(A Beer With an Old Friend)

NOW

(Evan)

I looked at Mike’s house and laughed. The window on the second floor to the left. That was a spare bedroom where I had crashed too many times to count. One night during a party, things got out of hand. Some fists were thrown between me and another guy and he went through the window. Rolled down the roof and planted face first into the yard. It looked like something out of a movie. The guy popped up and started to run.

I had caught him in the room with someone in the bed. Someone that didn’t want to be in the bed with him. Someone too drunk to defend herself. So I had to step in and remedy the situation before it became something really bad.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked up the same concrete steps and made a fist and knocked on the same old screen door. It had a metal trashcan lid sound to it as I pounded.

The door opened and there stood Mike.

The years aged him three times over as he stood there with a bushy beard and a pot belly to match. He had been a star on the football team but never pursued it after high school.

“Doorbell,” he said to me.

“That doorbell hasn’t worked since I’ve known you, man.”

Mike pushed the door open and reached for the doorbell. He pressed the button and the doorbell inside the house made a ding sound.

“Well, look at that,” I said. “You got the house, the business, and finally fixed the doorbell. How’s the old man?”

“Has no fucking clue who he is and what year it is,” Mike said.

“Shit,” I said. I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m really sorry, Mike.”

“Come on, get the hell in here,” Mike said. “Let’s have a beer.”

I went into the house and damn near everything was the same. Just new furniture and a new big TV.

I threw my bag to the table as Mike opened the fridge. He grabbed two bottles of beer and handed me one.

“Had to move Dad last month,” Mike said.

“Move him?”

“To a new place to live,” Mike said. “He couldn't do it here, Evan. I couldn’t do it here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You know, he fucking put up with me. You. Us. All the shit we did. He never gave up on us. He might have beat the hell out of us a few times, but he never gave up on us. I had to give up on him.”

“I’m sure you didn’t give up on him.”

“I did. I had someone come pick him up.”

“I’m sure you had good reason.”

Mike laughed. “He broke into the neighbor’s house and started fixing their tub.”

“What?”

“The tub wasn’t broken. Guy next door is named Rob. He’s got a wife and a little kid. They were always sketchy around Dad. It’s scary to see someone go through that shit, you know? I felt bad for them. One night, Dad got up and thought he was working. Went next door and started working on the tub. Ended up busting their pipes. Flooded the bathroom. Scared the hell out of the little kid. Little girl named Avery. I thought I had everything locked up here. They threatened legal action so I just said fuck it and had him put away.”

“Ah, shit, Mike. Why the hell didn’t you call me?”

“What the fuck, Evan? You got out of here. What the fuck would you have done?”

“I don’t know, man. Maybe drive down and have a beer.”

“We’re doing that now,” Mike said. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore, okay? I’m trying to stay above all this. Keep the business going. Get this house fixed up. Shit was left to fall apart while I tried to keep up with Dad.”

“Hey, if he’s safe where he is…”

“It’s like a prison. When he’s not all there in the head, it’s not so bad. But he has moments when he’s clear as fucking day and he hates it.”

Mike let out a growling sound. He then turned his head away.

I took a drink of the beer. I had to change the subject. “So… Anna…”

“Shit,” Mike said. “That was a long time coming, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess. What happened?”

Mike frowned. “Crashed her car.”

I shook my head. “I can’t believe she still had a license to drive.”

“You and me both. She would do her usual bullshit though. Get all twisted up, cry victim, sober up, then slip and fall.”

“Where was she living?”

“Where wasn’t she living?” Mike asked. He walked to the deck door and slid it open. He motioned to go outside. “She crashed wherever she wanted. Hell, I let her sleep at the shop a few times.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. She showed up in tears. Her clothes ripped. Makeup running down her face. Drunk, high, a mess. Begging me to let her hide there. I offered to take her home and she wouldn’t do it. I offered to bring her back here. She was afraid of Dad.”

“Your old man was a scary guy,” I said.

Mike grinned. “Yeah he was. Remember the time he busted out your taillight with that big ass plumber’s wrench?”

“Oh, man,” I said. “He got so pissed I took that case of beer. I tried telling him it was for good reason.”

“To get laid,” Mike said.

“And it worked.”

“Yeah it did.”

“You know, I got pulled over because of that taillight?” I said. “Got a fucking ticket over in Haneysville. I told the cop what happened and he laughed at me. He knew your father. So he fucking believed me about what happened to the light and he still gave me the ticket.”

“Prick,” Mike said.

“Cheers to that.”

We hit bottles together.

“So what happened with Anna at your shop?” I asked.

“Oh, that. Yeah. So I let her sleep there. Found her the next morning still passed out. Woke her up, got her some coffee and food. She asked to stay and help. So I put her to work. Ah, fuck, I had some dumb ass dream of me saving her and she would end up with me.”

“Really? You liked her?”

“I don’t know. I mean, she was with every guy in town. Kind of hard to look past that. But I’m not pushing the women away myself, you know? So I let her work the day. I gave her some cash and bought her dinner. Offered to bring her back here but she said no again. Then she…” Mike scratched as his beard. “Well, she offered me a payment. For the help.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh,” I said. “So you got added to the list, huh?”

Mike shrugged his shoulders. “I couldn’t do it, Evan. Her eyes were so desperate and sad. It felt wrong. I told her to sleep there and we’d talk in the morning. I came the next morning and the door was wide open.”

“No…”

Mike nodded. “Yeah.”

“She took cash?”

“No. I don’t keep cash at the shop. I deposit it all. Not that we handle much cash in the plumbing business. She took pipes.”

“Pipes?”

“Copper pipes, Evan. Swiped about five hundred bucks worth. I didn’t see her for a month after that.”

“Jesus,” I said. I shook my head. “And here we all are, getting together for her funeral.”

Mike stepped back and sighed. “You and I both know we’re not all here for Anna.”

That comment hit me in a tender spot in my heart.

Of course I wasn’t there because of Anna. Or for Anna. Or to say goodbye or some fake shit.

I was there to see Adena.

“You ready for this?” Mike asked. “I’m going to get showered and changed. We need to leave in about thirty minutes.”

I gave a nod and Mike walked away.

Was I ready to see Anna be put into the ground? Yeah, sure. It really had been a long time coming. Fuck, if anything maybe the world would rest easier with her gone. And I knew how messed up that sounded.

But was I ready to see Adena?

The simple answer…

No.