It was a stormy night, Nathan and Marsha are driving down the highway with their one year old son, sleeping soundly in his carseat. Marsha smiles, turns around and gazes at her husband. Nathan hasn’t said a word since the police chase that happened earlier.
“Nathan?” He doesn’t respond. “Nathan??” Not a word.
Marsha becomes frustrated, “Nathan Barnhill, answer me! You ain’t said one word since that police chase. What’s wrong?”
Nathan pulls into an empty bus station parking lot and turns off the engine. The car becomes silent like before. The only sound that was made was the rain pounding on the roof & roaring of thunder. Nathan sits stiff in his seat, facing straight forward with his hands tightly holding the steering wheel.
“The reason I ain’t said nothing since the chase is because I’ve been thinking.” He takes a deep breath and continues, “ Lately, I haven’t thought about the consequences of my actions. How it would affect you and Junior. I was thinking about what would've happened if we got caught back there. If those cops threw us in the pen, what would've they done to Junior?”
Marsha stares at Nathan, waiting on what he was going to say next. “I want you and Junior to go off some place. I don’t want y’all to live this life anymore. Especially Junior. I called a buddy of mine & she said that she ain’t got no problem of you and Junior staying with her as long as you want…”
Nathan glances at Marsha to see her, shaking her head, glaring. “What?” Nathan says. Marsha continues to shake her head as she pulls a cigarette & her lucky American flag lighter from her front jacket pocket. Putting the cigarette in her mouth, she lights it and starts laughing.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me, Nathan. Seven years, Nathan! I gave you everything! I gave up my dreams to be with you!” Marsha lays her head back on the seat & blows the cigarette smoke towards the ceiling.
“Who is she, Nathan??” Nathan stares at his wife, unclear on what she was talking about. “What are you talking about, Marsha? There is no other woman in my life besides you . . .”
Marsha throws her cigarette at Nathan and climbs out of the car, standing in the rain. “STOP LYING TO ME, NATHAN!” Marsha runs both her hands through her hair, tears running down her cheeks. “You honestly want me to believe that all of a sudden, you want me and Junior to leave!! I have given up my entire life to be with you, Nathan!! Mama and Daddy told me over and over and over that you were no good!” Marsha closes her eyes, wiping her tears and takes a deep breath. She keeps her eyes closed.
“And they sure was right, Nathan. They sure was.” Nathan climbs out of the car, leaving the driver side door open & walks toward Marsha. “There is no other woman in my life. Just you.” Marsha glances at Nathan, furious. “You want to leave me, Nathan?? . . . Fine.” She walks quickly to the trunk of the car, pulling out Nathan’s suitcase & a tank of gasoline. Opening the suitcase, Marsha dumps all Nathan’s belongings on the ground and pours the entire tank of gasoline all over them. Nathan hits a nearby pole as hard as he can with his fist & screams across the parking lot, “Woman, have you lost your mind?! That’s my stuff, you lunatic!!!” Marsha smirks, struts back to the car, climbs in and starts the engine. As Nathan watched, Marsha blows him a kiss before pulling out of the parking lot and throws her lucky american flag lighter out the window on the pile of clothes. While the pile bursts into flames, Marsha takes off down the interstate leaving a speechless Nathan staring at his burning possessions.