clouded over now, not a star in sight, just an empty black maw looming over them.
“I don’t know.”
Rabbit waited for a semi to pass and then turned left, taking the road back to Crystal Springs.
FOUR
Loretta Lynn was wailing from the jukebox about how she was a coal miner’s daughter and only three seats at the bar were taken when James walked into The Blue Diamond. He sat down at the far end of the bar and waited for Hollis to finish telling a story to an old man in a canvas fishing hat who looked only half interested.
“And so, I was only this far away from Alex Rodriguez and that actress lady he was with.”
“Huh.”
“Yep. You know, he’s a lot smaller in real life. Looks a lot more worn down than he do on TV. Bad skin, too. You think he wears makeup when he goes onto the field and that’s why he looks so pretty?”
“Screw you, Hollis.”
Hollis laughed and switched his bar towel from one shoulder to the other as he walked over to James. He slid a cardboard coaster over to him and leaned his forearms on the prickly edge of the plastic bar mat.
“You decide to stick around?”
James pulled his cell phone, cigarettes, and keys out of his pockets and laid them on the bar so he could sit more comfortably.
“Seems that way. Looks like you’re having fun.”
“Oh, Randy down there is a Yankees fan. One of them transplants from up north. He’s a good guy, though, which is why I try to rile him up every time he comes ‘round.”
Hollis looked over his shoulder just in time to see the old man give him the finger. Hollis kept laughing.
“So, what can I do for you, James?”
“Just a beer. Budweiser bottle. And sorry ‘bout running out on my tab last night. What do I owe you?”
“I’ll just add it to this one.”
Hollis twisted off the cap and set the beer on the coaster. James drank half the bottle before putting it down and felt better. It had been a long day.
“Tough one for a Monday, huh?”
“I’ll manage.”
Hollis smacked his towel down on the shiny lacquered wood and leaned across the bar to James.
“I ain’t want to say this yesterday, ‘cause I wasn’t sure what you were aiming to do—”
James took another swig.
“I still don’t, Hollis.”
“I know. But I just wanted to say that I think it’s a mighty good thing you showed up. Maybe help straighten things out some.”
James bristled.
“I’m not sure what you think needs to be straightened out.”
Hollis crossed his thick arms in front of his chest and took a deep breath before continuing.
“Now, I don’t mean no disrespect at all. Like I said the other night, Orville and I weren’t best friends or nothing, but he was a good man and he did his best to do right by every man he came across.”
“I know that. Just ‘cause I ain’t settled down here my whole life don’t mean I don’t know what kinda man my daddy was.”
James felt the spark of anger inside him ignite. The spark was always there, deep in his belly, or sometimes he could feel its slow heat burning somewhere in his chest, behind his lungs, between his rib cage and every breath. It would smolder for days, for weeks even, and then something would come along and give life to the flame. It could be anything: a challenge, an assumption, an old wound torn open, a failure flung back in his face. The ember would catch, the fury would blaze, and the spark would either burn itself out in an instant or grow into a wildfire he couldn’t control. James slowly sipped his beer as Hollis tried to clarify himself.
“Son, you’re missing the point of what I’m trying to say.”
“I guess I am.”
Hollis twisted open another beer and set it next to the one already in front of James. He didn’t look at it. He kept his eyes trained on Hollis, but he could feel the fire sputtering out already. James knew that Hollis didn’t mean any harm.
“Look, I don’t pretend to know you. I ain’t even seen you since your voice
“I don’t know.”
Rabbit waited for a semi to pass and then turned left, taking the road back to Crystal Springs.
FOUR
Loretta Lynn was wailing from the jukebox about how she was a coal miner’s daughter and only three seats at the bar were taken when James walked into The Blue Diamond. He sat down at the far end of the bar and waited for Hollis to finish telling a story to an old man in a canvas fishing hat who looked only half interested.
“And so, I was only this far away from Alex Rodriguez and that actress lady he was with.”
“Huh.”
“Yep. You know, he’s a lot smaller in real life. Looks a lot more worn down than he do on TV. Bad skin, too. You think he wears makeup when he goes onto the field and that’s why he looks so pretty?”
“Screw you, Hollis.”
Hollis laughed and switched his bar towel from one shoulder to the other as he walked over to James. He slid a cardboard coaster over to him and leaned his forearms on the prickly edge of the plastic bar mat.
“You decide to stick around?”
James pulled his cell phone, cigarettes, and keys out of his pockets and laid them on the bar so he could sit more comfortably.
“Seems that way. Looks like you’re having fun.”
“Oh, Randy down there is a Yankees fan. One of them transplants from up north. He’s a good guy, though, which is why I try to rile him up every time he comes ‘round.”
Hollis looked over his shoulder just in time to see the old man give him the finger. Hollis kept laughing.
“So, what can I do for you, James?”
“Just a beer. Budweiser bottle. And sorry ‘bout running out on my tab last night. What do I owe you?”
“I’ll just add it to this one.”
Hollis twisted off the cap and set the beer on the coaster. James drank half the bottle before putting it down and felt better. It had been a long day.
“Tough one for a Monday, huh?”
“I’ll manage.”
Hollis smacked his towel down on the shiny lacquered wood and leaned across the bar to James.
“I ain’t want to say this yesterday, ‘cause I wasn’t sure what you were aiming to do—”
James took another swig.
“I still don’t, Hollis.”
“I know. But I just wanted to say that I think it’s a mighty good thing you showed up. Maybe help straighten things out some.”
James bristled.
“I’m not sure what you think needs to be straightened out.”
Hollis crossed his thick arms in front of his chest and took a deep breath before continuing.
“Now, I don’t mean no disrespect at all. Like I said the other night, Orville and I weren’t best friends or nothing, but he was a good man and he did his best to do right by every man he came across.”
“I know that. Just ‘cause I ain’t settled down here my whole life don’t mean I don’t know what kinda man my daddy was.”
James felt the spark of anger inside him ignite. The spark was always there, deep in his belly, or sometimes he could feel its slow heat burning somewhere in his chest, behind his lungs, between his rib cage and every breath. It would smolder for days, for weeks even, and then something would come along and give life to the flame. It could be anything: a challenge, an assumption, an old wound torn open, a failure flung back in his face. The ember would catch, the fury would blaze, and the spark would either burn itself out in an instant or grow into a wildfire he couldn’t control. James slowly sipped his beer as Hollis tried to clarify himself.
“Son, you’re missing the point of what I’m trying to say.”
“I guess I am.”
Hollis twisted open another beer and set it next to the one already in front of James. He didn’t look at it. He kept his eyes trained on Hollis, but he could feel the fire sputtering out already. James knew that Hollis didn’t mean any harm.
“Look, I don’t pretend to know you. I ain’t even seen you since your voice
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