Daddy

"Seems like all the folks in the littl town I grew up in, seem to
spend their whole lives hiding their own secrets, and looking for
everyone else's."
A young girl narrates as the town comes into view.

It's a small filthy town, all dusty tracked roads and grimy buildings,
I used to think that the whole town was built out of dirt, like a bad
imitation of a sand castle. At the main junction on top of a pealing
painted building, a large happy face with its distinct bowler hat
turns, my watchman so I thought once upon a time. It advertises the
only ice cream parlour, long since forgotten and almost as dead as the
rest of this place. It looks out and over all the roads, with its
narrowing pathway's, that lead of to a collection of small shops, that
are in just as much disrepair as this one. The big-ballooned face
watches a slightly beat up Cadillac cruse down the only two way street,
in a northerly direction out towards where there is a scattering of
ranches.

"Muma says that daddy was always on 'Business Trips' to new
territories."

The fading blue Cadillac leaves its dust balled home well behind,
continuing its travels further out into, tyre rock marked roads, well
up into the mountains passes. As tangerined heat cools to vanilla
nights. Stars shine out across the oil pumps as they beat rhythmically
up and down to the chimes of the crickets playing in the scrub. The
stars move to the back of a small house, with its so-called road. Where
a Cadillac sits momentarily, purring along with the crisp sounds. The
man driving the car stares straight ahead, back towards the only way
out. He occasionally looks at his green suit and hat, to see if it's
gathered any dust, and with some pride, he admires his barely creased
suit that looks like it hardly had been worn, let alone lived in.
Beside his open window, stands a farm woman who has long black hair;
she holds her nightgown close to her chest, to keep the heat in and his
wondering eyes out. Leaning against his door she lets the breeze tangle
her hair some more before finally speaking.

'Are we all square naw Bob?'
Bob just looks straight ahead, and doesn't bother with eye
contact.
'Well yeh, until next months payment, I guess.' he replies starting up
his car, disturbing the patched shape mix of farm animals around him.
He begins to drive past the quiet oil pumps that have stopped for the
night, back towards his flat.

"Of corse he wasn't my real daddy."

* * *

"Bob was good lookin, charmin n lucky, but also cunnin n
selfish."

The dust kicked itself across the hood to gather at the edge of the
glass, Bob adjusted his rear mirror, and looked across his chiselled
face that was all brown, with a slight hint of brawn fading along with
his age. He smiled wickedly at his reflection, when he noticed a bright
light behind him getting ever closer and louder, it seemed to be making
some sort of whirring noise like a swarm of bees. For a moment he put
it down to some loon truck driver. Although it only had one light on.
Bob scowled, typical, it was most likely one of those damn bikers, that
were always speeding threw town, spilling up a lot more stuff than
blood. Bob carefully watched the solo light, realising that it was
coming up behind him pretty damn fast. He swerved from side to side to
try and shake it of. Fear started to set in. This light; this psycho
was getting way to close to him. He could feel its heat burn into the
back of his neck. Sweet beads dripped down, unstarching his collar. His
eyes darted back and forward, from the road ahead, to the light behind.
Now that he was paying attention to the light and taking in all of its
details, he started to notice that this intense light wasn't as he
first expected on the ground, but in fact. The shock hit him as
realisation sunk in. It wasn't on the road; it was hovering above it.
He jerked the steering wheel to try and get away from it; the craft
just passed over head. Bob tired to gain back some sort of control, as
the Cadillac snaked crazily across the road, to finally spin and hit a
telephone pole. The craft went on and to the left of the car, only to
come back in a slight curve with a loud thud.

"Muma said my real daddy was kind but quiet n funny lookin."

Bob shakily picked himself up, looked at his wreaked car. It was well
and truly wrapped around the pole. Damn, where was he going to get the
money to replace it, there was no chance that he could, it was a right
off. Bob cursed, as he held his head, feeling a bruise begging to grow.
There was nothing left to do, but head up towards where the light was
coming from. He took several runs at the ash-based hill, only to keep
sliding back again. The light from what, he could tell was coming from
somewhere over this ridge. He swore blind, as he got onto his hands and
knees, to make his way up towards the top. Feeling the grimy sand fill
his shoes and almost swallow his hands. 'This was his favourite suit,
and that was his only car, damn fine night.' Bob thought. Finally after
many a scrape and bruise, he reached the top, panting heavily, he
slouched and then eventually stood, to let the light from below him,
etch out his shadow against the night sky.

