Last Clash

Fated Day

A beautiful midsummer's day. The family get together at Bub's house was the biggest we had in a long time. There must have been almost fifty people there. Most sitting around the backyard in those folding camp chairs. Both grills and smokers are going. The older kids and younger adults are playing kickball, while the younger kids ride their scooters up and down the sidewalk. Bub's ol' lady is walking around making sure everyone who wants a drink has one, while flipping through her phone looking for the perfect song to play on the tower speakers. 

Bub and I man the grills just feet away from three large coolers full of just about anything you could want. Inside are the makings for any specialty drink you could imagine. My grill has the burgers, brats, and hotdogs. Bub is keeping the steaks and ribs on his grill. I guess he still doesn't trust me not to over 'sample' the real meats. Stab a guy with a fork and he'll never let you forget it. Those pork tenderloins and that beef brisket are smelling great in the smokers. Inside is all the fixings a family could eat. Banquet 'da Bubby' style. 

We've got cold beers in one hand, sweet cigars in the other. Days like this don't come around often enough. Despite the overflowing house, everyone is getting along great. That gentle breeze pouring through the yard makes us stop and soak it in for just a moment. Dad's over at the picnic tables telling everyone about the time he caught us sneaking in the house trying to run from the cops. Everyone loves the old crazy stories of when Bub and I were young and indestructible. Bub grabs a couple to man the grills so we can tell the tales ourselves. 

"Alright now, everyone gather up, supper is almost ready." Myrle calls out. As everyone gathers around the picnic tables he says, "We have just enough time for one story which would you like to hear?" "Tell about the time Uncle Joe threw you through the concrete wall." his oldest blurts. "How about loosing all those Mexicans our of the back of your truck heading over Salluda Hills." Alex suggest. "Hey we told them to sit down and hang on." Bub and I both chuckle. 

"What about what you did to that guy for shooting at Joe?" Evan adds. "Whoa," Myrle stops him, "I don't think the young ones are old enough for that story just yet." "We could always tell them about waking up in that old sycamore tree over the lake." Josh suggested. "How about we not make the women mad before dinner." Bub cut him off. "How about we simply tell one they haven't heard much of? Let's tell them the day we met and started all this." I suggested. "You mean old Sharon Hill?" Bub asked. "Yea, it's a nice little story that keeps us humble."

We weren't always so big. Matter of fact when we first met we were probably as short and skinny as Sissy there. You hear all the stories and see us now and it isn't so hard to believe, but we were that small when this started. Neither had much, I came from nowhere, had no real family and knew only hardships. Myrle moved here with five families in a little beat up shack. Most stayed in tents even in the dead of winter simply because there wasn't room enough for them. 

We didn't have nice things, Myrle had three pair of jeans and five shirts. Actually that was his Christmas present every year, clothes that fit. I didn't have all these nice toys like you do now. I had sticks, rocks, and dirt. I usually played monster truck till I got dirty enough for my next butt whoopin. There were nights if we didn't catch it and kill it we didn't eat. There wasn't always money for running to the store. It might have been a little harder back then, but we made due.

It was early winter, Myrle was climbing out the window to catch the bus because there were too many beds in the shack to open the door. When he got on the bus no one would give him a seat. I scooted over next to the window and told him he should sit while he could. Just two years before I was the new kid. So at school I introduced him to my friends, and they to theirs. Two years later and a baseball bat to the head and I finally earned my way into the family, and all this you see today is because two crazy kids met on a bus. "Just in time, supper is done." Abbie called out from by the grill with her ol' man. "Everyone bow your heads, lets pray and give thanks." Bub said.

After supper we were wrapped up in a game of squirt guns and water balloons with the kids while the ladies cleaned up. The sky suddenly darkened. There were countless birds filling up the sky all heading north. "Uh, hey bubby, is there supposed to be some massive storm or something?" "Not that I know of." "How about you get on your phone and check the radar right now. Kids, everyone inside right now." I hollered ushering them in. "The radar shows nothing at all." "Myrle, I have a terrible feeling about this. That's countless different species flying at once. They're running from something." 

Just then Myrle's phone began to ring. "It's my Unit." "Don't answer it." "I have to. Orders." Myrle answered the phone. "Hello, Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Right away Sir." He hung up the phone and our eyes locked. Thump, a bird landed almost directly in between us. Thump, Thump, birds of all kinds began raining our of the sky. Bub rushed inside, I chased after him, straight to his room as he already began packing. "Bub, don't do this." "There's been an incident in Georgia, I have four hours to report in." "I know the call I was in CERF-P. I'm telling you do not follow those orders." "It's in Georgia, everything will be fine." I pointed to the window and yelled, "Does that look like fucking Georgia to you?" Everyone started piling in the room trying to figure out what was going on. "Myrle, what's going on?" his ol' lady asked. "I just got called in I have four hours to report." "Bub, I'm telling you, whatever is going on is already here and now. Think of the family, we're stronger together." "I'm going to report in I'll let you know what I can as soon as I can." "Damnit Myrle, Your sense of duty is going to be our downfall." I yell at him as he is already loading up his truck.