Home Again: A Novel

By John Callahan

AN UNFORESEEN INCIDENT CAN HAPPEN AT
ANY TIME. IT CAN CAUSE DRAMATIC LIFESTYLE
CHANGES AND IS DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT FOR THE
PERSON IT AFFECTS THE MOST.

JJ returned from LSU to Walnut Cove. The place he was born and raised. Unsure of his life’s plans he sought the counsel of his father. Shortly thereafter his parents were killed in a tragic accident. In his grief, JJ chose to leave his beloved home in the middle of the night without telling his high school friends he was leaving.

Many decades passed before JJ would come home to Walnut Cove. This time he was home for good.

HOME AGAIN…is a page-turner, filled with action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665537858

John Callahan

John Callahan (1951–2010) was a nationally syndicated cartoonist known for his frank portrayals of challenging subjects, in particular disability. Callahan, who became a quadriplegic following a car accident at age twenty-one, drew cartoons that touched upon addiction, ableism, and the absurd. He was the creator of the Nickelodeon cartoon Pelswick.

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© 2021 John (Jack) Callahan. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/16/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3783-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3784-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-3785-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021918796

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter…1

Chapter…2

Chapter…3

Chapter…4

Chapter…5

Chapter…6

Chapter…7

Chapter…8

Chapter…9

Chapter…10

Chapter…11

Chapter…12

Chapter…13

Chapter…14

Chapter…15

Chapter…16

Chapter…17

Chapter…18

Chapter…19

Chapter…20

Chapter…21

Chapter…22

Chapter…23

Chapter…24

Chapter…25

Chapter…26

Chapter…27

Chapter…28

Chapter…29

Chapter…30

Chapter…31

Dedicated with Love

to my wife, Frances, my sons, and my extended Family.

CHAPTER…1

JJ stepped off the bus. It was 1:00 am. He looked down the empty main street of Walnut Cove. He stood near the bench outside the bus station for a time feeling especially good for arriving home again. His yearning to be home again where he was born and raised now filled his spirit.

The usual morning fog hung low and the chill of the night remained, causing JJ to pull his collar closer around his neck and ears to ward off the thirty-degree chill.

After five years of living in dozens of European countries JJ had returned home to Walnut Cove, a place he’d thought about so often during his extensive travels. When he left Walnut Cove he couldn’t wait to get out on the road and away from this small Cove and now, he’d found his way home again with the desire to satisfy his longing for the simple hometown life.

It was a sad time when I left Walnut Cove because the two most important people in my life had passed. I wonder how much life in Walnut Cove has changed since I’ve been gone? I can’t wait to hang out with my high school friends again, providing they’re still living at the Cove. I wonder what changes I can expect? Has the wanderlust that controlled my life for years satisfied me for a while, and if so, can I be happy living in the family home my parents loved and lived in their whole life?

A smile crept across JJ’s face. Unanswered questions flowed randomly through his thoughts as he stared down the unlit main street of Walnut Cove.

He slung his backpack over his shoulders and walked down the deserted street. Several empty storefronts displayed for-rent signs in the windows. The bookstore, his favorite, was empty, the hardware store he remembered so well was also closed, and the sporting goods store his father loved so much was empty too. A sense of remorse ran unhindered throughout his body causing him to shiver.

Walnut Cove was a small community, clinging to the sometimes-angry Atlantic Ocean on the East, and spreading up rolling hills on the West.

During the summer months from June to September, the Cove came alive with tourists anxious to experience the charm of this small village, which kept the Cove from shuttering its doors altogether. When he left, a number of the storeowners were beyond their years, and perhaps their children didn’t want to take over their family business. These were the first indicators things had significantly changed since he left the Cove five plus years earlier.

As JJ rounded the corner he picked up his pace and approached the family home where his mother and dad had lived for over fifty years. He approached the New England style house, weathered by countless difficult winters. When JJ left for college he vowed not to return home to live his life in this small community, but here he was returning home once again, and being happy to do so. Only this time, he would be alone, because all of his family had passed.

The same dimly lit streetlight JJ had viewed zillions of times from his bedroom window hadn’t changed. It still hung loosely by a single wire clinging to the telephone pole outside his bedroom window since his early childhood. During his teen years he would often wake in the middle of the night, look out the window at the streetlight, and make up stories about traveling throughout the world. When he couldn’t sleep due to his curious mind, a mind he couldn’t find a way to calm, he would look out his bedroom window and envision if he were lost, the streetlight would be a beacon to guide his way home again.

