Love ~ Hate Relationship - Episode 1

 

October 4th, 2006

Stellan.

I swing my duffel bag onto the kitchen table as I walk to the fridge, dragging it open and guzzling the contents of the jug.

I close my eyes wondering if one can die from over heating.

"You better not be drinking direct from the jug Stellan" I freeze, Dropping the jug into the kitchen sink and turning to look at my mother.

"It's obvious you caught me" I say, wiping my lips and proceeding to empty the contents of my duffel.

I heave out the heavy mallet wondering why I had brought it with me, Well, I had thought Mr Redwood was going to be mending his barn, not trying to parade his granddaughter in front of me.

"Did you help redwood with his barn?" My mother asks, rinsing out the empty jug I dropped in the sink.

"You could say I wasted my time going there" I say, dusting out my hand gloves and wondering if I could get any job in town.

I have to save up for college one way or the other, money is not forthcoming and I have to help, seeing as my dirtbeat father does not deem it important to help with the allowance and bills.

"Why? Didn't he pay you?" She asks, leaning against the sink and watching me as I pack up my carpentry tools.

"No, he decided he to showcase Alicia in front of me, Can you believe that?" I ask, I'm Nineteen, I see no reason why people suddenly think that because I have an handiwork and because I'm poor I'm automatically not going to find higher education.

My mother laughs at the comment and I throw her a look, she tries to stifle it but it bursts through anyway, I wait for her to be done.

"Okay, Well, you can't blame them, you are my son after all and you are fine, even I say so" She says and I smirk.

"Bragging now are we mother?" I ask.

"What? I'm allowed to brag, I assisted in making you, and Maybe they will let you off the dating wheel if you find yourself a decent girl in town and start dating like normal guys your age, you do know saving money is not every thing right?" She asks and I wince, knowing where this is going, no girl in town has caught my eye, none at all, I can't force myself into dating a girl and eventually break her heart.

If it were a big city I won't be facing this problem but here in our little town where everybody knows everybody you can't grow up single and expect questions not to be asked.

Being Nineteen and single is not a crime, the last time I checked. My best friend is dating, his girlfriend is pregnant now and I we don't know where that is going to go. 

That's enough deterrent to strop me from dipping it into any girl anytime soon. 

Last time I checked being a male virgin is not a crime either. 

"Well, whatever you say" She says and I nod, helping my self to a cookie from the jar and finally noticing how well and clean the kitchen looks. 

"What's the occasion?" I ask, when I left this morning it wasn't as pristine as this. 

"I don't know what you mean" She says, looking everywhere but at me, I shove the last of the cookie in my mouth, crossing my arms and waiting for her to spill. 

"Mother" I say simply,she sighs before turning to me, I'm immediately alert when I see the war in her eyes. 

"You have to understand that I was against it from the onset" She says and I nod, watching as she strokes her hair behind her ear,my eyes catching on the bruise in her neck, my jaw clenches.

"Did he hit you?" I ask. 

"What? Who?" 

"Dad, did he hit you? On your neck? It's purple" I say quietly, rage in my words.

"What? No! I burnt myself with the curling iron this morning" She says, her eyes sliding away, I know she's lying but I let bet have that play, i have to hear what the hell it is she has to tell me. 

"OK.

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/love-hate-relationship

. Well, like I was saying earlier,... Uh, you father and I decided to lease out the house..." 

"What?" I say, leaning up from my position by the counter. 

"Listen.. Just hear me out.. There's a rich family coming to town, they were looking for a place to stay for just 3 months and Martha... You know Martha from church.. She told me about it and your father got to hear about it and you know we need the money.... So.." She says, letting off. 

This house, my house, it's mine, my grandfather, my father's father left it to me when he saw that my father was a fool who would have sold it away for a few bucks, the barn, the cottage, the surrounding lands although not much is all mine and I get to decide what happens on it. 

"Cancel it" I say simply. 

"We can't, we need the money, you know you have to study your law, I can't let you waste your life in this town" 

"I don't care, I'm working towards that , cancel it, I don't want a bunch of strangers in here soiling things and upsetting the stuff it took gramps his whole life to build" I say. 

"Alan, I really can't" She says finally using the shortened form of my name. 

"Why?" 

"They are supposed to arrive today, in about an hour.. I didn't tell you because I know you would act like this" She says and I just look at her not even knowing what to say. 

***

Later, Much later when I've finally masked my anger at the fact that my father and mother took liberties with my property I return back to the house from the woods where I went to check my traps. 

It caught nothing. 

Figures, when it rains it pours uh? 

I stop by the door of the kitchen, noticing the vintage cars packed by the barn and I feel a twinge of guilt at the fact that my mother must have had to assist the visitors by herself, heaven knows my father wouldn't have lifted a had to help, that's is if he's not out doing some odd jobs for money. 

I peruse the cars and it's clear that whoever owns it must be loaded, there's a vintage cardillac in the mix,what would it take for me to own something like that someday? 

I dust my boots as I cross into the kitchen, taking note of the various different pies on the kitchen counter, some of them still warm, it's past 10, that means my mum was up making them, the twinge of guilt grows. 

I see a pie with a sticky note on the side, I grab the note. 

'Peace offering? I'm sorry I hid it from you but if you really think about it I'm right, hope you will be around to greet the guests tomorrow, enjoy your pie, don't drink directly from the jug' I smile, keeping the note on the table and digging into the pie with a fork, I watch the as the mashed berries seep onto the plate like blood and I wonder how its going to be living with strangers for 3 months. 

AN 

Thank you for reading! 

Please leave comments, I love you.