* * *

"She married Bob cause she thought Jesus would come into his
life."

Near the windowsill inside their apartment. Is a picture of a young
girl called Ella, with fair hair that contains white bows across her
jewel like face, her eyes are small and slit like, she is clung tightly
to her mother who is slender with fading red hair in its usual bee-hive
shape. That makes her look more like an upside down ice cream cone. She
looks beautiful in her flowery dress. Next to her is Bob who is barely
touching her, in his signature green suit, with his very square shaped
jaw. The hair he knows is slowly receding quietly under his hat. Bob
looks at the photo then out towards that grinning face that always
turning around stupidly.

"He kept his secret hidden away where not even my muma knew
about."

Bob hastily closed the roller blinds, checking the street and his own
reflection for any signs of life. A light pierces threw, making him
jump and his skin crawl, until it had passed by. He only turned back
once he felt it was safe to do so. Bob looked at a silvery pebbled
object sitting on his all too neat desk. It glinted of prospect and
promise, and he hoped it didn't smack of fool's gold. His eyes shining
back, as an evil smile broke across his face. Grinning at his new
prize, his new found treasure, and what it could possibly do for him.
Pawing it with a lot of curiosity, feeling its coldness prickle against
his skin.

"But the best thing though was if you handle them nicely, they would
bend like a blade of grass. But try to bully them forcefully they want
budge one inch."
"Muma said real daddy was like that."

Bob looked on in amazement as the silver pebble responded to his rare
delicate touch, watching it grow and shape itself. It began to feel
strange and unearthly, against his all too human hands. The pebble had
no switches that he could see or find, or any power source that he
could tell; it was a mystery to him. It was like someone was pouring
liquid into an invisible mould. The pebble crashed against his hands,
then bounced back, then up, then down. Bob twitched nervously, not
finding it at all a pleasurable feeling. He shook it angrily to try and
make it stop, and to try and shape it to the way he wanted it. It
responded in kind by staying the way it was. Angrily he slammed it
down. And walked away over to the window. He watched the pebble begin
again to reshape itself. It was bizarre watching it on the mahogany
table. This mercury object seemed to fuse itself to its own forms. Then
in that exact same breath it would change. It seemed to be moving to
unseen sounds and unseen strings that he couldn't quiet yet pull or
understand. That didn't matter as long as it worked for him when he
needed it. He must have been up all night as he could hear the distant
sound of the mill start up and filter threw the room, it produced a low
toned hum. Bob looked at the pebble, then at Ella with her jewel like
face. It seemed to be drawing his gaze to her in some way, like this
sound was drawing him back out towards where the crash site was. It was
now devoid of any light or any sings that anything untoward had
happened. He remembered how he had stumbled down the side of the hot
crater. The soil was turfed up like rich yolk, and scattered all around
where several big chunks of metal like the smashed Easter egg. They
seemed harsh and out of place as puddles on the ground. They stuck out
at strange angles, and he could see where it all had once joined up. He
traced the bolts across its seem, like a burst rag doll. Bob shock his
head. This thing was weird. With its jutting out shapes that were
deeply burred in the warm soil, it reminded him of ship wreaks under
the sea. Bob gasped for air, and gulped down the acrid smoke choking
slightly. Blinking like mad, he let his tears clean out his vision, and
then looked gleefully all around at the pebble shaped objects that were
all spilled out of the belly of the craft. A grin spread like the warm
fire around the dry bushes, fast furious and deadly. He chuckled to
himself. What a find what a find indeed. Bob snapped himself out of
that night a few days ago, and continued to watch the object with a
sense of new found pleasure.

"A lot of folk around here believe in magic of some kind or
another."
"Muma says that magic is just things we don't understand yet."

