to Jason, that appealed to him.
He’d discovered he couldn’t leave his dad. The caretaker he’d hired was okay, but young, and Jason didn’t trust him to take care Joe completely. He felt better stopping by every day to check on things. And then there was the shop. He’d almost gotten it running in a manner where it could eventually function in the black, but it wasn’t there yet. Jason and Jodie weren’t even sure that Joe ever would be able to run it again alone, but Jason had to at least give him the chance. When he got that boot off his foot, maybe even sooner, he would bring him up to the shop and see how he did with the new policies Jason had put into place.
Yeah, so Jason had quit his job. He’d begun trying to get an extended leave of absence, but since he’d already hired a caretaker, the human resources department wouldn’t go for it. So he’d just quit.
Honestly, it wasn’t a super big deal. He hated his boss, but a job was a job, and now Jason felt like he was drifting. Jodie had promised to help him out if he needed, but he was forty-six for Christ’s sake. He shouldn’t be taking handouts from his brother. He had a little savings he could dip into, and he was making plans to go freelance with his graphic design skills even if graphic artists were a dime a dozen. He’d figure out his own shit after he got his dad’s situation figured out.
On Friday Jason closed up the shop, hopped on his bike, and rode to his dad’s apartment. When he got there, Mark, the caretaker was watching the news with Joe, the youth’s eyes glazed over with what Jason could only assume was boredom. Joe was dressed in dress pants, his Santa Claus suspenders, and a bow tie with holly leaves on it. His socks had little jingle bells on them, a gift last Christmas from Savanna, Jodie’s daughter. He was sporting a black eye. Jason had noticed more bruises on his dad since he’d moved out of the shop. Joe’s hands absently ran up and down his suspenders, stretching them and letting them snap back against his chest.
“Hey Dad, you know Christmas isn’t for another couple of months, right? What did you do to your eye?”
Joe’s eyes flicked to Mark, then back to the TV. “I think one of these terrorist cells live here. The neighbors upstairs acts strange, coming in at all hours.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “He tripped on the bedpost again. And I can’t keep any other clothes on him. He dresses himself, but if I don’t let him wear what he’s got on, he strips naked as a jay bird the first time my back’s turned.”
“I’ve been dressing myself for seventy-five years, boy.”
“Whatever. I’m gonna go grab a smoke.” Mark raised himself from his seat on the couch and sauntered outside. Jason took his place.
“What’s for dinner, Dad?”
Joe shrugged. “Don’t know. Meals on Wheels hasn’t gotten here yet.” His gaze turned from the TV to Jason, suddenly serious. “I don’t need a baby sitter. That boy’s got some problems. I don’t like him.”
“It makes me feel better to have him here, and there aren’t a lot of choices. Most of the people I interviewed were worse than him. And hopefully, it’s only temporary. Until you can get around better.”
“I need you to bring me my gun. I don’t trust him.”
Jason held back the disbelieving laugh that bubbled in his throat. “We’ll see, okay?”
They watched the news until Joe’s dinner arrived, and he immediately took it into the kitchen to eat it. He ate like it was his first meal in a decade, huge bites, barely chewing.
“Hey, slow down. You’ll choke.”
“I’ve got to eat it all before he comes back.” Joe said simply before continuing to shovel food into his mouth.
Jason sighed heavily and went to find Mark.
Mark was a young man in his early twenties who could probably shave more often and needed a hair cut. But that was youth. Jason could remember being that age and needing a job, flouting authority by his own passive
He’d discovered he couldn’t leave his dad. The caretaker he’d hired was okay, but young, and Jason didn’t trust him to take care Joe completely. He felt better stopping by every day to check on things. And then there was the shop. He’d almost gotten it running in a manner where it could eventually function in the black, but it wasn’t there yet. Jason and Jodie weren’t even sure that Joe ever would be able to run it again alone, but Jason had to at least give him the chance. When he got that boot off his foot, maybe even sooner, he would bring him up to the shop and see how he did with the new policies Jason had put into place.
Yeah, so Jason had quit his job. He’d begun trying to get an extended leave of absence, but since he’d already hired a caretaker, the human resources department wouldn’t go for it. So he’d just quit.
Honestly, it wasn’t a super big deal. He hated his boss, but a job was a job, and now Jason felt like he was drifting. Jodie had promised to help him out if he needed, but he was forty-six for Christ’s sake. He shouldn’t be taking handouts from his brother. He had a little savings he could dip into, and he was making plans to go freelance with his graphic design skills even if graphic artists were a dime a dozen. He’d figure out his own shit after he got his dad’s situation figured out.
On Friday Jason closed up the shop, hopped on his bike, and rode to his dad’s apartment. When he got there, Mark, the caretaker was watching the news with Joe, the youth’s eyes glazed over with what Jason could only assume was boredom. Joe was dressed in dress pants, his Santa Claus suspenders, and a bow tie with holly leaves on it. His socks had little jingle bells on them, a gift last Christmas from Savanna, Jodie’s daughter. He was sporting a black eye. Jason had noticed more bruises on his dad since he’d moved out of the shop. Joe’s hands absently ran up and down his suspenders, stretching them and letting them snap back against his chest.
“Hey Dad, you know Christmas isn’t for another couple of months, right? What did you do to your eye?”
Joe’s eyes flicked to Mark, then back to the TV. “I think one of these terrorist cells live here. The neighbors upstairs acts strange, coming in at all hours.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “He tripped on the bedpost again. And I can’t keep any other clothes on him. He dresses himself, but if I don’t let him wear what he’s got on, he strips naked as a jay bird the first time my back’s turned.”
“I’ve been dressing myself for seventy-five years, boy.”
“Whatever. I’m gonna go grab a smoke.” Mark raised himself from his seat on the couch and sauntered outside. Jason took his place.
“What’s for dinner, Dad?”
Joe shrugged. “Don’t know. Meals on Wheels hasn’t gotten here yet.” His gaze turned from the TV to Jason, suddenly serious. “I don’t need a baby sitter. That boy’s got some problems. I don’t like him.”
“It makes me feel better to have him here, and there aren’t a lot of choices. Most of the people I interviewed were worse than him. And hopefully, it’s only temporary. Until you can get around better.”
“I need you to bring me my gun. I don’t trust him.”
Jason held back the disbelieving laugh that bubbled in his throat. “We’ll see, okay?”
They watched the news until Joe’s dinner arrived, and he immediately took it into the kitchen to eat it. He ate like it was his first meal in a decade, huge bites, barely chewing.
“Hey, slow down. You’ll choke.”
“I’ve got to eat it all before he comes back.” Joe said simply before continuing to shovel food into his mouth.
Jason sighed heavily and went to find Mark.
Mark was a young man in his early twenties who could probably shave more often and needed a hair cut. But that was youth. Jason could remember being that age and needing a job, flouting authority by his own passive
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