Page 27 of The Only Seconds that Matter
CHAPTER 8
On one muggy evening in late April, Victor took the truck to pick up feed at the mill before it closed at six.He figured he’d take a shortcut back from town, so he pulled onto a narrow local road that meandered along the countryside.He liked to look out across the rolling hills of cornfields and roaming herds of cattle as George Strait played on the radio and a light rain pitter-pattered across his windshield.
He was just about to hit the intersection where he’d turn right when he spotted Johnny’s truck pulled off the road.Victor hit the brakes, then backed up until their trucks were next to one another.There was no one in the cab, but then Johnny’s head popped up over the edge of the side of the bed, hat sitting crooked on his head.
Victor pulled in front of Johnny’s truck so he could park off the road, then jumped out.By now Johnny had adjusted his hat and had his face turned into the collar of his Carhartt duster, as if trying to hide it.
“What in the hell are you doing parked on the side of the road, sitting in the rain?”Victor asked.
“Hmm?Oh I’m just… I’m only…” Johnny trailed off, wobbling.It was then Victor realized two things: Johnny was very drunk and his eyes were bloodshot and puffy, as if he’d been crying.“I ain’t doin’ nothin’.”
Victor stepped closer to the truck, and Johnny turned further away from him, suddenly interested in the opposite side of the bed.Victor spotted a few cans of beer crunched up and tossed along with various chains, ropes, and other detritus that had gathered in the bed over time.
“Have you been driving drunk?”Victor asked.
“Nah.”Johnny shook his head, still wobbly.“Nah, I’m parked.”
“Are you crying?”
“I ain’t doin’ shit!”Johnny snarled, whirling on Victor.“Why don’t you mind your own damn business?”
Victor would have been more hesitant to push it if Johnny weren’t smashed to hell and back.His whole face was nearly as pink as his eyes.Judging by the drops of rain clinging to his hat and duster, he’d been out here a while.
“I’m not letting you sit out in the rain,” Victor replied.“At least get into the cab.”
“Don’t matter.”Johnny threw back a swig of beer from one of the few intact cans in his vicinity.“Don’t nothin’ fuckin’ matter.”
“What happened?What is this about?”
“I told you to mind your own damn business.”
“I’m not going to be told to mind my own damn business by a man who has never taken his own advice.”
“I ain’t gonna let no sorry son of a bitch tell me what to do.”
“Jesus Christo,” Victor muttered under his breath before grasping the side of the truck and thrusting a boot up onto the tire.“Don’t make me drag you out.”
“Hey!”Johnny blurted, throwing himself backward with enough force to upset his balance.He toppled onto a bed of crinkled aluminum cans and rusted chains, losing his hat in the process.It was obvious he’d been at work all day, as there was a line of fine dust on his skin that had stopped at the rim of his hat.“I said leave me be!”
Victor swung himself into the bed and picked his way over the mess to fetch Johnny’s hat.When he offered it back to Johnny, Johnny took it with a scowl and shoved it back on his head.
“Get your ass up,” Victor ordered.“I’m taking you to my place until you sort yourself out.”
“Ain’t no way.I’m stayin’ here.I wanna be left alone.”Johnny reached for the beer can he’d set down on the metal box where Victor knew he kept his gun but knocked the can instead, so whatever pittance inside spilled over the truck.Johnny spit a slew of swear words before grasping for the side of the truck and dragging himself to his feet.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” Victor said one second before Johnny pitched forward.He might have hit the ground head first if Victor hadn’t grabbed a handful of his duster and hauled him back.Johnny swung an arm back to elbow Victor away from him, but it was a clumsy strike and bounced off of Victor’s bicep.Johnny’s hat went flying again as Johnny tried another punch, but this one was equally as ineffective as the first, missing Victor entirely.Victor used his hold on Johnny’s duster to shove him forward and down, putting him face to face with the mud-crusted bed of the truck.Johnny let out garbled protest as he fought off Victor’s grip.When Victor released him, it was more because he wanted to and less because of Johnny’s prowess at escaping him.
“Fuck you, you son of a bitch,” Johnny grumbled, scrambling onto his feet again.
“Listen, I could leave you here to drink yourself into oblivion, but I don’t trust you to keep yourself from driving in this state.”
Johnny glared at Victor a moment with puffy red eyes before attempting once again to dismount from the truck.This time he was a bit more successful, even if the impact of the landing brought him to his knees.He tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he careened to the side, nearly slamming into his truck before staggering onto the road.With a sigh, Victor jumped down from the truck bed and went after him, feeling like a father chasing after an irate toddler.
Johnny made it about six steps before he lost his balance and collapsed into a puddle in the gully alongside the road.Victor expected Johnny to roar and rear back, but he stayed down, which gave Victor an opening to approach.
“Johnny,” Victor muttered, crouching near Johnny’s head.“You okay?”
“Fuck off,” Johnny mumbled, but his voice had lost all its ferocity.He was crying again.
