A Short Story…
The Fugitive is what some friends called him; his real name is Frank. Frank was also frank about himself and his actions. At the age of forty he still had the body of a twenty year-old. He still exercised and ran a few miles almost every single day.
He had lost his wife in an automobile accident ten years ago, but was not interested in re-marrying. His friends had tried, but Frank just did what he could to help people. He had two children, a boy and a girl. Both recently married and Frank was pleased with his children and how they had turned out.
So, why was he called the “The Fugitive”? He faced problems and generally was successful in overcoming most of them. One that creep up on him was a football TV program he watched at the end of the last football season. Frank was at a local bar watching the game and the ads, and the entertainment. In between the singing by the latest recording star and commercials, Frank turned his head and took a few swallows of his beer mug. As he tipped it up he managed to see his son-in-law sitting with a couple of other young men fondling the women with them. While Frank’s friends continued to enjoy the game, Frank kept an eye on William, his son-in-law. By the end of the game, Frank quit bothering to watch the game; he kept an eye on William and his buddies. He held back his anger and his distress, but over-all he was sick.
Frank smiled and joked a bit with his friends, but he couldn’t get William out of his mind. After the game and the viewers in the bar started leaving, Frank said goodbye to his friends and drove away. He had finished up two bottles of beer in the first half of the game but finished off with coffee leaving him sober. On his way home, he kept seeing his daughter perhaps thoroughly throwing a fit if she found out about her husband and being saddened whole heartedly. His daughter’s home kept pulling him closer and finally he gave up and went to her home directly.
He got a nice hug from Janet as soon as she opened the door. She took him by the hand and pulled him into the living room where the TV was still blasting a wrap up of the game. When Janet’s husband saw Frank he jumped up and in two strides, came up to Frank and hugged him. Looking slightly confused Frank said “I thought I saw you at the bar for the game and some drinks. Hubby pulled back and then laughed, and said “You must have seen my brother. He just got back from an overseas tour. He couldn’t make the wedding, but his buddies grabbed him almost as soon as he stepped off the plane.
With the look of a stupid drunk, Frank started to laugh and then started telling his story of woe. All three broke down laughing and hugging. They all went crazy when the brother-in-law staggered in the front door.
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