| Brian rides out of the driveway on a vintage harley Davidson motorcycle. He takes to the streets for a tour of the town that he grew up in. There is well worn feel to this community. The first place that Brian drives by is Groverton High School�s track and football field. Then he rides over to the old Main Street of town. Many of the small businesses have closed, and the buildings are vacant. He stops in front of the Shamrock Tavern, but doesn�t get off the motorcycle or turn it�s motor off. The Shamrock Tavern is a sport�s bar with massive windows in front. These windows are painted 3/4 of the way up with a football field motif. The tavern shows signs of decay. There is a dusty closed for repairs sign in it�s window. After several minutes of staring at tavern, Brian takes off to Buzz�s Gas Station. Brian is taking a good look around as he fills up the gas tank on his borrowed motorcycle. He finishes filling the tank and goes in to pay for the gas. As he walks into the station, it is as though he is looking for someone. Brian grabs a cold drink and heads up to the register. He picks up a copy of the local paper and squints his eyes as he tries to read what the top stories are. He doesn�t recognize the young blonde boy behind the counter. �You buying that paper?� he asks. Brian puts the paper back. �No, it�s just the same old news, I suppose.� �That will be six dollars and seventy cents then.� Brian pulls out his wallet. �Say, you wouldn�t happen to know if Michael Novotny was around anywhere?� The blonde studies Brian's face, but still doesn�t recognize him. �Ya, sure... why?� �We use to... know each other. We went to school together.� �Oh... he�s probably in the service bay area, I think, but don�t leave your bike by the pump. When he gets to talking to people, there�s no shutting him up.� Brian smiles. �That's the Michael I remember. � �Ya, gosh, should I know you?� Brian backs his way out of the station. �No, there no reason why you would know me. It was nice meeting you.� �The name�s Justin. So, like what�s your name.� Brian hesitates. �It�s Bri.� Then ducks out the door. Pushing the his motorcycle around to service bay area, Brian calls out, �Hello... Mickey? Is anybody back here?� Michael Novotny, thirty seven year old man, who was working out of sight under a car, rolls out to see who has entered. He has a ratchet in one hand, and he is smeared with grease. �Have�n trouble with the bike, mister?� he asks. �No, I got a car stuck out on the interstate though. Jesus, Mickey! Don�t you reckize me?� Michael studies the man for a second. �Holy mother of God... Brian Kinney?� �How have you been, Mickey?� �Good, I�ve been real good.� There is an award moment of silence as the two men size each other up. �Jesus, it�s been almost twenty years!� �It�s been a lot of things, Mickey. Not all of them good.� �Yeah, well... We were best friends, weren�t we? I mean you... well, you really turned into a ...a stranger.� �Yes, I did.� �Brian Kinney. So, what have you been doing with yourself? I mean after the... the Bengals let you go, we weren�t able to keep tabs on you. You just kind of disappeared completely.� �Well, I can�t say I�ve been doing a whole hell of a lot, Mickey.� �Damn! It�s about time you came back. Are you going to be in town long? �Cause, I know some people who�d love a chance to see you.� �I�ve got a car that...� �Are you staying with your folks?� �No, with Claire. Thing is I have a car, a thunderously ugly green Cadillac, stuck out on the interstate by the 365 mile marker. I think it might be something electrical.� �So, you�re here �cause you need my help. Figures... You own a Cadillac now?� �Hell, no! I was just driving it from upstate New York to a dealership in Dallas for a buddy of mine.� �Well, this sure as hell is first. You doing something for someone else.� Michael walks over to a shelf with different filters and picks out a gas filter to place in the car he�s working on. �Damn! Brian Kinney, you�re looking good. Say you should meet Justin. He is here working behind the counter, I�d like you to meet him. He�s heard all the stories about the two of us.� �I already did, I bought gas. Does your mom still work at the diner?� �Yeah, she is. Vic is working there as cook now too. Oh, and my mother married to Carl Horvath two years ago. He move here after graduation. " "Patrolman Carl Horvath?" "Yup. Have you met him?" "Yeah, he was kind enough to give me a lift into town.� Michael gets back on his roll around gurney. �Are you seeing everyone?� �No, you know I was never really into relationships.� �Yeah, I remember.� Michael rolls back under the car. �Listen, put the keys to this caddy on my truck�s dash there and me or one of the boys will get her towed in this morning. Is that Stephen Reeve�s motorcycle?� �Yeah, I think Claire is keeping it for him.� �Now that surprise me.� �Why?� �Steve�s wife Emily, she�d surely have Stephen drawn and quartered if she knew he was even talking Claire.