Chapter 5- We're going to be really late for work
I had just woken up and begun to get ready for another grime filled day at work when the doorbell rang. Mom had already left for work and Dad was on the family computer, which was only a few feet from the door, but he was probably absorbed in several websites that he heard nothing. Who would be at my front door at six in the morning? I opened the door slowly.
Me: Cole? What are you doing here?
Cole: Don't you work today?
Me: Well, yeah, but…why are you here?
Cole: I was wondering if you wanted a ride? I've seen you trudging through miles of mud on your bike, then you have to hook it up to the school bike rack, across the street from Small Fry, even after that you have to cross the enormously busy highway. It would be so much easier if you grabbed a ride with me everyday.
Me:
Cole: Look, why don't you think about it while you're getting ready. I'll be waiting out here.
I closed the door. I tried to remain expressionless. Dad's eyes were glued to the computer screen and he didn't even notice that I was about to get a ride to work with a boy he didn't even know. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him. I finished getting ready and Cole was waiting by the door. I decided not to bring anything to work today, I wasn't planning on doing anything later so why strain myself? Cole: That was fast. You need to go anywhere before work?
Me: No. Why? Do we have extra time?
Cole: Yeah, I guess so. Work doesn't start for ten more minutes.
Usually, it took me half an hour to get to work, but that was on my bike. Even with the extra time we'd get from driving we'd probably be late for work. I sighed. The boss already hated me and adding another late day didn't seem to matter. He'd probably already docked my pay.
Me: Where would you go?
Cole: [shrugs] I don't know. Maybe the auto place down the road. I have a second job there.
Me: What auto place?
Cole: It's just a block away from school.
I couldn't say much at that point. It seemed uncivilized to mention that his gas gauge was blinking and I liked the station his radio was playing.
Step one you say we need to talk He walks you say sit down it's just a talk He smiles politely back at you You stare politely right on through Some sort of window to your right As he goes left and you stay right Between the lines of fear and blame You begin to wonder why you came Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life Let him know that you know best Cause after all you do know best Try to slip past his defense Without granting innocence Lay down a list of what is wrong The things you've told him all along And pray to God he hears you And pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life As he begins to raise his voice You lower yours and grant him one last choice Drive until you lose the road Or break with the ones you've followed He will do one of two things He will admit to everything Or he'll say he's just not the same And you'll begin to wonder why you came Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life How to save a life How to save a life Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life How to save a life
How To Save A Life by: The Fray
After the song was over Cole pulled into a long dirt driveway. There was no sign or any recognition for any type of business. When we got twenty feet further I could see a metal pole barn and to the left of the barn there was a thirty foot electric fence. Then, I saw what the fence contained.
Me: Whoa! How come I didn't know about this place? There must be a thousand cars here.
Cole: Only five hundred thirty-one.
I got out of his truck and made my way to the fence. There were tons of cars, all different types, none were the same. I don't even think any two were the same color. There was a variety of vehicles. There were little mini coopers and I could faintly see a monster truck in the distance.
Me: Why doesn't anyone know about this place?
Cole: Well, I suppose it will come out into the world when it's ready.
I wasn't into cars all that much, but it was inspiring to see something that Cole did in his free time. I knew that I had a hard time doing everything last year.
Cole: After my mother left I was kicked out of the house for a few days. I ended up walking here. Back then this was only a large piece of land with dead grass, having only one broken down car. I lived in that car for almost a week. When I was allowed back in the house I had to visit this place on my own time. I'd come here about five times a week for years, but then the owner of the car showed up and he brought diagrams. Soon there was a building and fence. After my father had driven Cynthia away, which never was all that good of a mom anyway, he resorted to anger and violence. When he was done with me I ran here. Climbed right in to the car and slept there. When the owner found me in his latest profit he wasn't afraid or concerned. He offered me, at the age of eight, a job. I've been coming here ever since.
Me:
Cole: I just wanted to show you this because it's a huge part of my life and it helps me. My own prescription. This, for me, is like drawing for you.
Me: Cole. I really don't know what to say.
I really had no idea what to say, Cole had lived such a hard life, worse then mine, and he was revealing everything to me. Every little detail. How can I respond to that? Oh, I'm sorry my small and unimportant rape isn't as hard as your abusive father. I couldn't help him. He had too much. He was helpless.
Cole: Tell me about it.
I knew exactly what he meant, it's what almost everyone had asked. Sometimes it's better to forget then to drag up from a pit you'd worked so hard to shovel out each pile of excruciating dirt and have all your work gone in a matter of seconds. Maybe he'd understand if I played dumb.
Me: What?
Cole: Tell me about Andy Evans.
(Whoo! What a cliff hanger! It's pretty early in the morning and I've been looking for chapters for about two hours… if you don't know I have written this whole story months ago, but I decided it couldn't hurt to post it up on so lately I've been tracking down chapters to put up. So… peace/\love/\see ya