CB,
Your dad died most of 2 weeks ago. I don't want you to care too much about it. I sure as hell don't. Largely on account of he was a bastard. I had his body burned in Stockton. Used the money we had kept up in that coffee can in the kitchen. What was left after all he spent on the whores down in OJ, at least. Which is fine. I didn't really care that much about that. A man has his needs, I guess. In the end the whores weren't what just tipped me over so much as a few weeks ago when I got home and found Sandra's panties with the crotch ripped out of them and it was those panties that I'd gotten her for her birthday, I guess I probably didn't tell you about them, but I kind of wanted a pair for myself, and there was Sandra still in the things and he was just fucking her like a dog. I mean, a woman only has so much patience. What I'm saying by all this is just that nobody should worry much about him being gone. I threw his ashes in the dump behind the house. If you think they ought to be somewhere else, you can gather 'em easy enough. What the wind hasn't blown to hell, at least. Not like it's going to rain between now and ever, so that's nothing you've got to hurry about. He's on the side with that piece of shit tractor he bought and never fixed. The dogs are alright. I shot them over by the pasture. Their ghosts puffed up off them like two little clouds of cigarette smoke just how I knew would happen. They're running around the yard barking like normal, just they don't need to be fed no more. I'm sorry if you have trouble finding them out, I always could see that kind of thing a little better'n you ever could. If they aren't in the yard, it's a sure bet they're nested up under some cactus or other to keep out of the wind and dust. You only have to look a little extra careful with your eyes just so. Or let your hands down by your side and feel for the cold of their licks. I took the Buick. So don't worry about that, either. I got it pointed out there towards those moonlit ranges in the Bruiseless Kingdom. I used to dream those mountains late by whiskey light. I'm going out to them if I can figure the way how. For some crazy reason I used to think that I had some land promised me out there. I don't know where it is, though. Not just exactly. Only thing I'm sure of is it's not anywhere near here. One of these days, though, not too long off, I'll come and find you, too, maybe. Might be we can head out that way together.
Your mom,
KC