(Yeah, let's try to get this going again, I miss them too. I'll try, I am a bit rusty, but here goes, continuation of 'The Neighbor'.)The Chill in Summer
(August 1985)
Ennis kept on walking back to Tom’s trailer. It was a real warm night, almost hot. But he had his jacket on anyway. He took the detour to Tom’s trailer, walking the long way around. Ennis stopped and looked up at the sky. The clouds were now covering the stars. He looked at his hands, they were shaking. He kept on walking, slower and slower. Suddenly Ennis felt a chill. It felt like there was ice running through his veins. He closed his jacket and put his hands in his pockets. But it didn’t help, the cold was from within. Ennis stopped and looked up at the sky again. The moon was peaking through the clouds. The night was still, there wasn’t a sound, except for the crickets, chirping as if all was well. Ennis went down on his knees, he felt as if he couldn’t go on. All the years passed in front of him in the darkness. But he got up and slowly went on to Tom’s trailer.
Tom was sitting outside. His silver hair was glistening in the faint light of the peeping moon. His eyes were bright. Ennis stood right in front of him, looking at the ground.
“I don’t think I can do this” he said in a whisper.
“Hey, don’t worry ‘bout it” Tom said softly. “It’s all up to you.”
Tom reached for Ennis’s arm, pulling his hand out of the pocket. He held it gently between his own warm hands. “You’re shaking, ya better come inside, I’ll get you a drink.”
Ennis followed Tom inside, and sat down at the table. There was a new picture, of Tom and his friend, in a brown leather frame next to the salt shaker. Ennis picked it up and held it in his trembling hands. He stared at the picture , then put it back down.
“Wanna know somethin’? I don’t even have a picture” Ennis said in a breaking voice. “All those years, and not one single damn picture.”
Tom didn’t answer. He poured two drinks and sat down beside Ennis.
“Not a single fuckin’ picture.”
Tom gave Ennis his drink. Ennis tried to pick it up, but his hands were still cold and shaking.