Slaying Dragons

Chapter Ten

Marcy reached for her phone as she continued mixing her concoction. She answered the phone and kept mixing. "Hello?"

"Dude!"

"Jude?!" Her eyes widened and a smile stretched over her face.

"Dude!"

"Dude!" She sniffled.

"Dude..."

"Dude." She tried to pull herself together.

"Dude."

"Dude."

"Dude?"

"Dude. We're having an ice cream party."

"Dude." There was laughter to his voice.

"Ring the doorbell. One of the kids should let you in."

The doorbell rang.

That was quick. I know he said he was outside but damn!

"Dude." Jude spoke.

"Who is it?"

"Sounds like Little Rye."

"She can open the door."

"It's Uncle Jude!" He lifted his voice.

Marcy held the phone from her ear.

"Dude?" Marcy could hear the door being unlocked.

"Dude?"

"See you in two."

"Two, Jude." She hung up. She set her phone aside and poured coconut flakes in the mixture.

Two minutes later, Jude walked into the kitchen. "Happy birthday, dude!"

"Happy birthday, dude!" She sucked on her right index finger to remove pineapple juice then raised her fists to the sky.

He came to give her a hug. "How is everyone?"

"You've seen P, right?"

"Yes, I have. I stopped off at the house first."

"Did you talk?"

"About what?" He peered at her mixture.

So that's a no... "How's your dad?"

"He's getting comfortable." He swallowed.

"So this is really it, huh?"

"Yeah."

"How's your mom holding up?"

He sniffed noisily. "She's finally admitted herself to a hospital. It's part detox, part mental health services."

"Is that good for you?"

"I don't know. What if it's a place like where we've been?"

"I don't know." She realized. "I don't want to dump on her (anymore) but your mom needs help. Not every place is going to be bad. You have to have faith."

He hugged her loosely. "Thanks, brah. You always know what to say."

"I never know what to say. But thank you." She patted his back. "Are you going back?"

Jude had been in Canada off and on for the past six months as his father had developed Stage 4 inoperable prostate cancer. This was his longest stay; six weeks.

He sighed. "Yes. I'm only home for a week. Then I have to go back. Father is still having a hard time relinquishing control of the company."

"Do you even want to be in charge of a billion dollar corporation?"