Unforeseen Events: Day 2

Word Count: 12,011

Summary of Events:

Sheldon was brought some supper by Emil; not all that long after the bus depot was closing, so Sheldon was forced to go with Emil. Emil showed Sheldon to his room before finding that he'd been left a message by the son of his estranged brother, but he decided to wait and return the call in the morning. Sheldon discovered that Emil's house lacked internet, cell phone service, snacks, and TV and wondered how he'd survive the summer. Emil left Sheldon to sleep in and had breakfast, he intended to finish working on his latest project and then maybe show Sheldon around town . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"The phone ringing startled him. He looked to see who was calling.

It was Rich.

He snatched up the receiver. "Good morning."

"Morning, um, did you get my message yesterday?" Rich asked, sounding uncomfortable.

"I did," Emil replied. "It was late when I did, though, so I figured I'd call you back today, but you beat me to it."

"Oh, um, well, I doubt you heard Dad passed," Rich said.

"No, I didn't," Emil said quietly, his shoulder sagging. Considering Henry had been eighty three, he wasn't surprised, but he was sad. "Was it peaceful?"

"Yep," Rich replied. "He's been gone a month already. I thought Mom might give you a call, Aunt Helen maybe, I guess everybody thought somebody else was going to."

Emil nodded. It wasn't the first time, unfortunately.

"Well, anyways, Mom moved into Kindersley close to Paul, so Debbie and I've been going through the yard and cleaning up some of the stuff Dad wouldn't let me get rid of for various reasons," Rich said. "And there's some old vehicles here, so I was wondering if you'd be interested in looking at them. There's a couple I wouldn't mind getting fixed up to keep, and I know one of Mark's girls is partial to Grandpa's old Dodge. I think she's interested in getting it fixed up for her wedding, even though she's not engaged yet. The rest you could just fix up and sell or whatever."

"I'll have to come by and take a look, probably after lunch," Emil said. "I've got a Chevy here that I've almost got back into shape, and I don't actually have a project waiting, so maybe I'll come see about one of those. You going to be around?"

"Yep," Rich replied. "Come by whenever."

"Alright, I will, and I'll bring my trailer just in case I find something worth starting on," Emil said. "I guess we'll see you later."

"See you then," Rich said.

Emil set the receiver down; despite his best efforts, tears spilled from his eyes.

Henry was gone.

Yes, it was no surprise, Henry was ten years his senior, and he wasn't exactly young anymore, but he'd wanted to make things right before Henry left, and Henry had never let him. Now they could never make right.

Emil made his way outside, where Chief was waiting for his breakfast. Sitting down on the step, Emil pulled Chief into his arms and sobbed against the big Lab's black coat.

All-too-clearly his mind replayed the footage: he and Henry, face-to-face, shouting thoughtless, angry, barbed words at each other, fists clenched at their sides.

He'd ended the argument by making a pompous and immature declaration befitting his then-eighteen years before storming off to his pickup truck and speeding off in a cloud of dust and gravel."