peace?”
“I’m not making peace with anyone,” Harry replied, pushing the door shut. “Not at my age. You can all fuck off.”
“Hey!” Hurrying up the steps, Jack held the door open at the last moment and followed his father into the hallway. “You’ve got to see him, so why not do it today, in a big group setting? Get it over with!”
“I’m not getting anything over with,” Harry muttered, as he leaned his cane against the wall. “You go. Enjoy yourself. Have fun over Christmas. I’ll be fine here, I’ve got the Christmas Radio Times , I’ll just hibernate until New Year.” He paused. “Unless the bastard’s staying for that too.”
“I have no idea,” Jack said with a sigh, “but seriously, you can’t ignore the whole family over Christmas just because Ben -”
“Watch me!”
Jack stood for a moment and watched as his father shuffled along the hallway, heading for the spare room where the computer was kept.
“Dad…”
“You’ll be late!”
“What should I tell everyone?”
“Tell ‘em the truth! Tell ‘em I don’t give a damn! And tell ‘em if they don’t like that fact, they can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine!” With that, he went into the spare room and slammed the door shut.
“Fine,” Jack muttered. “I’ll tell them you’re a miserable old fart who’d rather sit and watch porn all Christmas instead of spending time with his family, and who’d rather be alone instead of…” Sighing again, he realized there was no point. Instead of going and knocking on the door, he turned and made his way down the steps, heading back to his car. “It’s not like I want to go,” he added as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Jesus Christ, I just want to curl into a ball and wait for Ben to leave again.”
Pausing for a moment, he looked back toward his father’s house.
“Maybe you’ve got the right idea after all.”
***
“Be nice,” Beth said half an hour later, as she pressed an ice-cold can of beer into Jack’s hand. “I mean it this time. Be. Nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I have a history of being unpleasant?”
“He hasn’t done anything wrong,” she continued, glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone in the kitchen, and in particular that there was no way Ben could overhear them. “He’s been polite, friendly, sociable and pretty much normal all afternoon.”
“He has?”
“He has.”
“Well don’t you think that’s a little weird?”
“Maybe he’s making an effort,” she replied, drying her hands before heading to the door. “It wouldn’t hurt you to do the same. If not for Ben, then for Mum. She’s having a great time.”
“I’m glad someone is,” Jack muttered, leaning back against the wall and taking a swig of beer. He could hear everyone talking in the front room, and somehow he was already able to pick out Ben’s voice, drifting across the rest of them as if it was somehow separate. He knew he had to go in and socialize soon, but he figured he could afford a few more minutes of solitude first. Sometimes, even without Ben around, the family could be a little overwhelming.
Checking his watch, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Jane was going to be late.
“Hi Ben,” he whispered, trying to psych himself up by preparing for the inevitable. “Hey Ben. Hey, brother.” He sighed. None of the possible openings felt natural. “How’re you doing, man? Long time, buddy. What’s -” Sighing again, he looked down at his beer. “This is hopeless. It’s just -”
“Hey bro,” a voice said suddenly.
Turning, Jack saw that Ben was standing in the doorway, grinning at him with the same laconic smile that seemed to be permanently stuck to his face.
“You out here all alone?” Ben continued, taking a step closer as he took a sip of beer. “What’s up? Need to recharge your batteries for a few minutes before you go in and face the clan?” Holding his
“I’m not making peace with anyone,” Harry replied, pushing the door shut. “Not at my age. You can all fuck off.”
“Hey!” Hurrying up the steps, Jack held the door open at the last moment and followed his father into the hallway. “You’ve got to see him, so why not do it today, in a big group setting? Get it over with!”
“I’m not getting anything over with,” Harry muttered, as he leaned his cane against the wall. “You go. Enjoy yourself. Have fun over Christmas. I’ll be fine here, I’ve got the Christmas Radio Times , I’ll just hibernate until New Year.” He paused. “Unless the bastard’s staying for that too.”
“I have no idea,” Jack said with a sigh, “but seriously, you can’t ignore the whole family over Christmas just because Ben -”
“Watch me!”
Jack stood for a moment and watched as his father shuffled along the hallway, heading for the spare room where the computer was kept.
“Dad…”
“You’ll be late!”
“What should I tell everyone?”
“Tell ‘em the truth! Tell ‘em I don’t give a damn! And tell ‘em if they don’t like that fact, they can stick it where the sun doesn’t shine!” With that, he went into the spare room and slammed the door shut.
“Fine,” Jack muttered. “I’ll tell them you’re a miserable old fart who’d rather sit and watch porn all Christmas instead of spending time with his family, and who’d rather be alone instead of…” Sighing again, he realized there was no point. Instead of going and knocking on the door, he turned and made his way down the steps, heading back to his car. “It’s not like I want to go,” he added as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “Jesus Christ, I just want to curl into a ball and wait for Ben to leave again.”
Pausing for a moment, he looked back toward his father’s house.
“Maybe you’ve got the right idea after all.”
***
“Be nice,” Beth said half an hour later, as she pressed an ice-cold can of beer into Jack’s hand. “I mean it this time. Be. Nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I have a history of being unpleasant?”
“He hasn’t done anything wrong,” she continued, glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone in the kitchen, and in particular that there was no way Ben could overhear them. “He’s been polite, friendly, sociable and pretty much normal all afternoon.”
“He has?”
“He has.”
“Well don’t you think that’s a little weird?”
“Maybe he’s making an effort,” she replied, drying her hands before heading to the door. “It wouldn’t hurt you to do the same. If not for Ben, then for Mum. She’s having a great time.”
“I’m glad someone is,” Jack muttered, leaning back against the wall and taking a swig of beer. He could hear everyone talking in the front room, and somehow he was already able to pick out Ben’s voice, drifting across the rest of them as if it was somehow separate. He knew he had to go in and socialize soon, but he figured he could afford a few more minutes of solitude first. Sometimes, even without Ben around, the family could be a little overwhelming.
Checking his watch, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Jane was going to be late.
“Hi Ben,” he whispered, trying to psych himself up by preparing for the inevitable. “Hey Ben. Hey, brother.” He sighed. None of the possible openings felt natural. “How’re you doing, man? Long time, buddy. What’s -” Sighing again, he looked down at his beer. “This is hopeless. It’s just -”
“Hey bro,” a voice said suddenly.
Turning, Jack saw that Ben was standing in the doorway, grinning at him with the same laconic smile that seemed to be permanently stuck to his face.
“You out here all alone?” Ben continued, taking a step closer as he took a sip of beer. “What’s up? Need to recharge your batteries for a few minutes before you go in and face the clan?” Holding his
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