Lay Low

4: Goodbye Stranger

ERIC

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word.

A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, well, the bird is the word.

My cell phone was ringing. I usually remembered to put it on silent before I went to bed. Then again, I usually didn't come home and go straight to bed. I didn't leave the shop until almost nine and on the way home I stopped for food, but as soon as I laid eyes on my bed everything else ceased to matter. I still had my jeans hanging off my feet.

Bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word...

Fucking phone.

I reached out in the direction of the sound and found my phone lying on my bed behind me. I didn't even bother to look and see who was calling.

"What?" I grumbled into the phone.

"Are you sitting down?" My sister greeted me.

"Laying down. I'm sleeping," I answered. I knew it had to be the middle of the night because I would have heard my alarm go off.

"Dad died," she blurted.

That got my attention.

My eyes opened. It was 3:36 in the morning. Pam wasn't much of a kidder to begin with. She definitely wouldn't joke about Dad dying.

"When?" I asked quietly. I had a feeling the rehab stuff was bullshit but there was nothing I could do. Long ago I learned I couldn't make someone get clean. Dad liked the booze. I couldn't make him give it up.

"Last night. His liver finally gave out on him; at least that's what the coroner said. I got a call from his girlfriend."

I sighed heavily and rubbed my eyes. There was no way I could afford a trip to Sweden for his funeral.

"I'm surprised she called. Well, no, I'm not surprised she called you. She won't talk to me." My dad's girlfriend was a terrible influence. She was two years younger than me and encouraged him to go out partying with her. He was a fuckin' senior citizen. He had no business going club or bar hopping. Dad should have been playing golf and enjoying being a grandpa. Instead he was chasing around some gold digger with more tits than brains.

"Not surprised. She's a fuckin' dingbat. I don't have too many details since I could barely understand her, but I'll make some calls to try to get more info at a decent hour. I just thought you should know."

"Thanks. You didn't tell Mom yet, did you?" I didn't want to deal with the call I knew would be coming from her. I wasn't in the mood for an 'I told you so' from her.

"Not yet. I'll go see her in the morning to tell her."

"Thank you. I can't deal with her right now. Hell, she's still pissed at me for moving out." I yawned and kicked my jeans off the rest of the way.

"She'll get over it eventually," Pam sighed. "I'll let you go back to bed if you want. I don't think I can though..."

"I don't know if I can either," I said honestly. "Are you going to Europe?"

"I have to go through my finances. I'd like to, but I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it. If nothing else we can have our own service here," she said.

"Yeah." I was numb. The reality was going to hit sooner rather than later. My dad and I hadn't talked much in the last few months but he knew I loved him.

The alcoholism made it difficult to be around him. When he was sober I liked being around him and hanging out. He was funny and really intelligent, but the booze made him aggressive and bitter. His personality just went in the shitter when he drank. I didn't care for it.