The Rehab Center

The wind was coming off the shore heavy that night so Harry had to pull up the collar on his jacket as he stepped out of his car. He made his way up the wooden steps above the restaurant and knocked on the door. He turned to look at the ocean while he waited. Perhaps this will go well, he thought as he watched the sea crash onto the sands. It has to.

Tom opened the door. He had on a white shirt with what appeared to be some sort of sauce spilled on it. He wore loose beige shorts and matching house slippers which dragged as he shuffled about. He was overweight and lived alone for the most part, his daughter came down to visit every few months. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting any visitors.

“Oh hello Harry,” he said. “Didn’t know you were coming by. C’mon in.”

Harry walked into Tom’s house. It smelled like fried fish and light beer mixed with the salt air. Familiar island smells to both men. They lived half a mile from each other on the beach road.

“You shoulda called Harry, I woulda brought up some more Mahi and fried you some up too,” John said.

“No, that’s alright Tom,” Harry said, “I ate just before I came over here.”

“Oh, Okay. Well, have a seat, bud. There ya go. What can I do ya for? How ya been? You want a beer?”

“I’m just fine Tom and I’m sorry to come over here unannounced.”

“Oh that’s alright, man, you know you’re always welcome. We were real busy today so I’m just unwinding is all.”

“I see,” Harry paused. “Tom I need to ask you a question because I’ve been hearing some rumors and I want to come to you directly about them.”

“Hearing rumors? What’s this about Harry?”

“Well, I heard that you and your sisters are going to be at the County Board of Directors meeting next week.”

“Yeah, Mary wants to go. There are a couple issues being discussed that she wants to listen to.”

“I heard she was also going to be doing some speaking as well.”

“Well you know Mary, she’ll probably have an opinion and speak her mind about something. She’s always been like that. Since we were youngins.”

“Yeah. I can see that.”

Harry leaned back in his chair. An old John Wayne movie was playing on the TV with the volume low. Next to the TV was a glass frame that held a replica of the guns John Wayne used in one of his movies.

“What is your problem with the rehab center Tom?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard you and your sisters are going to speak against us turning the motel into a rehab center. Is that true?”

“Well ya see Harry, how can I say this, Mary doesn’t think it will be good for business.”

“Good for business? This town is drowning with addicts. You know. It’s not the same as it was 15 years ago Tom. You see it.”

“I know, you’re right. I agree with you. A rehab center wouldn’t be a bad thing to have on the island. Lord knows we need it. I just don’t think that it will be good for business is all.”

“How do you figure that Tom? How is it going to affect your business in any way? It’s not going to have any effect on your customer base. You run a seafood restaurant across the street from the ocean. How will this affect you?”

“We just don’t think customers would like-”

“Stop saying ‘we’ Tom. I’m asking you. I’m asking you what your problem is. I don’t care what your sisters think. What is your problem?”

“I don’t want a bunch of goddamn junkies living down the street from my fucking house Harry,” Tom stood up. “No one does. Look I get it okay. We could use a rehab center here and I think it’s very admirable that you and Denise want to offer your place for it but no one wants to have a rehab center in the middle of the goddamn island across the street from the ocean in the middle of the fucking summer.”

Tom walked to the other side of the room and looked out the window. Harry could feel the emotions radiating off his body from across the room. He had never seen Tom like this before. Never seen an outburst from the man. He was not surprised though. Tom was a former Marine as was his late father who had a reputation around town as a hothead.

He stood up and began to button his jacket. Tom turned to him, slowly deflating.

“I expected more from you Tom. All these years we’ve known each other, helped each other, looked out for each other. I was hoping you would have had my back on this one.”

“It’s a great idea Harry, it really is. But it’s gunna kill the tourist industry. And that’s how we all live. C’mon, you know this. You know it is.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. Everybody wants a solution they just don’t want it in their backyard.”

“Did you ever consider asking your neighbors if they wanted it in their backyards? Because I’m not the only one ‘round here who feels this way.”

“You know what, I didn’t Tom. Your right, I didn’t. I thought people would appreciate someone willing to be a little proactive about the situation around here. My mistake. I also thought you would have the balls to say something to me about it before your fancy pants sister filed an official complaint with the Board for next week. Looks like I was wrong about that too.”

“Fuck you Harry.”

Harry made his way to the door. He opened it and stepped into the salt breeze. As he was going down the steps he heard Tom shout after him.

“You’re not going to win this, you know that right? Mary has too much pull on the Board and the folks around here don’t want it.”

Harry reached the bottom of the steps and turned to face Tom who was standing at the top of the steps now. Harry could feel the heat from Tom’s glare through the fierce sea breeze.

“You know, I’m really gunna miss your fish sandwiches Tom. Best thing your daddy ever invented.”

He got into his car and drove away. Leaving Tom out there on the porch glaring at him. Cold and alone.

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