Mama, We All Go To Hell
Memories That Won't Leave
"Train to Newark, New Jersey departing in three minutes" The speaker said in a robotic voice. Bob held on tight to the little girls hand. She shook, as a cold wind blew in their faces, she let go of his hand to wrap her arms around her body. She wore her favorite pink dress that daddy had bought her for her birthday only the previous week and her same old baby blue shoes with cats on them. They made their way slowly thought the crowds to the train.
"Katie?" Bob cried looking around for the small child. Who had disappeared from view. Scanning the crowd.
"Move, have you seen the little girl in pink?" He said to strangers, who were pushing him out of the way trying to get on the train, so they could go places, work, holiday, school. He looked back at the train which was now moving away. Bob sighed, and kicked a can, which rebounded off the wall and rolled towards the bookstore. He watched it roll away.
"Katie, where are you?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Why was life always hard on him?
"Did we miss our train" A voice said tugging at his long coat. He looked down into the girls eyes.
"Katie!, don't run off again! You had me worried. Yes we missed the train, because you ran off. Fuck" He swore, grabbing her arm.
"Sorry" She said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear her. He looked down at Katie tears dripped off her chin.
"I'm sorry baby, " He knelt down to her height and wiped her tears away "We can catch the next train, here, lets go buy you a book or something" He said kissing her cheek, taking her hand and walking into the book store. Katie after much pondering she chose, Milly and the Pirate Ship. Bob paid for the book, looking at the cash he had left was just enough for two more tickets. They were on a tight budget, but maybe Bob could get a job, and home-school Katie in where-ever they went, or maybe...No.
"Thanks!" She smiled up at him and went to sit in the corner and read. Bob took a seat next to her, and watched her run her tiny fingers across the words reading them out loud.
They caught the next train to New Jersey city, at nine in the morning. They got a cubicle to themselves, so Katie laid across one seat and slept peacefully. Bob watched her body slowly move in her sleep. She looked so small and fragile, he smiled to himself. And drifted away into his sleep.
"Bobbyyy" Slurred Mandy. Bob blew smoke into the air watching the sunset slowly fade away.
"Mandy darling" Ethan appeared with two more bottles of vodka in hand. He wore his jersey falling off one shoulder, and his hair combed back into a ponytail. He was taller than Bob and far more attractive, that's why all the ladies preferred him. They were the three best friends. Except, secretly, Bob and Ethan hated each other.
"Ethan! Vodka thank choo" She smiled. The strap on her dress fell down a bit revealing a little more skin. Bob tightened his jersey. Bob stayed sober. But he knew, Mandy had had at least seven beers.
"Mandy," Ethan said, glancing at Bob, pulling Mandy away a bit. "You know...I would love to..." His hand moved up her waist. Bob knew his tricks.
"Oo...geofff" She looked up, with a strange look in her eyes.
"No" He kissed her lips. Bob moved forward. But Ethan held his hand up to him, while kissing her more, moving his other hand under her dress.
"Get off her" Bob said clear and loudly. Mandy and Ethan broke apart, Ethan tried to pull her back, But Mandy pulled away more.
"Or what?" Ethan said smashing a glass bottle on the ground of the deserted car park. Bob moved forward grabbing Ethan by the neck...
"Daddy?" A voice whispered in Bob's ear, He sat up quickly. Katie stood beside him with a tear stained face.
"Whats the matter?" Bob asked, recovering from his dream.
"You were screaming"
"Was i? I'm sorry, go back to sleep" Bob hugged her. He dimmed the light and listened as Katie tried to sleep. Bob rolled over on the seat and fixed his eyes on the roof. How come he could never forget that night?
"Katie?" Bob cried looking around for the small child. Who had disappeared from view. Scanning the crowd.
"Move, have you seen the little girl in pink?" He said to strangers, who were pushing him out of the way trying to get on the train, so they could go places, work, holiday, school. He looked back at the train which was now moving away. Bob sighed, and kicked a can, which rebounded off the wall and rolled towards the bookstore. He watched it roll away.
"Katie, where are you?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Why was life always hard on him?
"Did we miss our train" A voice said tugging at his long coat. He looked down into the girls eyes.
"Katie!, don't run off again! You had me worried. Yes we missed the train, because you ran off. Fuck" He swore, grabbing her arm.
"Sorry" She said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear her. He looked down at Katie tears dripped off her chin.
"I'm sorry baby, " He knelt down to her height and wiped her tears away "We can catch the next train, here, lets go buy you a book or something" He said kissing her cheek, taking her hand and walking into the book store. Katie after much pondering she chose, Milly and the Pirate Ship. Bob paid for the book, looking at the cash he had left was just enough for two more tickets. They were on a tight budget, but maybe Bob could get a job, and home-school Katie in where-ever they went, or maybe...No.
"Thanks!" She smiled up at him and went to sit in the corner and read. Bob took a seat next to her, and watched her run her tiny fingers across the words reading them out loud.
They caught the next train to New Jersey city, at nine in the morning. They got a cubicle to themselves, so Katie laid across one seat and slept peacefully. Bob watched her body slowly move in her sleep. She looked so small and fragile, he smiled to himself. And drifted away into his sleep.
"Bobbyyy" Slurred Mandy. Bob blew smoke into the air watching the sunset slowly fade away.
"Mandy darling" Ethan appeared with two more bottles of vodka in hand. He wore his jersey falling off one shoulder, and his hair combed back into a ponytail. He was taller than Bob and far more attractive, that's why all the ladies preferred him. They were the three best friends. Except, secretly, Bob and Ethan hated each other.
"Ethan! Vodka thank choo" She smiled. The strap on her dress fell down a bit revealing a little more skin. Bob tightened his jersey. Bob stayed sober. But he knew, Mandy had had at least seven beers.
"Mandy," Ethan said, glancing at Bob, pulling Mandy away a bit. "You know...I would love to..." His hand moved up her waist. Bob knew his tricks.
"Oo...geofff" She looked up, with a strange look in her eyes.
"No" He kissed her lips. Bob moved forward. But Ethan held his hand up to him, while kissing her more, moving his other hand under her dress.
"Get off her" Bob said clear and loudly. Mandy and Ethan broke apart, Ethan tried to pull her back, But Mandy pulled away more.
"Or what?" Ethan said smashing a glass bottle on the ground of the deserted car park. Bob moved forward grabbing Ethan by the neck...
"Daddy?" A voice whispered in Bob's ear, He sat up quickly. Katie stood beside him with a tear stained face.
"Whats the matter?" Bob asked, recovering from his dream.
"You were screaming"
"Was i? I'm sorry, go back to sleep" Bob hugged her. He dimmed the light and listened as Katie tried to sleep. Bob rolled over on the seat and fixed his eyes on the roof. How come he could never forget that night?