Darry was going to be allowed to go back to work in a month's time. It seemed like that month would never come.
It was hard on me, trying to work full time every day of the week. I think Pony understood this, and he tried to help out, but it wasn't enough.
The week after Darry was allowed to move around again, I noticed something was wrong. I wasn't sure what it was, but Pony was even quieter than usual and Darry slept more often. I was afraid they had gotten into an argument, so I asked Darry about it.
"Hey, Darry. Can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked, coming into his room. He was laying on the bed, with a sports magazine in his hands.
"Sure, little buddy. What is it?"
"Well, I was wondering if you and Pony got in a fight again."
"What? What gave you that idea?"
"It's just, Pony's been quieter than usual, and you aren't doing as much and sleeping more, and I was just wondering if something had happened."
"No. Actually, Pony and I have been getting along a lot better."
"Well, that's good. Do you know if something's bothering him? He seems to be quieter than usual, and that's not like him. Sure, he's normally quiet, but he's even more so than usual. Has he said anything to you?"
"No. He usually tells you everything, not me."
"Darry, don't talk like that. He loves you and you know it."
"Yeah, but sometimes I don't think he trusts me."
"Well, he must, or he wouldn't be living with you."
"That's true. Now, back to Pony. I noticed he's been coming home later most days. Sometimes I fall asleep, and he slips in, but I just figured he'd been going to the movies, or something."
"Yeah, but he would have told us." I argued.
"Well, that's true. I don't like him going to the movies on school night,s but what else could it be?"
"I don't know. I'll ask him about it sometime."
"Well, when you do, let me know what's up, okay?"
"Deal."
We sat there in silence for a few minutes before I spoke.
"I'm glad these things have happened."
"What?" Darry asked, clearly confused.
"I mean, with Mom and Dad and Dally and Johnny." When Darry gave me a skeptical look, I hurried on. "I don't mean that I'm happy they're dead, or that you fell off the ladder and got hurt, but I mean what's happened because of it.
You know, when you got your football scholarship, I was mad. I was mad because I knew you'd make it big, and become a celebrity or something, and then you'd never come back to little old Tulsa. I mean, you were going to get a lot of money after college, because you'd make it to the NFL, and everything. I was afraid I'd lose my big brother."
I sat there and wiped my eyes, when Darry's strong arms came around me.
I cried into his shoulder, and he said, "Never, Pepsi-Cola. Never. I'm right here. You'll never lose me."
"I know, but what if Mom and Dad hadn't died and you had to take care of us? You would have run off and become someone important, not that you aren't now. But, you wouldn't have cared about us anymore. We'd be just 'simple folk' who were apart of your life once."
"No, no, Sodapop. That never would have happened. And you know why? Because I love you. I love you and I love Pony. I never would have forgotten you. I would have been home to see you so much, you'd never get the chance to miss me. I love you, little buddy. I'd never leave you."
He hugged me again, and I stopped crying. I was glad I finally got that off my shoulders. It was a secret I had held for a long time.