* * *

The day broke and Ella looked on with some patience from Bob's new
Cadillac. She could remember when he instead in talking them all out to
go buy a new one. A family day out he had said. The car was mint green,
the same colour as his new-fashioned suit. Ella was so bored that day,
very bored looking at cars. She didn't understand how her mother could
put up with his constant talking; it seemed to drain the life out of
her. Bob of corse got the best deal, knowing how to manipulate the
sales man. Who she had to admit had a quirky look on his face once the
deal was done, the realisation setting into his eyes as he figured out
that he had been short changed. That was why she was now sitting in his
car, he had instead on taking her out, to teach her the ropes, he had
said to her mother. She couldn't believe it, her mother was of corse
ecstatic about it, she on the other hand had her reservations, and it
was unlike him to even acknowledge her, let alone take her along for a
ride. At the moment she could clearly see him approach another white
picketed fence with its usual assortment of buses and flowers. Ella had
given up figuring out what variety the bushes and flowers where in
these gardens. Which were very bright and green. She found it strange
and a little unsettling that they were so far out of town, this road
that she was on was tarmaced, a new thing for her to see, as she
watched its oily blackness zip by. Bob had used Ella at the last few
houses, the people whom answered, seemed to open up much better to her
than him. With her strange shaped head and weird eyes, it started to
bug him how she looked at him with such patience, like she was weighing
him up. It reminded him of his pebble. His new found treasure that he
held tightly. The more he seemed to squeeze it, the more power and
comfort it gave him. The strangest thing though was when he held it,
like this in a loving way; it seemed to respond to his kindness by
increasing its heat and warmth. Which was a welcome to his hand, and
much more comforting than holding onto that girl. Bob couldn't put his
finger on it, but when he used her to get into people's house, the
pebble that at the time rested in his pocket seemed to respond to her
better. It made him all that more nervous, so he left her in his car,
it wasn't like she could do any damage in there. He thought he knew by
now how to use the pebble to his best advantage. He approached the door
and removed his hat, rang the doorbell.

"Bob quickly became the top door-to-door sales man in this
county."

A woman of the house answered, she looked stunning decked out all in
black. Bob slowly admired her curves, lapping up all the lumps and
bumps, licking his lips hungrily. He began to twitch his hat around its
brim. It didn't matter how much luck and power restated in his pocket.
The first minute of an open door from a customer either made you or
broke you. Mind you if he was unsuccessful in this deal. He could
always fall back on his charm.

"Because Bob believed in himself, other people him, that's how it
works."
"Old Bob was never short of confidence."

He greeted the woman with a knowing smile. He could feel the power
serge threw him, he knew that he'd not only complete his business, he'd
also get some pleasure. He tapped his pocket in thanks. Thinking that
he felt it respond back. Damn this couldn't get any better. He'd
successfully clinched so many more deals, now that he had his new lucky
charm. He had Upgraded his car, and his suit. And now he was going to
bag a few more towns, then states. He knew with this object that he
could take on any state. And that he could demand any price for his
wage. Greed glinted in his eye, along with his a hint of lust.

'Ok Mr Harley is a good customer and I like you.'
Bob blurted out his over done speech. The door opened up wider, result
thought Bob, he was in, and he intend to use it well. She charmingly
smiled back, closing the door behind her.

"He was never short of horse shit either."

Night fell and Ella woke up rather stiff and aching, whatever anyone
said you couldn't sleep in a car. She could clearly see threw drawn
netted curtains, the familiar shape of Bob, still with his hat on. It
was so typical of him to still be wearing his hat. And for him to be
holding another woman in a tango like hold kissing her a long goodbye.
These deals thought Bob insured that they moved up and out. Out of that
crummy flat, where he was only ever a hairs breath away from that girl.
They were moving up to where there were real streets, with pavements
and white fences, like this one. No one would stop him and take that
away.

* * *

"In our new neighbourhood there were a lot of prowlers."

There new house was huge far to big for all of them but anything was
better than the apartment they used to have. At least it had a garden
instead of dead end streets that had nothing more than dust to play
with. She missed her ballooned face man, on her favourite store. Bob on
the other hand thought that he would never have to wake up to that
stupid grinning face, every morning. The house was very well minted and
painted a light lavender colour. Ella slept in the highest part of the
house right to the front. She didn't mind as it gave her a chance to
look out towards the ice cream parlour, and a chance to look over the
old dirty street they used to live in. Ella missed it dearly, as she
slept in her bed. At the back of the house and on the first flight her
mother slept, and Bob well he just slept in the furthermost corner of
the house away from her and her weird child.

"Bob told muma once that there were a lot of enemies out there after
his money."

Bob was curled up in a shell patterned bed, his eyes wide open, sweet
soaking his pillow, shivering constantly he couldn't help but keep
going back to that crash site where he found his new luck and run of
money. He remembered looking over and over all those pebble objects.
Inside the remains of that broken craft. Stepping up carefully towards
the wreak, he hastily picked one up. It was still warm; he held it and
weighed it in his hand, passing it from one hand to another. A noise
made him stop and grasp for his gun. Eyes' darting about the torn up
landscape for any sings of other life. His eyes caught site a Gary
thing, as it reached out its three-fingered hand for what he assumed
was some help. Bob looked fearfully at the tear dropped shaped face
with its long dark eyes. No way was he going to let anything take away
his found prize from him, not it not anything. Holding the pebble in
his hand in defiance, watching the creature with a jewel face crawl and
reach out towards him. He twitched his gun and fired at it, blocking
out the sound it made.

