Photographs

Photographs... unless it's a crime scene most pictures capture a moment of happiness, pleasure, a good time. Deacon looks through an old shoebox of pictures, in every picture he's smiling with friends, posing in hugged position with a girlfriend or ex-wife, toasting a beer... "printed lies" he murmers to himself. For you see, Deacon doesn't experience the feeling of a joyful moment captured on film, printed on a picture for him to enjoy for years and years, no he sees the lie's the film failed to expose. He see's the weak smile on his bosses face in the company BBQ's annual picnic... two months before massive layoffs, He looks at a picture of him and his best friend clincking beer mugs in Cancun, His firend's smile is full and bright but his eyes are sad. Deacon utters "I should have known" a week later his best friend would be found dangling from a rope in his attic. Finally, Deacon looks at his wedding photo, his young wife all beautiful and dressed in white, embracing him with seemingless endless love, and joyous possibilities. He then takes a long look at his own face, his own posture, the positioning of his hands... Deacon exhales and breathes out "I knew it even then... don't trust her". Deacon places the lid back on the box, tucks it back in the closet, on the floor behind his ice skates. Sit's down on his folding chair, picks up an oversized beer mug with dark contents in it, an inscription on the mug reads "Living La Vida Loca!" -Cancun 99-, he takes a drink, and rests the mug on his knee. Deacon reads the inscription to himself, exhales, "I should have known".