DEP POETRY
Small Town Reunion
A Second Chance with Alicia
Hudson entered his hometown
for his grandfather’s funeral.
He swore to God above
that he’d never return
to this small farming town
until the monster croaked.
And here he was.
Hudson waited at a stoplight,
drumming his fingers along
the steering wheel to ’90s pop.
The speakers bumped his rearview
mirror.
A glimpse of a side glance,
memorialized in a memory,
turned his head
and moved his eyes
to an open shame.
Red and white lit
a sign with movie titles
outlined white and black.
A grin tugged at the corner
of his mouth.
The thought of holding Alicia’s hand
took advantage of his crumbling facade.
People bought tickets
and paid for popcorn and drinks
at the counter.
Hudson glanced over his shoulder
and hit his blinker to turn left.
The light turned green,
and Hudson took a detour
and found the only vacant space
in the parking lot.
He put the car in park.
Hudson rolled down his window
and smoked a death stick.
He threw his right arm around
the tan passenger seat.
He turned up the classic
R&B that floated through
the speakers.
Hudson’s phone buzzed.
He unlocked it to read the notification.
A smile danced on his lips before
a tear reached his chin.
“Excuse me, sir,” a voice said.
Hudson put out his smoke. “Yes?”
“There’s no smoking here.” Her emerald eyes spoke volumes.
“I was coming to bury my grandfather,” Hudson said. “I wasn’t ready to visit Mom’s for the night.”
“Hudson?” She narrowed both eyes, playing with her hands.
“Alicia?” He arched a brow.
“I bought the place,” she said.
“You didn’t go to Yale?” Hudson said.
Alicia laughed. “God no. Dad left with some woman in Florida.”
“I’m sorry.”
Alicia batted away the empathy. “Don’t be. Our lives improved the moment he took a one-way trip down south.”
“They still together?” Hudson pried.
“No,” Alicia said. “He told Mom leaving us wasn’t the best decision.”
“He made a big mistake.”
“Hey.” Alicia’s eyes lit up. “I have a spare room, why don’t you stay the night?”
“We haven’t talked in four years,” Hudson said.
“Come on.” Alicia put her hand to her chest. “It’s me. We dated throughout high school.”
“Don’t remind me,” he said.
“And you still can’t get me off your mind.”
“Why do you say that?” Confusion flickered in his eyes.
Alicia moved to the passenger door and slid in to warm the cold seat.
“What are you doing out here, anyway?” he said, looking around.
“You post way too much of your life online,” she said and smiled.
“You knew this was my car,” Hudson said, nodding that he might scale back his use of social media.
“I mean,” Alicia said, “someone could stalk you.” She shifted in her seat and started smoking a cigarette.
“I thought you said…”
“I just wanted to taste your lips again.”
Hudson blushed. “You really like this town.”
“I couldn’t picture myself living anywhere else.”
“I debated coming back, too.”
“Why?” Alicia’s voice tinted with surprise.
“You post way too much on social media,” he said.
Alicia tucked her long, dark bangs behind her ear and blushed.
“I’m sorry about your grandfather,” she said.
Hudson pressed his lips together. “I got a text a minute ago.”
“And?”
“They buried him yesterday.” Hudson closed his lids, but a downpour of tears trailed his face.
An awkward silence hung for a moment.
“I’m so sorry,” Alicia said, touching his arm.
“Granddad hurt my feelings as a kid,” he said. “I never felt good enough. Until a few months ago. We’d talk about politics and religion. We’d disagree, but I found the love in him that I’d missed as a kid.”
“My father has a firm here,” she said.
“What are you saying?”
“Stay,” she said. “Work for Dad.”
“I love the big city, but I’ll love life with you more.”
Alicia hugged him. “My dreams came true.”
“The death of a changed man is the birth of forever,” Hudson said.
(© 2024 AC)
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✍ — Published by Dr. Preeti Singh at Dancing Elephants Press. Click here for submission guidelines.
