The Other Side of Life

The room smelled of liquor and dank sweat as Travis T lay on his back. He stared at the ceiling with no particular thought running through his mind. The church bells ringing outside were the only reminder of what was to come. He would leave his home today and would start over again. A fear and uneasiness gnawed at him as the bells began to fade, Sitting up he watched the sunlight coming in from the curtains of the only window in the house. looking out the window he saw the old man sitting on the stoop with a familiar look of melancholy and exhaustion. Sweat poured from every surface in his body and stuck to his clothes. Watching him, Travis smiled and waved and in turn, the old man replied with a wistful smile,

“Today’s the day,” Travis said somberly.

“Today’s the day that will bring us change and maybe even a bit of happiness” the old man replied with a wide smile on his face. “

”Listen old man when we get there I’m going buy you some new clothes because what you’re wearing now brings shame on your poor mother.”

Sucking his teeth, he shook his head and replied, “My mother was a whore from Tijuana clothes were the least of her problems!”

“No matter though, who am I to refuse something as beautiful as a free gift? He added with a shrug

“Its going to be tough old men are you sure you’ll be able to make it?” Travis asked earnestly.

Looking up, the old man’s smile faded away again “don’t worry about me I’ll be fine just worry about yourself”.

Moving away from the window he reached into the tiny drawer beside him. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and tapped on the box until one came out. Placing it loosely between his lips, he lay down on his bed and watched the smoke rise from his mouth and form o circles in the air before gradually disappearing. Dozing off in the languid heat a dream began to play In his head. Wearing all white, the old man stood in front of him with a mournful look on his face he stood on a cliff overlooking a deep canyon and said with a quavering voice “I can’t I’m sorry” before jumping off into the bottomless abyss. Waking up Travis found himself shaking uncontrollably with beads of sweat forming on the top his nose, his heartbeat an erratic sound like a car crash incessantly repeated.
Gritting his teeth, he heard the old man scream “come on! It’s time!”
Picking up the bag of clothes under the bed, he walked to the door and looked at his room one last time and managed a weak smile before taking the cigarette, still in his mouth, and throwing it on the floor. Looking at the burning ash, he stomped it viciously leaving a permanent black spot on the floor the only sign that anyone had ever lived there.

Walking outside the sunlight blinded him for him a second and forced him to look down at the floor. Looking up he saw the old man leaning on the truck with his left shoulder. His eyes gray and his hair oily and Leaning the old man’s muscles or lacks thereof were on full display. “Ready old man?” asked travis with enthusiasm despite the paleness of his face and dryness in his mouth “As ready as I’ll ever be” responded the old man with a twinkle in his eye
“Lets just hope this piece of junk truck can make it” he added with a laugh.
The truck was a dark brown not from paint but from rust and in its wake metal shavings could be found along the streets it traveled .The windows were long gone replaced with garbage bags that gave off a ghostly waling sound whenever they drove. Travis attained it when walking home from work he saw a short doughy man kicking the car and screaming various obscenities. Keeping his head down he tried to avoid the sight but to his dismay, the man grabbed him by the shoulders and began to scream something unintelligibly to him trying to run the man’s grip tightened until he stopped screaming and his voice became a whisper “here! “Take it!” “This piece of shit car never done me good”
“just take it!” He said shoving the keys in travis’s pocket before walking away.
Sitting down the car seats felt as hard as concrete and with the engine roar bouncing them up and down they felt like jackhammers pounding away at the concrete .On the road, the rusty colored trunk chugged along at a slow pace giving Travis a chance to watch the desolate streets and say goodbye to all he knew. The trash piled high all across the streets gave the bitter odor of death and an unsavory feeling of misery permeated the air. The only sounds coming from the streets that of stray dogs barking at prowlers that only they could see. As the sun grew ever more intense, the old man’s neck burned a pale red and a sweat began moving down his spine; his old weary, scarred hands moved uncertainly and kept grasping at something not there.

Laughing dryly Travis shoke the old man and exclaimed “Ha!” “We’re here! And just think beyond this desolate desert lays our oasis”.

Nodding the old man sighed deeply and walked forward with Travis following in the back.

“What the first thing you’re going to do when you get there,” asked travis with a hoarse voice “the first thing I’d do would probably be to walk around and look at the sights” the old man answered .

“walk around?” “I would think that this would be all the walking we ever needed” Travis cried out pointing out at the horizon. “
”To each his own I guess” he added with a shake of his head.
The sun burned on and a silence built up. The old man’s walk lessened until he fell far behind travis. turning around travis watched the old man fall on his knees and his mouth word something he couldn’t understand. Knelling beside him, he listened for his final words .Whispering softly the old man said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it”.

Watching his eyes glaze over Travis exclaimed, “It’s ok! At least you made you made it this far” “you’re a strong old man and I’m proud of you”.

The old man’s breaths became shallower and shallower until they stopped completely. Holding him, Travis watched, with a pained expression on his face, the color leave the old man’s face. Kissing him on his pale white cheek images flashed before him of the days he spent with the old man the laughter they had shared and the troubles they had lived through. .Tears rolled down his face as he walked forward down the desert sands and the languid winds brushed against his face. He was alone and at the hands of fate and her every whim. Hours passed and the endless walk failed to end. His feet throbbed as he took each step. .Looking up he saw the sun begin to grow faint giving way to a bitter chill. The skies began to spin and soon lightheadedness overtook him. Looking at the sands they turned into dark masses, ready to swallow him completely, running he stumbled and fell face first into the sands leaving the taste of salt in his mouth. Shock overtook him as he stood up. Towering over him was a woman in all black with eyes shining blood red, and long flowing red hair. she spoke in soft flat voice “Come”. A cloud hung above her as she walked off into the distance in the dark and in exhaustion the colors seemed gray and foreboding .Following her his strength seemed to return and the despair he felt dissipated into a calm bliss. Stopping suddenly the woman in black turned around and brought Travis closer gripping him tightly by the shoulder with warmth he did not expect. To his amazement, beyond the horizon laid out in front of him stood the place where he had placed all his hopes and dreams.
“Who are you?” Travis asked suddenly in a gruff voice. Shrugging her shoulders, the woman in black just looked ahead with her eyes burning ruby red. The clouds above seemed to lighten and all that was left of the sky were the stars in their infinite numbers. “It doesn’t matter who I am” she replied in a light voice. Taking off her hood his heart began to pound again. Her face was a lucid color and her eyes no longer red but a muddy blue.
“Some call me death others call me the grim reaper but to you I am a guide to your little piece of heaven” as she spoke a chill ran up his spine.Looking up at the sky he noticed it a
Walking toward the light He smiled this was it the end of a long journey.