Pulling the driveway of my parent’s house, parking beside the driveway in the dirt. Slowly climbing out to my black skater sneakers, closing my truck door behind me. Removing my backwards Carolina Hurricanes baseball cap, running a hand through my light brown, shoulder length hair, placing my cap back upon my head. I haven’t been back home in a long time. Been out traveling with my work, the holidays is what brought me back, plus needing a break. I was burnt out, so my boss gave me some time off. Reaching into the bed of my silver pickup truck, grabbing my two big, black duffle bags. Barking could be heard from the backyard as I walked up to the side door of the house. Looking into the backyard, there were three dogs back there. One was mine, a brown and white pitbull, “Quiet down Terrance. I’ll be there in a minute.” The dog jumped up and down, being tied up to a nearby tree. Shaking my head as I unlocked the door, from the key that was hidden behind the mailbox. Stepping inside as I stepped up into the kitchen.
The house was quiet at the moment. Soon the house would probably be filled with people, mostly friends and family. Walking through the kitchen, into the living room. Climbing the stairs as I placed my bags into my room. Sliding down the banister as I hopped to my feet, heading outside to let Terrance off his chain before he, once again, rips it out of the tree. Setting him free, leaving the other two dogs I didn’t have a clue about in their chain link enclosure. We lived out in a quiet neighborhood, on a dead end street. Playing fetch with Terrance as I heard an SUV pull up in the driveway. Not really paying attention until, “Jess! You finally made it home!” Her mother’s voice rang through the crisp fall day’s air. Turning around as my mother wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug. Hugging her back, “I told you I wouldn’t be in until later on today. Or did bone head not give you the message?” I commented.
Pulling back from the hug as her mother sighed, “That’s no way to talk about him hun.” I rolled my blue eyes, “Yea that’s the way I talk about him, cause he is a bone head after all.” My mom, Evelyn, just shook her head as she opened the door to haul in some bags of groceries. “Can you help me unload the back of the car?” She asked. I threw the ball once more as Terrance chased it as I walked over and started carrying the bags into the house, into the kitchen. Placing them where she told me to place them. “Who’s dogs in the back mom? Besides Terrance..” “Those are his dogs hun. I hope you didn’t let them out. Those two and Terrance don’t get a long.” I shook my head as I brought in the last of the bags. “I wouldn’t go near them ugly mutts if you killed me.” I unlatched the door as I let Terrance into the house.
Mom sighed as Terrance came trotting in, climbing over the bags, sitting in the living room out of the way. “You know how much I hate having him in here while I’m trying to work hun.” I started helping to put the food away. “Terrance is in the living room mom. How else was he suppose to get through? I’m not leaving him out there while I’m home.” Sighing once again as Evelyn looked to her daughter, “I’m not going to argue with you. But when Bruce comes home. Better make Terrance scarce. He bit Bruce the other day.” I snickered a bit, “Probably deserved it, the bone head.” Shaking her head as she put the rest of the stuff away, leaning against the counter. “Why do you and your brother hate Bruce so much?” I finished as Terrance came into the kitchen, sitting before me as I fed him a dog treat. “It’s obvious on why we hate him mom. Captain Obvious could figure it out. He treats you like dirt and you let him. Especially when he’s been out drinking or high on something.”
Running a hand through her dark brown locks, “I wish you would see he’s trying to get better.” I rolled my blue eyes, “Come on mom. You called me just last week, wanting me to fly here and save you from him.” Sighing as she looked to her daughter, “A moment of weakness hun.” I sighed as Terrance followed me onto the porch, “Load of bull mom. He gives you a hard time while we’re around. He’s going to pay I swear.” Evelyn stood from the counter as she followed her daughter onto the enclosed porch. “Don’t start nothing with Bruce, Jessie. Let me handle him.” I looked to her as I sat on the arm of an old chair. “Your kidding right? If he even hurts you just once, I mean just once mom. He’s going down. I don’t care what he has to say about it.” “I wish you just listen to me just once Jess. I can handle him, just if he gets crazy, let me handle it. Promise me?” I sighed as I shook my head, “No way mom. I can’t sit by and let that happen, both of us won’t. You know that right?” Sighing as she seated herself upon a worn out couch, leaning against the outer wall of the house. “I know that hun. Please just try and get a long with him.” I slowly stood up and looked to my mother, “I will try, but I’m not promising nothing. He even lays a finger on Terrance, me or you. He’s toast. I know bro can handle himself.”
Walking back into the house as Evelyn sat there, “When’s your brother suppose to be coming?” She asked from the porch. “I think today or tomorrow. Why do you ask?” Evelyn slowly stood to her feet as she walked in, “I ask because he’s bringing a few friends with him from his company to stay with us through the holidays.” I leaned over into the doorway from the kitchen, “As in who is he bringing and how many? Don’t forget cuz is staying with us too.” She nods her head, “I know I didn’t forget him. He told me three or four. Ones that don’t have no family to head too or can’t get home really.” I nod as I walk into the living room. “So you want me to set up the rooms?” Evelyn smiled a bit, “Could you for me? I’ve got a million things to do still.” I nod my head a bit, “Sure. Need any help with anything?” She shook her head, “No I think I got it. But tomorrow you, your brother, cousin and everybody else can do a few things for me. I’ll leave a list when I leave in the morning for work.” “Will bone head be around?” Shaking her head, “No he doesn’t stay here very much, works a lot. When he’s here you’ll know it. Only thing that stays are his dogs.”
Snickering a bit, “I can do something about that.” “Leave those dogs alone Jessie. I went to feed them once, they toppled me over and was nearly mauled.” Lifting a brow to this new information, “Those mutts should be put down. If they’re that vicious.” Evelyn shook her head, “No just leave them alone. Keep Terrance with you while you stay here.” I nod, “No problem. I wouldn’t let him out of my sight. Anything happens to him, I know who to blame.” Heading upstairs to get the rooms set up for our guests, Terrance following as he sat his furry butt on the floor outside each room as I worked.
