I scrambled to ease my embarrassment. “I didn’t mean that – I mean, I did, but – there’s something I’m planning next week – on New Year’s, it cost me a lot of money. I know there’s no reason for you to help me, but I really need it. I need to do something, anything, to feel like I’m useful to someone, to feel like I can support… someone, if she’ll have me.”
I became lost in my own thoughts and silence filled the room. Bill finally looked up at me, his dulled brown eyes on the verge of wetting, as if he heard every word I didn’t say.
“There was a time… when a soldier could serve a few years, settle down, get a good job and make a good living.” His gaze fell toward the desk, focusing on nothing in particular. “I wish you kids the best, really I do, but… it’s not the way it was a century or two ago… and there’s nothing I can do to save my life that’ll give you another dollar. That’s just the world and I’m sorry.”
For a moment, the only sound in the room was from the gentle waves crashing on the beach outside.
Bill sat up and coughed again. “What’s a dead dog like me know anyway? Go spend the time with your girl.” Cough. “Business hours start back up in two weeks. I always get something then. Happy New Year in the meantime.” Cough. With that, he puffed on his cigar and put his eyes back on the groundtem.
I knew that I’d seen a side of Bill rarely shown. I absentmindedly took a step toward the hall. “She’s working until Friday. If you have anything at all…”
Bill sighed. “When I was your age, we didn’t have the fancy download-the-whole-friggin’-net-in-two-seconds implants.” He pulled out a worn book and put it on the desk in front of me. “Back then, we read print…” He tapped his finger on the cover. “Nothing to do? Get some common sense.” Cough.
The book was titled Destiny for a New You. Its cover had a chimpanzee staring up at a departing UFO: typical cover art for anything advocating Destiny Of Ordered Mankind. In my mind, I saw those people gathering around the sandcastle and
I became lost in my own thoughts and silence filled the room. Bill finally looked up at me, his dulled brown eyes on the verge of wetting, as if he heard every word I didn’t say.
“There was a time… when a soldier could serve a few years, settle down, get a good job and make a good living.” His gaze fell toward the desk, focusing on nothing in particular. “I wish you kids the best, really I do, but… it’s not the way it was a century or two ago… and there’s nothing I can do to save my life that’ll give you another dollar. That’s just the world and I’m sorry.”
For a moment, the only sound in the room was from the gentle waves crashing on the beach outside.
Bill sat up and coughed again. “What’s a dead dog like me know anyway? Go spend the time with your girl.” Cough. “Business hours start back up in two weeks. I always get something then. Happy New Year in the meantime.” Cough. With that, he puffed on his cigar and put his eyes back on the groundtem.
I knew that I’d seen a side of Bill rarely shown. I absentmindedly took a step toward the hall. “She’s working until Friday. If you have anything at all…”
Bill sighed. “When I was your age, we didn’t have the fancy download-the-whole-friggin’-net-in-two-seconds implants.” He pulled out a worn book and put it on the desk in front of me. “Back then, we read print…” He tapped his finger on the cover. “Nothing to do? Get some common sense.” Cough.
The book was titled Destiny for a New You. Its cover had a chimpanzee staring up at a departing UFO: typical cover art for anything advocating Destiny Of Ordered Mankind. In my mind, I saw those people gathering around the sandcastle and