Dear Readers,
After that serious talk with Pastor Kate I went out to see Bruce. He asked me if I could do him a favour.
I said sure and he asked if I could tell Pastor Kate something for him. I said sure and he said not to tell her this until the next day and I said sure again. He said to tell her he said thanks and that he was sorry he caused her trouble, but he wasn't worth throwing away her job. She was the pastor after all and that folks needed her.
I asked him "Why am I telling her this?" and he said he wasn't gonna be there to do it as he was gonna hop a train tonight, headed east. I asked him where he was gonna go and he said he was going home. I was amazed and he said he was never gonna touch a bottle again or lift a hand to no man again. He said he was gonna sit on his daughter's front porch and watch his grandbabies play in the yard. He said he'll get off the train and his kids are gonna be there with a sign written in markers saying "Welcome home dad" and then he'll be home. Wow!
I told him that sounded great and he thanked me for talking to him and that it was nice to get to know me. I told him the same and that I was gonna miss him. He said we'll all meet again and I said I hope so. He said hope was important, that it was the last thing you got. I told him to take care of himself and he said the same for me, remembering my name.
He said he'll be fine, that he was an old hand at this and maybe he was older than he shoulda ever got to, but he'll be fine. We said goodbye to each other and that was it.
Awww... this is so sad and bittersweet. I won't be chatting with Bruce anymore it looks like... but I'll still visit this area and think of him. Hope he'll be ok. I thought of telling Pastor Kate beforehand but she wasn't around.
Again I'm seeing similarities with Animal Crossing when a villager is about to move away!
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