Side of the Highway
Side of the Highway
1
Even now, with the five kids in the minivan, he felt it. It was a sickening in his stomach. How could she say she wanted to leave? She was the one that cheated not him, he should be leaving her. It was a numbing, corroding, sort of dementia. He could remember her face, her stomach, her hands but he couldn’t remember her touch.
Was he really that detached?
He felt frantic.
“Daddy are we going to grandma’s house?” Said his youngest daughter Lauren.
If her resemblance to her mother bothered him he didn’t let it show. “No baby just be quiet and watch the movie.” He had it playing in the back seat display center.
The truth was he didn’t know where he was going, he was just going. He was probably a fugitive from justice but he hadn’t touched her. He never laid a hand on his wife which was probably why he was so mad still. He looked at the seat next to him and he could see the six shooter. It was fully loaded and ready to go. He wasn’t sure but the madness was getting to him. He felt like he was losing his grip on reality. He pulled the minivan over.
2
They were there, all lined up on the side of the road. He had the gun in the back of his waist. He took it out now and pointed it at the kids. Mary was crying.
“Daddy what are you doing?” She said.
“Please don’t kill me daddy.” Said Lauren. Billy was crying. So was Thomas the youngest the other girl was nearly 10 and she was just staring at him.
“So what happened with mom?”
“That no good bitch cheated on me.”
“Daddy don’t swear.” Said Lauren.
“Sorry baby. I’ll swear if I dang well please I’m your father.”
“So this is how you are going to handle this?” He switched the gun to his oldest daughter. “You are going to shoot us?” She couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and she was sobbing. He pulled back the firing pin and closed his eyes. He could feel the trigger and he squeezed.
3
A car pulled up and inside was a nun. She got out and witnessed the scene. She didn’t know what to do so she said a quick prayer.
“Hello sir what’s going on here?” Asked the Nun politely.
“I… I… I…”
“He’s trying to kill us.”
“No… no sir how about we put down the gun.”
He was crying now. “I can’t lose her. I can’t. She was my whole life.”
“Nobody is going to lose anybody.” She took a step closer. “Sir give me the gun.
He didn’t want to part with it for it seemed like the only thing he had.
“Come on dad give up the gun.”
“No one needs to know about this sir.”
“I can’t.”
She took a step closer. The gun was nearly in her hand.
“Now hand it over.”
He did reluctantly.
“Now children get into my car its tight but you will all fit.”
The children went.
“I’m glad you did the right thing. Jesus works miracles through us all, all we have to do is let Him. Go somewhere and think about it. I’ll give you my number.”
She did and she drove off and he laid down on the pavement and lit a cigarette.
4
The phone rang. It was his wife.
“Where are they?” She said trauma in her voice.
“Oh I’m so sorry hunny I never meant for you to seek love from another source.” He said tears welling in his eyes.
“WHERE ARE THEY YOU STUPID STUPID MAN?!”
“They are safe. With a nun.”
She hung up and he cried his last tears for her.
5
“Daddy!” Said the little one and rushed to hug him and everything was perfect again.
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