The Store
(August 1985)
They went back to the truck and then Tom began driving and driving. Ennis just sat there looking out the window. They passed ranches, with cows lazily lunching, they passed a couple of real small towns, each with a bar and a general store. Ennis stopped asking where they were going.
Tom didn’t talk much either, but every so often he took a sideways glance at Ennis. They passed houses with yards and another ranch, then there entered a larger town. This one had two bars and a few stores. Tom kept on driving, but at the edge of the town he suddenly stopped. They were in front of a store, it had a sign that said “Antiques for Sale.”
Ennis was jolted by the sudden stop. “Whadya stoppin’ here for?”
Tom got out the truck. He mumbled something but Ennis didn’t understand. He didn’t understand any of this at all. At first he thought that Tom made sense, but ever since that day more than a month ago he didn’t understand him at all. But he got out of the truck and slowly followed Tom into the store.
It was packed almost to the ceiling. There was furniture, some chairs, a couple of tables and on the side a big brown sleep sofa that was halfway open. There were lamps and old televisions and an old bookcase, filled with yellowed volumes, maybe never to be opened again.
“Anybody here?” Tom called.
Suddenly a young man appeared, almost a boy, with dark brown hair and a big smile. “I’m here” he said. He looked as if he didn’t belong here.
Tom went towards him. “Ya gotta promotion? Are ya in charge of this old place now?” They hugged. The boy smiled even more.
“Naw, just for a couple of days.”
Tom pointed towards Ennis. He looked at them and nodded. He looked all around the store. But then he noticed something. An old picture in a frame sitting on a box. He went over and picked it up. A chill went up and down his spine. He suddenly felt something real strange again.
“You’re such a blast” Tom said. Tom and the boy laughed and they hugged once more. Ennis looked at the picture again. Suddenly he really wanted to go home. The chill was running up and down his spine.
“How much ya want for this picture?”