"Sometimes I don't think it was enemies after his money,"
"Sometimes I thought it was someone else, looking for something
else."

Bob sat bolt upright as light shone threw his window, followed by a
sound of purring. It has come many nights before this, and always at
the same time. Terror struck him as the light engulfed the room. Its
searchlight dancing across him, looking for its escaped prisoner. It
froze him to the spot. Bob tried to scream, but his throat was dry, so
he only managed to produce a croak. The light turned of and headed
towards the front of the house. Ella though basked herself in the
light, like a flower drinking up the sun. It give her a feeling of
comfort and a strange taste of home, she knew what must be done,
smiling to herself. Letting the light hums and sing her to sleep. Bob
broke out his bottle of JD. And poured himself another glass, which
only spilled everywhere.

In the morning her mother woke her and sent her to go collect some
groceries for her from the new part of the town. Ella set out but not
towards the tarmacked side of town, with its new malls. She instead
headed back to the old dust part of town. She bowed her head and said
hello to the fat face friend, with his bowler hat on as it turned
around on top of its building. The corner grocer filled out her
mother's list, making sure not to fill it up to much for her, placing a
sweet in their for her. Ella smiled a thank you and tried to reach up
to collect it. She remembers to stop at the ice cream parlour on the
way home. A kind of an unofficial thanks from her mother. As she
approaches her new house she can hear her mother and Bob fighting. They
haven't stopped fighting since Bob bought his new car, then the suit
then this house. Ella could not help but to in listen as she approached
her door.

'You lie to me, about your other women, your other customers and where
the money is coming from,'
'God forgive you.'
'I took you in cause no one loves you, or elsewhere is he?'
She knew the drill by now, and was careful to climb the stairs to her
room.
Sitting on her bed, she undressed and placed on her sleeping gown, it
was going to be a long night, thankfully she had brought up the grocers
to her room. At least she would have supplies as her mother and Bob
argued back and forward with each other. But she could help but look at
her bunny slippers all pink fluffy and happy, the tears beginning to
soak in. she never knew her father and her mother never talked about
him. And if she did she never finished what she was going to say about
him. But Ella felt like she had always known who her father was, even
though she never told her mother.
'Don't you dare speak his name or hers in that way.'
Bob screamed back 'Speak his name, no one knows his name.'
'Who was he some hobo freak that came threw town. Some, some black
guy.'
Ella could not help but smile, as she let her last tear drop. Listening
to her mother gives Bob hell.
'He was still and kind and worth a thousand of you.'
'He just wouldn't stay.'
Ella heard that familiar tune from last night and she was sure many
other nights before, it had a sense of home about it a hint of family
in it. She let the light shine around her, as it enveloped the house.
She made sure as she made her way towards the door not to make any
additional noise.
'Heh, didn't wanna hang around and take care of his ugly baby more
like.'
'Nothing like people like you.'
Bob stopped for breath and heard that haunting sound that kept taking
him back to that night. He froze in fear, and what pulse was in his
body stopped momentarily. It could only be another one of those crafts,
which must have been after him and his prize.
'Jesus what's the hells that sound.' he moaned.
Ella opened the door ajar and peaked out; an intense light greeted her.
Blinking like mad she let her eyes adjusted to an egg shaped ship. Bob
panicked he couldn't let anyone take away his money, his luck. He
couldn't let them take him away. Shouting at Ella's mother. 'Get out of
my go damn way.' shoving her to one side. Running towards the front
door way, momentarily staying slightly behind the door. He watched on
as Ella approached the craft, feel deep down inside that she was
holding his pebble in her hands. The glint in his eyes slowly burned
out.
She approaches ever closer towards the ship. Bob moved out from behind
the door. His steps were very laboured and painful. But he cant seem to
get any closer to her, his breath stolen away from him, as he tries to
shout out stop or no. But it only screamed inside his head, like that
thing that he had shot at the crash site.
Ella stood there under the light happily holding up the pebble towards
the craft.

"I found the metal object that Bob had been keeping and gave it back to
daddy."

The lights danced across the cowering shape of Bob as he put up his
arms out to try and guard himself, from the light, the noise and the
invaders.

"Sometimes things are real that non one believes in, and sometimes
things are only real because you believe in them."