Uncle Earl

[Repugnant Abomination]

Swinging like a pendulum from the rear view mirror was a picture of his wife, Carol. In the next seat over there was a flashlight, a backpack, and his insulin shot. His hands gripped the leather steering wheel lightly but even then his joints ached. Every so often a tremor shook his left hand, and no matter how hard he glared at it, it wouldn’t stop shaking.
He parked at the base of a narrow trail and shut down the engine. The red sun was dipping beneath the mountaintops and he estimated he had another thirty minutes of light. Earl got out of the truck and shook his hands out. His face was a tan, worn leather, with the years of his life etched in deep sagging lines. He inhaled. Over his shoulder was a view of the valley below. Clouds rolled endlessly in a sea of fading blue. He walked to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door, and grabbed the backpack and flashlight. He stood there for a long time eyeing his insulin shot. He pulled Carol’s picture from the rearview mirror and put the picture in his vest pocket. His hand trailed along the warm surface of truck as he walked to the base of the trail, and once there he looked over his shoulder one last time while his left hand continued shaking.
Earl walked up the trail. He heard the break of a twig, the rustle of leaves, beating wings. He stopped every five minutes to catch his breath. He kept stretching his arms and legs out, and every time he heard the familiar cracking.
“You’re falling apart, old man,” he said.

The sun was out of the sky and only its faint glow held back the oncoming darkness. He swallowed for the first time in what felt like an hour and continued walking until he could no longer see the path and had to click on the flashlight. Its light sliced through the dark, a beam he followed north. The air was cooler now but the picture in his pocket was warm.
“Almost there.”
The trail wasn’t steep, but it was steady. As he walked on he had trouble keeping his balance. He stopped and closed his eyes.
“One, two, three, four…” he focused on his breathing. When he finished counting to ten he bent over and picked up a long, thick piece of wood and used it as a walking stick.

In the distance and glowing through the thicket was an orange light. He clicked the flashlight off and walked toward it. As he got closer he heard the crackling of wood. Once he passed through the thicket and into the clearing he saw the fire burning inside a ring of small rocks. Lying on his back beside it was a middle aged man with his hands behind his head staring up at the sky.
“Evening, Freddy.”
“Evening, old timer.”
Freddy sat up as Earl lowered to sit. He took the backpack off and set it beside him. Then he dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Tough trail?”
“Yep.”
“At least it’s not raining.”
Freddy was a stout man with a salt and pepper beard. He wore khaki pants and a gray t-shirt with a wolf howling on the front. As Earl situated himself Freddy lifted a pipe carved from a deer antler and stuffed a pinch of marijuana into the bowl.
“You smoking?”
Earl’s gaze was far off.
“You smoking, old timer?”
Earl’s eyes focused. “Not tonight.”
Freddy nodded and then took out a blue lighter. He inhaled and held the smoke in, making a deep grunting noise as he tried not to let any smoke escape. Then he blew the smoke out and it plumed into the air and vanished on the breeze. Earl watched Freddy with cloudy brown eyes. A vessel had broken in the right one.
“I’ve got sipping whiskey too.”
Earl frowned.
An owl hooted in the distance. Freddy cupped his hands around his mouth and hooted back, then leaned back with a content look. He noticed Earl’s left hand shaking.
“You bring it, old timer?”
Earl nodded. “Not yet though.”
It was quiet. Freddy stirred up the fire with a stick and put another log on it.
“Anyone know we’re here?” Freddy asked.
“Nope.”
Earl stretched his legs in front of him with a grimace. His gaze traveled along the outline of the mountain.
“They cleaned out all those hills during the rush,” Earl said, his gaze lingering, “brought in the Chinese for it. You’d be lucky to pan a spec out of her now.”
“My old man said the same. Probably the only thing he ever said that was true.”
“Try to forgive him, Freddy. Everyone has a weakness. His was booze.”
“No use forgiving someone who isn’t here anymore.”
“Not for him – for you.”
There was a long pause. The two men soaked in their surroundings.
“She couldn’t even remember my name, just had this scared look to her.”
“We were all scared,” Freddy said.
Earl pressed his lips together and scratched the top of his bald head, “she always liked you, Freddy.”
“She watched out for me. Both of you. I’ll never forget you two taking me in.”
“You were a good kid.”
Freddy grabbed the whiskey from his bag and took a swig, then held it out to Earl. Earl took a drink, coughed, and handed it back.
“You never wanted to get remarried?”
“Never got unmarried.”
“But it’s been twenty years.”
“Once you’re married, you’re married.”
They sat staring into the fire, a hush blanketing them. Then, Earl grinned.
“She loved to bake, but she knew how much of a sweet tooth I had, so she started baking sugarless pies,” Earl paused, “they were awful, but I ate them.”
“I remember,” Freddy smiled.
Earl lifted his gaze to the sky. The light from the fire silhouetted his profile. He had a quiet dignity to him, and Freddy felt a swell of pride, and then an ache in his chest.

