All your fault!

Please be advised ADULT LANGUAGE!

Once at the ER, Oscar told them everything that Chet told him to say and little else. As he was being examined, Esther busied herself writing her statement. It had been a long time since she had written one of them. But like they say; it was like riding a bicycle, once you learn you never forget. It all came back with amazing speed. As Oscar was coming back to the waiting room, she was e-mailing her report to Chet.

“What did they say?” He sat down beside her.

“Pretty much you are right. I have a laceration on the inside of my left nasal cavity. They gave me a script for an antibiotic and as it were, sent me home.”

She put her hand on his thigh rubbing it softly. “This is snowballing.”

“Sweetheart, this is just insurance; incase he tries to claim that either of us pushed him down the steps or that you attacked him. If he is able to get the upper hand, think about what that could do to your teaching career.”

Oscar shuttered. “Until today, I would have told you that it was nothing to worry about, that Oat was just a blow hard nothing more. Now I don’t know.”

“You told me that you didn’t know him. Perhaps this is really who he is?”

Oscar looked shocked at the very suggestion. But then he remembered all the times that Oat had stopped by his house smellin’ of beer.

“Let’s go get your script filled.”

He softly shook his head and she pretty much guided him out the door. He felt drunk. As if he was living in a nightmare.

They sat in the parking lot of the drug store waiting on the pharmacy. “Do you want to go get something to eat?” Esther almost whispered.

“No.” Oscar took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the seat. “What in God’s name did she tell him?”

“From the sounds of it, she is tryin’ to pit the two of you against each other. And it worked. To what end, I don’t know.”

“How could you tell I was getting upset?”

She looked confused, “what?”

“At the house when I was getting mad at Oat and you told me not to get mad; how could you tell?”

“Oh,” she smiled, “your face was becoming flushed and your nostrils were flaring.”

“Why didn’t you want me to sit down?”

“That would have given him the advantage. He would have attacked you sooner.”

Oscar put his hands over his face and let out a long slow sigh, “I can’t believe this.” He jumped as his cellphone rang. It was his mother. He put the call on speaker so Esther could bear witness to this conversation.

“Hi,” was all he said.

“So you had Oat arrested?” She scolded.

“No, I had nothing to do with it.”

“You don’t sound surprised that he was arrested.”

“It was bound to happen someday.”

“You son of a bitch, don’t you care for your brother?” Esther’s eyes got as big as quarters. “That sheriff is supposed to be your friend. Call him and get your brother out of this.”

“No.”

She went on a cussin’ fit that would make a sailor blush and called Oscar everything but a man. “You want him to spend the night in jail like a common criminal?”

“If he deserves it, yes.”

Another cussin’ spree ensued. “He has babies at home to take care of!” She shouted.

“His getting arrested was a direct result of his actions.”

“I always knew you were callous but I had no idea you were so mean. Doesn’t it matter to you that your brother has a criminal record now!?”

“Again, a direct result of his actions.”

Esther was proud of Oscar. He wasn’t losing his temper and he wasn’t sliding into a panic attack.

“Why hasn’t that son of a bitch set bail? I will go get him.”

“I have no idea.”

She went on yet another cussin’ spree.

“May I ask you something?” Oscar questioned.

“What?” She growled.

“What did you tell Oat that had him so mad at me?” There was silence. Oscar looked over at Esther. “He kept going on about me taking everything dad had and leaving y’all with nothing. Where would he get an idea like that? You know as well as I do that when dad died he didn’t have anything.”

Silence. Oscar scoffed, “she hung up.” He showed the phone to Esther. And indeed, she had ended the call.

Esther never said a word. She figured that if he wanted to talk he would. It was obvious that his heart was breaking. He had tried to have a relationship with his family but they were so jealous of him they couldn’t stand it.

Oscar finally spoke, “what do you think she told him?”

“From the conversation with you, I think she told him that you took everything your dad had. He seems to think that your dad bought you the house you live in, paid for your education, bought your SUV, and that you took all of his money to do it with leaving him nothing.”

“Dad didn’t have anything.”

“I understand that. But I doubt that a drunkard did.”

They picked up Oscar’s medicine and left.