Now, it dimly lit the front door enough so he could put the key into the door lock. He turned the key, then hesitated…this was the moment he so often thought about during his extended travels… and now…he was home again.

His parents were killed in an automobile accident, and when that happened JJ couldn’t stay in the boyhood home his parents loved so much. He felt responsible for their deaths because on that blustery rainy night he’d encouraged them to go out to dinner to celebrate their 60thwedding anniversary regardless of the predicted foul weather. On the way home from the restaurant they were both killed in a traffic accident. He considered the accident to be his fault because his parents wouldn’t normally drive when the weather was bad. His close friends tried without success to persuade him not to shoulder the blame, but it was to no avail. During the following year JJ tried to forgive himself, but his efforts were never enough to soothe his grieving heart and to put the tragic accident behind him once and for all.

He stepped inside, his fingers searching his satchel for a flashlight. He turned it on and looked around the living room. The stale air of the closed house rushed to fill his nostrils. He strode quickly to the nearest window to fling it open, even though it was in the low 30’s outside. The electricity had been turned off all the time he was gone. He shone his flashlight around the living and the dining room. He walked into the small kitchen and looked around. A smile crept across his face as he recalled his mother’s greetings when he entered the kitchen area. The kitchen was his mother’s castle. After each meal she wiped each counter with loving care until it shined brightly. These were the times he’d so often recalled during his travels, and now, he was home again to enjoy the memories he so often experienced during his growing years.

His parents loved their home and took excellent care of it. Now, they were gone, and it was up to him to care for the home and yard as his father and mother had done so diligently for so many years.

JJ walked up the stairs he’d taken in stride when he was in high school. He opened the door to his bedroom to view the many trophies he fought so hard to win. He fingered the trophies one by one while recalling the ceremonies when he was awarded them. He felt his well-worn mattress and sat down on it to take in the room filled with memories. He looked out the window to see the streetlight once again, causing him to sigh deeply. When he left for college he hadn’t returned home to stay, but his visits were only for very brief periods until his plans became forged enough for him to have the courage to tell his parents he was unhappy living in this small Cove alongside the angry Atlantic Ocean, a Cove that became a beehive of activity for only a few summer months a year.

When JJ was sixteen, his brother of twelve died in a drowning accident, and after the accident his parents were never the same. They became overly protective of him, which bothered JJ very much. For years JJ’s parents never forgave themselves for their son’s loss. They weren’t to blame for the accident; however, they shouldered the blame for allowing him to go with the neighbor’s family on that hot summer day.

JJ went downstairs and closed the front door behind him and turned the key to lock in the memories of his youthful life. The many years of happiness sprinkled with hard times rushed to fill his mind.

He couldn’t stay the night with the gas and electricity turned off. He’d come home in haste from the bus station to refresh and lock in his childhood memories he’d recalled so vividly while away. He sighed deeply to relieve his mind and tightened muscles. At last, he was home again in Walnut Cove, but the question that bothered him the most was, could he be happy living in this small community he chose to leave so many years ago?

Why have I returned home? I don’t know if I can live with the unpleasant memories of the past. Yes, there were good times, many of them, and yet, why have I returned home to relive the unpleasant ones too?

JJ, his body drained with the rush to get home again, was unsure if he wanted to stay or not. Indecision rushed wildly through his mind like a herd of buffalos on a rampage.

He leaned against the well-worn front door— a door he’d varnished numerous times to ward off the winter weather. He was home once again, but could he stay? He pondered that very question for some time before removing the key from the unkempt weathered door.

He hadn’t meant to stay away so long, but somehow he hadn’t found the courage to return home. He used the urgency of his work as an excuse to keep him away, but for some unknown reason the urge to return to his family home had overpowered any reason he could muster for not coming home once again. Somehow, this walk-through of the family home had quelled his immediate desire to be in his childhood home. Now, he was questioning if he wanted to stay or leave the Cove altogether.

Undecided, and angry for thinking that way, JJ walked down the deserted street to the bus station. He fought with himself not to get on a bus going somewhere and away from Walnut Cove; instead, he picked up his backpack and walked down the block to a dimly lit motel. His frustrations about staying were now settled. He’d made up his mind to stay in Walnut Cove, at least for a while. His mind wondered about his close high school friends and his football buddies. Could they still be living in Walnut Cove, and if so, would he be able to share the joys of football he still held close to his heart?

JJ rose early and peered out of the small bedroom window of the motel. He viewed the main street of Walnut Cove. He recalled the tourist-filled streets, and then thought about the cold snowy days of his childhood. After showering, he walked down the street to the local diner. He sat at the end of the counter and looked around to see if he recognized anyone. The waitress approached and curiously looked at him for several moments.

