When His Dreams Take Flight

by Andy Holloman

  “You hear anything about this shooter? Like why?”

  “Too early. The details will dribble out over the next few weeks. Just like they always do. Then folks will wring their hands, light candles, and have meetings. But nothing will change.” Gene drank from his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “What if we could’ve stopped this?”

  “Now that’s a laugh.”

  “I’d give anything to be able to stop kids from dying,” said Gene. They continued watching the news.

  Nick held out his hand, “Give me the remote.” The blurred image of the sign in front of the school filled the screen.

  “Why’d ya freeze it?”

  Nick set the remote down on the floor and let his head hang down. “That’s the school sign in my dream. Jeez, this is so screwed up.”

  “Did you see something else you can remember? This isn’t some kind of coincidence.”

  “I can’t—I can’t remember much now. Why does it matter?”

  “You never know. You might recall something that could help the investigation. Old habit from being a cop.”

  “And I’m supposed to call someone down there and tell them that I had this dream and maybe they should check out such and such because I saw it in my dream?”

  “Yeah. That would be tough sell. But you should try hard to remember anything you can.”

  “You can bet that I won’t be thinking about much else today.”

  Gene stood up, “C’mon, let’s go to dinner. We have a lot to talk about. And I’m not forgetting that you fell down last night and hit the sauce again. We’ve got to get you back on the right track.”

  “I gotta pass on going out. This is, just, I mean, I’m gonna stay around here and keep watching the story.”

  “Okay then, I’ll stay, too.” Gene pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Pizza?”

  “Nah. Look, lemme just be alone tonight. I’ll be fine. I just want to get my head wrapped around this.”

  “Okay. You got a good reason this time. But you owe me. Promise me you won’t pick up a bottle again?”

  “I won’t, man.”

  “Now promise again because you didn’t call me last night and I let you skip the lecture.”

  “Okay, I promise again.” Nick wiped his hand across his face.

  “Just remember that we all need you to buck the fuck up, Principal Nick. Mt. Rutgers needs you running that high school.”

  IV - Allison

  When she was young, her red hair and freckles were a constant source of embarrassment. Every time she complained, her father would deepen his voice and say, “My dear Allison, your freckles are quite lovely and unique. To me, they are what make you the prettiest little girl in the world.” Then he would smile and point up, “Plus, you have more freckles than all the stars in the night sky.” It always made her laugh.

  She grew into them as she aged and the red hair and freckles, along with her bright green eyes, made her stand out. Her physical attributes came from her Irish mother, who had died in a car accident when she was only a year old. Her memories of her mother were based on pictures alone. Fortunately, her father made sure she had everything and that she never felt at a loss for growing up with just one parent.

  Her plan, since age twelve, was to be a teacher. She grew up near Charlotte and received her teacher’s certification just after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006. She taught in Charlotte for several years so she could live with her father, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007.

  Two days before he died, he gave her a letter with a collection of his thoughts that he hoped would help her move forward with her life.

  My dearest, most wonderful daughter - Just as I have told you since the day we both discussed my prognosis, I want you to always remember this: My body may be gone, but my love for you is never ending. You have been and will always be the brightest star in my life. Your happiness means more to me than anything. That being said, I want you to know that grief and sadness are a part of everyone’s life. When your mother died, I missed her so much and I was certain I would never get over it. But I did, and because of that, I became a better person. Because I remembered, always, to act in a way that she would want me to. Not mired down in a pit of despair and depression, but moving forward. Besides, in the end, that is all any of us can do. The person we miss would want nothing less. So, to honor your mother’s memory, I dedicated myself to you and to creating the best possible life that I could for both of us. If she could’ve spoken to me, she would have told me to enjoy my life and not let the sadness keep me down. Life is so precious.

  So today, I give these important words to you. They hold the ultimate truth that we all face when a loved one dies—We must move forward with our life and live it in such a way that we honor the one who has died. Yes, there is sadness and I know that you will miss me. Just don’t let that sadness hold you back from doing what is best for you, which is finding happiness. Build a life that is rich and full of friends. Have a family, if you choose to, and make them the centerpiece of your world. Commit to those you love and give them what they need. Be sure to love and protect yourself. All of these things are the most wonderful gifts you can give to me. That is how you honor my life and continue my legacy. Just as I devoted my life to you after your mother’s death, I want you to receive my gift, and go forth into the world with the confidence and understanding that you are the love of my life. And since this is an immutable truth, you must always work to fill your life with love and happiness. By doing so, you continue to live in the light of my love and know that I will be by your side for evermore.

  He died February 15, 2008. After deciding she wanted to work in a smaller town, she took a job at Mt. Rutgers’ Thomas High six months later. She taught Social Studies and coached soccer. In 2010, Allison Tucker was the youngest of five finalists chosen for North Carolina’s Teacher of the Year.

  Their romance began that same year. She noted his lengthy glances and was flattered and intrigued. Late one afternoon, he stopped by her classroom and asked her out to dinner but she had already made plans. His interest seemed diminished after that initial invitation, so two weeks later, she surprised herself when she suggested that they meet up for a drink. He happily agreed and added that he wasn’t a drinker but knew a place that made a terrific Cherry Coke.