Once they had arrived back home, he took her by the hand. “I want to show you something.” He led her to the den and sat down in front of a computer monitor. He then guided her to his lap. “Please don’t be put out with me. I gave myself a Christmas present.” He wiggled the mouse and the monitor came to life. It was a security system. “Camera one is of my front door. Camera two is of my back door. Camera three is on the light pole in front of your house pointed at my house. Camera four is on that same pole pointed at your house.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I wanted to make sure all of the bugs were worked out of the system before I did.” He rewound the data from today that was saved and they watched as Oat flipped them off, turned, and then fell down the steps. A copy of all the days feed was burnt to a c.d. for Chet.

“I think it’s sweet that you want to protect me.” She finally decided to take his gesture as an act of kindness and not an act of creepiness.

“I was afraid you would think I was being a peeping Tom.”

She stroked his hair. “Thank you.” The c.d. ejected and he put it in a sleeve writing Chet on the cover. “Do you need me to leave?”

“No, that’s the last thing I want.”

Later that night, Chet stopped by. “Just checking on you.”

“Thanks my friend, I’m okay.”

He handed Chet the c.d., “this might be useful.”

“Your mother is livid. She’s mad that the judge hasn’t set bail so she can get her baby out of jail. He’s going to stay there the night.”

Oscar pretty much fell on the couch, “this day has been one massive nightmare.”

Esther handed them both a cup of coffee. “Thanks,” Chet took a deep breath of the steam rolling off the cup. “Your report was amazin’. You have written a good many of them in your life time and it shows.”

“Thanks,” she sat down beside Oscar.

Chet finally sat down as well, “is there anything I can do? Do you need anything?”

“A family that doesn’t suck would be nice.”

Chet and Esther just looked at each other with sympathetic glances.

“What’s next?” Oscar let out a long sigh.

“That’s up to your brother. We’ve covered all your bases. Now it’s time for him to make the next move.” Chet finished his coffee and bid his friends good night.

Where does it hurt?

Oat turned at the end of the porch and flipped them off, turned to leave and fell down the steps as Oscar slammed the door behind him.

Esther went with him to the bathroom. After he washed his face, “let me see.” She took her finger and gently pushed at his nose from his fore head to the tip of his nose. “Tell me when it hurts.”

“The tip is a little sore.”

Then she went down the right side.

“No.” When she made it half way down the left side of his nose, he flinched in pain.

“Yeah.”

“Your nose isn’t broken. I think he stuck his finger up it.”

Oscar smiled, “all of that and all he did was stick his finger up my nose?”

“Sweetheart, he was drunk.”

Oscar touched the left side of his nose, “yeah that hurts.”

She kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m sorry.”

He hugged her, holding her close. “Thank you so much.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

He looked deep into her eyes, “you did more than you will ever know.”

The doorbell rang and it was Chet. “How are you?”

They all sat in the living room. “Disturbed.” Oscar shook his head.

Esther took a deep breath, “Oscar, I think you really need to considered getting a restraining order on Oat.”

He looked confused, “why would I do that?”

“Please forgive me, but your brother is a piece of work. I have no doubt that he will try to get an EPO on you.”

“He’s spending the night at least in jail.” Chet spoke, “his blood alcohol was three times the legal limit. The Amanda Law has changed EPO’s and DVO’s. Siblings can’t get them on each other.”

“But your county attorney might sign it anyway just to get Oat out of his face.”

“No, I don’t see that happening. James’s wife was a victim of domestic violence by the hands of her first husband. He is too aware of the consequences to do that.”

“I still say you need to put ink to paper in some form to keep this from coming back to hurt you.” Esther encouraged. “What about an assault charge?”

“And say what,” Oscar was getting annoyed, “that he was so drunk that when he tried to break my nose all he managed to do was poke his finger up it? How embarrassing!”

Chet looked at Esther wild eyed, “what?”

“He swung at Oscar twice and missed. When he figured out a direct hit wouldn’t work, he lunged at Oscar pushing him backwards on the couch. I got him off and pinned him to the floor. Oscar’s nose was bleeding. I don’t think it’s broken. I think all Oat managed to do was ram his finger up Oscar’s nose. Oscar told him to leave, that he couldn’t come back. As he was leaving, he fell down the steps.”

