Serial: Down the River – Chapter Twenty-Eight Part One

I’m finally revisiting the characters from The River City Chronicles nine years after their original timeline. I’ll be running the series weekly here on my blog, and then will release it in book form at the end of the run. Hope you enjoy catching up with all your faves and all their new secrets!

Today, Sam is surprised by who’s waiting for him at Carmelina’s house…

< Read Chapter 27 | Read Chapter 28 Pt 2

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Chapter Twenty-Eight Part One
Red-Tailed Hawk

As the car turned the corner onto Carmelina’s street, something unexpected happened. A cheer went up from people lining the street on both sides.

Sam stared out the window, unsure what he was seeing. “What’s this?”

Carmelina inched the car down the road, giving him a good look at the gathered crowd. 

He recognized a few of the faces… kids from the LGBT Center, now grown. People from the Ragazzi Club. Even Jim Oberkrom, their old neighbor. “Carmelina, what did you do?”

“You know these folks?” Oscar’s voice was subdued.

“Yes, I think I know every one of them.” He glanced over his shoulder—the people behind them were following the car.

They pulled into her driveway, and Carmelina put on the brake and turned off the engine. “I just told a few folks that Brad was gone. They did the rest.” Her gaze met his. “I hope you don’t mind…”

You did this for me? “Mind? Oh my god, this is amazing. Brad… he would have been crying by now.” He wiped the corners of his eyes, hoping she hadn’t noticed that he was.

“I don’t know if you had plans for a memorial?” For maybe the first time since he’d met her, she sounded hesitant.

“No. I just wanted to scatter his ashes by the river.” He closed his eyes. This was really it. He’d done what he promised and had brought Brad home. In a short time, it would be done, and Brad would be gone forever… Just hold it together, Sam.

She leaned over to hug him. “Good. We’d like to join you, if that’s all right. Brad had a lot of people here who loved him.” She smelled of lavender.

He nodded wordlessly. With a deep breath to steady his nerves, he opened the door, laying the duffel carefully on the seat behind him, and stood to meet the crowd.

It was a beautiful May day in Sacramento. The air was fresh, a slight breeze that caressed his skin, raising goosebumps on his forearms, and thin white clouds streaked the cerulean sky. The giant redwood trees in her front yard provided shade from the bright sun, and the noise from the people around him subsided to a dull murmur as they waited for him to take the lead.

Carmelina and Oscar got out of the car behind him.

Sam looked around at the crowd and spied the one person he hoped would be there the most. “Ricky!”

The boy he and Brad had fostered edged forward nervously, his face alternating between a frown and a grin. “Hey Sam.” He was taller, handsome, his hair neatly trimmed, wearing silver-rimmed glasses.

Sam swept him up in his arms. Not a boy anymore. He was, what, twenty-five now? They’d kept in touch sporadically through the years. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Yeah?” Ricky let go and looked up at him. “I’m so sorry about Brad—”

“Don’t be. He loved you. You were like a son to him.” The falling out when Ricky decided not to go to college… that had been hard on both of them.

“He was so angry…” Ricky looked down at his feet.

Sam shook his head vehemently. “He only wanted you to have the most out of life. He loved you, mijo. You look so big… so handsome.” How had they let so much time pass without seeing each other?

“Thanks. You look good too.” He looked over his shoulder and gestured at someone.

Another young man stepped out of the crowd. He was a little taller than Ricky. Poor kid must have had a bad case of acne as a teenager, but he had a bright, if sheepish, smile. “This is my boyfriend, Alyn.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” Sam raised an eyebrow.

The kid held out his hand.

Sam shook it, looking back and forth between the two. “I’m so proud of you, Ricky.” I have to do better from now on.

His former foster son blushed. “Thanks. Maybe we can get together later?”

“Of course. I’ll text you.” He hugged Ricky once more, and then looked around at all the other expectant faces. “Thank you all for coming. Brad… he would have loved this.”

It was as if a dam burst, and they all surged forward at once. Sam found himself in the midst of a sea of friendly faces, greeting people he knew, and some he just kind of remembered, every one of them bringing him love, a warm hug, and a few kind words about Brad.