Jason Moore? Is it really you? You’re back in Walnut Cove?

JJ looked up from the menu and their eyes met. Marge Hammer, his former girlfriend, and constant companion in his early years of high school smiled widely at him. Her smile was as radiant as ever.

Yeah, it’s me. He replied with a crooked smile. But don’t call me Jason any longer. Please call me JJ. I don’t know where my parents ever came up with that nonsense Jason name, but I ditched it when I left for LSU. I’ve been going by JJ since college.

Oh! Changed your name too? I’ll have to remember that. Okay JJ it is, where have you been and why have you returned after all of these years? Are you planning to stay in Walnut Cove for a while?

Whoa! You’re getting way ahead of me. I have no plans other than to stay for a while. I’d like to order because I have a busy day ahead of me. The family house needs fixing up, and I need to get around the Cove to see what has changed since my leaving. Maybe we can get together later in the week, or sometime soon to talk about old times. I see you are wearing a wedding ring. Who is the lucky guy?

It’s Raymond Watford. We’ve been married close to four years now. You left town without a word with me. I know you were troubled with your parent’s accident, and you and Janice were super close at the time, but when you left without a word with me, it hurt my feelings, you know. For a while, Janice kept talking about you and her getting hitched and having a flock of kids, but she got married within months after you left. Were you running away from our Cove, Janice, me, or was there another reason?

Dial down the questions, will you? Either I can’t answer them or I don’t want to. Running away, maybe. I wasn’t running to something, or not running away to just run away. It’s something I can’t explain. It was a restless time for me, and I was at odds with myself. It was a tough decision for me to make at the time. It could be that Jerry at the grocery wanted to put me in charge of the store, which would keep me at the Cove forever. At the time, life at the Cove was not enough for me. I was looking for something different, that’s it, something different. Truthfully, I found life is about the same no matter where you pitch your tent. I’m pleased you found a good guy to marry. I haven’t dated for some time now. I need to eat and run. Is Andrew still working for the Gas and Electric? I need to get the house in shape to move in, and the first thing is to get the electricity and gas turned on.

Andrew runs the whole show now. You have a lot of catching up to do. Most of our high school friends have married or left the Cove. Here’s your food, I have other customers to care for. I’ll write my cell on the back of your receipt, so be sure to call me. It would be nice for you to visit Raymond and me, that’s if you’re going to stay for a while. If you’re going to leave right away again, then forget it.

We’ll see. I’m a loose penny for the time being. No guarantees of what I’ll do.

That’s you through and through, isn’t it JJ? Ever since you left for LSU you haven’t been truthful with me. You’ve been gone for almost six years and I didn’t know if you were alive or dead. I bet you didn’t think of me once after you left.

JJ sighed deeply. He wanted to leave immediately to get away from Marge’s barrage of questions, questions he didn’t care to answer, or ones he didn’t know how to answer. Since being gone, he’d answered to no one, and that was how he chose to live his life. He laid his fork in his half-filled plate, looked at Marge directly, and answered.

Promise, we’ll get together. It’s good to see you again. JJ left the diner with remorse about the heated interchange with Marge. True, he’d left behind angry Cove friends, people who had strong feelings for him, and now he’d have to mend those feelings or leave the Cove once again.

He walked to the Gas and Electric office while thinking about how he could have handled the conversation with Marge differently. He would have to prepare a dialogue of answers for his friends’ future questions about his past five years and reasons why he left the Cove in the middle of the night without saying goodbye to anyone, even his closest friends.

He entered the Gas and Electric building and walked to the receptionist counter and asked to see Andrew.

Hi, my name is Sarah. Are you new in town?

JJ laughed. Do you know everyone who lives in the Cove? I’m here to see Andrew. He and I used to play high school football ages ago.

It’s the first door on the left. He’s always the first one here in the morning. Sometimes he is grumpy and you better hope this isn’t one of those days.

That doesn’t sound like the Andrew I know. He was some football player. He was never late, and never missed a practice or a game in all of his years in high school. He was one of the few who loved the game more than me, JJ chuckled just thinking about their relationship.

JJ opened the door and Andrew looked up. Jason, it’s you! He shouted loudly and rushed to hug him.

God, it’s good to see you. How long has it been?

The years do fly by, don’t they? I left for Auburn and you went to LSU. In the years I played for Auburn we didn’t get to play LSU. I got injured my senior year and didn’t get to play in the final game against Alabama. That was my only regret. I kept track of your LSU team for a while, but I never heard your name mentioned."

