Chapter 25
George was sitting in a coffee shop across the street from the bus station. He had finally gotten in touch with his estranged brother Drake who had agreed to meet him all of a sudden. George knew that if Drake was interested in talking to him then he was going to have to take this opportunity to get right with his brother. He hadn’t even spoken to him since that night in the hospital. He tried to call him a few times but was always cut off.
He wasn’t comfortable with where his brother had chosen to relocate. All their lives they lived in big towns, it was just their way of life. Drake had been a surgeon and a damn good one at that. He was very wealthy, and respected member of the medical community.
For him to walk away because of his wife’s death was a big blow to everyone. It was not like Drake. Drake was the guy who lived up to his responsibilities. He did what he was told to do. He lived the life his parents had chosen for him, just as George and Daryl had done.
George sat there waiting for his brother to walk through that door, sit down and tell him everything that he was sorry and they would have a few drinks at the bar then life would finally start to get back to normal. He was taken aback by this terrible stench that had arisen from this homeless man who was standing next to his table. He was not fond of bums so he pretended not to notice him for fear that the guy would ask him for some money.
The smelly, raggedy man sat down across from George. His stomach turned inside out at the smell coming from this man.
“I am sorry sir, you can’t sit there I am waiting for someone and that seat is taken so move along.”
“George it’s me Drake.”
George looked up to see a hairy face with long shaggy hair looking down at him. His clothes were rags, his face was dirty and the awful smell was unbearable, but he looked into those eyes and it hit him, it was his brother!
“My God man what the hell happened to you?” George asked. “I mean, sorry man it’s been too long. Holy shit how you doing?”
The words were barely out of his mouth before the two were together in a brotherly embrace. It had been far too long. Emotions were running high but the two were grown men, they sat down, George ordered a coffee for his brother.
“Wow man it has been too long hasn’t it.” Drake reluctantly took a slow sip from his cup,
“aw there it is. I haven’t had a cup of coffee in year’s man.”
George sat in bewilderment at what had become of his once respectable brother.
He was thinking to himself about how this was not his brother. This man sitting before him looked vaguely like Drake but there was something off about him, something George couldn’t quite put his finger on. George wasn’t even sure how to proceed; it was obvious that Drake had changed, but he wasn’t sure what to make of it just yet.
“It’s been so long Drake; I was begging to worry about you. I know I left that night kind of in hurry but I just thought…”
Drake cut him off just then,
“Hey don’t worry about it man it wasn’t you, it wasn’t anybody else it was just me. I needed to get away for a while, you know to find myself.” Drake said.
George wasn’t sure how to respond, it was a relief to hear his brother wasn’t mad at him but he still had a feeling something wasn’t quite right.
“Hey waitress, can we get a couple of pieces of pie over here.”
The waitress nodded in agreement.
It had been just a few moments later when the young woman had brought them their pie. Just then a couple of police officers walked in and sat down at the counter across from where the two men had been sitting.
The waitress walked up to one of the men,
“Howdy Sheriff, be right with you boy.”
Drake’s attention went straight to the officers from the moment they entered the diner. He had stopped listening to his brother and was intently focusing on what the police were discussing. He could only make out a few fragments, terrible shame, poor kids, foul play, no suspects, possible double homicide. He began to get nervous and suddenly he turned to his brother and stood up,
“Hey George how about we go for a little walk shall we?” Drake said. “I’m more of an outdoor person these days I need to be close to nature in order to think straight.”
George looked over at the police sitting at the counter. He noticed how tense Drake had become since they entered the premises and had suspected there might be something Drake was hiding from his brother.
“Sure brother, whatever makes you comfortable. Let me take care of this real quick and I will meet you out front okay?”
He put the money on the table and walked out the door where he brother was pacing back and forth.
Stephanie Bri 