  That evening turned into dinner and a long walk through all of Mt. Rutgers. Besides thinking he was attractive, she was impressed with how devoted he was to his hometown and to his work. Their walk ended at the school, where they sat in the baseball field dugout and held hands while she told him about her life, her father, and what led her to Mt. Rutgers. He couldn’t stop staring at her, a habit she admired. When he dropped her off at her apartment, they kissed and she held him tightly. She feared her legs would not support her. His touch set her skin on fire.

  After their first date, he rolled out a charm offensive that left little doubt how interested he was. He cooked dinners, took her on picnics, showed her more sites around town, and out in the country. She enjoyed the stories of his youth in Mt. Rutgers and she loved how he knew everyone. It was obvious the people of the town held him in very high esteem. Two months after their first date, he told her most details of his previous marriage and his struggles with tequila. Through her quiet inquiries around school, she was aware of the previous marriage, but his alcohol problem was a shock. He told her that ending the marriage had helped him move on, but he confessed tequila was on his mind daily and he had to work hard to keep from falling back down again.

  The fact that he was so honest about his problem only increased her feelings for him. She worried that she was falling for him too fast, but he returned her passion with equal enthusiasm. When they were together, he made her feel she was the only thing that mattered. Their lovemaking was beyond anything either had experienced before, as was the frequency. The emotional and physical chemistry were perfectly in sync for her needs. She was drawn to him so strongly she began to t
hink of their future together. She was all alone in the world and desperately wanted her own family. Many years earlier, she had chosen the perfect names for the children she would have. There would be two boys and two girls.

  After celebrating their one year “dating” anniversary, they began to discuss a future together. Their plans, however, were rudely interrupted when she found an empty tequila bottle stuffed down in the bottom of his kitchen trash can. When she confronted him, he admitted that he had finished it all in one night the week before. He cried as he described his struggle and his shame at having given in to his addiction. She held him as he talked, comforting him, but his alcoholism disturbed her deeply.

  The next day, she told him they needed time apart. He pleaded for her to change her mind but she held fast. Two months later, she came around due to his persistence and his promises that, with her help, he could win the war. There was little doubt in her mind he was the perfect man for her, despite his problem. She knew he was flawed, but she would help him and together they could build a happy life, with lots of children.

  V - December 30

  “So, any news on the job?” asked Gene. He turned to sit down on Nick’s couch, but decided against it and moved to a nearby chair.

  “Are you always gonna avoid my couch?”

  “No. I’d be happy to sit on it after you get it cleaned.”

  “That won’t be anytime soon.” Nick patted the cushion. Dust particles rose up. “This couch has a lot of great memories.”

  “Yeah, man, I get that. Memories equal nasty stains and bad smells. They’re just not my memories.”

  “Plus I sleep on this couch a lot. It’s molded perfectly to my body.”

  “Okay. I got it. What about the job thing?”

  “I took your advice and just rolled over. It was all my fault and I should’ve known better. Told them how much I loved the job and that nothing like that would ever happen again. Then I let them tongue lash me, kept my mouth shut, and my head bowed. They all left the room and talked for ten minutes. Came back out and told me I was on a three month probationary period and that if anything remotely like this happened again, I’d be fired.”

  Gene leaned towards him, “You sound a little flip about it. Like you just said what they wanted to hear.”

  “No. I meant it. I screwed up. That’s the bottom line.”

  “Good man. I knew you’d fix it.”

  “Well, I did something else that I think helped out, too.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I asked Patty Hughes to reach out to some of the board members. She’s still close to most of them.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “And it helped that the kid I hit was Timmie Laskin. Two of the board members told me after the meeting that they knew all about him. They had no doubt he was headed in the same direction as his father.”

  “It’s one messed up family, so yeah, maybe losing your shit and hitting that particular kid was okay.”

  “There’s no way to know, but it doesn’t really matter because I won’t mess up like that again.”

  “You better not. Remember now, even though you got things right with the school board, you still gotta get things right with yourself. That means coming to the meeting with me. Those folks on the board don’t know you’re an alcoholic, but I sure do. So we’re going to another meeting tomorrow night at seven. It’ll be a New Year’s Eve celebration.”

  “Is this the one at Memorial Baptist? I like that group.”

  “That’s the one. I’ll pick you up at 6:45.” He stood up and walked to the bathroom. “Gotta take a leak. Be right back.” Nick switched on the TV and began scanning the channels. When Gene came out of the bathroom, he was carrying a pole topped with a shiny metal semi-circle. It looked like a shovel that had been flattened out and then sharpened.

  “What in the hell is this?”

  Nick looked up from the TV, “It’s called a ‘coa.’ Picked it up in Mexico when I went on my honeymoon with the ex. It’s the tool they use to harvest the agave plant.”

