Father

"D'a ever tell ya 'bout the time me an' ma buddy Keith got locked inside a restaurant? Well it was Keith's fault mostly, but this one night, we decided to try ta fix the radio, but them cleaners must' a forgot we were still in cause they left and locked the doors. S anyway, we got fixed it but then a realised-"

"Christ Overalls, you really can't shut up for one minute, can you?"

"Hell Nick am jus' sayin'-"

"I don't give a crap what you're saying, now help me find a way to alert Virgil."

Cans of diesel mounted on their backs, Nick and Ellis trudged through the flood water. The stupid storm wouldn't let up. It sapped their energy, every movement was met with resistance that drained them of stamina and hefting the diesel wasn't helping much either.

Ellis stopped to give a thoughtful glance at the large burger tank sign towering above him.

'Burger Tank,

The daddy of burgers'

This got the hick thinking.

"Hey Nick!"

"What now?"

"Yew got a daddy?"

No response.

"Nick, yew all right?"

"Of course I have a damn father. Couldn't exactly be here otherwise could I?"

"Well hell Nick. Yew don't gotta be so angry all tha time."

"Well maybe if you stopped asking stupid questions and talking about your stupid redneck pals I wouldn't be."

Ellis didn't respond and Nick almost thought he had actually gotten him to shut up, but he should have known better.

"Pa would a loved ta meet yew, Nick"

"I doubt that."

"Pa used ta be like yew, Nick. A real gamblin' man 'n' all. But then he met ma Ma, and turned right after that. He used ta tell me she was the most beautiful person in tha whole world, and how he loved me 'n' her with all his heart."

"That's real interesting Overalls, but we are a little busy right now to discuss your inbred family."

Nick actually regretted this choice of words, it had sounded harsher than it was meant to. Ellis fell silent. So did Nick. A long silence ensued.

"Pa's dead, Nick."

A delayed response from Nick.

"I'm…sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

A delayed response from Ellis.

"Yes ya did."

"All right. Fine. Tell me about your dad."

"Yer just sayin' that cause-"

"Don't make me ask twice Overalls."

Ellis sighed, not believing his friend was genuinely interested.

"Well, like a already said, he was lot like yew are. He gambled 'n' drank loads but was never good at it. Lost all his wages, 'n' eventually he got fired for comin' ta work too late. So one night he's just a wanderin' 'round town when this car comes straight outta nowhere and smacks right inta 'im. That was ma Ma. So she gets out, all panicky like cause she's never run somebody over before and calls an ambulance. Then she sees who she's gone an' hit, and she tells me it was love at first sight."

"That's a pretty messed up way to meet your soul mate."

"A guess so, but if they hadn't met, then a wouldn't be here."

"What a tragedy that would be."

Ellis continued, disregarding the insult.

"So they got married a' this nice little church just outside Savannah, an' Ma says it was the happiest day of her life. An' Pa says she looked so purdy in her weddin' dress. They went ta Cairo for their honeymoon. Cairo! A don' even know where that is but it sounds awesome! D'ya know where Cairo is, Nick?"

"Egypt."

"Where's…Eejipt?"

Nick turned to the Hick behind him disbelievingly.

"You're serious?"

"S'not funny Nick."

"I know it's not. It's quite pathetic actually."

"Shut up, Nick."

"Got a problem I don't know about Overalls?"

Another delayed response.

"A didn't go ta school much."

"Really."

"Well Ma needed ma help 'round the house 'n' stuff. She wanted me ta stay at school, ya know an' get qualifications. Said a had to make a life fer maself, one better than what she could give me. But a didn't want a better life. A loved Ma but a hated it when she put herself down like that' ya know?"

"Please continue."

Ellis was either oblivious to the sarcasm, or just didn't care.

"Anyways, that was all after Pa passed away."

A silence fell between the two, punctuated only by the thunder and splashing rain.

"How did he die?"

"He…got shot."

More silence.

"I'm sorry Ellis."

"It was when a was nearly ten years old. It was 'bout a month before ma birthday, an' cause we couldn't afford a party last year Pa decided to take out a loan. So one day he comes home with all this money and tells Ma he got lucky at the slots. 'Course Ma scolds 'im bad fer this cause he was sworn off gamblin' but they use tha money and pay fer a nice big party. I wish yew were there Nick, man everyone was there. Keith, Dave, even Paul! Man oh man, it was the best day of ma life!"

"In my heart, I'm there right now."

Not reacting to the sarcasm again, Ellis continued.

"But then a few days later, Pa gets a phone call, an' his face went as white as your suit, Nick. So then he tells Ma he needs ta do some overtime an' he sets off in the car. When he didn't come home, Ma calls the police, cause he never comes home late. The next mornin', they find his body an'…an' he's been…shot in tha head."

The hick began to crack up at the last sentence. Nick stopped and turned to him.

"Ellis, I'm really sorry man. Really."

He extended an arm and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder. Ellis looked down at the freezing water swirling around their legs.

"They never caught the guy who did it. They got his name though. Some guy called Anthony Gates."

Nick quickly withdrew his hand, as if it has just been snapped at by a snake.

"Your dad, what was his name?"

"Ellis Whitley, same as mine"

"Where was his body found?"

"Why yew askin' so many quest-"

"Just tell me."

"In an abandoned car, jus' outside the city."

"What colour was it?"

"I don't see why that matters. Don't quite remember anyway. What's wrong Nick?"

Nick turned away, unable to meet his friend's gaze.

"Nothing's wrong. Let's just find a way to signal Virgil."

"Yew don't need to act all sorry like that. A mean it's not like it was yer fault or nothin'."

Nick walked on.

After all, how could he tell him that he had killed his father?