The Only Landgraab in the Room

Found and Lost Again

Nancy took a seat in the far back to make sure he didn't see her. The theater was dark and the show had already started. The place was half full now. He was starting to get pretty well known locally, but he had a long way to go to hit star standard. She always knew this son of hers would do great things, but this was definitely not what she had in mind. He was very headstrong and stubborn. He had every advantage back at home to live up to the Landgraab name, yet somewhere he faltered, she faltered. What went wrong?

He was in the middle of the stage performing a new comedy routine. His eyes wide and arms whipping around as he got to the punch line. Nancy chuckled. What am I doing? I can't believe I'm laughing. Of course, my son was always making me laugh back then. She drew in her trench coat as she thought of the past.

It was snowing outside and he was 10. He was so excited because in Oasis Springs it rarely snows. He was running around outside like an idiot sticking his tongue out trying to catch snowflakes. She stifled a laugh and started yelling at him to act like a proper boy. He had to remember his stature after all. He stopped in his tracks, he didn't rebuke her or get angry he just gave her the largest infectious smile and asked her to try catching snowflakes too. Nancy looked up to the sky and held out her hand as large fluffy snowflakes drifted towards it. There were so many and they were pure and beautiful but the moment they touched her palm they melted. Nothing lasts forever.

Her heart started to ache. She had to hold it together. She looked ahead and saw her son drawing more laughter from the crowd. He was doing so well now on his own. A mixture of pain and pride welled inside her. Why couldn't he have just followed her lead? Everything was set in place, all of the steps were easy to follow, all he had to do was move.

She remembered when he was 16. He was following all the rules and coming along nicely. He was living up to her standards and the standards of the Landgraab name. But there was always that part of him, that hopeless goodness he had like his father. He sincerely wanted to make people happy. That's not what a Landgraab does. A Landgraab builds a financial empire, even if it means causing pain to the plebeians. They were inferior after all. But he wanted to bring them joy not pain. She had to make him see the light. She had his friends beat up so they would turn on him. Then when he was utterly alone he would see that Landgraabs were the only ones he needed. But he didn't respond the way she thought he would.

She took out an old crumpled photo of him when he was 16 and held it up. The little light in the theater shone through broken parts of the photo. The cracks begin to show.

He left not long after that. She had sent her goons after him but he was nowhere to be found. He was always good at hiding. She remembered when he was six she thought she lost him, but he was hiding inside a mass of stuffed animals. He saw her running around in a panic and started giggling. The little blonde head was poking out among the bears and lion just playfully laughing at her plight. She angrily stomped over to him and scooped him up into her arms. She placed his face against her shoulder so he didn't see her cry. She was so relieved she found him. If she had lost him, she had lost a very important part of herself. The little rascal wiggled out of her grip and wiped her tears away, "mommy don't cry, just find me better next time." Then he bolted away to escape and hide again. She had let him go. Maybe she was too lenient back then.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now and the show was over. Almost everyone had left the theater and Nancy took off her sunglasses to wipe her tears. She was incognito, or at least hoped he didn't see her. She started to exit the row and saw someone coming towards her. It was him.

His smile was just as wide as when he was that 10 year old chasing snowflakes. "I'm glad you're here. I hope you had a good time." He spoke genuinely.

A lump formed in her throat and she found it hard to swallow or speak. She let out a weak. "I have to go." and pushed him to the side to exit the room.

"Mother." She stopped her back facing him. "I hope you can come again, I perform every Thursday night here." She stared at a poster advertising his comedy show. Enjoy the jest of Johnny Zest. Whoever thought of that pun was awful. She stared right into his picture and gathered all her courage. She whipped around and stood tall and proud like a Landgraab. She would not stand down, she would not slink back, she was going to give him her answer like a proper member of the elite.

"Mother. I don't know who you are referring to Mr. Zest. I am the only Landgraab in the room." Like razor blades her words cut into her son. She could see it in his eyes. She turned around again and left the building. The price for being a Landgraab is sometimes too high, she thought.