Summer's End

“It looks like summer days ain’t coming back."   

That’s what Charles muttered to himself as he got into his Chevy truck. It had been a long day... a long week... hell, maybe even a long month. He had lost track.

Janet had not.

She sat propped up in her sun dress. The hell with the weather. It was supposed to be nice today anyway. Janet watched Charles struggle with the rusty door of the old truck. It wasn’t something he could fix, and it never seemed to shut right. Maybe the rain will drown him out. She laughed at the thought of it.

Charles slammed the door once... then twice. Goddammit. “I gotta get somebody to look at this,” he said to himself. He bet Janet was watching him through the blinds. They were closed just enough to keep the sunlight out, but still allowed prying eyes to supply her with all the endless comments. “That bitch couldn’t even get outside to open or close the door, even if she could get out of the house.” He turned the key and started the truck. The body may look like hell, but the engine was still in fighting shape.

Janet scratched her arm as her gut twitched. Of course the truck was going to start. It’s not like it wasn’t going to start. The engine was still good, even if it’s wrapped inside that hunk of junk. Gets him where he needs to go. Most of the time, she’s happy that he goes. Doesn’t matter where.

Janet reaches for the remote and turns on the television. There’s nothing on. Literally. There had not been cable in the house for two weeks, and no one had bothered to buy an antenna. It was talked about. They are cheap. Like ten dollars cheap. Oh well. That’s why there are books. She looks out the window just as the truck’s reverse lights flash on.

Charles starts to back the truck towards the house. He can’t pull out in a normal way because of the junk in the driveway. Half of it was his junk. The other half didn’t belong to Janet. That’s what Janet said, anyway. He was too weary of the argument to point any fingers. Oh well, it won’t matter soon enough.

He adjusts the rearview mirror to get a better view. “That screw keeps loosening. Got to get a washer or something to keep it in place.” Charles backs the truck with one foot on the brake and one on the gas. He knew that wasn’t the right way to do it. He did it because it aggravated Janet.

“That sonofabitch has both feet on the pedals.” Janet watches the truck lurch slowly as the brake lights glow bright red against the day’s grey. “He’ll never learn,” she grumbles as she throws her book at the window.

Charles laughs as the blinds break apart and swing against the window. “Looks like a paperback this time,” he chuckles into the mirror as he shifts the truck into drive. He takes his left foot off the gas and leans it against the door. He gets to the end of the driveway, stopping when his cell phone buzzes across the dash. He swipes it before it slides into the floorboard and flips it open. “Yeah?”

“Hey. You okay?”

“Sure.”

“I miss you.”

“Yeah.”

“Am I going to see you again?”

“Yeah. You’ll see me.”

“Okay. Good.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

He snaps the phone shut and tosses it back on the dash. Radio says it’s 10:30. That means it’s 9:30. “Don’t want to be late.” Charles makes a left out the driveway and presses on the accelerator.

Janet listens through the clicking of the blinds as the truck’s exhaust rumbles down the street. Soon both are silent. She rearranges the pillows and stares at the ceiling. Was he okay? Did he miss her? Would she see him again? She exhaled and shut her eyes.

She longed for summer.