“Sit down and talk for a minute,” the aging troubadour said.
“I’m in a rush,” Bean said.
“It’s the least you could do to keep me company for a second.
Especially since I’ve let you use my property as an escape route.”
Bean sat down. Could the blind guy help him escape?
“There’s something I want to tell you,” the rock star said.
“Okay,” Bean replied.
“I’m dying,” the man said. “My liver, of course.”
Bean took a sip of the beer. “Sorry,” he replied.
“That’s not what I wanted to tell you.”
“Sure.”
“I guess your parents told you that you were adopted,” he said.
“They never told me anything. I hated my parents. They hated
me.”
“Yeah. I understand why you feel that way. Folks can be real
bastards. Particularly your father,” He chuckled. “So, they never told
you who your real folks were.”
“How the fuck do you know so much about me?”
“Because I’ve been watching you your whole life. Or as much as
these eyes will let me. Because I’m your old man, Colin. The Biddens
adopted you because the state said I was an unfit father. Your mother
certainly was. She used to shoot heroin in her neck.”
“Uh huh,” Bean said, ”Daddy.” This nut couldn’t help him. But it
was worth a try. “Say, Pop. You think I could borrow the keys to the
car?”
“Sure, son,” he said, happy to use that word for the first time in
his life, “If you can start it. It hasn’t been driven in years. The keys are
under the floor mat.”
“Great,” Bean said and turned to go.
“One more thing, Colin,” the man said. Bean turned silently
around.
“Huh?” he said.
“I’m sorry.” He said. “I didn’t mean to bring you into this world.
It was an accident.”
“An accident,” Bean said.
“An accident,” he repeated.
“Boom,” said Bean.
“Boom boom,” the rock star chuckled again, recalling his brief
former glory. But that was not what Bean meant. It was not what the
rock star meant either. Bean sprinted to the garage.
ABYSSINIA
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