Sad Faces

Chapter 5: Rad's Weekend

Chapter 5: Rad's Weekend

The doorbell rings as Thomas was coming down the stairs. "I'll get it," Thomas said as he went to the door and opened it. "Hey mate!" Rad said pulling in Thomas for a hug. "Um... can I help you?" Thomas said while being hugged. "Thomas, it's me uncle Radley but you know everyone calls me Rad for short," Rad said with a smile. "Um... dad!" Thomas called his dad. "Oh, Uncle Rad is here!" Bingo said running to her uncle. "Hey Bingo! Seems like your brother has forgotten all about uncle Rad," Rad said as he walked into the house. "He's dad's older brother," Bluey said from beside her brother. "Huh, I've never met him," Thomas said as he shut the door. "We only see him on Christmas," Bluey said as she skipped along into the kitchen. "Rad! How are you doing mate," Bandit said as he hugged his brother. "Hey little brother, looks like my nephew forgot about me," Rad said crossing his arms. "Well... he was younger than Bingo was when he last saw you," Bandit explained. "That's true or is he  just Stripe's favorite," Rad joked. "Hello, I'm standing right here," Thomas spoke. "Funny kid too Bandit," Rad said looking at Thomas and then back at his brother. "Well he'll be your kid for the weekend," Bandit said with a laugh. "My dad said what now?" Thomas said looking at his dad.

"It's only for the weekend mate you'll be fine," Bandit said following his son into his room. "I barely know the guy, what do I have to go with him for the weekend?" Thomas said as he started to pack his things. "Since you got suspended, I wanted you to learn something from it," Bandit explained, "by sending me away with a total stranger?" Thomas said as he continued packing. "He's not a stranger mate, he's you're uncle and my brother," Bandit said with a smile. "Then why couldn't you send me away to uncle Stripe's?" Thomas asked. "Because then you wouldn't learn anything mate," Bandit said before leaving the room. "Because then you wouldn't learn anything mate," Thomas mocked his father before laying down on the bed. Thomas then walks out of the room with his bags. "There's the nephew," Rad said looking at Thomas. "Yeah, here I am," Thomas said placed his bad down. "No! Don't send my brother away," Bingo said hugging Thomas's leg. "Yeah dad, don't send Bingo's only brother away," Thomas said with a smirk.

"Come on Bingo you're brother has to go for the weekend," Chilli said as she picked Bingo. "But why!" Bluey spoke up also feeling sad about her brother leaving for the weekend. "That is something for your uncle and brother to discuss," Chilli said as she took both girls into the playroom. "Ready for the trip ahead mate," Rad said crossing his arms. "Yeah, I guess," Thomas said as he picked up his bags and headed out to Rad's car. "Have fun son!" Bandit said waving his hand to his son. Thomas just rolled his eyes as he sat in the car. "He'll be fine mate," Rad said before giving Bandit a hug. "Yeah, I know he will," Bandit said hugging Rad back. Rad returns to his truck. "Alright mate let's get the show on the road," Rad said as he starts the truck. Thomas sighs as he sits back in his seat while watching them leave the driveway.

"So mate, how have you been?" Rad said as they drove down the street. "Fine, I guess" Thomas replied. "Good, how do you like living with your dad again?" Rad asked. "It's okay I guess," Thomas answered. Rad nodded. "Listen, mate, about your mum..." Rad started to say. "It's okay, we don't have to talk about her," Thomas said looking out the window. "You're dad really loved her you know that," Rad spoke up. Thomas only sighed still looking out the window. "Right let's change the subject," Rad said now taking a turn on the freeway. "Do you know why you're dad sent you with me?" Rad asked. "To get rid of me," Thomas joked. "Funny, but no he sent you with me to have a little chat," Rad explained. Thomas turned and looked at his uncle. "A little chat?" Thomas asked. Rad nodded in response.

"Why couldn't he just talk to me himself?" Thomas asked. Rad chuckled as he turned off the freeway. "Because this is something special," Rad said now turning on a dirt road. "Okay..." Thomas said confused. Rad then stopped at a cabin in the middle of the forest next to a lake. "What's this place?" Thomas asked looking out the window. "Me, you're dad and uncle Stripe used to come here as kids growing up," Rad explained as he got out of the car. Thomas got out of the car and looked at the cabin. "Did grandpa take you guys here?" Thomas asked now looking to the lake. "Oh yeah, all the time," Rad said before handing Thomas an Axe. "What's this for?" Thomas asked. Rad chuckled, "for that mate," Rad said pointing at some firewood. "Firewood?" Thomas said. Rad nodded, "see you in an hour," Rad said before getting back into his truck. "Where are you going?" Thomas asked. "Well, I have to go get our food for the weekend and such, you should be fine out here alone," Rad said with a smile.

"Should be fine is the famous last word," Thomas said crossing his arms. "Listen mate I'll be back in no time just have some fun with the wood," Rad said as he started to truck. "See you soon," Rad said before driving away. "Yeah, fun," Thomas said as he started cutting some wood. "I bet this is what I get for getting suspended," Thomas said while cutting some wood. The hour passes back and Thomas finishes the last of the wood as Rad's truck pulls up to the cabin. Rad gets out of the truck with a few bags of food. "Nice job mate," Rad said looking at all the wood that was cut. Rad then goes inside the cabin and places the bags down. Thomas then joins his uncle inside the cabin. "Alright mate, you must be hungry right?" Rad asked. Thomas nodded in response, "alright then, take some firewood out to the fire pit and start it up and I'll be out in a few," Rad said as he walked out to the fire and grabbed some wood and gave it to his nephew. "Do we really need all this wood?" Thomas asked almost falling over from all the wood he was carrying. "Of course we do," Rad said with a smile.

Thomas rolls his eyes before taking the wood out to the firepit. Thomas sets the wood down and begins to make a fire. In no time the fire was made and Thomas sits by the fire and sighs from exhaustion. Rad then brings out a pan and chicken to make on the fire. "What was the point of this?" Thomas asked while putting on a hoodie. "To talk," Rad said with a smile. "And put me to work?" Thomas asked looking at his uncle. "Well... yeah that too," Rad said poking the fire. "What fun," Thomas said sarcastically. "You know mate, I was bullied too," Rad spoke up. "You were?" Thomas asked surprised. "Oh yeah, for being short," Rad said poking the fire again. "But you're taller than my dad," Thomas said with a chuckle. "That is true and they eventually forgot how short I was when I got older," Rad explained.

"So what are you saying?" Thomas asked. Rad laughed, "I'm saying is that just live your life mate it's too short for it to be about heartache all the time," Rad said with a smile. Thomas turns and looked to the warm fire with his hood on. "That's like something my mom would say," Thomas said still looking to the fire. "If you ever want to talk about her mate, I'm all ears," Rad said now making the chicken. "Did you ever meet her?" Thomas asked. Rad laughed, "we used to date," Rad said with another laugh. "What?!" Thomas said surprised. Rad laughed some more. "We did mate, we did," Rad said poking the fire. "How? And when? And why?" Thomas asked now interested. "Well... it was before she met your dad and we weren't all that at that moment, and when she saw your dad she..." Rad started but then trailed off. "She what?" Thomas asked. "She really did fall in love with him," Rad said softly. "Um... uncle Rad," Thomas said looking at Rad.

"Yeah mate?" Rad said looking at his nephew. "The chickens burning," Thomas said pointing at the Chicken. "Oh boy!" Rad said jumping up and trying to save the chicken. Now looking at the ball of black and burnt chicken Rad slides in a joke. "Do you think it's done?" Rad said with a nervous smile. "I think you could have left it in longer," Thomas joked. "You're funny, let's go get a burger and not tell your dad about it," Rad said putting his arm around his nephew's shoulder. "You mean the world's best chef?" Thomas said as he and Rad walked to his truck. "Right... don't tell him that either," Rad joked with a chuckle. They both got into the truck and started to make their way down the dirt road. "You're alright uncle Rad, thanks for the fun weekend," Thomas said with a smile. Rad smiled at that as they drove along the road.