When Jonathan Sings
Jonathan sang about Jesus today.
He glances over at the girl,
then directs his attention back to the road.
Jonathan says Jesus loves everybody,
but I don’t see how he can.
Some people are mean,
but Jonathan says his mom told him.
The road slides and slides away
beneath the pickup. She turns finally
to face him, her eyes watery.
Jonathan’s mom hit him
on the face. He didn’t cry.
He meets her eyes for a moment.
He didn’t want to go to school.
He shifts into second as they approach
the intersection. He turns the corner,
pulls in behind a gray Mercedes
and feels her hand rest upon his thigh.
He looks over as she slumps to one side.
Daddy? she mutters.
His foot eases down on the accelerator.
C.S. Fuqua lives in Alabama. His published books include Big
Daddy's Gadgets (novel), Divorced Dads: Real Stories of Facing the
Challenge, Notes to My Becca: A Father's Thoughts on Welcoming His Long-Awaited
Child, Music Fell on Alabama, and Deadlines, a four-novel audio
series. His work has appeared in such publications as Main Channel Voices,
Dark Regions, Christian Science Monitor, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal,
Cemetery Dance, Bogg, Year’s Best Horror Stories XIX, XX and XXI, Amelia,
Slipstream, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, The Writer and Honolulu
Magazine.