� Brian shakes his head as he sets his keys onto the tow trucks dash. �But what about Peter?� �That little boy is cute as a button, but Stephen loves his wife, Brian. Always did.� �Okay, I get the picture. It�s a fucked up situation.� �Yeah, well... Have you even seen your folks yet?� �No... I�m on my way over there now.� Michael rolls out from under car and sits up. �Good, �cause they need you. They need you real bad." �Is something going on with them again? Claire wouldn�t tell me anything.� �Brian, I�m not a doctor, but your dad�s not a bit good. I think the cigarettes have just about done him in but... your mom. I don�t know, Brian, she�s your mom, and we both know how much she used to drink...� �She was a pathetic alcoholic, probably still is!� �That�s a little cruel, don�t you think?� �She even drank when she was pregnant with me, ask Claire... Oh, what�s the point.� �I always wanted to ask you about the Tavern. I mean why buy them a Tavern?� �I just wanted Mom to be in a setting where she would feel comfortable.� �You bastard. I knew it.� �You don�t know anything. They both loved that Tavern. It�s where they first meet.� �Alright then... I just always wondered.� Michael puts down his tools and gives Brian his full attention. �Brian, just last month, I got a call from your mom... their car won�t start, so i go over to take a look, and someone had taken the battery cables off the battery. I start to fix it, but your Dad comes out and begs me not to. Says he doesn�t want your mom driving, because she gets lost and can�t lost and can�t find her way home. He was scared for her, Brian, really scared.� *** Brian walks up the front porch steps and rings the doorbell. He stands at the front door waiting and tries to peek in through the curtains of the window. Joanie Kinney, a vulnerable woman in her sixties with hostile under pinnings, opens the door. For a moment, she doesn�t seem to recognize the man in front of her. Suddenly, Joanie recognizes that it is her son in front of her, and a look of puzzlement washes over her face. �Brian! Oh, thank you, Jesus. Thank you!� She holds her arms out to Brian, but he is unable to move. She walks up to him and hugs him with all her might. Brian just stands there. �So, where�s Dad?� Joanie turns sour. �He�s on the back porch. I won�t let him smoke in the house anymore, so he spends most of his time on the back porch. He�s even got a t.v. hooked up to cable out there.� �How�s he doing?� �Oh, Brian he�s not good, not one bit... He�s going to be so glad to see you. You don�t have a suitcase?� �I�m staying at Claire�s.� �At Claire�s,� she says in a state of shock, �in that little rat trap? She doesn�t even have a guest room, and we�ve always kept your room ready for you here. I�ve just got to put on fresh linens. You should staying here.� Brian places both hands on his mother�s arms. �I�m fine at Claire�s for the time being.� �You�re not staying then?� �I don�t know how long I�m going to be hanging around.� �So, you still haven�t signed on with a new team?� �I work as a carpenter most of the time, Mom. I�m just on a vacation for a while.� �I worry all the time about you getting hurt. football is such a dangerous game.� �Joanie, I don�t play football anymore.� �You quit!� she gasps. �Oh, I�m so glad. Your father�s going to be upset though he so enjoys watching your games on his t.v. set. He bought himself a new little color one with a remote control and built in VCR, so he can still watch the game out on the back porch.� Joanie loses track of what she is talking about and confusion clouds her face. �I won�t let him smoke in the house anymore. Three different doctors have told him he has to quit smoking, but he can�t seem to do it. You�d think, if he loved us at all, that he�d quit. Oh, Brian, I don�t want to do with him. You should go see him.� Brian enters the back porch and stands for a moment in the doorway watching his father. Jack is a self-made man, in his early seventies, dealing with the task of dying. His body has been ravaged by emphysema, and he has to use a wheelchair to get about. He has to use an oxygen mask to breath as he sits and watches his little television. Eventually, Jack looks up and sees Brian. He removes his oxgen mask. �So, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come over here and take a seat?� �Take a seat, I suppose...� �Well, sonny boy... you gonna state your business?� �Business?� �You broke, need�en money? I ain't got any if you are.� �No, Dad. I�m doing well enough, I suppose. I was simply driving through the state on business and thought I should drop by and say hello... that�s all.� �Bullshit!� Jack coughs. �How long have you been needing the oxygen?� �I�m dying, Brian. I won�t mince words with you... I didn�t figure I�d ever see you again.� �Why didn�t you tell me you were sick?� �I didn�t see how that was your business, sonny boy.� |
 |