Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“But Caspian, Uncle Bobby means well, and he loves me. I just—”
“I don’t doubt even a lil’ bit that Uncle Bobby loves you somethin’ fierce. He is not a bad man, Noah, but he’s insecure and overbearing, and he doesn’t want to be alone, even at other people’s expense. He doesn’t respect boundaries. Once I got his house together, his Vet benefits straightened out, the funeral paid for and his social security checks flowin’ in again, he tried to get me to go back to Georgia. He got what he needed out of me so he wanted to send me on my way.”
“Why would he want you to leave? He loves you. He wants you here. He said you shoulda never left.”
“Noah, there are some things about human nature you just don’t understand… ’cause see, you’re a good person. Good people sometimes find it hard to understand when someone isn’t coming from a pure heart. He knows that you look up to me, and he’s aware of my influence on you. He also recognizes that you want to be more independent, so he doesn’t want me around you too much. He won’t have you believing you can make it on your own because he doesn’t want to be in that house by himself. He relies on you to help take care of him. Cook and clean. You can’t clean worth a damn, and all you can cook are hotdogs, soup, and potatoes, but he’ll take it over havin’ to do that shit by himself… Hold on. Your ham and cheese sandwiches ain’t half bad. You always know the exact right amount of mustard to put on ’em.”
Noah cracked a weak grin.
“You need to learn more life skills. You’re a smart, nice looking, and polite man. Man being the operative word.”
“He does need me though, Caspian. I’m serious.” Caspian grimaced and shook his head. “I get what you’re sayin’, but Uncle Bobby is getting old and doesn’t move well anymore. He has arthritis and—”
“Look, Aunt Angel picked him. That was her husband, not yours. He was her problem, too, when things were challenging for them, and I say that with all due respect. I ain’t never been married before, but I’m smart enough to know that no union is perfect and there will be challenges along the way. But the point is, you didn’t marry Uncle Bobby. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.” Noah swallowed then dunked another chicken nugget in the ketchup.
“According to your Bible, it says parents are supposed to raise a child in the way they want them to go. Your raisin’ is over, Noah. You’ve been grown a while now. I saw how you handled the yard sale just fine. I’ve seen you doing things by yourself, without trouble. Hell, you even know how to drive but you won’t get your license because of the fear that that old, stinkin’ ass fart put in your head. You don’t need your hand held all the time. You’ve got more common sense than most folks in this country could shake a stick at, if ya ask me.” Noah smiled at that. “All you owe that man is respect, love, and kindness. He helped keep a roof over your head, food in your belly, and was a good companion for Aunt Angel. You owe yourself the same thing though, Noah, and you’re not showin’ yourself a lick of respect, love, or kindness when you let him boss you around like this.”
“He ain’t bossin’ me, Caspian.” The man uttered the words, but they came out wimpy and loose. No roots. Just floating in the air like dead leaves before they hit the ground.
“See, the problem with you is that you’re a man but don’t know how to behave like one sometimes because you’re afraid of an altercation. This has to stop—and it stops today. Uncle Bobby is your stepfather. He helped raise you but he doesn’t have the authority, now that you’re a grown man, to tell you when to come and go. He tries to listen in on your phone calls too, doesn’t he?”
“The other day he was listening to me on the phone. I was in the bathroom. I could tell he was outside the door ’cause there was a shadow, and the floor was squeakin’. Plus, he breathes out of his mouth sometimes.”
“This is ridiculous. Is this how you want to live your life? What in the king-kong-fuck-a-duck on a truck is goin’ on here?!”
People’s head spun in his direction as his nerves got worked up. Perhaps it was getting to him seeing how passive Noah was being, or remorse that he could’ve perhaps changed this for Noah eons ago… visited more, been a good influence and role model instead of hiding from his past, running from Axel and Legend who were nothing but reminders of who he truly was on the inside. Mirrors of his true self.