Monday, March 21, 2011

how do you find your way home

Casey got lost on the way home. It was freaky going some place that wasn't his apartment which was more of a motel room. What in the hell was gonna do with his stuff? He hadn't thought of it yet. He was pretty sure Nina would call it his shit.

Maybe he'd keep his place for a couple of months. But then again, he wasn't sure he could really afford it.

Finally, he got down to the blocks of cookie cutter houses. They were old. Been here since World War II. Women lived in them mostly, while they worked on the base, building artillery or some such shit like that. His great-grandmother had been one of those women. Now his grandmother had the house, he never saw her much because he didn't want her to think she had to deal with him.

He parked in her driveway now. It was thin and full of cracks. Really, the little box house was falling apart.

"You must really be lost." She said when she opened the door.

Casey smiled. He was caught off guard. He guessed he was, but he didn't want to admit it to her.

She went to get him a beer. He looked around the old place. Walls of pictures of him mostly, growing up. It was a little haunting. His Mom was in Florida now, working at the Disney World library. It was just the three of them. He never knew his Dad.

"Watcha been up too?" She looked him over as it to see if he'd really grown. But then again, she'd given him beer since he was eleven. They used to watch Friday night TV in this house. Usually, it was 20/20. She liked to be informed of things.

"Well." He had to let the beer settle in his stomach. Only he belched instead.

"You still working at the school?" She never gave him a dime to help him with educating himself. She always told him he wouldn't appreciate it until he could finance it, himself.

"Oh, yeah." He hadn't meant to be a bother. He looked out the big window. It was twilight now. Kids were out playing ball even if it were too cold to really want to stay out there. But they were natives and under-dressed, so the cold didn't bother them much. "Gran, I got married."

"Well, ain't that special." Her eyes rested on him as if he better not expect a wedding gift.

He guessed she grinned. It was hard to tell when she played with her false teeth like she did. It was making him a tad nausea. She gave him a hug. Finally.

"Its about time." She told him. "Was it that Sarah girl, you were so damn crazy about?"

Casey looked at her wide-eyed. "No." He wasn't sure if he ever wanted Nina to meet his Gran. As it was, he didn't even know if Nina's family was around here. He barely knew Nina. As it was, he just slept with her, and got along with her that way.

His cell buzzed then. It was Nina.

"Where the fuck are you?" She blurted.

He closed his eyes then. Well, it wasn't perfect. He had to believe he'd have to fall in love with the complaining sound of her voice.

"How, how do I get home, exactly?" He waited for instructions.

6 comments:

ellie said...

Casey has an interesting grandmother.

Unknown said...

Oh, Casey, is he sure he's where he wants to be?

molly said...

Casey sounds like he needs family. I'm not sure Nina is it, though.

Cafe Fashionista said...

Sometimes family isn't always what it's cracked up to be. :/

Lux and Stan said...

Oh, I do like him. I feel sad for him. I hope Nina isn't rotten.

so jade said...

Oh, Casey..he needs love.