Orel goes home

The return.

The first place Orel went was the town church. He hadn't been in years. Sure, he still prayed and said grace, even though his grandfather was atheist he never minded and still waited for Orel to finish before eating.

Christina and Orel got out the car and began walking up to the church. Orel entered first and looked around, recognising everything. He walked down the rows of benches and stopped for a moment, looking at where he used to sit every Sunday. Every. Single. Sunday.

He looked up at Reverend Putty's stand. He wondered if Putty was even Reverend still. It had only been 9 years, sure Reverend Putty had lived his life but there was surely a fair amount of it left. Orel looked at Christina who was looking around. She looked at Orel.

"Where did you used to sit?" She asked quietly, yet her voice still echoed through the silent building.

Orel pointed at his seat. "There. I used to sit next to my mother, Clay sat next to her and then Shapey and Block sat next to or stood in-front of him,"

Christina just nodded silently and slowly.

Orel went up to where Reverend Putty's office was, and knocked. The door was shut, normally it would be open but it wasn't this time.

A muffled come in came from the office before Orel opened the door and kinda just stood there.

Reverend Putty looked back at him, a look of shock and recognition on his face.

"Orel?" He asked

Orel nodded. Sort of surprised Putty was still there.

"It's been a while where did you go? All of your friends were worried about you..Doughy or whatever his name was stopped showing up to church after you disappeared.." Rod said. Orel was kind of surprised he had mentioned Doughy, he never really took any notice of whoever Orel was running around Moralton with. Unless it caused problems.

"I went to live with my grandfather, farm life sure is different..I have still been praying though, it's not like I've completely lost touch with god. Everyone around there is Atheist but my grandfather never minded me saying grace at dinner or anything" Orel explained.

Reverend putty just smiled softly and nodded. He'd clearly aged since Orel had last saw him. He didn't necessarily have wrinkled skin but it wasn't smooth anymore, the hair on the side of his head had greyed a lot more, and he just overall looked tired.

After about 10-15 minutes of conversation Orel and Christina left church. Orel decided now was the time to go home. See his mother and brothers. He wasn't there for Clay.

Orel pulled up outside his house, turning to Christina. She didn't look too different, her face had defined itself a bit more but she still looked the way she did when they first met. Clay would recognise her. Orel didn't want that trouble.

"Do you mind staying in the car? If clay isn't blacked out then I won't be too long.."

Christina smiled and nodded, kissing Orel's cheek softly and wishing him good luck. Orel smiled and got out the car, walking up to the familiar house with a sign posing his last name with a dove on either side  hung on the door. Orel didn't knock. Just in case Clay answered. So he just walked in. He wished he did knock though. He was met with the sound of shouting, screaming and breaking glass.

"Its all your fault Orel left and you know it Clayton!" Bloberta screamed.

"You say that as if you were ever a mother to him, you are such a hypocrite Bloberta!" Clay, very obviously drunk, retorted.

Bloberta grabbed a glass and chucked it at the floor to prove her point before storming out of the study, screaming at Clay to clean it up himself as all she ever does is clean and cook and she's sick of it.

The moment she got to the hallway she saw Orel stood there. She stopped dead in her tracks and just stared at him for a moment.

"..Orel..?" She said quietly.

"Hi mom.." Orel responded nearly as quietly.

Orel had never seen his mother cry. But here she was. Tearing up right in-front of him.