Gonna Ride Again

My Past is my Present.

   I am in the middle of teaching my Literature class today's lesson on Romeo and Juliet when I am called to the office to see Mr.Jones our principal. I have no idea why in the middle of class but it must be important to call me out in the middle of class.
   As I open the back office door, I stop. It can't be ...he isn't here...damn he looks even better now than he did 11 years ago. I run my eyes and take him in. He is wearing his leather riding pants motorcycle boots and that damn leather club cutte with what I am assuming is a black wife beater. As I bring my eyes up I am met with his green eyes that have always told me what I needed to know. They are crystal clear...he is sober. Then I slam the wall down cause I don't need Mr. Badass Outlaw ..... I have been fine all on my own.
  Mr Jones tells me that Mr Gilbert needed to talk to me and we could use his office. I walk in and Brantley walks in behind me and closes the door. I turn and say"What the hell do you want Brantley Keith?"

"Sissie I came to tell you something and its ...not easy darling, ....but your daddy..... well .......he passed away last night. I'm sorry Sissie. He was a really good man and one of my best friends."

   I search his face making sure it is true, not believing it until I see the pain in his eyes. The tears start to fall and he pulls me into his arms holding me .....and I let him because he has always been the one to know what to do when I got upset. I just can't believe it Daddy was just here for a visit. As I cry, I feel his hands rubbing my back and then he kisses my hair and that is what snapped me out of it. I shoved him away and said," Thank you for coming to tell me. I guess if anyone had to it should be you, after all Daddy loved you like a son. Has the club made arrangements for his service? "

  "Sissie darlin' your daddy had made all his own arrangements I found out after he saw what Lucy and Jake went through he didn't want you having to do all that. They just need you to come home and decide when , the coroner is supposed to release his body today. The preliminary thought is heart attack." he tells me.

"First of all Brantley Keith, my name is Karissa not Sissie that girl died 11 years ago. Second , I am not your darlin', sweetheart or baby girl so stop using those pet names or i will not be held responsible for what I do.  Third, I am home, Atlanta is home for me now not Jefferson. Same as Sissie it quit being home 11 years ago. Thank you for doing your duty and coming to tell me but I need to get things together here before I make that trip to Jefferson ." I tell him.

"Let me tell you a couple things DARLIN', you will always be Sissie to me Karissa June , yes I know your damn name and I am not gonna let you act like you didn't feel something when you saw me cause we both know its there same as it was 11 years ago when you went running scared off to Atlanta! I will continue to use those pet names as you call them because that is just me and you know it. And as far as Atlanta being home to you I call bullshit. If it was home then you wouldn't have avoided Jefferson for 11 years. The thing is Jefferson is and always will be home to you. Now we can go get your things together and then I will follow you home and wait as you pack for a few days and then we will head to Jefferson. I haven't asked Mama but I'm sure that she will let you stay with her in her guest room so you don't have to get a hotel room"

He says that and I got to tell him "I am not" and he cut me off .
"I wasn't through Sissie." He  growls at me and dammit if my body didn't betray me. He continues," I owe it to Casey to make sure you are okay and you and I settle this shit that you ran away from 11 years ago once and for all . As far as staying at Mamas house I don't live there neither does Kolby. I have my own house in Maysville and he lives in Alabama on my farm. This way you have people around you who love you and will support you cause whether you want to admit it to yourself or not you are about to go through the hardest thing in your life."

   " You are so wrong there Brantley I went through that 11 years ago" I say in a whisper and I don't look at him because the tears are on the surface .  He lifts my chin with his hand and looks at me and said," And that is why we need to settle all this baby girl. Besides a lot has changed in 11 years but as I have found out today not everything has changed."

I nod my head and he takes my hand and leads me to the outer office. Mr Jones is standing there and tells me that he has me a substitute lined up for the rest of the week and if I needed more time than that just to let him know. I thanked him and I led Brantley through the back office door to my classroom and as we were walking out Mrs. Logan snarled her nose and muttered under her breath "no wonder she isn't married hanging out with low class riff raff bikers"
I stopped dead in my tracks and put a smile on my face and turned to face her," Mrs.Logan please excuse my bad manners with the news of my fathers passing I forgot to introduce you to an old friend of mine Brantley Gilbert you probably have heard of him he is a country music superstar currently on the Big Revival Tour with Kenny Chesney and Jason Andean you know the one that is gonna be in the Georgia Dome in about 2 weeks. Brantley this is the school secretary Mrs.Logan. Now if you will excuse us i need to get my things so I can head home."

I pulled Brantley out behind me and as we are walking down the hall he nudges my arm and said," still protective of me being called a low class biker I see at least you didn't swing a tire iron  at her head." I cut my eyes at him and said," didn't have one within reach or I would have " and then we both start laughing thinking about the last time someone called him that in front of me.