Endearment // Royce

ღ Chapter 21 ღ

August 1, 2016
Chresanto August

I pressed 'decline' and tossed my phone in the cup holder. My parents have never tried to reach out to me or talk to me this much. It seems as though, in the past week they've been trying to get ahold of me.

But, I'm not trying to hear it.

I know their calling to give me some bullshit apology for their —mostly my mother's— behavior at that dinner Sunday night. My father is just eating away with guilt. He feels like he let me down. He chased my mother around like a lost puppy all these years, forgetting he had a son to teach how to be a man. He's trying to make up for "neglecting" me. It's too late for that now. I'm a grown man with my own business and a partner that loves me, what can he teach me now that I haven't already taught myself?

Absolutely nothing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I heard Jacob asked. He rubbed my shoulder, looking at me. "I didn't even notice you get in." I backed out of his driveway.

"That's why I asked what was wrong, now tell me... Your parents still calling?" I nodded. "I think you should answer the phone. Something could be wrong and you're not answering your phone. I know y'all don't talk as often but they've been calling nonstop all week. Don't you think you've tortured your mother enough, Chucky?" Jacob giggled.

"Why do you always talk me into doing what's right?" I sighed, picking up my phone from it's spot in the cup holder as we stopped at a red light. "Because, doing the right thing is the right thing." Jacob laughed as he texted away on his phone.

"Chucky... Why haven't you returned my calls? I've been worried sick." My mother's voice boomed through the car speakers. Jacob snickered to himself, shaking his head.

"I don't see why, we've went almost 2 months without even seeing each other." I spoke dryly.

  "Why do you always throw my parenting skills in my face-" "What parenting skills?" Jacob and I said at the same time. Well, I said it to my mother while Jacob said it more to himself.

  "I know I'm not the best mother in the world but you don't have to constantly remind me of it."

                  "Why are you calling me?"

  "To apologize, I didn't mean for-" "Bullshit." I spat. "You knew exactly what you were doing. Why are you so- so, vindictive?" I asked, speeding off when the light turned green.

  "You have no reason to be this petty, you're too old for that ma." My mother was silent, she knew I was right. "When you're ready to be sincere, you can call me back-"

"Your father is sick." She blurted

"What's wrong with him?" I asked. "He went to the doctors yesterday morning because he had been having a headache for the past few days, they did some kind of exam they noticed that he had a brain tumor or something..." she explained.

"Is he stable?" I asked, suddenly growing worried. I now felt bad for not answering his calls. Maybe he was calling for help, and I didn't even bother to answer or call back

"I guess so, I haven't been to the hospital yet."

"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me he's been in the hospital since yesterday and you haven't been out to see him yet?" Jacob looked over at me. This is why I am the way I am with her. She's selfish, always has been. Her husband is lying in a hospital bed with a brain tumor and she doesn't even care. She's never cared.

  "You need to get it together before it's too late. If something happens to Charles, you're gonna be in a world of trouble because of how you treated him."

  Growing up my dad did everything he could to please her. He'd wait on her hand and foot, be there for her when she needed him and all of the above and yet it still wasn't enough for her. She walks all over him and takes advantage of him because she knows he loves her to the point where he'll do anything. The way he was raised, he was brought up to spoil his woman. Treat her like a queen so no other man would and my mother is taking advantage of his dlove.

  It's sad because he knows he doesn't deserve to be treated like that and he still sticks around.

  "Just go see him," she groaned "I'll be there soon." She ended the call.

"Want me to call Chaz for you? I'm sure he'll understand." Jacob said softly. We were on our way to a barbecue that Chaz was having, just for the hell of it. This would be the first time they'd all get to actually meet Jacob.

  "No, we're still gonna go... We'll just be a little late." I made a u-turn and headed for the hospital.

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  "I think you should get checked, just to be cautious." Charles mumbled, the anesthesia slowly taking over. He'd just been sedated and was preparing for surgery. "They told me it was hereditary-" He paused looking at Jamie who was staring up at him with a bottle of gatorade in his hands.

  "What's dat?" He pointed to the tube the went through my father's nose. "What's dat?" He asked again pointing to the IV in his arm. "What's dat?" He pointed to the blood pressure monitor on his finger.

  "You ask a lot of questions little man." "Boogie c'mere, leave Mr. August alone he's sleepy."

  "It's him nap time?" I chuckled and Charles smiled weakly. "Yes, it's his nap time. Tell him you'll see him later." Jacob said.

           "See you later, Charlie." Jamie grinned

#Pray4Charles
Chres Has abandonment issues
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