Beach Tracks

Uncle B- A Father, Not An Uncle

It doesn't matter what anyone says, this is all my fault. If only I had kept a closer eye on him. It all makes sense now, all of those times I caught him with his hand up to his mouth and how he'd quickly jerk it away everytime I walked in the room. I thought he was just sneaking in candy, like any other kid his age. God, why couldn't it have been candy? I know I haven't taught him much since his mother died and that's on me. I didn't even make him use his words for years after that rainy night. I just let him grunt and most of the time pretended to know what he he was saying. It was easy enough for his friends. They always understood him better than me anyway. Then, after his best friend died, why is the world so cruel. I remember the hard days, the days where he wouldn't even speak to me. He stopped calling me dad. He said it would sound cooler if I let him call me Uncle instead of dad and it did, so I let him. I have done everything i know how to give this boy a good life and I can't imagine losing him. Don't take him from, don't let me lose, please, don't let him . . .

    "Benny, it'll be alright," Vanessa tries to comfort him, as they pull into the hospital parking lot "I'm sure all he'll need is his stomach pumped, an IV and before you know, he;ll be out. Maybe even by tonight." As they parked, Uncle B still worried. It was kind of Vanessa to comfort him, but she didn't know the pain that this place, this hospital held for him and Gauge. She didn't know, well, yeah she did technically know that it wasn't too long ago that Guage was released from this hospital after the 4th of July storm, Hurricane Wendy knocked the picnic shelter on them, impelling him. She was there and danced with him in the rain as Gauge danced with Breeze. God he hoped that girl would show up and be by Guage's bedside once more, willing him to recover as she did before. Gauge may never have admitted it, but he knew his son was in love with that girl. Vanessa's niece was . . . trendy and Gauge loved that about her. Sure, she was annoying some-most of the time but if Gauge loved her, then that's what matters.

    Aunt Vanessa and Uncle B enter the hospital and look around. The ER waiting room was empty except for the young girl sitting at the reception desk. They walk up to her and she is on her phone, chewing gum and looking at social media.

    "My son was brought in a little  while ago, his name is Gauge," Uncle B explains.

    "So?" the girl asks and begins to twirl her hair, without even looking up from her phone.

    "Can you tell us where he is?" Uncle B asks, "or better yet, is he okay?"

    "What do I look like?" the receptionist asks.

    "I just . . ." Uncle B is at a lost for words.

    "Benny, let me handle this," Aunt Vanessa offers, stepping in front of him and using the back of her hand to gently push him back. She smiles and calmly asks, "we're looking for my friend's son and would like for you to give us the information. Can you do that?"

    "Whatever," the girl replies. Aunt Vanessa reaches from behind the desk and grabbing the girl by her shirt, pulls her up on it. The girl drops her phone and quits smacking her gum.

    "You listen to me and you listen to every single word I say, you little no good, snobby, brat," Aunt Vanessa orders her in an angry tone of the likes that Uncle B has never seen before, "you are going to looking up information on my friend's son and you're going to do it now. Then, you're going to politely, and I mean sweet as angel, tell us where we can find him, because if you do not, Lord help you, by the time I am done with you, puppies and kittens will cry when they see you. Do you understand me?" Aunt Vanessa pushes her back into the chair behind the desk as the receptionist trembles with fear. She shakily answers yes in a soft tone. "I'm sorry, I did not hear you," Aunt Vanessa tells the girl.

    "Y-y-yes," the receptionist answers quietly.

    "Yes, what?" Aunt Vanessa asks.

    "Yes, ma'am," the young girl quickly types on the computer, "they-they say he was only just brought in, back there."