BAD REPUTATION.

21

Judd Kidd

I'm extremely thankful for the empty house when I finally make it home. It means I won't have to sneak in like a treacherous husband coming home the morning after his treacherous behavior. I'm not here to stay. I just need a shower, decent clothes and a new plan to woo Brandy Mae.
If I can be in and out without meeting grandma Veronica then I'd really thank the gods.

The gods must not be in need of my thank yous because I nearly bump into Mary's bosom as she barrels down the stairs. Mary is a volumptuos woman and old enough to have grandchildren I could sleep with and not feel like a cradle robber.
I can't believe I thought about having sex with her. She's like my grandmother.

"Mister Judd!! Are you okay? Where have you been? Can I get you anything? Have you seen my phone?" She fires all this questions at me and I give her a confused answer face emoji.

" I'm fine, can you wash this for me?" I strip Brandy Mae's huge t-shirt and drop it in her arms.
"And use some good smelling detergent or whatever and iron it." I add as I start to climb up the stairs.
I'm planning on taking a shower and then going back to Dirty Bastard. This time I'm going to woo Brandy Mae and taking back a clean t-shirt seems like the best place to start.

" Mr Judd, wait! "Mary stops me. I turn around.

She drapes the t-shirt on her shoulder then crosses her arms on her chest.
" Where were you? We spend the whole morning looking for but we couldn't find you.. Mrs Veronica.. She... She.. " She doesn't finish her sentence, her whole face turns gloomy.

The world stops.

I feel my body getting cold. The last time someone looked like that I lost my best friend. Grandma Veronica and I aren't really that close(I'm not sure she even likes me) but it would suck if she died. I don't want her to be dead because if she is then I'm for sure a cursed person.. I can't be around people because my presence kills them.

"What happened to Grandma Veronica? Is she okay? She's not dead is she??" I ask.

"Mr. Judd! Lord Jesus!! Don't you dare say that again. " Mary reprimands me clutching her chest fearfully as if I've just told her the thoughts I was having about her last night.

"Your grandmother is okay." The
world shifts back into focus. I even roll my eyes at her dramatics.

"so? Where is she?" It's kinda anticlimactic how she's not at this minute ranting her poor heart out.

"Can you come to the kitchen, I want to talk to you for a minute." She tells me and she doesn't let decide if I want to follow her or not . She climbs down the stairs and now I have to follow her because it's the first time she's ever asked me to do anything. See how saintly I'm becoming?

"Mr Judd, would you like some coffee? tea? Juice?" Mary asks.

"No, you said you wanted to talk me, can you make it quick? I have somewhere I need to be." I tell her impatiently.

She sits down in one of the kitchen stools and crosses her arms on the counter like she's about to interview me.

"Your grandmother.,Mrs Veronica" she clarifies as if I don't know who she's talking about. "She's a very strong woman and I don't know if you know this but she's sick and.. "

"Sick?" I cut in. "What kind of sickness?"

"Yes, a few years back she was diagnosed with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. She takes medication which keeps it all under control but this few weeks it's been..",she shakes her head. " She's not been okay."

"why? What's happening? Is she not taking her medication?"

Mary sighs, " Your grandmother is a very strong willed lady and she always likes things to go her way. If they don't she gets stressed and that's not good for her body. And you Mr Judd." She takes a deep sigh, again," You're not an easy person to deal with. "