Skeletons in the Closet
Originally posted on June 25, 2010
Ben: I still think you should ask her out again. I mean, maybe you were wrong about what she thought.
Jeremiah: Don’t think so. I’m not that into rejection, you know?
Ben: I guess.
Jeremiah: What about you? You gonna ask Stassia out again?
Ben: Didn’t ask her out the first time. It was just a group thing.
Jeremiah: That’s not the way I heard it from Kaida.
Ben: Kaida would make any plain ol’ how-d’ya-do sound like a romantic ron-day-voo.
Jeremiah: Yeah, you got that right.
Ben: Don’t get me wrong – Stassia’s a right nice girl, but well… I get enough of bein’ bossed around at home.
Jeremiah: Awwww, poor you. Don’t knock it – at least your Mom is around.
Ben: Yeah, but it’s gettin’ real old. Summer’s the worst – it’s festival season - seems like all she does anymore is gripe about not bein’ able to perform. Now she’s on this kick again, sayin’ I should go on the road without her, but the minute I say I’ll think about it, she changes her tune….says she needs me at home. It ‘bout drives me nuts.
Jeremiah: I would so change places with you if I could. I like your Mom.
Ben: Maybe you can help me think up some like…. distractions for her. Something that doesn’t remind her how much she misses singin’.
Jeremiah: So what else does she like to do?
Ben: Lotsa stuff. She helps out some down at the church, she reads, she hikes in the woods and messes around in the garden. She likes to make things too, but we sure don’t need any more quilts or pillows or useless geegaws…..
Jeremiah: Does she like to cook? ‘Cause I sure like to eat. I could help her out a LOT there.
Ben: Nah, cookin’s not her favorite. She says it reminds her of when she was a teenager and had to do all the cookin’ and cleanin’ for the whole family. On account of my Grandma died when Mom was fifteen.
Jeremiah: Hey - maybe we should get Kaida to find her a fella.
Ben: Nuh-uh - bad idea.
Jeremiah: How come?
Ben: It just is, okay?
Jeremiah: Okay… uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to stick my nose in.
Ben: No problem. It’s just….. Mom had kind of a rough time, back when she was married to my Dad. She won’t even talk to me about it; what I know I found out from my Granddaddy, and once or twice Uncle Seth let somethin’ slip. He said my Dad was in the pen and likely to stay there for good.
Jeremiah: Does it bug you, not knowing what went on back then?
Ben: Maybe some, but mostly I don’t want to know more. Anyone who would treat my Mom like they say he did deserves to rot in jail – all by himself. I don’t need to know anything else; I quit asking questions when I was little – even then I could tell how much it bothered Mom. As far as I can tell, she’s never once been involved with a guy since she got her divorce. Hey…..
Ben: ….Don’t tell anyone any of this, okay? I probably shoulda kept my big mouth shut.
Jeremiah: I won’t say anything.
Ben: Not even to Mom, all right?
Jeremiah: Especially not to your Mom.