Sink Brains

The biggest question so far is why did nobody turn the feed line off? Anybody can cut a feed line off, it’s not hard. I mean, how many buckets does someone have to go through before they think to maybe cut the feed line off. It’s a giant sink, one you might find at a farmhouse. This is no farmhouse. Thomas and Derwood see that right way. Anyone could. The kitchen is an empty canvas, everything plastic utensil white. Like it has hidden every skeleton in every lazy susan it could. Thomas and Derwood slide in underneath the sink. Derwood isn’t as slick in the slide. It’s enough trouble for a grunted sigh to stumble out of him in the process.

“Didn’t turn the goddamn feedline off.” Thomas says.

“Good God Almighty.” Derwood wipes the mist on his forehead that is already accumulating. This accidently moves his hat out of place. He readjusts. Thomas has placed a giant orange tool bag to his side as he has done a thousand and one times before. He extends his arms out, unzips it, and pulls out a miniature flashlight. This is not normal procedure, but in his advancing years his eyes are dulling. He turns off the goddamn feedline. Derwood begins to look for cracks in the pipes. His Plumber’s Pillow lays in the closet of his foyer at home.

“I think I see some cracks here.” He says.

“You think or you know?” Thomas says. Thomas looks over at Derwood. The light moves with his face.

“Hey Bud, I’m a need you to do something with that flashlight.” Derwood says wincing.

Thomas clicks the flashlight off and places it back in his tool bag.

“mhm.” Derwood hums as he tries to move his spine around for comfort. The absence of his Plumber’s Pillow is starting to take effect. A woman’s voice comes from outside of the sink.

“If you guys need anything I’ll be outside!” She says.

“We’re fine mam.” “We’ll be alright.” Thomas and Derwood yell back in unison.

“You need water or anything?” She yells back.

“No mam.” “No.” Thomas and Derwood reply in overlap again. Thomas this time with a little force. On Derwood’s side the valve of the sink begins to leak little droplets. It is rusted and old.

“Oh god, hand me the little wrench will ya?” Derwood says to Thomas. Thomas unzips the tool bag again and pulls out his smallest wrench. He hands it to him, and Derwood begins to tighten the retention nut on the valve.

“You know, that lady sounded just like my ex-wife just now.” Thomas says, his voice starts weak but intentionally grows with strength as the sentence goes on.

“Oh really?” Derwood replies.

“Yeah.” Thomas says.

…

“Yup. Our anniversary was yesterday.” Thomas says getting it off his chest.

“For the marriage or divorce?” Derwood says with a smirk.

“Marriage.” Thomas replies. Thomas begins looking at the tubes. They are the equivalent of the oldest man in a nursing home. This isn’t so much a sink as it is a fossil. He runs his fingers up the tubes feeling for an opening or leak. “I think we might need to replace about damn near everything here.”

“Starting with these pipes.” Derwood says. Thomas unzips his tool bag again and pulls out his universal wrench. He latches it around the shortest curved pipe connected at the bottom at starts to turn. “Hey Thomas.”

“Yeah.” Thomas says.

“You think you gotta zip and unzip your tool bag every time you need somethin’.” Derwood says.

“Yeah, yes I do.” Thomas replies.

“Why is that?” Derwood says with a twinge irritation.

“I don’t want any of this nasty ass water getting’ inside and messin’ it up.” Thomas replies. He pauses with the wrench, looks at Derwood, and zips it back closed again. “You know who gave me this bag don’t ya?” Just then the retention nut Derwood has been tightening has been tightened too tight, and cracks with force. Water shoots out all over Derwood.

“Awh shit! Thomas hand me a rag!” Derwood says trying to cover the busted valve with his hand. Thomas thrusts his waist up in the air and pulls a rag out from his back pocket.

“Here! Here!” Thomas says. Derwood holds the rag on the valve, but it only keeps the water from dripping down for a few seconds.

“I thought you turned off the feedline.” Derwood yells.

“I did turn it off!” Thomas says. Thomas leans over and tightens the feedline even tighter. The water slows down to an eventual stop. It is silent for a few seconds.

“My son gave you that tool bag.” Derwood says. Derwood hands back the rag and Thomas lays it beside the tool bag making sure the two do not touch. He brings his attention back on the curved pipe.

“Remember, he gave it to me on my wedding day. Walked right up with it in the middle of the damn ceremony.” Thomas says with increased laughter. “I remember Rebec-“

“Hey Thomas I really don’t wanna be talking about this.” Derwood interrupts. The curved pipe detaches, and Thomas lays it down. He unzips his tool bag and looks for a replacement. “While you got that unzipped for two seconds can you hand me another retention nut?” Derwood asks. Thomas hands him the nut and continues his search.

“You know, someday you’re gonna have to see things for what they are buddy. Eventually holdin’ on to something so long makes your arms tired, becomes bad for your body.” Thomas says.

Derwood’s eyes start to water as he tightens the nut.

Thomas continues, “Sometimes, life’s a bitch. You need an example of that look at my bitch of an ex-wife. I wouldn’t have to be doin’ this funky ass job again if it wasn’t for her.”

“Well maybe there’s a reason you’re workin’ here again Thomas, maybe Rebecca was a lesson you’re supposed to learn that clearly you ain’t learned yet.” Derwood replies.

Thomas huffs. “Derwood. Always a reason for everything.”

“There is a reason for everything.” Derwood talks back.

“There’s a reason for everything D? There’s a reason I got married to a cheatin’ ass whore who lied to me about havin’ my kid?” Thomas leans up and zones his eyes onto Derwood.