I left LSU in my third year. The coach and I got into a tiff about how hard I was practicing. I quit, lost interest in my subjects, got restless, and haven’t been able to find anything to satisfy me like football did in the good old high school days. I’m here to get my utilities turned on. I plan to be in town for a while and maybe we can get together later in the week to talk about our glorious high school days. I plan to live in the Cove for a while.

Let me look at your house file. If I remember correctly it is 1512 Seacrest, right? What have we here? There’s a note on your card. We need to discuss the utility bill on your parents’ house. I can’t turn it on until the delinquent bills are taken care of. Maybe you could help with bringing the account current. On second thought— I’ll break the policy and get it turned on first thing this morning. You see, I’m in charge and I make my own rules, Andrew grinned widely.

You’re right on. I’m surprised you recalled my parents’ home so quickly.

We used to hang around there all of the time. Let’s see, what do we have here? It seems you left town without paying the last 60 days. What happened? So many of our friends said you left without saying goodbye to anyone.

My thinking was all screwed up. I have the money to make it right. I’ll bring it in tomorrow. It’s not like you to break one of the rules even for an old friend like me, JJ snickered.

That’s good enough for me. Let me punch it in. It is $950 dollars. I’ll make arrangements to get a service guy out there first thing today.

I’ll be in tomorrow to pay all of the arrears.

Good. I’m glad we got that behind us. I’d like to catch up. Here’s my cell number. Football season is in full throttle and I teach the kids now. I can’t get football out of my system, he chuckled. Also, I’m married so I have to get permission to have a night out, he laughed.

Don’t tell me. You married Mary Kay. Am I right?

You’re right on. She was my high school sweetheart and I couldn’t get her out of my system. I met several really nice girls at Auburn, but it never stuck. We have a boy and girl now and they are a handful. Promise you’ll call me. Here’s my card with my home phone number on it.

Promise. I have to get settled in, and then I’ll be in touch.

JJ left the Gas and Electric office feeling good after seeing his very close friend Andrew again. He and Andrew had been the closest of friends in high school. They lived, talked and acted football. JJ walked out to the street with a smile. It was good to see his high school buddy. He now realized he had shunned his high school friends in his despair about his parents being killed. Without realizing it, he’d drawn within himself only to leave the Cove in the middle of the night without telling anyone he was leaving, or how long he would be gone. Since, he hadn’t communicated with any of his high school friends during his absence, except for a short time with Janice.

JJ, filled with energy and a renewed spirit, vacuumed the living room floor, couch and chairs, and wiped down the shutters. It was then he realized some of the furniture his father handmade for the family was missing. When he was younger it was his daily job to wipe down the shutters. Father had always assigned chores for him to do daily. He smiled just remembering those days.

JJ opened the kitchen cupboard doors to see what was needed. The cupboards were mostly empty. It was then he recalled his parents had been living on their Social Security income for several years before the accident, and they were constantly short of money. Just out of college he offered his dad his small savings, but being the proud man his father was, he refused it. The large dining room table and his mother’s favorite rocking chair were gone. He remembered the many hours his father labored in the garage making those special items for the family. When they sat at the living room table for Sunday dinner, father would always mention how much work it had been to finish the table and six chairs. The rocking chair was one of his father’s prize accomplishments, and mother always glowed when she sat in it after finishing the dinner dishes.

He walked out into the garage and all of Dad’s tools were missing. It doesn’t make sense, unless Dad sold them to pay some of the bills, JJ reflected.

JJ made a grocery list and walked two blocks to the grocery store. He stopped in the parking lot and looked at the badly worn store front. Nothing had changed since he was in high school. He grabbed a cart and entered the front door and was immediately greeted by Jerry, his former boss, standing at the cash register.

Well, I’ll be darned if it isn’t the traveling one. Knock me over with a feather if it isn’t my favorite helper. Are you home for a while, or just long enough to sell the family home?

It’s strange you would ask me a question like that. I just arrived last night. What makes you think I would sell the family home and leave again?

Didn’t mean to offend you. Just a random thought. You’re the traveling kind since you left for college, and you don’t keep your feet planted very long in one place, right?

It just might be that you have me figured out all wrong.

When you left for college I asked your father if you would be coming home to live at the Cove after graduation, and he shook his head and said he doubted it because you had a restless soul.

He said that, did he? Dad and I never discussed my future plans. It’s funny he would discuss something so personal with someone outside the family. It wasn’t his nature to do so.

When you left for college your dad found it hard to discuss anything about you. It was like you would never return to the Cove.

"I don’t have any plans as yet. However, it does feel good to walk the streets of Walnut Cove once again.