not doing well with your new therapist. I know it’s been a long time, and everyone has all but given up, Mama, but you gotta try.”
She turned away in a huff, looking towards the window, her chin cradled in the palm of her hand. That hand was worn with time and hard work. Dipping into hot buckets of water, harsh liquid detergents and soaps… scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing… always washing dirty secrets that would never fully come clean.
“Come on, Mama. I know it’s been hectic. I know we’ve asked a lot… I know you’ve had your share of setbacks, but you and Grandma always told me to never give up when something was important to me – to see it to the end. I need for you to do the same. It would mean the world to me and Aiden if you could just try.”
An episode of ‘Home Improvement’ was running on the television, the volume on low. The canned audience laughter consumed the room for a brief moment, and then, everything went quiet again.
“Mama, I got some things to tell ya.” The older woman turned towards him, her big eyes hooded and the lines around them softened. “Benjamin Creed is dead.”
She clasped her hands and ran her thumb along the other in a nervous gesture. “I know about it ’cause apparently, he put me in his will. I’ve been having a hard time of it. Not because of him dying, I don’t give a shi—I mean a crap, Mama, about his passing away because I didn’t know him, but that family of his… They’re fuckin’ scum! ’Scuse my language, Mama.” He closed his eyes for a spell, then continued. “They are degenerates. I’ve been gettin’ emails, threats, fake lawyers callin’ me when it is really them pretending to be attorneys, the whole nine. It’s been a real zoo.” He shook his head. “I’ve hired an independent attorney to set them straight. That should put a stop to this. Mama… we haven’t talked about my father much, even before your accident. It’s time.”
He grabbed a peppermint from the bag, unwrapped it, then got to his feet. They locked eyes for a brief moment before she slowly opened her mouth, parting dry lips. He placed the peppermint disc on the tip of her tongue and she sat back against her pillow, staring at the television as he retook his seat. The sweetness of that moment, the surrender, the connection, when she turned her gaze to him was marred by a wave of bitterness.
“Mama… I know you can’t tell me anything now either; the aphasia after the accident took care of that. But even if you could tell me, maybe you’d still choose not to.” He shrugged. “It is what it is, although at this point I need to know. There’s a lot at stake here. I just wanted to share what was going on, and rest assured that I’m handlin’ it.” Mama’s eyes filled with a strange bewilderment, then she nodded. “You okay in here this week? Anything going on that I should know about?” She shook her head and smiled as if all was well. “As much as this place charges, they better be giving you everything you want. The total queen treatment.”
He grinned at her, and she smiled back. She nodded once again, though he could tell it was a bit of a struggle.
Sometimes she seemed to understand him just fine, but other times, he wasn’t so sure. He sat there for a while, watching the television with her, sharing her candy. He eventually got up, stretched his arms, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, as he always did before they parted ways.
“Mama, I’m headed out. I’ll see you next week. I love you.”
She blinked a few times, swallowed and tugged at her sheet, covering herself. Then, she mustered a wave. He returned the gesture, and headed back down the hall that smelled of bleach, canned vegetables, and wet gauze. It smelled nothing like fresh French lavender and honeyed cantaloupe, perfumed hyacinth hopes and melon-infused miracles. He got back in his truck, lit a cigarette, and turned on the radio. ‘Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind’ by George Strait was playing at that moment. Smiling, he pulled out of the parking spot, falling into the groove of the music.
“It’s been a mighty long time since I’ve heard this. Years. I probably was still a kid.”
He tapped the steering wheel as he drove away from Mama’s nursing home,