Every evening ma would sit me on a stool, run her fingers lovingly through my hair, brushing with gentle downward strokes as she sipped from her bottle of Jack Daniels.
She would tell me about my daddy, “Your daddy was the devil incarnate, raped me at fourteen behind Jed’s liquor store, would have been alive today if yer grandma hadn’t found him with her shotgun.”
She would continue ranting and raging, till her anger abating she would return to brushing my hair with those gentle downwards strokes, ” You are my little angel, my little angel, think I’ll put a pink ribbon in your hair tomorrow, would you like that “
Mornings as ma struggled to dress and out the door to work, grandma would visit, arching her eyes while staring at me with that funny look, asking if she could fix me some eggs for breakfast.
There came a morning when grandma came over to cook me breakfast and ma was still in bed, so grandma went in the bedroom to wake her and came out with a sorrowful expression.
” Your ma’s dead, guess you’re with me now and first thing we gotta do is cut that hair and make you look more like the boy your ma never wanted, she crossed the line in raising you.”
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Poor kid, I hope he put it all behind him!!
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Time will tell, Marie. I actually wrote a longer version of this a while ago and rehashed it for SSS.
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I’ll be looking out for chapter 2 Len!
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“ruh roe”
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I couldn’t have said it better, Clark.
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Heavy one, Len. The kid’s going to need some assistance unraveling what sounds a pretty messed up childhood. It sounds though like Grandma’s up for the job.
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You can always rely on grandma’s, Denise.
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Len, you tell a lot of story there. Heartbreaking all the way around. Mama may be gone, but she will be with him always.
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Too true, JadeLi. A mothers touch is never forgotten.
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Oh, dear. Sad indeed.
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Sad for the mother, confusion for the son, a challenge for grandma and God only knows about the father.
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Oh wow, very heavy one, Len…so well crafted that we know it’s somebody’s true story.
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Thanks, Rhen. They do say truth is stranger than fiction. Although this is an entirely fictitious story, I’m sure somewhere on the planet this could be happening.
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After this year, I doubt fiction will ever match the insane reality we’re walking through currently. I don’t know how people without faith in God are managing–mine is getting stretched weekly 🙂
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AMAZING WORK
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Thank you for your kind comments and the follow, Nancy.
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my pleasure
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Wow. Very powerful story! I’m glad grandma knew about crossed lines.
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Grandma’s are all-knowing and very wise.
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A gritty six. Thank goodness Grandma is there. I wonder how the kid felt getting that haircut finally? Maybe he liked the hair, and even though Grandma has the best intentions, he might miss it. Or maybe it’s the ‘clean slate’ he needs.
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You have read my mind. I wanted to kind of finish the story so i am doing just that in my next post.
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Cool. I look forward to that!
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Interesting six! I wonder how he feels about the haircut.
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If you read my next post, Lisa, you’ll find out.
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Well there is a lifetime of needed therapy. I might need some just after reading it! Well done, my friend. Well done!
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Thanks, Gary. He is resilient and will bounce back.
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Kids – some of them have an uphill battle from the start. Well written Len.
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Thanks, Kate. I know. As I’m writing this you can be assured that a child somewhere in the world is suffering.
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Hi, Len, I’m not sure about Grandma, either. I think we’re going to have a story about three troubled souls. This is compelling narrative, though, no doubt about it. Highly, effectively crafted. If there were more, I’d be sad though wouldn’t mind.
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Thanks, Christopher. Yes, troubled families, troubled souls. Such is life in some geographical parts.
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Great story, says a lot in a short time. Where would the world be without grandmas?
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My wife would agree with your comment on grandma’s as well as our six grandchildren.
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Very impressive story-telling, Len! 🙂 BTW, thanks for the follow on I Write Her. I appreciate it!
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Thanks, Susi. Happy to follow you enjoyed reading some of your posts.
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🙂 You’re welcome!
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