The Dead and Dying
“If I’m honest, Ansel, I don’t want to care. I want to say I don’t care at all. Hearing you say this doesn’t bother me. My father being sick didn’t buckle my knees beneath me. Hearing he was alive did. Not because I’m happy. Because he doesn’t deserve it.”
Meet Franky
Franky is on the run
Father had prepared for this day. In the closet there is a loose floorboard. I use the palm of my hand to push the board a few millimeters to the side, and create enough space to get my thumbnail between them. I inch the board up just enough to get my fingers underneath, and I pull it up. Inside, there is a black duffle bag that father left for us. I unzip the bag and examine the contents. There are two flashlights, a rope, a knife, some dried fruit and nuts, and an envelope with three one dollar bills and a picture of Father, Joseph and myself. There is a small scrap of paper with one word on it: run. I replace the board, throw the bag over my shoulder, look at Joseph and say, “Time to go.”
His big eyes immediately answer my question, “Okay.”

