Say My Name

Chapter Four: Teasing Smile

Rick grabbed his golf club in between both hands, contemplating if he could bend it over his knee as he watched the third golf ball smack into the pond water leaving ripples in its wake. His face got redder and redder as he gripped the club harder and harder.

My brother had this thing about trying out something new at least once a month and this month's conquest was the art of golf. One that he painted a very poor picture of.

"You're going to have an aneurysm," I whisper but it was enough for him to narrow his eyes on me. I held up my hands in surrender and turned toward my own ball, a new one because all of my previous ones lay on the other side of the pond where I had driven them home.

I lined my driver up with the ball a couple of times, adjusting my feet as needed, and once again sent the ball flying over the pond. A slew of cuss words rang from the side and Rick roughly put his club up, no doubt so he didn't chunk it into the pond. "You little liar. You've played golf before."

"No, I haven't. Although I did use to watch it on TV with Daddy when I was younger. Well, after all of the other sports games went off, that is." Rick shielded his eyes from the blazing sun that was currently leaving a red hue along my nose and shoulders, making the skin feel tight and itchy.

"There is no way that watching a little bit of golf through a screen has taught you to drive like that." I shrug before putting my club up.  It grew silent before Rick spoke again, his face losing the red hue of aggravation, replaced with something kin to sorrow.

"I'm sorry he didn't show, sunshine." I looked over at the red present wrapped up on the back of the golf cart, still untouched and left to sit there, while its owner was too busy working to open it.

"It's okay, I just ..." Words failed me so I just shook my head clearing away the sadness in my tone, it wasn't important. I was grown now, there was no use in pining after him like a lost puppy. My father was a good man but sometimes I questioned his priorities.

"No, it's not okay. I understood his need to work when we were younger. He was a single dad who had a family to provide for, but now the house is paid off, and he's got a good truck. He's doing it just to be away from home, just so he's too busy to think about her." Rick's shaggy hair hung towards the ground as he stared off into the green grass, lost in his thoughts.

"Hey, let's not think about it. I was having fun whipping you at golf." I steer the subject away because no matter how tough my brother acts, he was older when she left. He probably still has a clear view of her face whereas I only remember a blur.

"Yeah, but I bet you can't beat me at baseball." He rubs his hands together sneakily already planning his next, 'try something new' activity.

"We'll see."

~.~.~.~.~

I was strolling through Andy's hardware store, while Ivy handled any customers at the library for a few hours. I rolled my shoulders and rotated my neck, sleeping on that couch was starting to make me sore all over. I was beyond ready to get my apartment livable, so that I could have my own space again, and be out of my brother and Kannon's way, but most of all so I could sleep on my pillow-top mattress that was currently in storage so it didn't ruin because of my caved in roof.

What did I even need?

I scrabble around in my jean pocket looking for the list I made for myself two days ago only to find it missing. "Where did it go?"

I feel in the other pocket, then check the empty pocket again. I even went as far as checking my back pockets, but all of them were bone-dry. "Hmm. Great."

"What are you looking for, Bonnie?" I couldn't help but notice the lack of my nickname coming out of Andy's mouth, I thought the nickname had just been a habit from school, maybe he had been using it as a term of endearment this whole time.