My own parents look as if they have come to the end of a long, rocky ocean voyage. I’m leaving them, and they can’t hide the relief they feel over this, and why should they? They can go back to the way they were, before I dropped in on them like a human grenade.
My father hugs Lynn, long and hard, then reaches out to shake my hand. I see a round bandage on his upper arm.
“Hurt yourself, Dad?”
He shakes his head. “Your mother’s got me on the nicotine patch. Figures it’ll help me stop smoking.”
“It’s probably a good idea.”
He shrugs. “It won’t last. I’ll keep smokin’ and get double the nicotine buzz. Maybe I should take a nicotine suppository, too, go for the trifecta. Which reminds me.”
He puts an arm across my shoulder and slips a wad of cash into my shirt pocket.
“What’s that?”
“Couple hundred. Had some luck at the track yesterday. Get yourself a baby carriage.”
He takes me in a long embrace and is wet-eyed when he breaks it off.
My mother has just finished hugging Lynn and turns to me.
“Michael.”
“Mom.”
“Oh, Michael.”
“Thanks for taking care of me, Mom.”
She hesitates before speaking, clears her throat to quell a tremor in her voice.
“I found something you might want to take,” she says, and hands me an old marble-backed notebook. I open the cover, and right there on the inside are the faded ink lyrics I’d scribbled for a little song called “Sweet Days.”
“Mom. Jesus!”
“You know I never throw anything out.” She hugs me and kisses my cheek.
“Good-bye, Michael. Be happy.”
“See you soon, Mom. Use the good silver once in a while.”
“Maybe tonight.”
I’m up for this long drive. I feel so strong, I can’t imagine ever needing to sleep again. Nobody ever talks about the strength that comes with hope, maybe because most people never get their hope back once they lose it. It’s a real gift, the second time around.
Lynn stretches and yawns. “Know what’s wonderful, Mickey? I’m sleepy.”
“Why’s that wonderful?”
“Because I haven’t really slept right for about twenty years.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means…I trust you.”
I feel a tingle that goes all the way down to my hands on the steering wheel.
“Funny, I’m the opposite. I have all this energy. Maybe because I’m finally awake, after twenty years of dreaming.”
“Well, if we have any hopes of making it, we’ve got to even this thing out. If you’re wide awake and I’m fast asleep, we’re screwed.”
“At least we wouldn’t fight.”
“Good point.”
We’re not even out of Little Neck when Lynn dozes off. As we head down Northern Boulevard I see Rosie Gambardello plodding along, bound for work at the International House of Pancakes. I wave to her. She freezes as she stares at me, expecting maybe that I’m going to jam on the brakes and yell at her for those stupid things she said on Hollywood Howl, but my son is waiting for me, and there’s no time for old grudges.
Soon we’re on the highway, heading north. Lynn is in a deep sleep. Her hands are together as if in prayer and she’s placed them between her face and the upholstery, a pillow for her cheek. There’s a pout to her lips, as if she’s dreaming that she’s a little girl, a little girl being denied a bowl of ice cream because she won’t finish her vegetables.
My God, she looks beautiful. A man could write a song about a sight like that. Good thing is, I even have the notebook to write it in.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2010 by Charlie Carillo
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6172-4
Table of Contents
C HAPTER O NE
C HAPTER T WO
C HAPTER T HREE
C HAPTER F OUR
C HAPTER F IVE
C HAPTER S IX
C HAPTER S EVEN
C HAPTER E IGHT
C HAPTER N INE
C HAPTER T EN
C HAPTER E LEVEN
C HAPTER T WELVE
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
C HAPTER F OURTEEN
C HAPTER F IFTEEN
C HAPTER S IXTEEN
C HAPTER S EVENTEEN
C HAPTER E IGHTEEN
C HAPTER N INETEEN
C HAPTER T WENTY
C HAPTER T WENTY-ONE
C HAPTER T WENTY-TWO
C HAPTER T WENTY-THREE
C HAPTER T WENTY-FOUR
C HAPTER T WENTY-FIVE
C HAPTER T WENTY-SIX
C HAPTER T WENTY-SEVEN
C HAPTER T WENTY-EIGHT
C HAPTER T WENTY-NINE
C HAPTER T HIRTY
C HAPTER T HIRTY-ONE
C HAPTER T HIRTY-TWO
C HAPTER T HIRTY-THREE
C HAPTER T HIRTY-FOUR
One Hit Wonder Page 34