Minding Others, part 5

Minding Others

Chapter 5


Rod plainly didn’t believe me, but my challenge was too weird not to call what had to be a bluff. Would a young teen who had just been molested by his mother act as if he had been the villain? Well, maybe, but that would be getting ahead of my story. Rodney probably figured he could secure me at Wendy’s for a couple hours while he confronted mom.

My brother preened briefly at Wendy’s front door. He knocked, and after several seconds delay, Wendy’s father appeared. The older man wasn’t too happy with what he saw.

“This home hasn’t had the pleasure of your company for some time, Rodney. Come on in, I can’t let the neighbors watch me beat to death another kid who’s gotten my daughter into trouble.” Wendy’s father didn’t crack a smile.

I checked my brother. He ignored me.

“Yes sir, Mr. Palnasus. My brother’s here to drag my body back home. Is Wendy here?”

“Yeah,” Our doomsayer opened a space for us to squeeze through. “She helping her mother with dinner. Wait on the couch. I am pissed off, Rod, but I’m patient enough to hear your story. Tell a good one, and you can join us. Tell the wrong one, and you’ll be first course.”

We sat ourselves right down, eager to submit. If we had been dogs, we would have rolled on our backs. Rod answered, “I’m not going to lie, sir, but it was a crazy thing. I still don’t know what happened, but this is what I saw and what I did…”

Rodney told a decent version of the fateful morning. As he related the events, he turned his head to me a couple times, and zapped me with a critical look, even though he never mentioned me in his tale. He was remembering just where I stood throughout his ordeal.

“Well, that’s probably a load of horseshit, but Wendy believes you, and I’ve always found you to be forthright. You know if I catch a whiff of falsehood, later on, I’ll ask the school to expel you.” Mr. Palnasus reached for a tin on the coffee table. “Butter cookie?”

We both accepted. Wendy appeared in the archway to the kitchen, nearly as upset as her father.

“Dad, mother’s being impossible. Oh, hi Rod!” She suddenly beamed at my brother. Then she resumed pouting at her father. “It’s either her or me, choose.”

“I don’t want either of you. I never did understand who let women get into this house. Pest control wants a fortune to remove you both.”

“Yes daddy,… and mom and I already spent your fortune. Get a new line.” Wendy bounced over to Rod and promptly forgot her father. She flumphed down on my brother’s lap.

“Miss me?”

“Excuse me, product of my sin, but you’re still grounded lower than the circle of false prophets.”

“Dad, but…”

“Kitchen or bedroom.” Mr.