There were so many of them, some he knew like family, others he barely remembered. 

“Okay, everyone.” Carmelina’s voice rang out over the crowd once everyone had had a chance to say hello. “We’ll have a barbeque back here afterwards. But right now we need to get on the road. We’ll go first, then y’all follow. See you at the Effie Yaw Center.” With that she ushered Sam and Oscar back to the car.

This time, Sam took the back seat with Oscar, holding the duffel bag in his arms. Oscar took his hand and squeezed it. Sam flashed him a half smile.

Daniele joined them, climbing into the front seat next to Carmelina. “So sorry, Sam. Brad was a great guy. He was really loved.”

“Thanks.” He’d never been close to Carmelina’s partner, but Daniele seemed like a good enough guy.

Watching the crowd—there had to be a couple hundred folks—stream back to their cars, Sam could feel how much love there was here for his husband.

He bit his lip, holding back the torrent of emotion building in his chest, as Carmelina’s car pulled back out onto the street and set off toward the sanctuary, followed by a long line of others.

Yes, Brad would have loved this.

The somber motorcade pulled out onto Carlson Drive, a parade of cars of various kinds—including a couple Priuses, a red Tesla, three minivans, a lime-green Fiat, a red Smart Car, a red and black mini, a Vespa scooter, and many more than Sam could see to count.

Neighbors came out to see the procession as it wound its way through River Park, pointing at the unusual sight. Carmelina had to stop for a couple minutes as a flock of wild turkeys—thirty of them, including ten chicks—crossed the street in front of them.

“They’re amazing.” The sight reminded him of Brad’s love of nature in all its forms.

“They shit everywhere.” Carmelina grinned in the rearview mirror.

“Touché.”

They made their way down past Fremont Church and the Scottish Rites Center, where there was always a rock and gem show going on, and down past the Sac State entrance.

“I can’t believe so many people came out.” Sam hugged the duffel bag tightly.

Oscar put a hand on his shoulder. “Brad touched so many people. It was the same way in Tucson.”

Sam nodded. They’d held a candlelight vigil the night before at Tohono Chul park, one of Brad’s favorite places in Tucson, and over a hundred folks had come to see them off.

The caravan proceeded across the H Street Bridge—now renamed the Tara O’Sullivan Bridge—passing high above the American River. The watercourse was less than half its usual flow, the water tumbling down from Folsom Dam up near the foothills to rush past on its way to merge with the Sacramento River. Sam stared at the churning waters, a suitable companion for the churning in his soul.

They made good time heading up Fair Oaks Boulevard, passing the new shops at The Boulevard and University Village, the expensive looking brick buildings of the Pavillions, and Loehmann’s Plaza.

In another ten minutes, they were turning off the busy regional connector onto Oak Avenue, into the quiet neighborhood that snuggled up against the north side of the American River.

A sudden thought struck Sam, sending him into a panic. “Hey, don’t we need a permit—”

Daniele shook his head. “All taken care of.”

He sat back and closed his eyes, relieved, but at the same time still feeling antsy. Soon it would be done. Brad’s ashes would be scattered, and Sam would be… free? Resigned? Forced to figure out what to do next with his life. Despite the fact that Brad was seven years older, he’d never considered what he would do once his husband was gone. Brad hadn’t even been forty, for god’s sake. How could you leave me?

The doctors had said something about a previously undiscovered heart defect. It made no sense to him. Brad was one of the healthiest people Sam knew. He always took care of himself, working out, eating healthy… once he’d caught Sam sneaking a bag of Oreos into his writing cave, and he hadn’t heard the end of it for a week. What will I do now?

Carmelina had Daniele. Ricky had Alyn. It seemed like everyone else had someone to love them. To be there at night when the trials of the day were just too much to bear. To call them on their shit.

Oscar squeezed his hand. “You okay in there?”

Sam opened his eyes. “Not even a little.”

< Read Chapter 27 | Read Chapter 28 Pt 2

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Like what you read? if you haven’t tried it yet, check out book one, The River City Chronicles, here.