Winter Season

PSB

“Folks, I’ve gotta go. Esther, that was amazing. Keep up the good work. Paranoid Schizophrenic bitch.” Chet let himself out.

Oscar disappeared.

She waited a little while before she went to find him. He was in what appeared to be a den. There was a single yellow light coming from a lamp in the corner. This is where all the clutter was and a t.v. The walls were lined with books, c.d.’s, dvd’s, records, he was sitting on a love seat slumped over with his head in his hands.

“Oscar,” she whispered as she knelt in front of him, “are you okay?”

“I can’t do this anymore.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

He looked directly into Esther’s eyes. He was almost to the point of crying, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. “Why, why does she do this to me? Why?”

“To embarrass you and manipulate you into getting what she wants. The harder you pull against her wishes the harder she pushes. She knows that you are a Christian and she’s using religion against you. As it were.”

“I can’t take it. I can’t do it.” He held out his hands and they were shaking.

She held his hands in hers. “Tell me what you are most upset about?”

“All that talk about masturbation. It would humiliate anyone. Tell me one man that hasn’t done that.”

“I can’t.”

“Why did she have to bring that up in front of you?”

“She’s trying to run me off.”

“And why did Chet have to say ‘Paranoid Schizophrenic bitch’. That makes it real. That makes me feel like my dirty laundry is hanging out there for you to see.” He flailed his hands around in the air. “Lookie here, my mom is paranoid schizophrenic that means Oscar is crazy too.”

“Honey, look at me.” He did as she asked. “My dad committed suicide. That doesn’t make me crazy. Just because our parents have mental health issues, that doesn’t mean that we have them.”

“Do you know how many nights I have worried that one morning I’m going to wake up and be crazy too?”

“On a different level, yes.” And if I may add, “being sick doesn’t give someone the right to be mean. Too many people feel like being ill gives them a license to be overly aggressive and odious.”

She couldn’t tell if what she said had any effect. He seemed so lost.

Finally – he huffed, “let’s go back over and work, maybe it will help take my mind off this.”

“As you wish.”

Winter Season