Broken Society (EDITING) COMING 2023

chapter 6: june 30th, 1960

I continued to knock but he refused to answer. I was becoming agitated. "Look, I need to talk to you! I have some questions and I can't leave until they're answered." I yelled.
Silence. My hands turned into a fist. I kept knocking as if that would change something but still, there was no response.
"I'll be back. If you decide you want to talk I'll be at the nearest motel." I yelled. Stomping down the stairs, I made my way back to the car. As I pulled out I watched the set of curtains on one side of the house move slightly. He was watching me, waiting for me to leave. I drove down the driveway and stopped at the red mailbox, burying my face in my hands. Was this a mistake? Did I drive all this way for him to slam the door in my face? I looked back up at the house. At that moment I told myself that I wasn't giving up that easily. I just wouldn't.

I headed back into town and drove to the closest and what seemed like the only motel in Sienna Hills. When I got to the front desk the manager asked me how long I would be staying, I paused for a minute. How long was I gonna wait for answers? How long was I going to stay here in this town that seemed to know more about me than I did it? I answered with a week.

In my room, I threw my bag to the side and headed to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror as if I had just seen it for the first time. I began removing my clothes and started the shower water. For what felt like hours, I let the water fall on my face and closed my eyes. All I could think of was being back at the front porch. It was my fault for thinking that this meeting would go smoothly. Don't expect. When I decided to open my eyes I felt like it was all a dream, even though I knew it wasn't. It was very real and I wasn't ready to move on. I had just begun and I couldn't go back home.

That night I didn't sleep I just laid in bed, staring at the window. The blinds were cracked some, which allowed the bright light from the motel sign to occupy parts of my face. When I still was unable to fall asleep I began reading. I had found it comforting to let my mind focus on someone else's problems. At some point in the fifteenth chapter, I finally fell asleep. The lamp that sat on the nightstand remained on and my head rested on the headboard.

The next time I awoke was at the sound of someone knocking on the door. It continued and eventually intensified.  I moved the open book from my chest and felt a pain in my neck. Relying on the headboard didn't end up benefitting my neck while I slept. I massaged it as I got up from the bed. I pulled the curtain back slightly, automatically squinting from the bright sunlight. I saw a tall man standing at the door, not entirely sure who it was. I opened it, letting in even more sunlight. When my eyes finally adjusted I saw my uncle standing before me. He had a frown on his face, or maybe it was more of a confused look. "It's three in the afternoon and your still sleeping?" He asked. Well, that was a perfect reason to be looking at someone like a crazy person. "I-I didn't get much sleep," I said. He sighed and seemed very uncomfortable. "I came to see if you'd want to grab a cup of coffee down at Kit's?" I paused for a moment, still trying to wake up. "Sure. I'll just need a second to get dressed." Unaware of my actions, I rushed over to my suitcase. I grabbed a white shirt and some jeans. When I turned around my uncle had made it inside the room just a little more. I moved right past him and into the bathroom, throwing off the clothes I slept in.

We drove in silence. The sound of the engine was the only noise that came from anything. I didn't know if I should start asking questions or keep quiet. I glanced in his direction. His hands were placed firmly on the steering wheel, and his eyes were focused on the road ahead. He pulled into a parking lot with few cars. A large blue pole hung high in front of the restaurant. In neon pink letters 'Kit's' shined brightly. There was a smaller neon sign on the building. He got out of the car without a word. Naturally, I just followed him. He sat in a booth in the corner. I sat across from him, placing my hands on the table. He was staring at the table and I was looking anywhere to refrain from eye contact. We both looked in the same direction when a short woman with sliver hair walked over to us. "What can I get you, boys?" She asked. I looked at him. "Coffee's fine." He answered. I nodded. "Same for me." She placed her note pad and pencil back in her apron and left us. Without thought, I decided to start the conversation. "I appreciate you meeting with me." He looked at me. His eyebrows moved close together almost in worry. He cleared his throat. "Why did you come here?" He asked. My mouth fell open some at his reply. I adjusted in my seat until my back was against the booth. "The letter I received from you was the first time I had ever heard about you." I stopped trying to get my words together and decided to just explain to him why I was here. "I never got the card directly. I found it, which means my father didn't want me to have it. I didn't know about you until that card, and I wanted to know why that is."
The woman returned with the cups of coffee and some sugar. "If y'all need anything else please let me know." I gave her a reassuring smile, while he kept his eyes locked on me. He continued to stay silent, didn't even touch his coffee. I took a sip before finishing my explanation. "Do you know about my accident?" I asked. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do." He responded. He bit down on his lower lip and I knew that I was getting to a part that made him uncomfortable. I was getting antsy and I wanted him to start speaking. "For five years I haven't been able to remember. For five years I felt like I've been living in the body of a guy I don't know. My parents tell me about the son they knew before in hopes I will be able to recollect those memories. And there's a girl, a beautiful girl that loves me and I can't love her back because I don't ever remember loving her. She wants to be with me." I ranted on. He wrapped his hands around the mug tightly and stared into the cup. I sighed, tired of his quietness. "But if you're just going to sit here, then maybe I did make a mistake." I reached into my pocket and threw some bills out on the table. I slid out of the booth, giving him one last glance. As I turned to leave he finally spoke. "If I'm going to do this you have to prepare yourself for it all. It might not all be what your parents have told you, a-and most importantly it might hurt you." He looked up from the mug and into my concerned eyes. "I'll do it if you think you're ready to hear everything."