Choices You Make

Don't Look Back

Chapter 4

Hawkins, Indiana. Mike's House Sunday May, 31, 1987

The next day came and the two of them were up, getting ready to head back over to Tom's farm. Mike was supposed to be working today but Tom had told him to take his time, let the craziness from the day settle down, albeit only slightly before showing up. They were still up with the sun, neither really sleeping much that night just content to hold each other through the night. His parents were downstairs making breakfast but food wasn't really on their minds. They both came down the stairs, walking into the kitchen to see his parents eating at the table but in silence. He told them he was heading over to Tom's, his father said nothing while staring at his newspaper while his mom told him to be safe but nothing more. Together they picked up their bikes making their way toward their destination.

The two teens arrived at the farm to see Tom shoveling the same pile of shit from the day before. Tom looked up at them approaching, setting his shovel aside. He walked up to them taking his gloves off. "You make a decision?" was his first question. "Yes, sir." was the reply. "You leaving?" was the second.

"...Yes sir."

"You know what that means don't you?" he asked, letting a sigh out.

"Yes sir. I'll always be there for her." pulling El closer to him with his arm around her shoulder which she leaned into.

He stepped up to El asking softly "You doing alright darlin."

El nodded her head separating herself from Mike to give the older man a strong embrace, barely coming up to his chest. Anytime she came to see Mike, Tom had always been kind to her, almost like a grandpa. "Yes, I've got Mike." she said to him. The older man let a chuckle out at that. They separated and he gestured to the barn behind him. They all sat at the same table from before, Tom pulling a stool over so El could sit in the chair and him with his back to the car. He let them get comfortable before speaking. "So what's your plan?" The soon to be parents glanced at each other before they started telling Tom of the plans they had discussed over night. It took over an hour and when they were done Tom sat for a minute going over what they had told him.

"It's a good plan. You too have good heads on your shoulders, minus the slip-up of your current situation. No, I don't want to know the details, things like this just happen. But I may be able to offer some...assistance to your situation." The teens looked at him in confusion at his offer.

Tom just pressed on looking at Mike "Have you got your license yet, son?"

"Uh..yes sir got it a few days after my birthday." still not understanding where Tom was going.

Tom glanced over his shoulder at the car behind him before turning back around. "I ever tell you about this car?" he questioned Mike.

"No sir."

"It was my sons, Michael. He died in the war. He volunteered, wanted to save lives as a medic but his helicopter went down. His mother followed not too long after, a broken heart I'm sure. He loved this car, told em I'd look after it. I never had the heart to get rid of it. But you remind me of him. You're a good kid. And I think my Michael would want you to have it." He got up walking over to the wall, neither of them saying anything, not knowing about his son.