There were times afterward when Adam thought he had dreamed the whole Enid thing. But eventually things became clear. Jim returned to the city in a few years, minus jeans and black t-shirt. He repeated the events of Tamara's death.
Tamara died after crying to the sky. Adam remained overnight. He slept on the reclined seat of his dusty, duct-taped Plymouth Champ. Next day, they buried Tamara a few paces from where the fire was. Jim was oddly calm through the whole thing. When Adam asked questions, he offered no answers. Adam left with no sense he would ever see Jim any more.
"Do you remember how our friendship started," Jim said. They were now on the same bench they sat on five years earlier.
"Failed clerics, remember?"
Jim pulled from his knapsack a folded sheet with writing in ink on one side. He gave it to Adam.
"Read," he said.
Adam read aloud:
"I chose to die as I did. To choose one's death is a right.
"Jesus did not love children be…
Tamara died after crying to the sky. Adam remained overnight. He slept on the reclined seat of his dusty, duct-taped Plymouth Champ. Next day, they buried Tamara a few paces from where the fire was. Jim was oddly calm through the whole thing. When Adam asked questions, he offered no answers. Adam left with no sense he would ever see Jim any more.
"Do you remember how our friendship started," Jim said. They were now on the same bench they sat on five years earlier.
"Failed clerics, remember?"
Jim pulled from his knapsack a folded sheet with writing in ink on one side. He gave it to Adam.
"Read," he said.
Adam read aloud:
"I chose to die as I did. To choose one's death is a right.
"Jesus did not love children be…