“The arresting officer said that he has a scratch on his forehead, his nose and the palm of his right hand. He also tried to fight the arresting officer and was cussin’ you every breath. There was a Jack Daniel’s bottle and two empty fifths of Jim Beam in the floor board of his truck.”

Oscar let out a long sigh, “now what?”

“I want you to go to the ER and have that nose checked. Tell them I sent you and make sure they fax me a copy of the report.”

“Why the ER?” Oscar was exasperated.

“Esther, help me.” Chet implored.

“I’ll do my best.” Oscar just stared at her. She wasn’t even sure that he saw her. “Honey, I want you to be protected. I don’t trust your family as far as I could pick any of them up to throw them. Please,” she held his hands in hers. “Protect yourself.”

“Will you come with me? This is so embarrassing.”

“You know I will,” she gave him a reassuring smile.

“Esther, I’m going to need your statement.”

“Of course.”

Please be advised ADULT LANGUAGE!

Spring Break!

Oscar never went anywhere but it was good just to have the time off. All too often he had heard people say what a pie job teaching was. He was in the thick of it and begged to differ.

Esther wanted to get to know more about this part of Kentucky. It was their intention to spend several days with a map, just driving around.

Oscar was just about ready to leave when that thunderous pounding came to his door.

He swung it open, “why can’t you ring the doorbell?” He pointed it out. “I do have one.”

Oat stumbled through the door, “Mr. Fan-see pants has ah door,” he hiccupped.

“Bell.”

“Are you drunk? You’ve lost some of your trash talk.”

He tried to grin sheepishly but instead ended up looking like someone had stepped on his toe. “Noooooo,” he waved at an invisible gnat that wasn’t buzzing around his head.

Oscar quickly text Esther to come over and to please hurry; the last thing he wanted was to be alone with his drunk brother.

When Esther got there, neither of the two men were sitting down. Oat didn’t even know she was in the world.

“Ya,” Oat pointed a dirty finger at Oscar as he tried to stand. “Rat-bassss,tard.”

“Excuse me.”

“Maw,” he hiccupped again. “Told me what ya DID.”

“And what did I do?”

“Ya tuk it all.” He batted at the invisible gnat again. “Ever-thang dad had, you tuk it.”

“Dad didn’t have anything to take, except debt. There was nothing to take.”

Esther text Chet and told him that Oat was at Oscar’s house and very drunk. They might need some help. Oscar watched her out of the corner of his eye as his brother raved on.

“Lie!” He screamed. “Pack ah lies. Maw told me ya left us pen-e-less, busted.”

“That’s not true.”

Oat pointed at him. “You calling maw a lar?”

“I’m saying someone doesn’t have their facts straight.”

“Ya big shot ain’t ja? This house, that truck ya got. Your fan-cie school.”

“And I paid for it all. Dad didn’t put one red cent toward any of it?”

“LAR!” He roared. “You tuk ever-thang.” He took a swing at Oscar but was too far away. The force of his own swing just about caused him to fall. “We strug-gle; while Mr. Big S-Shot lives,” he hiccupped again. “In style.” He pointed around the room, still not seeing Esther.

“Perhaps if you got a job and added to the income of your household, you and your family would have nice things.”

Oat took another swing at Oscar, still missing him. “Stands still, rat bassss-tard.”

“What did mom tell you I did?” Oscar was getting madder by the second.

Esther mouthed at him, ‘don’t get mad.’ He swallowed hard, trying to fight back his anger.

“Ya tuk all dad’s green.”

“Dad got two checks: social security and black lung. He kept the smaller of the two, the social security for things he wanted and gave the other one to mom.”

“LAR!”

“I’m sorry that you believe a false truth.”

Esther mouthed to him again, ‘breathe.’

He was trying. He almost sat down but Esther discouraged it.

“What do you want?” Oscar finally asked.

“Hon-est.”

“You are too drunk to know the truth.”

Oat lunged at his brother. Oscar was trying so hard not to get mad that he wasn’t paying attention to his brother’s features. Oat pushed him backwards on the couch. Esther; however, was paying attention. She was able to pull Oat off Oscar and pin him to the floor. Oscar’s nose was bleeding. She let Oat up once he stopped struggling. “Get out of my house. Don’t ever come back.”