Solids & Stripes (cont'nd)

I take the sticks off the wall. I fumble one, and it flies out of my hands and hits Hap in the lip. I laugh, and Hap laughs too, and his smile cracks. Hap, have another swig of that whiskey, I say and swig my own. It looks like that's gonna hurt in the morning. Hap drinks and wipes his bloody mouth.

How you gonna handle that stick, I say and laugh a little and swig again. Hap looks at me funny and says, pool cue. I laugh and say, wow sorry Hap didn't mean to offend you. But Hap doesn't hear me. He is busy with the cue. He puts the cue in his left hand, and lets his cane drop. Hey careful with that cane, I say, a week went into that puppy. I'm a little sore. He's using some stick, some pool cue instead of that cane.

I'm dry, so I take Hap's tumbler and swig. But Hap's not minding me. He is standing at the end of the table, using the cue as a cane. His eyes focus on the dartboard in the back of the room. He shifts all his weight to his right leg. He lifts the cue.

A miracle, I say. Look Hap, no cane! I laugh. Hap lowers his gaze to the table. Hap breaks.

Artwork © Johny Day