The Father-Son Bond

The deep emotional connection between the man and the boy, their mutual dependence and love.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The First Night

The Embrace The Dark In the cold woods, the man reaches out to touch the child sleeping beside him. He counts each precious breath. He knows the child is his warrant. The Conversation The boy asks if they are going to die. The man says not now. They are still going south. The boy says okay. The Promise The boy asks what the man would do if he died. The man says he would want to die too, so he could be with him. The boy is satisfied. They sleep.

The Bathing

The Ritual The Washing Under the bridge, the man washes the boy's hair, removing the dead man's brains. He says, 'This is my child. I wash a dead man's brains out of his hair. That is my job.' The Drying He holds the boy before the fire, drying his hair. He thinks of it as an ancient anointing. He constructs ceremonies out of the air. The Love The boy is quiet, but he trusts his father. The man's love is fierce and protective. He will do anything to keep the boy safe.

The Last Conversation

The Goodbye The Final Words The man tells the boy he has to carry the fire. The boy says he doesn't know how. The man says it's inside him. He says the boy is the best guy, the best guy. The Promise The boy says he wants to be with him. The man says he can't. He says they will talk in dreams. The boy must practice. The Death The man dies. The boy stays with him for three days. He talks to him every day after that. The bond is unbroken even in death.

first night of the story

after the killing of the roadagent

before the man's death