Page 54 of Breakaway Heart
Was this how they communicated in this house? Yelling at each other through the walls.
“NO! SUZY IS HERE TOO.”
“Lucy,” I said as she faced me again.
“What’s that, dear?”
“My name isLucy.”
“WHO’S SUZY!” Jake called back.
“RANDALL’S… I DON’T KNOW! COME SAY HELLO!”
An irritated sigh came from the other room, then heavy plodding footsteps foreshadowed the large frame of Jake, the second brother, practically filling the entire doorway.
He took a look at me, then turned his attention to Carol.
“When we eating?”
“Now, Jake. Go change your shirt.”
Jake looked down at his grey t-shirt with fresh orange stains on his chest and sighed, while Carol glared at him. Then her cheerful expression returned as she turned back to us.
“C’mon through,” she waved. “Randall, you hungry?”
“Sure,” Randall murmured back, reluctantly.
If the introduction to Randy’s adopted family was slightly uncomfortable, dinner was a whole other level. As soon as Carol dropped a bowl on the table, it was pounced on, everyone scrambling to get their piece of the meal. Then, what followed was a seemingly endless mockery of Randy.
“Randy! A chef!”
Food flew out of Jackson Senior’s mouth with the awful, mocking sound of laughter.
“What’s he going to serve? Raw egg and old mince on burnt toast?”
Randy’s face reddened. “I was ten when that happened, Dad. And it was carpaccio.”
“It was crap-accio!”
The anger was rising in me with every dig they took at Randy. I couldn’t just sit there as they laughed at Randy’s dreams.
“You know, Randy is actually an amazing cook,” I chimed in.
“Oh, is he now?” Jackson Senior wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. “I think‘cook’is one letter away from the word you were looking for there.”
He turned his eye to Randy with a wink, and I could sense blood. But Randy didn’t rise to it. He just sat quietly, looking sheepishly down at his plate.
“Hey Randy. Why don’t you start with the washing up,” Jackson Snr continued, “And get me a cup of coffee while you’re at it. Just try not to burn the beans.”
Randy seemed to have shrunk in his chair. His body pulled in tightly around himself, all his magnificence gone. Then, one of the oafs saw the fun to be had and decided to join in.
“Hey, Randy! Remember when we told you to touch the electric fence at Godderick’s farm and you pissed yourself!?”
It made no sense to the narrative. It was just humiliation. I watched Randy nervously as they all bellowed with wicked laughter, wishing I could just take him out of that place and wrap my arms around him. The second oaf didn’t need a second invitation.
“Hey, let’s watch the Love Villa highlights after this, what do you say, Randy?”
“Stop it, Jake,” Randy said, quietly and unconvincingly. More pleading with him than being commanding.
