Chapter 41

Judging by the way he was dragging more than usual, one would believe that Charles had just left a
funeral all alone. Completely drained, the man stepped into his warm, empty apartment and neatly
placed his cane right beside the door. From there, he slugged his heavy body into his bedroom and sat
down on the side of the bed that was facing the window. The only thing the man could hear outside
were children playing and the city bus roaring by. Beyond that everything inside his head had gone
silent.

He sat on his bed with a stomach so twisted up in knots that he could barely even breathe. He had to
brace his own body to keep it from shaking. In all honesty he didn't want to leave the jailhouse; he had
to assemble every last bit of courage just to get on the bus. By the time Charles even made it to the
apartment building his will had all but left him. Seated on the bed was a hollow husk. All he desired at
that point was an end, a fitting finale; and the wait was even more dreadful than the eventual act itself.

Charles sighed before a lonely tear began to drop from his left eye. Just as soon as he was about to
shut his eyes he heard the front doorknob rattle and twist before the creaking of the door itself came
into earshot. He listened as the door closed shut before footsteps began plodding across the floor.
Immediately, the man held his breath before his heart pounded loud and hard enough to where it felt as
if it were about to explode right through his chest. Charles gulped as hard as he could while steadily
staring out the window at the sunlight that was trying so desperately to peek from out of the clouds that
morning.

From out of nowhere the robust aroma of fresh roses floated into the bedroom before Charles could
feel a presence creep up behind him. He began to whimper out loud while shaking hysterically. He tried
so hard not to look, but he couldn't help himself. Out of the corner of his right eye he saw a black figure
walk into the room and bypass him altogether on their way to the window. Charles nearly fell over at
that blistering instant. It was a man dressed in an all-black suit and tie. He just stood at the window
looking out at the emerging sun.



Charles was so flabbergasted that he couldn't even operate his own tongue. He was still shaking, but it
was a whole different kind of tremble that had seized him without warning.

The man remained at the window for a few moments before asking in a dull tone, "Do you remember
when I was a kid, and you would take me down to the train yards to watch the engines go by?"

Still quaking, Charles' tongue fumbled, "Ye...yes," he drooled.

"I used to love going down there all the time. I'd always be in school wishing I could hop on one of
those trains and ride away from math class. Or whenever we'd go to Aunt Henrietta's house. I used to
hate going over there because of those mean cats of hers."

Charles cracked a grin while even more tears fell from his swollen eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off of
the man who had his back turned to him the entire time.

"That day...I went down there and nearly got on one."

Charles had to push as hard as he could just to speak. "Wha...what stopped...you?"

The man hesitated before replying, "I guess deep down I just wanted it all to end. Everything...from
start to finish."

Charles wanted the man to turn around so badly. He wanted to jump up and fling him around just to
see his face if not for one time.

"All those trains coming and leaving. Moving so fast. All I could do was just stand and watch each and
every one pass right by me. Then...one of those trains just stopped. Just like that, it stopped. And
mama said that I need to hurry and get on before it takes off again."

Charles nearly chocked right then. All he could do was sit and cry without making a single sound in
doing so.



"I think I can finally get on that train and just sit back. Thank you for dressing me up for my trip." A few
silent seconds passed before the man simply turned and began back towards the bedroom door.

Without even looking at his face Charles' broken voice spoke up and muttered, "You be a good boy
now, and tell your...mama...that I'll be home from work soon."

The scent of roses lingered in the air even after the man had departed. Charles continued to sit and
blindly gaze out the window while sobbing. He couldn't move even if the building were on fire at that
point.

Soon, the front door could be heard opening and closing all over again. Charles noticed something that
sounded like keys rattling behind it. The man quickly wiped his eyes and face clean before lifting his
heavy frame up from off the bed and limping with rubbery legs into the living room to find Audra
blatantly traipsing around checking the windows and thermostat. Charles could sense the heat
emanate off of her like an open flame as she rampaged about like a busy bee. He saw it coming from
miles away, and he knew that it was all justified.

Without even looking in his direction, Audra bitterly ranted, "I need to find someone to do something
about these drafts around here before the winter arrives. One nearly knocked me to my feet as I got to
the door."

Charles suspiciously gawked from one end of the room to the other before venturing deeper until he
found himself at the front door.

He leaned his arm against the door in a defiant manner and remarked, "Why on earth would you want
to pay someone to come up in here and do something about the draft when all I have to do is take
myself down to the hardware store and get some sealant?"

Audra abruptly stopped short of the kitchen's threshold and stared oddly at the man as if she had never
laid eyes on him before.



Going over to the side of the couch, Charles reached down and picked up his library books before
heading back over to the door. "Now, I gotta go down to the library and turn these back in. But once I'm
done with that then I gotta go down to the hardware store and pick up some supplies to fix Russell's
icebox, and then I'll get that sealant. And also, please tell Mrs. Howell the next time I go over to fix
something in her place to have her bathrobe on. The last time I was in there the woman was in her
underwear. I nearly had a stroke when I saw that, and I'm getting too old for shocks anymore."

Audra stood with a blank face before a quaint smirk eventually came from out of nowhere. "Okay...I'll let
her know." She humbly whispered.

The two stood fifteen feet apart from one another grinning before Charles began to blush and mutter to
himself in a jocular manner right as he exited the door with his cane helping him along the way. The
very second Charles found himself out in the hallway he halted his every move and held his breath until
he couldn't any longer. He turned his head and gazed down at the other end of the quiet hallway before
turning to the stairs that led downwards.

He waited and listened before a certain image of his son ran across his mind. It was such an idyllic
recollection that it made Charles' body sweat from his head to his feet. He wanted to smile, but held
back out of fear. Charles eventually moved his stiff legs towards the steps and began his descent.
Before he could even touch the final step Robin came huffing and puffing through the front door.

A sweaty clutter as usual, the young man took off his hood and looked up to see Charles. "Oh, good
morning, Mr. Mercer," he said aloud.

Charles at last touched the first floor and just stood and stared at the man with such a benevolent grin
on his face that he nearly toppled over onto the floor with elation.

Standing at the door, Robin said in a skittish-type manner, "Uh, Mrs. Audra said that you would be
packing up and leaving soon."



Charles dropped his books to the floor before stumbling forward and embracing the young man as tight
as he could in his arms. The second he let go of Robin the boy stood back in astonished wonder with a
quivering lip to match.

"Uh...are you okay, Mr. Mercer?"

Bending over and picking up his books, Charles replied with a bland smile, "I don't for sure. All I know
is that...I have to be somewhere. I'll see you when I get back." He sighed before patting Robin on the
shoulder and exiting the building.


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