Carl part 2

There was a weird night visit with Carl. It must have been along about February because it was already dark when Nene told Richard to put together some things to wear in the morning, that he was going to see his father. Carl couldn't be seen in Moran (that's all Richard ever knew about it).  So he was staying with his childhood buddy at the family's farm three miles north of town. Nene dropped him off but Carl wasn't there. Someone took Richard up into an attic bedroom
and told him to go to bed. Some time went by and Richard must have nodded off. Carl must have arrived earlier and been socializing with the family, everyone drinking, because it was very late when Carl finally arrived up stairs and shook Richard awake. Carl would have been about 33 then. "How are you doing in school?" he asked Richard. "Are you making good grades?" It went on like this for about five minutes. Then he told Richard to scoot over so he could go to bed too. "I'm tired," he told Richard.

The next morning Richard woke up alone. He got dressed and went down stairs where someone told him Carl had gone squirrel hunting. Richard waited in the house until Carl and his buddy got back. Then Nene drove up and took Richard back to Moran. Richard didn't see Carl for another 26 years.