A Tourist in Mayberry

7/2) Hero or Villain: Darrell

Step 8 of the 12 Step Plan as defined by Alcoholics Anonymous:

8. Make a list of persons we have harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all.

Four days. Four days and two hotels. Four days and twenty-five cups of coffee and twelve packs of cigarettes. Four days and four sleepless nights. Sleepless because Darrell was uncertain about his next step.

It was day four, and Darrell was parked across from his wife's house - his ex-wife's house. He'd divorced Candi and remarried since she'd been gone, and then divorced that wife too. He was now married to Tabitha, his soulmate and life partner, his second chance, his do over, his AA sponsor.

Tabitha was the bartender at his favorite after work bar. She said the words Darrell needed to hear at the time he was ready to hear them. Those words he needed to hear were actually one word - "Enough". Though others said those words to him before, Darrell heard Tabitha because, in all life changing moments, timing is everything, and the timing was right. He was tired and exhausted and ready to be somebody besides the asshole, the drunk, the loser, the baby killer.

Darrell quit drinking, joined AA and a church, and spent many crying jag moments asking for forgiveness and redemption in the eyes of his Lord and his new wife. Darrell would give his testimony to others, and say his Jesus paid the debt that he could not pay, and that all was well with his soul. He began to make amends to people he wronged in his old life. He even tried to make things right with his mom, Nannie Jo, but she did not care for the new Darrell. She called him a pussy. She hurt his feelings and not for the first time or the last time.

Darrell was here now, parked in the woods across from Candi and Daisy's house, to apologize to them both for all the reasons he needed to, especially the baby. He really messed things up. Candi was a good person who did not deserve a Darrell. He felt like the scum water on top of the dirty mop bucket left overnight in the men's bathroom at the bar. Maybe even worse than that. This is why - four days, two hotels, twenty five cups of coffee and twelve packs of cigarettes later - Darrell still did not have the nerve to knock on the door.

For days, Darrell followed Candi and Daisy and her friend all over town. From the house to the retirement center, from the retirement center to the house. He was watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity, but the thing is, if you wait for the perfect opportunity to make something right, you may never get the chance. Darrell knew about missed opportunities to set things right because of his Grandpa Rory, his mama's dad.

Grandpa Rory wronged his family, including all of his seven children, of which Nannie Jo was the baby. He spent the better part of the end of his life making amends. He traveled all over the country visiting each of his grown child and apologized. He usually overstayed his welcome and then skedaddled to the next child. All his visited children did forgive Grandpa Rory who had a gift for words and heartfelt sincerity. They believed he changed, and he had. They grew to even love and care about Grandpa Rory even when he overstayed his welcome. All the grown children chronicled their reconciliations on the family Facebook page.

Nannie Jo was skeptical. "That old fart, ain't coming to my house to live. I don't believe a word he says. He's just looking for someone to take him in and take care of him in his old age."

Still, Nannie Jo agreed for Grandpa Rory to stop by her house on his way to his sister's home one Christmas eve Eve. Hers was to be the last apology.

Grandpa Rory never arrived. He was killed instantly when a tractor trailer carrying one last shipment of Christmas trees up north veered into his lane on Interstate 40 and ran him off the road.

The family Facebook page mourned the loss of Grandpa Rory. Nannie Jo said, "That ol' liar would never have changed my mind anyways."

Darrell knew his mother resented Grandpa Rory and her brother and sisters because she was the only one who never got apologized to. Grandpa Rory missed an opportunity to maybe set his mom and Darrell's world right. Darrell knew he needed to act. Darrell knew this lesson because he lived it - if you wait for the perfect opportunity to make something right, you may never get the chance.

Darrell was about to never get the chance.

Author's Note: Do you know someone who needs to make it right? I can think of two dads who never did, and their children who would have at least appreciated the effort.