The Potter's Daughter (Literary Series) by Daniel Arthur Smith Page B

twenty.   It doesn’t make sense
for him to start drinking heavy now,” said Abby.
    “Who said he just started?”
    “But Will was never a big
drinker.   Neither was Mom or your
parents,” said Abby.
    “Well there is one way to find
out,” said Caroline.   Caroline
shifted her eyes toward the liquor store across the street.   To simply go into the only village
liquor store and ask them how often Will came in had
not occurred to Abby.   She could
only see the back of the store from the bleachers.   Abby imagined walking into the front and
hearing something that she did not want to hear.
    “We’re overreacting, blowing this
all out of proportion,” said Abby.   The comment was not really meant for Caroline.   Abby was talking herself out of the
possibility that she could have missed years of alcohol abuse, denying that any
problem could exist with her father.
    “You do remember why I called you
to begin with?” asked Caroline.
    Abby did remember why Caroline had
called her in the city asking her to come back to Willow Lake.   Will had launched into a tirade with
representatives from his hotel account when one of them mentioned that they
might change some of the custom work on the new commission.   Fortunately, they put Will’s behavior
down to he being a passionate artist yet after they left he did not stop.   Will went into the Stone bar and tried
to stir up a fight.   Of course no
one would ever fight old Will or for that matter serve him in that state yet he
was still too drunk to drive out of there and would not let any one help
him.   After Bob Jensen took his
keys, Will insisted on staying in his truck, and that was when the police had come
by.   Bob talked the police into
calling Caroline to come down to the bar.   Bob knew Caroline could keep Will calm and get him home.   That pushed Caroline to call Abby to
come home.   Until then, Caroline too
denied the signs that her uncle was ill.
    Abby was no longer interested in
going back on the ice.   Caroline
encouraged her to remove her skates, go to the liquor store across the street,
and ask about Will.   “It will only
take you five minutes,” said Caroline.   Abby did just that, unlaced her skates, and laced up her boots.   Abby sent Caroline and the kids back out
on the rink and headed across the street.
     
    * * *
* *
     
     

Chapter 20
    The little bell announced Abby as
she left the sunlit street and entered the shadows of the village liquor
store.   Though Abby had been in this
store many times before today her stomach was knotted and the store had an odor
that tasted bad on the back of her throat.   Dennis was working the register today.   He sat on a stool doing a crossword
puzzle.   A little black and white TV
sitting at the end of the counter was turned to an old movie, or the movie was
black and white and the TV was color, Abby was not sure.   Either way Dennis’s eyes did not leave
the puzzle.   Like any good counter
worker though Dennis was well aware that Abby had come into the store.
    “I heard you were back,” said
Dennis.   “Your Dad said you’re here
for a visit.”
    “He did, did he?   Yea, I’m here for a week or two.   Has he been in today?”
    “Not yet, I expect him round
supper.”
    Abby wanted to look like she had
come in with a purpose.   She paused
and looked around the store.   She
took her hands out of her pockets and picked up a bottle of brandy near the end
of the aisle.
    “That’s not the one,” said Dennis.
    “Excuse me.”   Abby looked up at Dennis.   His eyes were still fixed on his
crossword.
    “That’s not the one.   That’s not the elixir,” said
Dennis.   “It’s the one next to it.”
    “The elixir?” asked Abby.
    “That what he call’s it, but that’s
not the one, he likes the brand next to it.”   Dennis pointed the eraser of his pencil
to the row of ginger brandy.
    “Oh right,” said Abby picking up a
bottle of ginger brandy, “here it is, his