THE RAINY SEASON, Laura Sanger Kelly, 6/11
6.
“Do not leave him alone.”
"How long will you be gone?" she asked, as he gave her the keys to the house.
She had agreed to pick up the mail, water the inside plants, and feed the fish.
"Three weeks. College circuit. Chicks, beer, and rock 'n roll. Gotta live while I'm young."
She began to say something. He stopped her.
"Don't worry about me. I'm not the type to do myself in. Only the good die young. I’m a bad boy—I’m going to live forever."
"I wasn't . . . "
"Insinuating anything? Sure you were. You've been reading books. Getting a little knowledge, a dangerous thing." He pressed a small wad of money into her hands. "For helping out.”
She nodded. He was right. She had been reading a psychology text on suicide.
Rachel remained silent. The books said that listening was good.
Barb got into his car, rolled down the window. "Don't touch my cousin's—Lisa’s —room, by the way. My Aunt Veronica has left it just the way it was the day she died."
He rolled the window up, and drove away.
[previous] . 1. 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . [next]