The darkness gathered around them like wolves, just waiting for the fire to burn out.
“How’s your boy?” Earl asked.
“Thinks he’s got it all figured out. His mother doesn’t let me see him much.”
“Well you figure that out, that’s your blood.”
Freddy took another sip.
“Damn it Freddy,” Earl learned forward, “I’m gonna miss it.”
Freddy looked down.
“I’ve got to take a leak,” Earl said.
Earl grabbed his walking stick and used it to press himself up. He walked towards the nearest tree, but halfway there he lost his balance and fell. Freddy rushed over but Earl motioned him back. He sat up, his face smeared with dirt. Then he lifted himself up and walked behind a tree on rattling old knees.

The moon hovered above, looking down on the two indifferently, and even the stars seemed to dim. Earl ran his hands atop the blades of soft grass.
“Doc says I shouldn’t live alone anymore.”
“Should you?”
“Hell with him,” Earl said.
“Ornery old timer.”
“Ornery nothing.”
Earl stretched out his hands and looked at the callused surfaces. Then he turned them over and studied the protruding veins, the brown discoloration, the dirty fingernails. His left hand shook, and he massaged it with his right hand.
“Unzip this thing won’t you.”
Freddy grabbed the backpack from Earl’s lap. He unzipped it and took out a large zip lock bag filled with cookies, chocolate bars and gummy bears.
“Set them here.”
Freddy lined them up beside Earl and then took back his spot on the opposite side of the fire.
“If you don’t mind I would like to sit here and think for a little while, Freddy. Is that okay?”
“That’s okay, old timer.”
As Earl sat there staring into the fire Freddy excused himself. He walked into the foliage until he was out of hearing distance. He stood there with his hands on his hips and his head bent forward. There was a clicking sound in his throat, and he pressed his hand against the nearest tree to steady himself. Then Freddy sniffed and cleared his throat and took another drink.
Freddy walked back into the fire’s light. Earl hadn’t moved, but there was a line of drool dribbling down his chin. Freddy didn’t say anything. The fire was nothing more than embers now. Earl grabbed a cookie from the bag and took a bite. It was chocolate chip.
Freddy’s throat tightened.

It was quiet. Freddy sat beside Earl, who was lying down and using the backpack as a pillow. His breathing was slow. The corners of his mouth were stained with melted chocolate.
“Come here, son,” Earl whispered.
Freddy leaned down.
Earl reached into his vest pocket and took out an envelope.
“It’s not much.”
Freddy looked away abruptly and there was another clicking sound in his throat.
Earl closed his eyes, “You’ll be okay.”
“I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Let an old man end it on his own terms.”

In the waning hours of night the last of the embers faded into ash.

Freddy hiked down the trail as the first light of dawn washed over the horizon. When he reached the bottom he slid into the driver’s seat of Earl’s truck and sat there for a long time watching the sun rise.
When he opened the envelope he found a wad cash and a folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and scribbled across its surface were the words: Life was beautiful and I can call it good. That’s all anyone can ask for.

[Ugly Bastard]

Repug,

tl;dr

If you used the time it took you to write that story flipping some burgers, you'd have more money with which to buy a plane ticket to Indiana.

[Repugnant Abomination]

LOL I hate you.

Oh, and I'll have you know I've been submitting some of my stories to contests around the country, so potentially they COULD pay for a plane ticket. Unfortunately it won't be in time for this year.

[THEINCREDIBLEdork]

keep posting your little stories

i don't read them right away, but i usually do after I've gotten done masturbating and need something to do during resolution

[Ironic Mustache]

Riveting.

[THEINCREDIBLEdork]

I thought for sure those two dudes were going to get freaky with each other.

[Ironic Mustache]

Perhaps I misunderstood... I thought that IS what happened?

In reference to the lube:

"You bring it, old timer [the condom]?"
Earl nodded, "Not yet though [I need to wait for the viagra to kick in]."
__________________________________________________ _____________

"You never wanted to get remarried [hint hint]?"
"Never got unmarried."
"But it's been twenty years [come on, let me hit it]."
__________________________________________________ _____________

Then Earl gives Freddy a bunch of cash to which he replies, "I don't know if I can do this [I'm nervous, will it hurt?]"
"Let an old man end it on his own terms [I can't die a virgin. I'll try to be gentle, but I can't make any promises]."

I just finished US Lit, so plot analysis is pretty fresh in my mind. I'd be surprised if I was wrong.

[Repugnant Abomination]

LOL!