The Man She Married

19.

_____19_____
Doing What's Right

-•-

°a week later

"We can't just sit here in silence Mr. Bryant." Dr. Norton informs while taking a glance at his watch that reads two o'clock in the afternoon.

"I know I just don't know where to start." Antrell says while sitting up.

"I was hoping you'd be able to share without me asking questions." Dr. Norton sighs, placing his glasses on his face.

"That's your job as a psychiatrist Dr. Norton. I'm new to this. I'm not just going to come in and sit down and pour my heart out. You have to prepare me for that." Antrell says.

"Very well. What were your parents like Mr. Bryant?" Dr. Norton questions while crossing his legs. Antrell sighs and licks his lips.

"Where do you want me start?" He questions.

"Where ever you feel most comfortable." Dr. Norton says. Antrell blinks repeatedly while staring in his lap, thinking back as far as he could.

"My father served in the army and my mother worked at a hotel." Antrell starts.

"I'm listening." Dr. Norton assures. Antrell sighs while sitting back, shaking his head.

"My father and I never really gotten along. He always looked down on me because I didn't follow in his footsteps like my sister." He sighs.

"Your sister is in the army." Dr. Norton concludes.

"Yea and I became an architect. He believed that me drawing was dumb and that it wouldn't make me any money. He called it worthless which only made me want to prove him wrong in so may ways." Antrell scoffs.

"Why was that?" Dr. Norton questions.

"My father was always a wreck but it only gotten worse when he stopped working. He was forced to retire at forty-four. His airbase was bombed and it caused him to go deaf in one ear. The army didn't have much use for him so they let him go. That only made shit harder for me. He was going to be home and in my face all the time. He began to drink and verbally abuse my mother and I." Antrell explains.

"I'm guessing you and your mother avoided the controversy." Dr. Norton says. Antrell nods and sighs.

"I only avoided it because of the respect. He was my father and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here. That was always my excuse of not saying anything."

"What was your mother's?"

"When he'd call her stupid, tell her shut up or call her out of her name, her excuse was he doesn't mean it. That he didn't know what he was saying and that he'd be okay the next day. I knew that was a lie, because he'd drink from morning to night." Antrell sighs.

"Where was your sister during all this?" Dr. Norton curiously questions.

"She was there, flaunting all the good she did. My father would praise her and then frown at me, asking why I couldn't be more like her? Little did he know, Aniyah isn't the person she thinks he is." Antrell laughs, shaking his head.

"What does that mean?" Dr. Norton writes down some things as Antrell bounces his knee.

"She wasn't this angel that my father thought she was. Growing up, she would sneak out to be with her friends or some nigga she was talking to." Antrell shrugs.

"She was the sneaky one while you were up front." Dr. Norton analyzes.

"Yep." Antrell agrees. He knew a lot about his sister that his parents didn't. That's why it always bothered him that his father could favor her over him.