Of course it had to be my birthday.<\/p>\n
I was 25, sucking a marlboro alone in the drugstore breakroom. Can I borrow that lighter? he asked<\/p>\n
I handed it over before I looked. But then I saw him. The grim reaper was bumming a smoke. How does a skull smile? I suddenly knew.<\/p>\n
“Thanks”<\/p>\n
“Mother of God!” I said before I could help myself. I wanted to ask what he was doing there, but as soon as I formed the question I already knew the answer.<\/p>\n
“It’s not yet, is it?”<\/p>\n
“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ve got years yet.”<\/p>\n
My years in armored vehicles during deployment had given me familiarity with this drill. I knew this hooded skeleton.<\/p>\n
“THen why are you here?”<\/p>\n
He dragged full on the cancer stick. Oh, I guess for him it wouldn’t be. “It’s nice to have a place where I am known and where I know how it’s going to be”<\/p>\n
So we were friends now. “But why now? ”<\/p>\n
His draped shoulders lifted “It’s your birthday. YOu seemed like you could use the company”<\/p>\n
Damn. My life had abandoned him so thoroughly that even death felt sorry for me. It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Of course it had to be my birthday. I was 25, sucking a marlboro alone in the drugstore breakroom. Can I borrow that lighter? he asked I handed it over before I looked. But then I saw him. The grim … Continue reading