“Yes!” Derwood says. “Things that happen are bigger than we can understand.”

“There’s a reason your son been gone for three years on the day then?” Thomas strikes.

The details under the sink become prominent. The silence reveals the dust particles in the air.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Derwood says. He begins to undo the hoses attached to the faucet.

“Oh shut up D, I’m sick of this shit.” Thomas says. “I’m on pins and needles with you all the time because you don’t wanna face the truth.”

“And what’s that Thomas?” Derwood says. He is shaking with anger but unable to face him.

“Faith this, faith that, look for the message, look for the sign, there ain’t no fuckin’ signs and there ain’t no fuckin’ message.” Thomas says with eyes widened.

“You’re just-“ Derwood tries to overtalk.

“No. There ain’t no fuckin’ message, there ain’t no reason your son gone, faith ain’t gonna do shit to get him back, and stop tellin’ me Rebecca is teaching me some spiritual fuckin’ lesson because you’re starting to piss me off.” Thomas rants.

Derwood stops loosening the hose and makes one strong yank to take it out, but as his arm comes down it hits the drainpipes, knocking two of them out of place. Water falls out all on the counter floor. Derwood doesn’t acknowledge it.

“You know what’s funny, I saw the way you treated Rebecca. You did not give her the time-of-day Thomas. Because of that stinking nasty attitude right there. You’re coming at me because poor Thomas is so hurt. Poor Thomas has been spat on by the world, there can’t be anything out there, there ain’t no way. And if there is, it’s playin’ a big old joke on you, isn’t it? It’s your fault she did what she did. Your fault. She deserved the world, Thomas.” Derwood says.

“Nobody deserves the world.” Thomas says.

Derwood is taken back by the statement. Thomas looks directly into Derwood’s eye for a few seconds, and then begins to undo the hose on his side.

“What about Daniel? He doesn’t deserve the world, Thomas?” Derwood finally replies. His voice has gotten softer.

“Well, what the fuck you doin’ to give it to him anyway, prayin’ at night talking to thin air. You sit there and judge me? You’re too much of a coward to do anything. Anything at all to actually find that boy except sit there and ask someone else to do it for you.” Thomas says as he keeps loosening. “Boy would have been better off never even born.”

Derwood looks back at his work. He starts loosening the lowest drainpipe. The drainpipe is stuck on tight; Derwood is straining to loosen it. It will not budge. He really puts pressure on it, but still nothing. Derwood suddenly explodes with force and beats the pipe with the wrench at first, and then throws it down and beats the pipe with his fists until two of the pipes are broken apart. Water falls everywhere. The screws holding the sink counter up come loose. For the first time Thomas’s expression changes no longer offensive, but shocked.

“You got my bag all wet.” Thomas says.

Derwood doesn’t look at him or acknowledge his words.

“I’m scared.” Derwood says softly.

“What?” Thomas says.

Derwood speaks up, “I’m scared.”

“What are you talking about?” Thomas asks.

Thomas then notices all the damage they have done to the sink. The pipes are broken, the valves are busted, there’s water everywhere, he’s even laying in a giant puddle. “Shit.” He says.

“We fucked up D.”

“I can’t do anything. I don’t know what to do. If I knew what to do, I’d do it. I would. Why won’t somebody or something just tell me what to do.” Derwood says quietly. His eyes are staring at nothing.

“D.” Thomas says.

“I don’t understand it. I failed it.” Derwood continues.

“D! I’m sorry man.” Thomas says.

Derwood looks over at Thomas, “I failed him.”

“I’m sorry. This is fucked man.” Thomas says.

A long period of silence goes by.

“Yeah. Yeah it is.” Derwood says. He begins to look around at the damage. “Good God Almighty.”

“Look we gotta go get that lady cause’ we’re fucked man.” Thomas says.

Derwood laughs just a little bit, like it escaped from him. “Yeah, I guess we do.” He says.

Thomas coughs out a laugh as well. Derwood looks over at the tool bag. “You know I was gonna get you guys that nice China set Rebecca kept talkin’ about. Daniel saw that damn tool bag in a magazine on the coffee table. Every ten minutes he would tell me “Get Tom Tom that tool bag, get Tom Tom that tool bag, He’ll love it!” Until I gave in and said alright, I’ll get Thomas the dang tool bag.”

“He’s a good boy.” Thomas says.

Derwood smiles. Thomas begins to scoot out from under the sink. “I don’t know maybe there is somethin’ to all this D. I’m gonna go get the lady and show her what we’ve done here.”

“Maybe she knows a thing or two about plumbin’.” Derwood says.

Thomas looks back, “Maybe.” He says smiling.

Thomas exits the sink and walks out into the kitchen. His first step is miscalculated, and he bumps into the sink counter. The screws that were loosened earlier come almost completely out. “Ow my fucking hip!” His boots squeak away on the white tiles of the kitchen getting more and more distant. Derwood lets out a big sigh as he looks around at the damage they have done to the sink.

“I don’t know even know where to start.” Derwood says to himself. He reaches over and unzips Thomas’s tool bag to grab a bigger wrench. “Might as well take it all off now and start over.” He says. He reaches the wrench up to place it on one of the remaining pipes. The moment the wrench touches the pipe, the screws to the counter fall out completely and the entire counter comes undone, falling down on top of Derwood. The weight of the counter crushes his bones instantly. His skin bursts as blood shoots out like a water balloon in every direction. All the leaked water makes the floor look flooded with Derwood’s blood and insides. An infused memory of father and son lays in the wreckage, as the once orange tool bag is now a deep red. It waits for the lady and Thomas’s arrival.

THE END.