behind me and felt worn jeans covering skinny legs. “Morning, Franklin,” I rasped. My tongue was thick with a sticky film.
“Good morning, Miss Drama.” Crunch. Crunch.
“Franklin, how did you get in my room? Didn’t I lock the door?”
“Not very effective if you leave the door to the patio open.”
“I guess that would explain a cat sitting on my face,” I replied, reaching up to unwrap a cat from around my head. She purred at my touch.
“Ahh, don’t. She looks so comfy. There’s also another one curled up with Baby. You know, Sleeping Beauty you’re not. Besides a cat sitting on your head, your mouth was open so I guess the earsplitting snoring could escape. The sound was vibrating off the walls.”
“Well, you’re no Prince Philip to wake up to,” I replied, sitting up and throwing the cat to the floor. “Are there any other critters I need to be aware of?”
The cat stretched and jumped into a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair. She was one of the barn cats who apparently had fled her rustic surroundings for a more luxurious lifestyle and had brought her boyfriend along. Rubbing my neck, I tried to get my bearings as I had been sleeping upside down on the bed.
“Haven’t looked yet.” Crunch. Crunch. Slurp.
“Is that a glass of milk?”
“Yep.”
“Can I have a sip?”
“Why not. You paid for it.” Franklin handed me a tall glass of milk, which I greedily drank.
“I guess you were sent in to determine if I was still in a horrible mood.”
“Matt called me yesterday very upset.”
“Did he tell you I acted like a crazy person?”
“He said he wanted that glorious gray matter of yours sharp today. Very important, he said, so he sent me to get you ready.” Franklin spooned in more cereal before he spoke. “Look, Josiah, there’s no judgment here. Just concern about what is the best thing to do. We both feel that you saved our lives. I mean, you took that freak down. You took the fall, literally. And we are here to help – however long it takes, partly because we feel we owe it to you and partly ’cause we want to. We are both fond of you.”
“Fond of me?”
“Okay, Matt loves you and I am very . . . fond of you . . . and frankly, life wouldn’t sparkle as much without you. I want you to get very well.”
“What’s behind the kind words? I sense an unspoken agenda.”
“Well, Miss Suspicious, if the truth must be told. Matt will not move forward emotionally or physically until things are settled with you, and by that, I mean you can function independently and the farm is shipshape. I can understand his feelings but frankly, my dear, I am a bit tired of it all. I want a life with Matt, but you are a buttinsky. As long as you are needy, Matt will be accommodating.”
“Gee, Franklin. You make me feel all warm and cozy inside.” I was very hurt by Franklin’s words.
“Just letting you know where we stand. Personally if you need drugs and dope to make you feel like a human being, I’ll make sure you have drawers full of that stuff. Just let Matt go.”
I tried not to show that Franklin was upsetting me. People were starting to make demands of me that I was not able to reciprocate yet. I was still a broken piece of china.
“Last night was the first time I had seen Matt in months. If you and Matt are having problems, I don’t think it has anything to do with me,” I said.
“Josiah, we never go anywhere. We never do anything except work on this stinking, rundown farm.”
“Doesn’t look rundown anymore.”
“Yeah, thanks to Matt and me. Look at my hands. They are simply ruined.”
“Franklin, when three people have had traumatic experiences like we did only a short time ago . . . it takes time to recover both physically and emotionally. Maybe you are rushing the healing process. Perhaps Matt is suffering from post-traumatic stress?”
“Let’s not be overly dramatic. Just encourage Matt to get on with his own life. Okay?” Franklin pulled playfully at
“Good morning, Miss Drama.” Crunch. Crunch.
“Franklin, how did you get in my room? Didn’t I lock the door?”
“Not very effective if you leave the door to the patio open.”
“I guess that would explain a cat sitting on my face,” I replied, reaching up to unwrap a cat from around my head. She purred at my touch.
“Ahh, don’t. She looks so comfy. There’s also another one curled up with Baby. You know, Sleeping Beauty you’re not. Besides a cat sitting on your head, your mouth was open so I guess the earsplitting snoring could escape. The sound was vibrating off the walls.”
“Well, you’re no Prince Philip to wake up to,” I replied, sitting up and throwing the cat to the floor. “Are there any other critters I need to be aware of?”
The cat stretched and jumped into a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair. She was one of the barn cats who apparently had fled her rustic surroundings for a more luxurious lifestyle and had brought her boyfriend along. Rubbing my neck, I tried to get my bearings as I had been sleeping upside down on the bed.
“Haven’t looked yet.” Crunch. Crunch. Slurp.
“Is that a glass of milk?”
“Yep.”
“Can I have a sip?”
“Why not. You paid for it.” Franklin handed me a tall glass of milk, which I greedily drank.
“I guess you were sent in to determine if I was still in a horrible mood.”
“Matt called me yesterday very upset.”
“Did he tell you I acted like a crazy person?”
“He said he wanted that glorious gray matter of yours sharp today. Very important, he said, so he sent me to get you ready.” Franklin spooned in more cereal before he spoke. “Look, Josiah, there’s no judgment here. Just concern about what is the best thing to do. We both feel that you saved our lives. I mean, you took that freak down. You took the fall, literally. And we are here to help – however long it takes, partly because we feel we owe it to you and partly ’cause we want to. We are both fond of you.”
“Fond of me?”
“Okay, Matt loves you and I am very . . . fond of you . . . and frankly, life wouldn’t sparkle as much without you. I want you to get very well.”
“What’s behind the kind words? I sense an unspoken agenda.”
“Well, Miss Suspicious, if the truth must be told. Matt will not move forward emotionally or physically until things are settled with you, and by that, I mean you can function independently and the farm is shipshape. I can understand his feelings but frankly, my dear, I am a bit tired of it all. I want a life with Matt, but you are a buttinsky. As long as you are needy, Matt will be accommodating.”
“Gee, Franklin. You make me feel all warm and cozy inside.” I was very hurt by Franklin’s words.
“Just letting you know where we stand. Personally if you need drugs and dope to make you feel like a human being, I’ll make sure you have drawers full of that stuff. Just let Matt go.”
I tried not to show that Franklin was upsetting me. People were starting to make demands of me that I was not able to reciprocate yet. I was still a broken piece of china.
“Last night was the first time I had seen Matt in months. If you and Matt are having problems, I don’t think it has anything to do with me,” I said.
“Josiah, we never go anywhere. We never do anything except work on this stinking, rundown farm.”
“Doesn’t look rundown anymore.”
“Yeah, thanks to Matt and me. Look at my hands. They are simply ruined.”
“Franklin, when three people have had traumatic experiences like we did only a short time ago . . . it takes time to recover both physically and emotionally. Maybe you are rushing the healing process. Perhaps Matt is suffering from post-traumatic stress?”
“Let’s not be overly dramatic. Just encourage Matt to get on with his own life. Okay?” Franklin pulled playfully at
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