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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He disappeared for a bit and came out with two bottles of beer and handed me one. He sat behind me on the bench. He sighed and drank a big gulp.

“I liked this beer,” I said. “I would sneak some and replace it with water when I could. Did you ever notice?”

“Of course I did. You don’t drink your entire life and not know when your beer tastes like water.”

“How come you never said anything?”

He hesitated. “Kids gotta grow up on their own. Not my place to say things like that.” He drank some more. “You got any?”

“Kids? No.”

“Any plans to have any?”

I shook my head and took a sip. I set the bottle down next to me. “Not really. I’m good where I am.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be here.”

We sat silently a few minutes.

“How long?” I finally said.

“How long what?”

“You know what.”

He didn’t answer. I glanced back at him, and he was staring down at his beer bottle, picking at the label. “They said a year without treatment.” He coughed again and pulled out a fresh handkerchief. No blood came out now. Just a dry, hacking cough that looked painful.

“So get the damn treatment.”

He inhaled and looked up to the sky. “You’re not old enough to feel this yet, but you just get tired of life. You just say enough’s enough, and you’re done. It’s not sad or disappointing or anythin’ like that. You’re just tired.”

He finished his beer and went inside. I watched as he struggled with the stairs up to his bedroom. After a few minutes I went up there to check on him and he was already asleep, fully clothed. I took off his shoes and put a blanket on him, careful not to disturb the picture of my mother resting on the pillow on the other side of the bed.

32

32

I didn’t feel like going to my condo so I went to Gates’s ranch. She was at the stables with her horses, brushing a beautiful brown mare under a portable light. She tossed a brush to me.

The other horse was black and eating some hay. I set my hand on his head, gently running my fingers down before starting to brush his body.

“Haven’t done this for a minute,” I said.

“You used to love it.”

“What ten-year-old doesn’t love playing with horses?”

“Hey, wanna go for a ride?”

“Now?”

“Yeah, now.”

“I haven’t ridden a horse in twenty years.”

“It’s fine, riding a bicycle.”

“It’s dark.”

“Quit being a sissy.”

After letting the horses drink some water, we saddled them. Slowly, I climbed on top of the male horse and followed Gates. It felt like I was on top of jelly that could go either way and toss me off.

“Grip with your knees.”