Free Linkage: The Narrows of Time by Jay Falconer Page B
Authors: Jay Falconer
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idea, he thought. It would make a
good place to hide—for a while a least. But what happens if that
guy follows him into the restroom? He would be cornered, alone, and
helpless. He decided to remain where he was—plenty of other people
around.
“What’s your mom do?”
“She’s a Mathematics professor at Paradise
Community College, in Phoenix.”
“And your Dad?”
“He died two years ago.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m
so sorry, Drew. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. How could you?”
She rubbed her soft forefinger across the top
of his hand. He looked at her and she smiled back with a glaze of
tears in her eyes.
“Dad went into the hospital one day for a
routine test, and never came out. They were doing an angiogram on
his neck and something went wrong. We never really got the whole
story.”
“You must really miss him.”
Drew stared into his coffee while swirling it
around with a thin, red straw. He looked up, but couldn’t see the
bully through Abby’s head. “Yeah, very much. Besides my brother, he
was my best friend. We used to spend all day working on his
inventions in the shop. Those were great times.”
“Your dad was an inventor?”
“Well, he tried to be, but he never really
had much success. He did come up with this cool, self-cleaning
toilet, but nobody was interested. I guess electricity and bowel
movements weren’t meant to go together.”
She laughed.
“Dad’s best invention was a sonic pest
control system. He even found investors for it, but the EPA chased
them away when their field testing showed it liquefied dog
brains.”
“Gross,” she said, slurping from her cup. “Do
you ever think about continuing his work?”
”Never really thought about it. But I guess I
could. All his equipment is still in the garage back home. After he
died, Mom couldn’t bear to part with any of it.” He thought he was
talking too much about himself. “Are your parents back in
Wisconsin?”
Her smile vanished and her shoulders slumped.
“They passed away my senior year in high school. I miss them so
much.”
Drew tried to respond, but the words ran dry.
He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know if he should hold her
hand or give her a hug. He did neither. He felt useless.
Abby wiped a tear from her cheek. “Mom died
from colon cancer. Dad passed away in his sleep six months later. I
think he died of a broken heart. They were together almost forty
years.”
“I guess that’s pretty common when you’ve
been married a long time,” he said with a soft tone in his voice.
“Sounds like they loved each other very much.”
A smile washed over Abby’s lips. She nodded
quickly. The joy returned to her eyes.
Drew took another swig of coffee. It didn’t
taste quite as bad this time, still wasn’t pleasant, but at least
he no longer wanted to spit it out. “Any other family?”
“I was an only child, just like my mom and
dad. No aunts or uncles, either.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s just me, Lucas, and Mom .
. . Oh, and Grandpa Roy. But we never see him anymore after we
almost had to call the police on him.”
“What happened?”
“It was Thanksgiving—four years ago.
Everything was going along just fine until Roy decided to open a
second jug of wine. It wasn’t long before he and Dad were totally
sloshed, and then all hell broke loose. They started cussing and
shoving each other, then Roy took a swing at my dad. Next thing I
know, they’re beating the crap out of each other and Mom is
screaming at them to stop. Lucas jumped in to break it up, but he
took one in the jaw—knocked him out cold. That’s when the fight
stopped on its own.”
“What started it?”
“Seems like every time Roy stayed with us,
he’d harp endlessly on Dad about getting a real job. He didn’t
agree with Dad being an inventor and working from home. He thought
the husband’s place was to go off to work, while the wife stayed
home and pumped out a gaggle of kids. Dad got
good place to hide—for a while a least. But what happens if that
guy follows him into the restroom? He would be cornered, alone, and
helpless. He decided to remain where he was—plenty of other people
around.
“What’s your mom do?”
“She’s a Mathematics professor at Paradise
Community College, in Phoenix.”
“And your Dad?”
“He died two years ago.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m
so sorry, Drew. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. How could you?”
She rubbed her soft forefinger across the top
of his hand. He looked at her and she smiled back with a glaze of
tears in her eyes.
“Dad went into the hospital one day for a
routine test, and never came out. They were doing an angiogram on
his neck and something went wrong. We never really got the whole
story.”
“You must really miss him.”
Drew stared into his coffee while swirling it
around with a thin, red straw. He looked up, but couldn’t see the
bully through Abby’s head. “Yeah, very much. Besides my brother, he
was my best friend. We used to spend all day working on his
inventions in the shop. Those were great times.”
“Your dad was an inventor?”
“Well, he tried to be, but he never really
had much success. He did come up with this cool, self-cleaning
toilet, but nobody was interested. I guess electricity and bowel
movements weren’t meant to go together.”
She laughed.
“Dad’s best invention was a sonic pest
control system. He even found investors for it, but the EPA chased
them away when their field testing showed it liquefied dog
brains.”
“Gross,” she said, slurping from her cup. “Do
you ever think about continuing his work?”
”Never really thought about it. But I guess I
could. All his equipment is still in the garage back home. After he
died, Mom couldn’t bear to part with any of it.” He thought he was
talking too much about himself. “Are your parents back in
Wisconsin?”
Her smile vanished and her shoulders slumped.
“They passed away my senior year in high school. I miss them so
much.”
Drew tried to respond, but the words ran dry.
He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know if he should hold her
hand or give her a hug. He did neither. He felt useless.
Abby wiped a tear from her cheek. “Mom died
from colon cancer. Dad passed away in his sleep six months later. I
think he died of a broken heart. They were together almost forty
years.”
“I guess that’s pretty common when you’ve
been married a long time,” he said with a soft tone in his voice.
“Sounds like they loved each other very much.”
A smile washed over Abby’s lips. She nodded
quickly. The joy returned to her eyes.
Drew took another swig of coffee. It didn’t
taste quite as bad this time, still wasn’t pleasant, but at least
he no longer wanted to spit it out. “Any other family?”
“I was an only child, just like my mom and
dad. No aunts or uncles, either.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s just me, Lucas, and Mom .
. . Oh, and Grandpa Roy. But we never see him anymore after we
almost had to call the police on him.”
“What happened?”
“It was Thanksgiving—four years ago.
Everything was going along just fine until Roy decided to open a
second jug of wine. It wasn’t long before he and Dad were totally
sloshed, and then all hell broke loose. They started cussing and
shoving each other, then Roy took a swing at my dad. Next thing I
know, they’re beating the crap out of each other and Mom is
screaming at them to stop. Lucas jumped in to break it up, but he
took one in the jaw—knocked him out cold. That’s when the fight
stopped on its own.”
“What started it?”
“Seems like every time Roy stayed with us,
he’d harp endlessly on Dad about getting a real job. He didn’t
agree with Dad being an inventor and working from home. He thought
the husband’s place was to go off to work, while the wife stayed
home and pumped out a gaggle of kids. Dad got