Too Late

A short story that might hit home for you. Or not.

My phone blares on the floor. 

Ring. 

Ring. 

Ring. 

I answer it. “ Hello?” 

“ It’s your father Jer. It’s been too long since-” I press the red button, turn on Do Not Disturb, and go back to sleep. 

The next morning, I get up quietly from the air mattress, slowly inch on my $1 slippers from goodwill-sturdy things-and tiptoe into the kitchen. I open the fridge to find only one beer remaining. What a glorious sight. And what a glorious beer. I look behind me to the living room; and while sucking on the drink, watch Sadie as she sleeps. She had come over last night to get drunk and watch anime with me. I had a small couch, cheap, but with personality, like everything else I owned, that was just big enough for both of us to cram in. The T.V was still going when I slid my hand up and down her legs. She laid her head on my shoulder, gave a sigh, then turned to me. I turned to her. And now, you know the rest. I wasn’t planning on that to happen; I’m sure she did a little. But as I stood there content and relaxed with a bottle in my hand; watching Sadie spread out on the mattress, I could sense that we both needed it. 

It was only 11 am when she finally woke. She rose from the mattress in a daze, blonde hair sprawled out in front of her face like a spider's web, to find me sitting on the floor with a 6-pack of IPAs. “ F**k yes!” she remarks, as she snags a bottle. “ What time did you wake up?” “ Round 10 I think. There was only one beer left in the fridge so I went down to the corner store real quick.” “ I’m glad you did.” She rubs the top of my head then spins into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The water turns on and I hear the bathroom door creep open slightly. I turn to see Sadie's eyes barely peering through the crack. “ You wanna join me?” I think for a sec, then slowly get up in a similar fashion to a kid reluctantly getting ready to do homework, and walk into the bathroom. 

The waters warm. And so is she. She starts to scrub up and down her body with the washtowel; I lay my head against the wall and watch. “ Are you ok? I get you’re a bit of a perv but you just look too serious right now,” she giggles as she splashes a light amount of water to my face. I merely smile, “ I’m ok. Don’t worry. You know me. Sometimes I’m full of energy, and other times I’m slower than a slug.” I pull her towards me, put my tongue against hers, then turn her around and rest my head on her shoulder. “ I wish we could do this all day.” “ I know you do but I gotta get ready for work.” I glide both my hands all over her body and nether regions. “Stooooop. we can’t do that.” I grumble, then finish washing my hair. 

Watching her get ready was the tough part. I knew that in 20 minutes I was gonna be in my apartment alone again, alone with my thoughts. I didn’t try to force her to stay, but I would exclaim my disagreeableness with every piece of clothing she put on. She would just laugh and snicker. I’d laugh back; but the laugh was fake, my words were real. “ How long is Alex’s shift today?” I ask. “ He’s gonna be home early and he wants to take me to the movie theater after.” I quietly clicked my tongue. Alex was her boyfriend, and a soft one at that. Whenever you saw them together you could tell that he needed her, like a parasite needs their host. Alex would smile and engage with conversation with you, but would always look around as he spoke to keep Sadie in his view.

Alex had no dreams. 

Then again, 

neither did I.

“ We should plan a date sometime. Just you and me. Maybe we could get italian then go to the hookah place.” 

“ Jerry, you know we can’t. You need to stop all of this nonsense with you and your dates. What you really need is another woman to go on these dates with.” 

“ But I wanna go with you.”
“ Please Jer, just stop. I probably won’t see you for a couple of nights so don't be calling my phone! You know Alex watches my every move.”

“ I know. I’m sorry.”

“ Don’t be,” Sadie puts a hand on my cheek then gives me a kiss.

She walks to the door and turns to wave at me. I wave back and watch her tiny a*s dance as she struts out. 

I finished all of the beer by 1 o’clock. I was training myself to cut down; 5 beers in two hours was progress. I started rolling a J as I looked through my unread text messages.

“ Jerry, it's your mom. Your father apparently died in the hospital and-” 

Deleted the message.

“Yooooo Jerrrrrryyyyy my boyyyyy! There’s a party going on at Estrellas later tonight. I’m finna pop out wit a fifth of migos. You should come thru.”

I gave myself a bit of a chuckle.

Lashawn always seemed to make me laugh, even with the simplest of words. I texted back that I’ll try to make it, lit my J, then walked to the corner store. 

I loved the corner store; not because of some aesthetic reason or nostalgia, but because I could buy as much alcohol as I wanted and none of the clerks would reprimand me. Sometimes I was in such a good mood that I would chat up a five minute conversation with whoever was at the register. Most days though, they could see the self-hate on my face, took my cash, and wished me well. 

Today was one of those days.