  “Whoa, there, world traveler. You wanna explain a little further?” He turned the blade in front of his face. “Looks like a battle weapon from the Middle Ages they’d use to chop off a few heads.”

  “Yeah, it does. The agave is the plant they make tequila from. It’s a weird looking plant that has dozens of long sharp leaves coming out of it and a hard, heavy center. So they take the coa and they trim off all the prickly leaves, then they cut the center of the plant away from the roots. Then they chop up the center into little portions about the size of bowling balls and they take those pieces to the distillery.”

  “And this tool does the whole job?”

  “Yep. Was it in the bathroom closet?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I try to hide it from Allison. Reminds her of my ex.” He pointed to a spot on the wall where two nails were spaced four feet apart. “Do me a favor and set it back up on those nails. I shouldn’t have put it away. It helps me remember.”

  “Your honeymoon?”

  “No. I don’t care to remember that. What kind of dumbass with a drinking problem and a craving for tequila goes to Mexico for his honeymoon?”

  “Guess you indulged a lot down there?”

  “It was terrible. But my coa helps me remember how badly tequila messed up my life.” Gene put it up on the wall. “Good idea. I have little things like that I try to leave around my house to help me remember.”

  Nick pointed at a bedroom. “Actually, do this for me; put it on the two nails on the spare bedroom wall, opposite my desk. I can still see it when I’m working in there and it won’t be front and center in the living room.” Gene took it off the wall and touched the sharp end.

  “This coulda come in handy back when I was on the force.” He walked into the second bedroom. Nick heard a quiet knock at his front door. He got up and opened it.

  A big smile overtook his face, “Allison, hey. This is a nice surprise!” She stood with one hand resting on the door frame, the other hand behind her back. She wore a long, burgundy formal coat and black high heels.

  “Well, I just wanted to come over with a special surprise to celebrate you getting your job back.” She smiled and brought her empty hand from behind her back. “Invite me in and I’ll give you your surprise.”

  “Well, actually baby—” She stepped inside and closed the door. She unbuttoned the coat and let it fall to the ground. She wore nothing underneath except a thin red ribbon that was tied into a bow just below her navel. She jumped into his arms, her legs locking around his waist, her arms around his neck. He instinctively reached around and cupped her ass. She kissed him hard and deep.

  Gene walked out of the bedroom. “Well, hello there, Allison. I didn’t know you were coming over.” He glanced at her body and then smiled. “But then it looks like you weren’t counting on me being here, either.” Nick returned the smile and released his grip on her.

  She slid down to her feet and Nick moved in front of her to block Gene’s view, then bent down and retrieved the coat. He wrapped the coat around her shoulders. She peered around Nick and smiled at Gene.

  “Now this is just a tad embarrassing,” she said, looking up at Nick. His face was flushed. She buttoned the coat. “I guess I’ll have to come back another time to deliver my present.”

  “Ah, well, don’t let me get in the way. I was just about to leave, anyway,” said Gene. He walked to the front door.

  Nick turned his head slightly and spoke over his shoulder. “Thanks, Gene. Well, I guess, yeah, maybe you and I can catch up later on.”

  “Sure thing, my man. Just call me.” Gene picked up his coat from the hook by the door. They moved out of his way and he gave Nick a quick smile and a salute as he closed the door.

  They both walked towards the couch. She gave him a sly smile. “Hmm, now that was pretty funny.” He unbuttoned the coat and slipped his hands inside and around her waist. It opened in the front, revealing her body.


  “Well, he’s gone now.” Nick brought his hands up and slipped the coat off her shoulders. It fell down to her feet. “So now I think I want some of that special gift you brought for me.” He looked down at the bow and tugged one end. It loosened and slipped down around her hips. “Looks like the ribbon is stuck.”

  “Well then, maybe you need to get down there and unstick it. And while you’re down there, you can say hello to my little friend.”

  He chuckled, “Very funny, Scarface.”

  “Thought you’d like that.”

  VI - Jocellynn

  Nick Townsend and Jocellynn Hughes married too young. They grew up in Mount Rutgers as high school sweethearts and married one week after graduating from nearby UNC-Greensboro. They came back home and easily secured jobs at the larger of the two elementary schools.. Her drinking became a problem their first year of teaching and she pulled him down with her, deep into a sea of tequila.

  They pushed and pulled each other along, barely functioning. In any given year, one of them would stop, but the other one didn’t. They lied to each other to cover up. It was poisonous. Luckily for Nick, the marriage only lasted five years. He got a grasp on his problem after she moved out. She didn’t. She relocated to Charlotte and moved in with a college girlfriend. They set the town on fire. Because she was a good math teacher, she was able to hold onto her job even as the booze held fast to her. Nick ran into her mother once a year or so. Last time he had spoken with Patty, she’d told him Jocellynn was engaged to a wealthy, fifty-five year old banker. Jocellynn had always insisted that they keep their problem a secret, especially from her mother. Nick had honored her request.

  ***

  “Nickie! It’s me again. This is my third message. A girl could really get her feelings hurt by you not calling her back.” Good old Joss, always persistent.