Work In Progress (Updated regularly)

Prologue

“Yeah, it’s been years since I’ve seen the youth so excited and dedicated to a cause. Seems like no one cares round here no more. I remember there used to be a farm mmmbout three blocks south o’ here. They had this one cow that would always open their gate up and just high tail it outta there. It would usually walk for most o’ the night and wander on over to the old Shellins place back behind us. Could never understand what it liked over that area but there was always somethin’.”

This is how the normal conversation with the old guy went. He’d start off with some big important speech and trail off into something completely different. It was always a little annoying but it entertained all of us kids so we didn’t mind. A lot of the parents in the neighborhood blamed him getting older but we knew better. The part that our parents never knew was that after telling us a story, he passed us a blunt.

So obviously there’s a little back story to be told here but that can all come later. For now we’ll just continue with our current events.

“I heard your grandkids are coming up this weekend. How old are they now?” I asked him.

“Yeah, their momma’s gonna be bringing em up for the week. Haven’t seen any of ‘em for about three or four months.”

“That’s too bad. At least you get to see your daughter and grandkids though.”

“Yeah, well me and the kids’ momma don’t really get along too well anymore. Had a fallin out a while back over some money. Leant her a couple a hundred to fix up her car and she went and spent it with some guy she ran into in Vegas. Couldn’t believe it, she went out to Vegas and hired a sitter for the kids. She could have brought ‘em up to visit me while she went out there hoochin‘,” he coughed through tokes on the plant.

“At least you get to see them now, though. So where is she going to stay while your grandkids are here?” I really need to buy some of this stuff.

“Yeah, well, she’ll probably just go find some guy at a bar and stay at his place for the little bit the kids get to visit.”

“No offence, man, but your daughter sounds like a bitch.” I wonder if I should have said that.

“Yeah, no worry little man. I’ve said my share o’ obscenities towards my daughter’s good name. A few at my ex-wife, too.” The grandfather of the bitch’s kids chuckled at his own joke.

“So how’s the prices this week?” I definitely should have said it.

“Yeah, I think this week we’re doin’ a special. Buy a half, get an extra eighth on me.” He had no reason to change his prices. He grew everything himself and it was almost 100% profit. We think he just liked to keep us wondering when he would jack up his prices.

“All right, so how much is that going to cost me?”

“Yeah, for you kid…$45.” He nodded in approval of his decision.

“Sounds good. How much would it have been for anyone else?” Cool, I get a discount!

“Yeah, well for a regular customer it’d probably run about…$45.”

“That’s just wrong. You can’t get a kid high and get him excited about cheaper weed and then throw it out like that, like it’s nothing.” Did that make sense?

“Yeah, well why not? I’m nearin’ eighty and don’t have much time left to be causing some trouble. Gotta do somethin’ to keep me goin. I remember back 50 years I used to live in this apartment and always had girls comin over. There was this one lady with brown hair. I don’t remember the name she gave me but we went to this party out in this real big field. We used to have parties out there all the time because the cops would never come check out that area and there weren’t no houses anywhere for us to disturb. We had to climb this big fence and go through a bunch of trees to get out to it, though. I remember I caught my shorts on it one time and almost lost ‘em completely. Those were some good times back then.”

“…..” I didn’t hear anything he said.

“Yeah, so you goin’ to school in the fall like everyone else?”

“No, I think I’m going to just get a job and save up some money.” I need to leave.

“Yeah, that’s probably the best idea. Get your head straight and make some money before going and spending it all on books, condoms, and harder drugs.”

“Hey, I need to leave. I’ll see ya in a couple of weeks, man.” I always hated the walk back to my apartment. I leave his house baked every time and always think I’m going to get arrested.

“Yeah, OK. I’ll see ya around, kid.” He put away his baggies and put his hand on my shoulder as he walked me to the door. “Yeah, you’re a solid kid, ya know.

“Thanks, man. You’re a solid old guy.” What does that even mean?


