Raised in the Era of Heroes and Cons
AMERICAN EULOGY
I never really expected this to happen.
Well, how could I?
I expected everything to be fine.
Instead, this happens.
I'm standing outside the building that Gloria apparently lives in with no real clue as to where my daughter is.
The morning started out alright if you leave out the whole fist fight Tunny and I got into.
I was still wary of him.
I mean, he had LIED TO ME for days. I wasn't sure what to think. At all.
But then he was taking me to Gloria's apartment, sure that Addie would be here with Gloria and that I could "kill two birds with one stone."
I'm assuming that one of those birds was actually Tunny playing match maker and expecting Gloria and I just to fall into each others arms and cry hysterically and be all mushy and shit.
I have to say that I didn't expect that to happen. I was pretty wary about Gloria as well. She made the choice of giving up our kid without coming back to talk to me about it. Not that I don't support her choice of doing so. I mean, we were kids and she was terrified, probably.
I'm all pro-choice. Don't you put me down.
And then we were there. And he was buzzing her apartment. And no one was answering. And I started to get scared. And he started to get nervous. And then things started to fall apart.
"Tunny, you told me that they were going to be here."
"Jimmy, calm down, they're around the city somewhere."
"Somewhere?"
"Ah...yeah. Just let me make a call. I think I know where she was supposed to be working today."
"You think?"
"Don't use that tone with me, James StClaire."
"My daughter is missing with someone that I haven't spoken to for 21 years who you promised would be in her apartment. I will use what tone I want to with you."
He just rolled his eyes at me as he keyed a number into his phone and stood there while his phone rang.
Meanwhile I was tearing my fucking hair out.
Addie was gone. Gone. Oh God. This was all my fault. All my fault. If I had closed that door this wouldn't have happened. If I had went out to look for her this wouldn't have happened. If I had went out to look for her this wouldn't have happened. We'd be back at Tunny's, eating pasta or something. I wouldn't be in the middle of New York City, trying to find her and the woman I've loved since 1989.
"Yeah, okay, thank you."
I watched Tunny hang up his phone.
"Well?"
"Stop pacing, you're making me nauseous. She isn't at her job for the day. I'll call her cell."
"Why didn't you do that first?"
"Because it's rude to call someone's cell when they're teaching a dance routine to sluts. Much more polite to call the building's phone to see if she can break for a moment. Now sit down and be a good, patient little 39-year-old."
"Fuck you."
"Gladly."
I glared at him as I sat down on the steps of Gloria's building. He just winked and turned away as he put his phone to his ear.
"Hey, Gloria. I was just wondering...bitch, where the hell are you?"
He paused.
"At the corner of where-what? No, you can't be there. There's this huge rally going-Oh God. Please don't tell me that-Oh. Shit. Yeah, we'll be there as soon as possible."
He hung up and lugged me to my feet.
"What's going on?"
"No time, we need to get there now."
"Get where!?"
"The corner of 3rd and 64th. They stumbled into a rally just as it was turning bad and now they're trapped in the crowd."
"Fuck-"
"That's not the worst part. Addie got separated and Gloria can't find her."
Oh dear God.
Sing us a song of the Century
It sings like American Eulogy
..................The dawn of my love and conspiracy
Forgotten hope and the class of '13
..................Tell me a story into that good night
..................Sing us a song for me
Well, how could I?
I expected everything to be fine.
Instead, this happens.
I'm standing outside the building that Gloria apparently lives in with no real clue as to where my daughter is.
The morning started out alright if you leave out the whole fist fight Tunny and I got into.
I was still wary of him.
I mean, he had LIED TO ME for days. I wasn't sure what to think. At all.
But then he was taking me to Gloria's apartment, sure that Addie would be here with Gloria and that I could "kill two birds with one stone."
I'm assuming that one of those birds was actually Tunny playing match maker and expecting Gloria and I just to fall into each others arms and cry hysterically and be all mushy and shit.
I have to say that I didn't expect that to happen. I was pretty wary about Gloria as well. She made the choice of giving up our kid without coming back to talk to me about it. Not that I don't support her choice of doing so. I mean, we were kids and she was terrified, probably.
I'm all pro-choice. Don't you put me down.
And then we were there. And he was buzzing her apartment. And no one was answering. And I started to get scared. And he started to get nervous. And then things started to fall apart.
"Tunny, you told me that they were going to be here."
"Jimmy, calm down, they're around the city somewhere."
"Somewhere?"
"Ah...yeah. Just let me make a call. I think I know where she was supposed to be working today."
"You think?"
"Don't use that tone with me, James StClaire."
"My daughter is missing with someone that I haven't spoken to for 21 years who you promised would be in her apartment. I will use what tone I want to with you."
He just rolled his eyes at me as he keyed a number into his phone and stood there while his phone rang.
Meanwhile I was tearing my fucking hair out.
Addie was gone. Gone. Oh God. This was all my fault. All my fault. If I had closed that door this wouldn't have happened. If I had went out to look for her this wouldn't have happened. If I had went out to look for her this wouldn't have happened. We'd be back at Tunny's, eating pasta or something. I wouldn't be in the middle of New York City, trying to find her and the woman I've loved since 1989.
"Yeah, okay, thank you."
I watched Tunny hang up his phone.
"Well?"
"Stop pacing, you're making me nauseous. She isn't at her job for the day. I'll call her cell."
"Why didn't you do that first?"
"Because it's rude to call someone's cell when they're teaching a dance routine to sluts. Much more polite to call the building's phone to see if she can break for a moment. Now sit down and be a good, patient little 39-year-old."
"Fuck you."
"Gladly."
I glared at him as I sat down on the steps of Gloria's building. He just winked and turned away as he put his phone to his ear.
"Hey, Gloria. I was just wondering...bitch, where the hell are you?"
He paused.
"At the corner of where-what? No, you can't be there. There's this huge rally going-Oh God. Please don't tell me that-Oh. Shit. Yeah, we'll be there as soon as possible."
He hung up and lugged me to my feet.
"What's going on?"
"No time, we need to get there now."
"Get where!?"
"The corner of 3rd and 64th. They stumbled into a rally just as it was turning bad and now they're trapped in the crowd."
"Fuck-"
"That's not the worst part. Addie got separated and Gloria can't find her."
Oh dear God.
Sing us a song of the Century
It sings like American Eulogy
..................The dawn of my love and conspiracy
Forgotten hope and the class of '13
..................Tell me a story into that good night
..................Sing us a song for me
♠ ♠ ♠
I don't know why it took me so long to write such a short chapter.I'm more for the next chapter. It makes me happy. I know you can't see me, but I'm smiling just thinking about it. (Which is probably weird-looking to people around me at the library.)
(Then again, it's no weirder that my almost laughing at silly things on Tumblr instead of posting this chapter [it's so addicting, ugh, I can't stop])