1974
It was 1974 a yr since the Vietnam war had ended. Jack was 84 rose was 79 as were alice and Robert. Josephine was 65 and elizabeth her daughter was 48. alice and Roberts children Gloria and fred were 54. Their children alice and Roberts grandchildren karen and john were 28.
even though the war had ended the drugs hadn't. coke and pot were everywhere. Karen was wandering the city stoned and happy on her way to a bar when she bumped into someone.
"oh sorry," she said.
" 's ok," he told her: "long as it wasn't my head."
"what?"
"everything below the neck works fine."
"oh."
"but the memories they. they eff w/ your head ya know?"
"yeah. well I mean I don't know from personal experience but my grandmother's friend rose does. only they didn't have our drugs during their time. her husband had the same thing but hed been in the war. um I mean ww1 that war."
"no I know."
"oh. and they survived a shipwreck. type. thingy. so. and my brother has it too. wow I talk a lot. sorry I guess im just coked up. im Karen btw."
"hey max. and I have it too. and I think we all are. and where ya headed?"
"bar."
"oh me too."
they stopped talking and walked quietly to the bar. max felt like a beached whale. hed been feeling that wway for aawhile due to alcohol withdrawl. he felt like he was constantly swimming. sometimes remembering was worse than not remembering which was why he didn't and didn't want to.
he was getting warmer so he pushed his sleeves up completely forgetting about the track marks. Karen noticed but didn't say anything. he saw her noticing.
"oh its um its layla. or sometimes snow," max said trying to be casual.
"layla...like the Clapton song," Karen said quietly.
they both knew exactly what he meant.
"if you want ill be your connection."
"well not for me so much as my brother. when he runs out."
"ok but ill need cash though."
"yeah I can get that. rose comes from money."
"or a good hooker. you got me on my knees layla," max said.
they laughed.
Karen was still looking at his arms. in front of her eyes the marks got bigger and bigger until they formed the bodily fluids of the soldiers whod turned into hospital patients when she was a nurse. she gasped.
"hm?" max asked.
"oh I was a nurse during the war and your marks they..."
"oh," max said getting it.
his eyes went wide and he suddenly stopped.
"oh god," he said.
Karen stopped too.
"whats wrong?" she asked.
"I...I need...her. the white..."
Karen had seen this in her brother several times.
"look we cant just do it out in the open even though its legal. hell sos alcohol but doesn't mean everyone goes around carrying open liquor bottles. this isn't Europe."
"I um."
max made his way to a building and slid down it to the ground.
"here," he said.
"ok we'll stay here."