Bud & Annie
He opened the door and walked slowly to the little wooden cross. He delicately removed the weathered picture and replaced it with a brand new one. He kissed his fingers and placed them gently on her face and wept. He always stayed longer than he should but today was different, he didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t; caring hurt too much and as skilled as he was with fixing broken motors, he could not fix this, nor could he fix his broken wife. He didn’t want to live anymore. It should have been his cross on the side of the road. He imagined his wife and daughter coming occasionally to pay their respects and move on with their rich lives. He would have simply been a footnote in their photo albums, a bittersweet story on a holiday, a funny anecdote at a graduation party. He was not one to entertain the idea of ending his life but the thought of starting his tow truck right now and driving to the end of the world, seemed like an answer. But he couldn’t, the thought of Annie being alone was a burden greater than the pain that assailed him without restraint. He stood up, glanced heavenward and slowly shook his head. He had nothing to say.
He opened the door and walked slowly to the little wooden cross. He delicately removed the weathered picture and replaced it with a brand new one. He kissed his fingers and placed them gently on her face and wept. He always stayed longer than he should but today was different, he didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t; caring hurt too much and as skilled as he was with fixing broken motors, he could not fix this, nor could he fix his broken wife. He didn’t want to live anymore. It should have been his cross on the side of the road. He imagined his wife and daughter coming occasionally to pay their respects and move on with their rich lives. He would have simply been a footnote in their photo albums, a bittersweet story on a holiday, a funny anecdote at a graduation party. He was not one to entertain the idea of ending his life but the thought of starting his tow truck right now and driving to the end of the world, seemed like an answer. But he couldn’t, the thought of Annie being alone was a burden greater than the pain that assailed him without restraint. He stood up, glanced heavenward and slowly shook his head. He had nothing to say.
He opened the door and walked slowly to the little wooden cross. He delicately removed the weathered picture and replaced it with a brand new one. He kissed his fingers and placed them gently on her face and wept. He always stayed longer than he should but today was different, he didn’t care anymore. He couldn’t; caring hurt too much and as skilled as he was with fixing broken motors, he could not fix this, nor could he fix his broken wife. He didn’t want to live anymore. It should have been his cross on the side of the road. He imagined his wife and daughter coming occasionally to pay their respects and move on with their rich lives. He would have simply been a footnote in their photo albums, a bittersweet story on a holiday, a funny anecdote at a graduation party. He was not one to entertain the idea of ending his life but the thought of starting his tow truck right now and driving to the end of the world, seemed like an answer. But he couldn’t, the thought of Annie being alone was a burden greater than the pain that assailed him without restraint. He stood up, glanced heavenward and slowly shook his head. He had nothing to say.
The fourth and final chapter of the Penny Lane series.