Sunday, February 1, 2015

A Picture Frame of Reference

Last week was a train wreck, no doubt about it. Looking back, I'm surprised I even lived through it all. I have my journey in front of me, but some changes need to occur to make sure everything works smoothly. First thing first, I need a change of perspective.

--

Cole realized that he had been going about this whole Winsley business the wrong way. He never had even thought to ask the woman if she would let Cole take his nephew. In fact, all he knew about the lady was the report he got from the lawyer, and the negative thoughts just grew from there. Maybe there were some redeeming qualities to the woman, and Cole had never thought to even try to know her.

Resolved to try and talk his way to success, Cole began his search for the woman in control of his life at the moment. After talking to the owner of O'Harley's and the daycare staff, Cole concluded that she lived in the trailer park across the tracks. Walking the streets towards his new destination, Cole rehearsed the conversation he thought he was going to have when he showed up.

Hi, my names Cole. Have we met before?
No, that would be stupid, seeing as he nearly scared her to death at the bar.

Listen here lady, that my rightful boy you have, and you know it. Let him raise him before you ruin him.
No, that would just send off the wrong message and end in anger from both parties.

Working on the best approach to his future confrontation, Cole looked up in time to see a man stumble and trip in the pothole outside of Dreamwood. Feeling a sense of brotherhood sharing the same inanimate enemy, Cole walked over and helped the poor sap up.

"Hi, my names Cole. Have we met before?" Cole said, deciding for a fact he would not use that with his sister in law.

The man looked up at Cole, appearing to be so lost within his thoughts that he couldn't even register the question. Finally, he spoke, declaring his name to be Forrest Whitman.

"That pothole and I have had many the troubled interactions, have we?" Cole said while pointing to the ground, trying to find a way to pull any sort of emotion out of Forrest. Laughter at the joke, Anger at the stupidity of, anything but the sheer surface of nothing that was ever present.

"Forget it, see you around chap." Cole said, deciding he had more important matters at hand.

Knocking on the door to the trailer, Cole suddenly realized that he had never decided what he wanted to say. Before he could think of anything, the door swung open. Inside was the lady, the lady who had given his life a goal, the one obstacle in his way from achieving familial happiness.

"What do you want?", the lady spat at him with a cigarette in the corner of her mouth. Before Cole could say anything, her eyes flicked open like a light bulb was turned on in her skull.

"Wait a minute! You're that bastard from the other night! You want my boy, Hogan. Well, you can't have him. I'm raising him." she said adamantly.

"Hogan?" The name dropped from Cole's mouth as a whisper, while she began to close the door. "Wait, wait, wait! My nephew legally belongs to me, and if you respected the rights of your sister and my brother, you would let me raise him."

"Your his brother? Man, no wonder you are such a freak. I'm glad he died. Shame he took my sis with him." She said as she slammed the door shut, catching Cole's sleeve in the door.

Stunned by the ladies harsh breath and even harsher words, Cole stood there for a moment. That was, until he heard threats coming from inside the trailer telling him to leave before a weapon was brought into the mix. Cole departed, leaving his jacket, and soon regretting it as he found a cold pocket of air.

Reflecting, Cole realized that he was in an even worse situation than before.

--

I knew that would never work. Time to start thinking clearly.

1 comment: