Equifinality (Bare Bones)

Happy Birthday

I have been going to Dr. Slayer for the past five or so years. At first it was so hard to talk about anything with her, but she has been one of the few people in my life I can trust. Now that I think about it there has only been four people in my life that I have ever trusted. Dr. Slayer, Grandma Beth, Pandora , and Enoch. Grandma adopted me for my eleventh birthday. Now she was Mama.  Mama has been the closes person in the world to me ever since that night Chris and mother left and never came back eight years ago. I have heard nothing from my mother since. What kind of mother doesn't fight for the kid, but part of me is glad that she never came back.  Mama and I are so close now. I dare to say she is more like a best friend then a Mama. We became the closes about four years ago when Grandpa Carl suddenly pasted away from a heart attack. A few months after the funeral. I don't understand why it is called a funeral. It sounds like fun-for-all. Who the hell is it fun for?  So Mama and I moved to Franklin, North Carolina where she grow up. Its a cute little small town in the middle of the  Nantahala National Forest, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Mama's entire family still lives here. I swear everyone in this town is related to Mama. Its the kind of town that looks like a scene out of deliverance. On a silent night you can hear banjoes playing.   

I walk a few blocks down the street to Uncle Joe's BBQ. Joe is my Mama's brother. I worked for him every day after school. Today I was meeting Mama there for supper. Just being us, we eat out for most of our meals. I walked in to the country looking BBQ joint. Uncle Joe's ideal of decorating was to put old gas station signs all over the restaurant. Mama was setting in the same old booth we always set in. 

"Hi Mama" I smiled at Mama who was staring at the menu. I had no ideal why she was looking at the menu, she got the same thing every time we came here. 

"Hey baby boy, Happy birthday Ethan." Looking at me with a big grind on her face. 

"I have your presents at the house, you can open them when we get home." Mama had a look of concern.

" Mama that's ok no worries." The concern was still there.

" Mama is something wrong?" I was confused and worried. 

Uncle Joe approached the table with three plates and set down beside Mama.

" Joe we didn't even order yet." Mama appearing slightly annoyed.

"Sis you get the same damn thing every time. I made Ethan something specials for his birthday." With a big grind he set my plate in front of me." Happy birthday Ethan"

"Thank you Uncle Joe. Holy Shit!" I shouted after seeing what was on my plate.

"Watch your language!" The annoyed look from mama had now passed to me.

" Sorry Mama" 

I swear there was a half a cow on my plate, As well as a bake potato that was the size of a football. The bake potato was loaded, even had pulled pork on it.

"Joe that's way to much food" Now the annoyed look from Mama had passed back to Uncle Joe like a ping pong ball. 

" Ethan's a big boy. Ethan what are you six foot one, six foot two?"

" I'm six foot Three Uncle Joe" I just kept on eating the big perfectly cooked rare steak that just melted in my mouth.

" See Beth he can handle it." Joe was looking at Mama like he was right, but Mama paid him no never mind. 

" So Ethan your Mama tells me you got a bunch of College offers just a sitting on the table at the house. Have you picked one of them yet?" Mama must have told Uncle Joe that I had not picked out a college yet. 

Mama looked kind of sad when Uncle Joe bought up of the subject of college. Mama always wanted me to go to college but for the last year or so she hadn't want to talk much about me going to college. Two years ago when I started to get scholarship offers from schools because of football, Mama was so excited. We even took most of the summer between my sophomore and junior year to travel to some of the schools. Then my junior year I got defensive player of the year for the state North Carolina. Since then I have been getting three or four a week. There was a huge pile on them on our kitchen table. I have been thinking about picking a school that is close to home so I can still live with Mama. I would hate to leave her alone.