The Betrayal

Two

  October  4 1996

Scott

"What's the time, Scott? Don't wanna  be late to pick Shauna at her place."

I took another look at my watch "Five thirty. Why don't you buy a watch? You've been asking me what's the time every five minutes."

"I'm waiting for you to buy me one for my birthday." Billy answered as he left aside the controller of the video game we were playing with. "Are you seeing Pam tonight? I have time enough to drive you to her place."

"Yeah! Her cousins are in town and she wants me to meet them."

"Okay, I'm leaving you at her place then. And now, I'd better get ready. Do you mind putting the console back in its box?" My brother smiled.

"As usual..." I protested. Billy always managed to get rid of tidying our room when we stopped playing at something, since we were little kids.

My Mom opened the door of Billy's room. She had her coat on , as if she were ready to go out."You're still playing to that stupid video game? One of these days I'm giving it away. " She seemed really angry "Billy, I need your car keys." She extended her hand with an impatient gesture.

"C'mon Ma, you know I was going to show it to Shauna!" 

"Don't make me say it twice, young man. The keys. Subbito. And you, Scott, stop playing that stupid thing and get ready, I will need your help with the shopping."

 Since Billy and I were kids, we had learned that our Mother only spoke Italian when she was pissed off about something. And in those cases it was better to do exactly what she wanted. And yet, Billy kept protesting.

"Ma, why can't you just take yours? I promised Shauna I'd show her the car when she came back from Milwaukee!"

"No, I can't . It's at the garage, being fixed. And when I ask you for something, you'd better do it!"

"But it's my car! You can't..."

"Potresti fare come si ti dice, per una volta? (*) Give me the keys!" She extended her hand, with a clear expression of impatience. Reluctantly, Billy gave her the keys, and kept complaining as our Mom walked out of his room.

"I just don't see the day I'll go to college, man. I'm fed up, why the fuck does Ma need my car right now?...What are you laughing at, Scott?" 

"You and ma, you're so similar. You took all the Italian blood, didn't you?" I winked at my brother.

"It ain't funny! And she had no right to take my car. She knew I wanted to show it to Shauna."

"It's not that terrible, bro. Just one day delayed, that's all. There's no point in fighting, after all she was going to take it one way or another." I tried to calm him down.

"Well, she could go shopping tomorrow, and I would go with her if she wanted. It wasn't so urgent, she always goes shopping on Saturdays after all. " Billy exclaimed as he went to our shared bathroom.  I went back to my room and started reading a book I was supposed to read for school. Or at least I tried to read it, until my Mom came into my room.

"Aren't you ready yet, Scott? I would like to do the shopping before midnight."

"Yeah...I'm going..." 

"Hurry up then!"

"Can I have it sent home?" My Mom asked after paying for the shopping. She gave our address and we went out of the store.