The Last Seat(pg.8)

     School graduation came with a flurry and I was ready for a change, 12 years in this system was far too long; we had field parties back then on private lands, and we all met up there after our graduation ceremony, it was far from town and we all drove in separate cars, we all drank from several spouts of kegs, we tipped our hats and our red cups and promised each other we'd make this world a better place than we found it, I even popped off a stolen quote from Dan Fogelberg the songwriter and artist as I raised my cup among a circle of true friends, "we drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast of time, reliving in our eloquence, another Auld Lang Sine," and that was the final chapter of high school. 
     I searched endlessly for a decent and better paying job than the miserable two I had, and let me tell you these were trying times, no jobs in the early '80s, but one day I met a brick mason who said he needed help, and the pay was better so I joined up with this backbreaking job. I still lived at home and that helped, but out of the blue Rusty called and said he got a decent paying job on the docks of the Ohio River as a ship welder and told me too he bought a brand new car. Rusty had a beautiful girlfriend who loved him back, and it seemed Rusty was living the good life at an early age and everything he touched was turning into gold, while I was poor as dump yard rat. 
     Time moved on, but on a strange Sunday night in February, Rusty called me and wanted to know if I would like to go clubbing in Louisville, I made no self-counseling with a quick reply, "no, I have to work tomorrow, I carry brick and hod and I don't have the money either." 
     "Ok brother, I'm off tomorrow, just thought you liked to get out of that house, love you brother," he said making me feel guilty. 
     "I love you too Rusty." I immediately replied back. 
     I hung the phone up thinking damn, I bet they have fun, but I can't show up at work hung over, so off to sleep I went. I awoke the following morning already hating my new job, but it paid the bills but I was almost out the door when the phone rang, so I answered, "hello?"
     "Hello, is Tim there?" the person on the other end said.
The voice sounded very familiar as I said, "this is he," still apprehensive going any further with more questions.
     "This is Tony!" he said, in relief.
     "Hey, Tony, how ya doing?" I said,  waiting for the real news.
     "Have you heard the news this morning?" Tony said very sadly.
     "News? It's 7:45 in the morning!" I screamed out. 
     "Rusty was killed last night in a car accident coming back from a club in Louisville," he said in solemn sadness. 
                                                                            8