Part V: Boy's Heart Breaks
I can’t do this anymore, Girl says through the phone. Boy’s stomach drops. He hears a voice call out flight details over an intercom. She’s in an airport. I’m going to stay with him. I love him, her voice cracks. She composes herself. Please, don’t call me again.
Ok, Boy says, I won’t… Good – Girl hangs up.
Bye, Boy finishes the word into a deaf phone. He tosses it on the dash.
Boy slows down and pulls off on the shoulder. He turns the car off. It’s silent other than the click of the blinker. He doesn’t notice it. He’s shaking.
He looks over to the empty passenger seat as though someone were there to comfort him. A car whooshes by. The force of it passes through him. He watches the car round the bend ahead then disappear.
He sees a hawk perched on a power line.
He thinks back on all the words shared. Words he had never heard from anyone before. Words he had never said to anyone before. Words shared out of desperation. Unreserved words. Unprotected words. Unreceived words. Words he spent like cash. Words burnt to ash. Words. So many words.
Boy’s heart quickens its pace. Each pulse pressurizes the emotions in his chest. He wipes a tear off his cheek and holds back the rest.
Boy sinks into the driver’s seat and calls Friend.
Ah, Friend sighs in sympathy, I’m sorry to hear that, man.
Thanks. Boy turns off the blinker. Another car passes by.
Where are you?
I just don’t get it.
It sounds like she changed her mind.
She lied to me, Boy says in an almost whisper.
Wasn’t she with that other guy for like five years? Friend attempts to put things into perspective. What did you think was going to happen?
Boy doesn’t respond. He watches the hawk take flight.
It’s ok to be sad about it, you know, Friend tries to console him.
Yeah… Well, hey, I gotta get back on the road. Thanks for talking. I’ll see ya. Boy hangs up.
He pulls out his notebook and scratches words onto the page.
Boy ignites the engine, puts the car in drive, and eases back out onto the highway. The moments he shared with her flash into his mind as he drives on. Her eyes. Her voice. Her warmth. The sunset. The kiss.
Nothing else could be said or done.
Boy weeps at the wheel.
Feelin’ Fine EP Update
We are 94% toward our goal of $7,300. We have four days left. If you want to contribute to the project, now is the time to do so. The campaign will stay open until 10am Tuesday morning. And know that if we exceed the goal all leftover funds will still go toward this project. So shake out the change from those old piggy banks. Every dime counts.
Thank you for helping bring Boy’s story to life through song. I hope those of you who have donated can feel proud of the contribution you’ve made.
And if you haven’t donated, well that’s ok, too. Your eyes and ears – your attention alone – encourages me to keep sharing this story. So thank you for reading these letters.
You will get to listen to the music very very soon. I can’t wait to share it with you all.
Well, this is the end of the Feelin’ Fine story. It’s a sad ending, but I can assure you that it turns out to be for the best.
Read the full story in the links below:
Part II: Boy Catches Up with Friend
You can find all of my letters here: caswell.substack.com.
For the next four days, you can put a dollar in the virtual jar here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/feelinfineep/caswell-lee-orr-feelin-fine-ep
Thank you for all of your support and for taking the time to read these letters.
Sincerely,
Caswell