Chapter 2 Part 2
Kruz
Sweat rolled from his neck down his back, the engine of the lawnmower drowning out everything else. The sun beat down as he turned the machine around and kept pushing it across the lawn. He had an hour before he had to be at work. Ten minutes later, he was done with the lawn and his gaze darted to the flowerbeds. ‘Later,’ he thought to himself as he pushed the lawnmower into the shed and locked it.
“Mom?” He closed the kitchen door behind him and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He grabbed the pill holder and took the stairs two at a time. He knocked on her bedroom door and opened it when she didn’t answer him. “Mom?”
Wild eyes looked at him in the mirror, and he took slow steps toward her. Recognition flickered in her eyes, and she lowered the hairbrush she’d been holding. He placed the water on her vanity and took out her pills.
“Drink this, Mom. You’ll feel better,” he said gently.
“Thank you.” She pushed the pills into her mouth, unscrewed the cap of the bottle and drank from it.
“I need to get to work. I’ll see you tonight. Remember to eat, okay?”
She nodded her head and Kruz gave her a smile. In the bathroom, he took a quick shower and pulled on jeans and a T-shirt for work. He left the house with fifteen minutes to spare. When he parked his truck in front of the garage, Joseph was already busy unlocking the shop.
“Morning, Joseph,” he said.
“Hey, Kruz. How’s your mom today?”
“She’s good.”
He ran his tongue over his gums at the sudden itch. It had started shortly after he turned 16 and it wasn’t getting any better. He’d been to the dentist and had gotten a clean bill of health. At times his fingernails burned, his skin crawled, as if something was moving just beneath the surface. His jaw would hurt and sometimes even his teeth were itching, which sounded completely ridiculous.
As the months passed, he swore that his eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell had improved, but it was random at best when it happened, and he wondered if maybe he was cursed with his mother’s affliction as well.
The hours sped by and before he knew it, Joseph was calling him to finish up so they could lock up for the day. He wiped his hands on a rag and packed his tools away. Joseph was a good man, one of the few people in town that had been willing to give him a chance and he paid in cash.
“I hear there’s some party down at the creek,” Joseph mentioned.
“Yeah, the Rover twins have their birthday this weekend.”
Joseph nodded his head. “You should go.”
Kruz shrugged and wiped his hand over his face. “Yeah, I might. If Mom’s doing okay, I’ll definitely be there.”
“Not many boys would be doing what you’re doing. Keep your head up, kid. At some point, things will turn around for you.”
Kruz huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, take care, Joseph. See you on Monday.”
“Don’t drink and drive!” Joseph yelled as Kruz made his way to his truck. He grinned but didn’t turn around, just lifted his hand in acknowledgement and climbed inside.
The drive home didn’t take long. The lights downstairs were on when he parked his truck in the driveway. He took a deep breath before pushing the front door open. Jazz was playing on the stereo and he smiled. His mother, Selene, loved jazz.
“Kruz? Is that you?”
“Yeah, Mom.” He made his way to the kitchen where her voice had come from and his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t stopped working to eat lunch.
“I made lasagna,” she said and took out two plates from the cupboard.
“Thanks, Mom, I’m starving.”
Her smile widened as she dished up a full plate for him. They sat at the kitchen table while they ate, making small talk. He was grateful for the days when her mind was lucid, when her smile reached her eyes and he could have a decent conversation with her.
“How was work?”
“The same as always. Joseph sends his regards,” he said.
She smiled and took a sip from her water glass. “I’m sure he’s glad for the help. Summer holidays were always a busy time for him.”
“Mr. Warner brought in his Buick. Thatcher drove through Mr. Barlow’s fence out on the western dirt road where he let the sheep graze. He said it took three days for them to find all his sheep.”
His mother laughed. “I remember something similar happened about ten years ago. Rocky had to work in Mrs. Landis’ garden for a month after the sheep destroyed and ate all her flowers.”
Kruz smiled as he looked at his mother. “Mrs. Landis’ garden is her pride and joy. She yells at people if they stare at her flowers for too long.”
“She was always a strange woman.” Selene got to her feet and stacked their plates on top of each other. “I should get started in the kitchen. It’s a mess.”
“I’ll do the dishes, Mom, you cooked.”
She shook her head. “You worked the whole day, but if you insist then you can help me.”
They cleaned the kitchen in relative silence, and when they were done, Kruz counted out her medication and watched as she swallowed her pills. He walked her to her bedroom door and kissed her forehead gently. “Goodnight, Mom.”
“Goodnight, Kruz. I know I’m not always the best mom I can be, but I do love you.”
Kruz smiled and hugged her. “You’re a great mom. I love you too.”
He stood outside her door and listened to the water running in her bathroom. The door opened and he slid down the wall next to her door and listened to her getting ready for bed. He knew it wouldn’t take long for her to fall asleep and at times he felt guilty waiting for it to happen so he could go out and be with his friends.
After another shower and making sure that she was asleep, Kruz checked all the windows, switched off the lights and locked the front door behind him. The smallest thing could set her off and he sighed as he got back in his truck, and headed toward the creek. He didn’t go out every weekend, but on rare nights like this one, when his mother’s mind was present, he didn’t waste the opportunity. Summer break had just started and before long he’d be working full days at Joseph’s Auto Shop and then there wouldn’t be much time for him to see his friends.
