my ass after three days. I didn’t even earn enough to pay the fucking water bill.”
“You don’t have water?” I couldn’t believe that I’d had it better in Afghanistan than my brother had it in the States, and I got shot there.
“Or lights or anything. It’s a bad spot, but I manage to stay clean, and my buddy lets me eat at his place, but his wife hates me. I feel like a dog looking for scraps, and I’m at the point that I’ve got to go back to slinging dope or starve.”
“You don’t use?” I asked, my hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t hit a joint now and then, but that’s it. I don’t use any of that hard stuff, man. I don’t even drink. I’ve seen what that shit did to Dad.”
For once, my father’s alcoholism was actually a blessing. It had given my brother the example of how not to be. “I meant what I said about staying with me, Paul. I know you’d be going through a transition in life, but I am too. I’ve known nothing but the military for ten years, and I’ve seen some shit. But I’m not going to let that get me down. I’ve got to get out there and do what’s best for me. I start a new job next week, and while I’m excited about it, I’m nervous, too. But you know what? I nearly died for us to have it better in life, Paul. I’m not going to take surviving for granted. I’m going to try and live a better life. I want you to try too, man. Before it’s too late for you. You’ve kept yourself clean for the most part, and that means you’ve got a fighting chance.”
“Do you really think I could do better? I can barely keep my cell phone on, and that’s just because it’s my only way to look for jobs and stay connected, and it’s just an old burner.”
“Hell yeah, little brother. There’s a lot more to this life than that fucking neighborhood. I promise. Dad said you did well in school, but you were just a little shit. I say, take all your book and street smarts and put them to use in a real career. There’s bound to be something you like doing, and if not, we’ll find you something healthier to do while you’re searching for it.”
“You’d help me get a job? Not just hosing out public toilets type of shit?”
“Yeah, and you could even go to college if you want, Paul.” I changed lanes and glanced over to see that he was shaking his head.
“You make it all sound so easy.” He chuckled.
“It is when you take the help that’s offered and you let someone give you a leg up. There’s nothing wrong with that if you’re doing it to improve yourself and contribute better to the world.”
“That would really be something, huh? You and me living together. Dad would shit if he knew.”
“Paul, don’t take this the wrong way, but you can’t live your life worried about what he thinks. Neither of us can do that to ourselves. I did it from the time Mom died, and even after I left home for a while. It killed me when he wanted to disown me and that I wasn’t his son. Even though he was an abusive asshole, I still needed his approval.”
“Are you going to go see him?” Paul asked.
“I don’t know. I know I should.”
“He wouldn’t even know you’re there, so don’t let it beat you up too bad.” He pulled down the visor and checked his hair in the vanity mirror where someone had put a smiling face sticker.
“What’s this shit?”
I laughed knowing that Penelope probably did it. “Autumn’s got a daughter now.”
“With Jason, right?”
“They’re divorced.” I didn’t want to talk about Jason again.
“I always thought she was the reason you left. You were so fucking in love with her.” He turned his head and gave me a nudge. “Oh man, you still are, aren’t you?”
“I am,” I said firmly. “I just hope I don’t screw it up. Looks like life isn’t the only thing I’m getting a second chance at.” Love was just as important.
We talked about Autumn a little while and even had a few moments of quiet where I hoped that he was really thinking of how good life could be.
We got to the base, and Paul waited in the community center where they had a TV and free coffee and donuts for visitors, while I went and took my class. I was glad to learn that I could finish the remainder of it online if I wanted. I got that set up so that I wouldn’t have to worry about using Autumn’s car, and I considered the fact that I really needed transportation of my own. I had enough saved to buy something in good condition and not owe a note, and I decided that I’d have to do that soon enough.
After I finished up with my class and got the proper papers filled out for the online portion, I walked out to find Paul talking with one of the other visitors. My brother was smiling ear to ear and laughing too. It was a good sight to see. I’d forgotten how he had our mother’s smile.
He spotted me across the room and shook the old man’s hand. Then he hurried over.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked, looking over to see the old man get up from his chair and leave.
“Yeah, that old guy was amazing. Man, the stories he had.” Paul’s hand fell on my upper back as he walked away. “I’ve made up my mind. I want to sell the house and find a new place with you. Oh, and I want to find a job and go to school.”
“You decided all of that from talking to him?” I pointed back into the room, and Paul laughed.
“No, man. I decided all of that on the way out here.”
I turned and met his eyes to see that he really meant it. I breathed a sigh of relief and was thankful that everything was going to work out for the best.