Step Brother Blues, Short Story

Part Four, Trying to Make Sense of it All

Chapter Eight

Jason:
I spent the day at the gym. I couldn't stop thinking about Kate and hoping she's ok. I think I'll be glad to start back to school and get my mind back on track. I need to get in touch with one of my friends. He has a sister studying psychology. Maybe she wouldn't mind coming over to the house to chat with Kate, and see why she is so hostile at times to me and my dad. She's making me do crazy things I would not normally do. Pretty soon I'm going to need a shrink myself, or a jail cell. I can't allow this to continue. I'm going to contact Tod and see if he can talk his sister, Patty into coming over. I'll pretend she's a friend from school who's coming to have dinner with us. I hope she can help.

Kate:
I decided to take a long walk in the park to clear my head. It was such a perfect summer morning. It was still not too hot, with a gentle breeze blowing softly through the trees. The birds were singing and people were out walking their dogs or jogging. All of the morning people were out enjoying the quiet and coolness of the morning. And today I was one of those morning people. I stopped on the bridge overlooking the river below. I leaned slightly, over the rail to listen to the water as it gently flowed over the rocks. It's just a small tributary off of the main River a few miles away. Maybe I'll walk over to the main river tomorrow and watch the people conoeing. Maybe I'll jog over there. I haven't done that in a while.
I need to get my mind off of Jason. He keeps me in a state of confusion all of the time. One minute he is a bully and then suddenly he's the sweetest most fun guy I've ever been around. It's like someone flipped a switch and he's changed completely. I don't get it.

I decided to get some cleaning done around the house. Then I decided to do some groceries shopping and surprise Jason with a home cooked meal for two. I hadn't done a lot of cooking but I did know how to make burgers on the outdoor grill. And I bought some chips and beer. Jason likes cold beer. I need to try and be nicer. I hope he appreciates the gesture of friendship I am extending to him.

Jason:
I called my friend, Tod and he said he would speak to his sister Patty for me. Now I just want to get home and relax. I'm finding there's a lot more to running a gym than meets the eye. My dad is a hard worker, and his absence has been greatly felt by me. I am truly tired.

Kate:
I was watching a movie while waiting for Jason to come home. It was a comedy about two women training their husbands by using the same tactics used to train a dog. It was not supposed to be taken seriously. But it got me to thinking about how most people treat their dogs and how dogs respond to their owners. I realized, that movie was not as crazy as it sounds. Whenever I came home from school, my dog would run to great me at the door, enthusiastically, showing me just how happy he was to see me. How many people ever greet one another that way. Maybe they should. I always petted and cuddled with my dog, because I wanted him to feel special and loved. I spoke words of endearment to my dog, frequently using his name and praising him. Whatever I had to eat, I shared it with him. I even tried baking him some home made treats out of peanut butter. Nothing was too good for my dog. I asked myself, why did I love my dog so much? Why did my dad love our dog so much? Even more than me and mom. Well, I think one important thing we all loved about our dog was that, no matter how badly we acted or how much we ignored him. He never held a grudge. He would just sit quietly looking sad until we came around. Then it was like nothing ever happened. He'd be just as loving and attentive as ever. Why can't people be like that? Maybe my dad left because he didn't feel valued or loved. Now that's some food for thought. I think I need to try acting more like a dog and less like a self centered human being. Maybe then Jason would like me better. Maybe, I would like myself better as well.
When Jason came through the door I ran to greet him with a big smile on my face. I may not have a tail to wag but I know how to make a man feel wanted and appreciated.
"Jason, your home! Did you have a good day?"