112: Just Like Dad (Ben)

warning: some of the pics in Ben's room make me motion sick. His room is somewhat small and I wanted wider shots. I should've seen it would look like this when I took them. Sorry 'bout that.

I'm playing in my room after school when my step-dad walks in. I was about to play hide-and-seek with Cuddles. He looks like he's got a lot on his mind.

"Hey there, Benjamin. How's it going today?" he asks me as he sits on my bed.

"Fine I guess." I answer, wondering what he wants.

He answers my internal question immediately. "I came to talk to you about last night."

"You and Mommy had a fight." I say.

He winces and says, "It wasn't really a fight. Something happened that made me upset."

"Upset at Mommy." I say, it wasn't a question.

"Upset at something that happened with Mommy."

"What happened?"

"Somebody did something they shouldn't have to Mommy, and I had to go make sure he knew I didn't like it. I'm not going to tell you what he did." he says before I can ask.

We sit and try to have a conversation. Now I'm even more sure he doesn't like me.

My brother told me where my dad is buried. So, I decide to head out to see it. When I get there, I seem to remember exactly where it is now and walk over to it. My mom used to bring me here.

I remember now! It's right here under the tree. Mommy used to be sad here a lot. She is sad a lot.

Greg Turner

fun loving, loving and loved

greatly missed by those who loved him

Huh. So here he is. My real daddy. Buried under the dirt.

I hear footsteps behind me.

I turn and see Uncle Jonah. He looks startled to see me, but then he smiles his big smile at me.

"Hey, little man!" he says and walks over to give me a big hug.

"Hi, Uncle Jonah."

"Visiting your dad, huh?"

"Yes."

"He was my best friend." he says with a sigh as I go look at the tombstone again.

"He was?" I ask, surprised.

He smiles at me again. "Yeah. We became friends when we were about your age." He pauses now before he says, "You look just like him, did you know that?"

"Yes, and it makes sense since I don't look much like Mommy."

His face falls for just a second before he quickly replaces it with a smile again. He says, "He loved your mommy very much."

"But they divorced?" I ask.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they didn't love each other." He sighs again. "Your dad did something stupid and hurt your mommy's feelings. She got real mad at him and they divorced."

"What was he like? Xavier told me he played for the Llamas."

Now Uncle Jonah's eyes really light up as he says, "He was a wild one, your father. We had loads of fun."

I can't help but smile back as I ask, "What kinds of stuff did you do?"

I get the feeling he wasn't ready for this question judging from the look on his face. This makes me smile with glee that I must've caught him talking about something he shouldn't have. I love it when I can make grown-ups do stuff like that. All I have to do is look real sweet and they spill their guts.

He clears his throat in a nervous manner. I stand there and stare at him and give him my best big-eyed expression.

"Um, well, we'd go to parties and teach ourselves how to... " he smiles down at me as he looks like he's thinking about whether or not to tell me something.

"Yeah?" I ask. I want to know.

He laughs again and says, "How to pick up chicks."

"You mean girls. Wouldn't they be heavy?" Maybe this is when Uncle Jonah started working out alot.

He laughs again. "Not that kind of pick up. Well, unless the situation warranted it."

"Huh?" I ask because I have no idea why someone would need a warrant to pick somebody up. I learned about warrants on a field trip.

"This pick up means, um, well, flirting and, um, getting them to go out with us." he says and looks extremely uncomfortable.

"But weren't you already out with them? Ooohhh, you mean like not at the party."

"Yes." he says and looks relieved.

I smile because I think it's funny he looks uncomfortable.

I ask the question he probably doesn't want me to ask, "So what did you do with them once you picked them up?" I think I like that term.

Uncle Jonah looks uncomfortable again, so I grin again. He mumbles something under his breath and I think I hear the word 'father' in it.

"You really want to know this stuff?" he asks me with a slight huff.

"Well, yeah if it's stuff you and my dad used to do."

"Um, alright, well, eh, your dad and I could pretty much get any girl we wanted, and we did. Although he was probably better at it than I am."

"But what did you do with them?"

He sighs like he's getting aggravated now. "We'd do whatever .. um, make out with em okay?"

"Ew. Like Xavier and Lee."

"There. Good example, although we didn't just stick to one like your brother does." He laughs again and says, "And you won't think 'ew' forever."

"Any girl you wanted?" I ask, picking something out of what he said.

"Your dad stopped all that when he met your mom." he answers, understanding what I was really asking. "I thought he was crazy." He laughs again. "He told me he was. ... He meant a good crazy, you know."

I stand there and think about my Uncle Jonah and sadly realize he's not really my uncle. He also looks a little sad. He must miss my dad. Why else would he be here?

"I don't think John likes me." I say. I just decided right now to not call him Daddy anymore.

"He does! It's just he didn't like your dad."

"And I look just like my dad." I say quietly. "So he can't help it."

"Hey, you know what, Ben?"

"What?"

"Any time you feel like it you can come visit me at my house. Especially if that brother of mine starts giving you grief over stuff that isn't your fault." he says with a touch of anger in his voice.

"Are you mad at him?" I ask.

"I am, actually, but don't you worry about it. I miss your dad. I bet he'd love it if I taught you a few of his tricks." Uncle Jonah says with a silly grin.

I can't help but smile back at him.

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Alright, well that was my first attempt at writing in the mind of an 8 year old boy to be perfectly honest. I hope it wasn't too shallow, but I actually did try to keep it a little shallow. I hope I didn't overdo it.