Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
He was startled when he heard her voice, not expecting for her to answer.
“Silva?”
“Yes? Lenny? Is this Lenny?”
“Yeah… it’s me.”
“Is… is something wrong? It’s late.” She yawned, for a split-second sounding like her old self.
He realized she was probably still somewhat asleep, and picked up the phone without even thinking about it. He’d hoped she did in fact see that it was him calling and answered without hesitation, but he knew deep down that was unlikely. She’d probably have let it go to voicemail. Why would tonight be any different?
“…Something’s been wrong for a long time, Silva. I, uh, miss you. Regardless of the tension and messed up shit between us, I wanted you to know that your prayers and encouragement worked.”
“My prayers? Prayers for what?” She sniffed, sounding a bit stopped up. His little sister always did struggle with her allergies.
“I got the bank loan to start up my own fitness center. I even eyed some property, and now I can go ’nd buy it and get started with renovations. An old car dealership over there on Barker’s Landing.”
He was met with her silence, and only the stifled noise of the music from the dance floor.
“Well, that’s good, Lennox. I’m, uh, I’m really happy for you,” she said in a flat voice.
He briefly broke the awkward conversation and looked around his boss’ cramped office—at the old-fashioned beat-up gray metal file cabinets, and a half empty bottle of booze near a dead plant. After a deep breath, he decided to take his chance.
“Just to catch you up on a few things in my life, I also decided—”
“Lennox, this isn’t a good time for a chit chat. It’s late. Maybe call me later in the week?” The words rang fallacious, devoid of feeling. This was no true invitation, just something to toss to a starving dog, so one could make it past the mutt in peace. He took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. His leather Burberry dress shoes looked back up at him.
“…Why do you hate me, Silva?”
He heard what sounded like her shuffling about in the bed, perhaps tossing sheets aside, then he heard her husband mumbling words he couldn’t quite understand.
“No, everything is fine, Tony. It’s Lennox… No, he’s not… Okay… I’ll take it out here. Go back to sleep.” He heard her walking in what sounded like slippers. A door opened, then closed. “Okay.” She yawned. “I was waking Tony up so I left my bedroom. Headin’ to the living room. About what you said… Lennox, I don’t hate you, okay? I could never hate you. It’s just that—”
“Well, Silva, from where we come from, our household with our mama, love is an action word. Actions tell me how somebody feels. Not words.”
“I… I don’t want to argue with you,” she said in a whispered—almost pleading—tone. “It’s just that you changed a lot when Mom died, Len, and you didn’t listen to anybody. You were so… so angry! So rude. Closed off. You lashed out at me. At Dad. At everyone.”
“That was years ago. We were still talkin’ a bit after all of that.”
“Yeah, we were still talkin’, Lennox, but I never forgot your behavior. It scared me. I never got an apology, and when you accused me of being weak like Dad, that was the final straw for me. I had to cut you loose.”
The office smelled of liquor and old-fashioned cologne. He inhaled the odor while he mulled what she said, playing those old conversations back in his mind. He vaguely recalled saying such a thing to her, and though it wasn’t nice, the comment had merit. Regardless, it was now more than obvious he’d hurt her, and he wanted to make things right.
“You never told me you felt that way… you never gave me a chance to have this conversation.”
“Because I know you, Len. You’d just defend what you said. Double down on it. You’re stubborn, and you were… mean. I know it sounds a little babyish, and maybe I’m too damn sensitive, but I had never experienced that from you. I didn’t want to experience it again.”
“First, I want to apologize to you for that. I mean it, Silva. We had a pretty bad argument the last time we spoke, and a lot of things were said out of anger. I said you were weak because you chose Grandpa’s money and prestige over what Mama taught us about life, and about him. I was angry with you because it was like all of that went out the window when she died. It was like you were his favorite little granddaughter, and you didn’t want anything to change that.”
“Mama tried to keep me away from Grandpa, and I resented her for it. I didn’t see the mean old man you and she painted him out to be, Lennox, and I can’t vouch or co-sign for something I did not experience!”