Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“Why was he killed?”
“You know. Same old thing. Too many good ideas.”
“Hmm. That’s a very cynical answer, Collin.”
“The world deserves my cynicism.”
“I’ll take your word on that. I don’t get out much.”
“You travel all the time.”
“But I meet people just like me. I don’t meet ministers or daughters thereof.”
“You meet people like Sassy Lorraine.”
And this makes me smile, even though his story was sad. “I have a feeling she’s gonna hang around in my life for years to come.”
“Should I tell you a happier story now?”
“I’d like that. But first, I want to know why you told me the sad one to begin with.”
“Because I spent that whole night thinking about you, Lowyn. And how you would’ve loved that lantern festival. That’s why the little girl got away from me.”
I reach over and take his hand. It’s a little bit cold, so I hold it in both of mine, trying to warm him up. “What’s the happy story?”
“I saw you on TV once.”
“Oh.” I’m surprised. He hasn’t brought up Jet Shadows yet. So I guess I figured he didn’t know about him. But I guess I was wrong.
“Don’t worry, Low. I’m not gonna pry into whatever was going on with that Jet guy. But I was back in America—in Georgia, actually—taking a meeting with Charlie, one of my DC contacts. And we were in a bar and there you were on the TV. Your name all printed up on the screen.”
“When was this?” I’m only asking because the actual filming of that was a long time ago now. But they play reruns all the time.
“About six years ago.”
“Well, six years ago Jet and I had already gone our separate ways.”
“Did you date him?”
“Briefly. For a few months. He helped me a lot. He’s really the reason I’m so fortunate now. And as successful as I am.”
“I doubt that, Lowyn. You seem like a real hard worker to me.”
“Well, this is your happy story? Because this doesn’t feel like your happy story.”
“Well, it is a happy story because I was in pretty bad place that day. I learned something about the people I was working for that kinda changed my life in… not a great way.”
“What did you learn?”
He stares at me for a moment. And while I might not be a mind reader, this pause does not warrant that level of skill. It’s pretty clear he’s trying to figure out if he should tell me the truth or not. For a moment, I’m sure he’s not going to. But then he says, “One of my men died,” and I absolutely know this is the truth.
“How did that happen?”
“He had some kind of reaction to a… treatment they were giving him.”
“Was he sick?”
“No. Not quite.”
“Then what was he being treated for?”
“He was still in the Marines. So… yeah. If they tell you to take a treatment, you take the treatment.”
“And this killed him?”
He nods at me. “It did.”
“Did you ever take that treatment?”
“No. We were out. Contractors, remember? Anyway. Charlie made me come see him to talk about that. And I was in the worst mood. And then there you were. And even though I could tell that you were maybe a little bit enamored with that Jet guy, it didn’t matter. You made me smile.”
I picture his life all these years, something I’ve tried not to do since he came home. But he’s told me three stories now and two of them involve death. So I’m starting to get the feeling that Collin Creed has seen more than his share in the past twelve years and this makes me sad.
It makes me want to change things for him. Because, for whatever reason, he and I were given a reprieve from this year’s Revival story. It’s a temporary one, for sure. More like a day off, really. But it’s more than we had when we woke up this morning and I think we should make the most of it. I believe he deserves a very nice day.
So I stand up and offer him my hand.
He looks up at me with those eyes of his. And this time, when I look at them, I don’t just see the colors. I see the man. The honesty. The sincerity. “What are we doing now, Low?”
“Going for a walk. Would you like to take a stroll through the magical world of Revival Town with me?”
He grins and stands up, accepting my hand, and then we leave the gazebo and stroll down the boardwalk, looking at all the same familiar things that look so different now just because we’ve thrown a tent over them.
People appear. Then crowds of them. And soon it’s time for the Revival. I know Collin doesn’t want to go, so I don’t bother asking him. But he surprises me and starts leading me that way once his daddy’s voice comes across the loudspeakers talking about the rumble and the glory.