Page 54 of Vice

22

Dele

“You couldn’t have picked us up in a better car?” Viper asks as soon as Wyan pulls up to the place he agreed to pick us up.

He’s got on an old cap, overalls, turtleneck, oversized jacket, and looks a lot less put together than I’m used to seeing him.

“It’s an old mining town where everyone is poor, Adrian. If we don’t want to stand out, no. I couldn’t have.”

I stifle a laugh as Viper scowls but doesn’t answer as he tries to open the car door only for it to get stuck.

“You have to lift it a certain way,” Wyan says.

Viper gives Wyan a disbelieving look.

“I don’t remember you being such a snob. If I remember, you drive Phae crazy dragging old cars home. So much so she banned you from getting any after the third.”

“Yeah, but those had charm and potential and I fixed them up into things of beauty. This is just scrapyard junk.”

“Stop being so mean to yourfather, dear husband.”

Another exasperated look crosses Viper’s face.

“Listen to your wife and stop being so grumpy. We’ve got a lot of road to cover, and I’d like to get home before the diner closes.”

“It’s noon.”

“It closes at six thirty.”

“I forgot how much I fucking hate small towns.”

I exchange a sympathetic glance with Wyan through the rearview mirror as we take off. Viper is going to miserable to be with until we leave. Small, poor towns like this remind him of the small poor town he lived in with his mother in Texas before he was taken from her.

He’s silent the entire five-hour ride into the small, forgotten town. That’s not entirely odd for Viper. He’s never been a man of many words if he didn’t have anything to say, especially when in proximity to someone he’s not entirely comfortable around. But this is a different silence. An irritated one. An oppressive one. A traumatized one.

Despite that, when we get into the town and get to the diner Wyan was so eager to bring us to, Viper manages to put on that charming mask that makes people let their guard down. That makes people unable to even contemplate that lurking just under that mask is something much more sinister.

“Oh, is this the son and the new daughter-in-law you were talking about?” asks the server, a woman probably in her mid-thirties.

“Yes. Adrian and Adele,” Wyan introduces.

I manage not to cringe at my full name and give a small wave as I say, “Hi.”

Viper just smiles and nods at her.

“Such a beautiful couple. So what’s your first impressions? Big city girl like you, Adele? Or so I’ve heard.”

“It’s… different,” I settle on. Then I look at Wyan and say, “Maybe one day I’ll manage to get this guy to come visit us instead.”

Wyan laughs. “New York would be too much for this old heart.”

“Come on,Dad. It’ll do you some good to get out this small town. See the world.”

“You know I’m not interested in all that stuff you young people are into,” Wyan says gruffly. Then he says to the server, “Three of my regulars, dear.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

When the woman is out of earshot, Viper’s mask falls and he asks, “Please tell me your regular includes the strongest fucking alcohol this place has. If I’m going to be here, it’s not going to be sober.”

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