PART 2
“Now kids, remember, your grandfather might tell you some nasty things about me but none of them are true. He just likes to push my buttons and he’ll do the same thing to you one day.”
“We know, mom. Everything grandpa says to us is always a lie. You tell us that every time we go over there,” he told his mother.
“Yeah, well, I know what he’s like and you don’t,” she seethed back.
“Maybe he just don’t like you, mommy,” the younger daughter questioned.
“Doesn’t.”
“What?” she asked confused.
“Doesn’t. The word is doesn’t. Learn your grammar, dear, before you start making comments on my personal life.”
They climbed out of the minivan and walked towards the old man’s porch. The house stood back about 50 yards from the street and one side was almost completely shadowed by trees. A hammock was tied between two of the trees and looked like it had been twisted so much that no one could ever use it again. The stairs were creaky and looked old like the rest of the house. An old style Victorian multi-family house that had lost all of it’s glamour as the paint peeled off the side and the windows grew gray.
He had heard them as soon as they pulled into the driveway. The minivan was long due for a checkup and the doctor seemed to always be on vacation. His daughter had no idea how to fix a car and that week’s guy was always just about to fix it when he would leave for cigarettes and never come back.
He gathered his papers and pipes and piled them into his desk. An old roll-top style with brass bangers hanging from each drawer. It was his personal stash box and had nothing but paraphernalia inside. He went over to the door and peered out of the eyehole at his daughter’s eye as she glared right back in.
“I see you, dad. Let us in already.” She was ready to leave before they even arrived.
“Yeah, well, I would but I don’t allow solicitors visitin’ my home at this hour. You’ll have to come back around 4:30 and we’ll talk.” The kids laughed as their mother sighed and started to pound on the door.
“Dad, I don’t have time for this. I have to meet someone in an hour and I want to get the kids settled before I go.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I do want to see the kids for a while,” he grinned as he opened the door and bent down for his hugs.
“Hey grandpa,” Everett said as he hugged his relative. Everett was 15 years old but his grandfather still towered over him as he did most people.
“Yeah, I’ve sure missed you guys more than ya know,” he said as he held the embrace.
“You too, grandpa,” Madison said. She could smell her grandfather’s aroma. He had a certain scent to him that she didn’t know anywhere else. She liked visiting with him but wasn’t as excited now that she was getting older. She had turned 10 three months earlier and had decided she needed to start acting older.
The house was dark as it usually was and the blinds were all closed shut. The old man switched on a lamp and settled down into his favorite chair. Madison and Everett lowered themselves into another of his soiled furniture pieces and their mom stood at the doorway. She had her arms folded and trademark scowl on her face. Her eyes were drifting back and forth between the door and her kids.
“OK, so do you guys have anything else you need from me?”
“No, we’re OK, mom. Go do whatever you have to,” Madison said.


PART 3
”I’ll see you guys soon, OK?” she asked feebly.
“Bye, mom,” they responded together. She looked her father in the eyes and walked back out the door. The tires of her SUV spun as she sped away down the street.

Part 3
The windows of the house were dusty at best and muddy at worst. There were times where you could sit in a chair and stare outside as the residue lurched down the glass. Residents had complained about the appearance of the house but the old man kept it clean enough to abide by legal standards. His grass was always cut in the spring and summer, his leaves were raked in autumn and his driveway was always shoveled when the snow came. Everything seemed nice and clean until you reached the house itself. Its walls were dirty and the colors had dulled on almost everything inside. Books and newspapers had curled and antiqued on shelves and in corners. Piles of clothing and other assorted relics graced the rest of the floor. In most cases, the house would be disgusting but the old man had an attitude about him that made it all seem right. The kids loved it.


“So what’s we gonna do, grandpa?” Madison said.
“Whatever you want, kiddo. We’re gonna have fun.”
“Can we eat?” Everett asked.
“Yeah, well, let’s go on into the kitchen and see what we got.”

They stumbled into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboards. The hinges were rusty and creaked as they swung open, occasionally banging against one another. Inside, there were dozens of cans of soup, packages of instant noodles and home-canned vegetables.
“Are these good?” she asked holding one of the glass containers.
“Yeah, hun, they’re great.”
“Why aren’t they in the regular cans?”
“Because they’re better. These are grown outside and are fresh and taste a lot better,” Everett chimed in.
“Yeah, you remember me telling you that last time you was here don’t ya?” They prepared a meal and sat down in the cluttered living room. The couches were comfortable but you sunk a little too far down when you sat in them. This made eating more of a chore and had contributed to many of the stains on the couches and floor.