Prince of the Hill

Hank and Bobby were always different.

Hank was a high school superstar, popular and athletic. If it hadn't been for an injury he'd have carried his team to win the state finals and forever have his name marked down in history. A God fearing man, who lived by his selling of propane and propane accessories, a realist. Bobby was the opposite.

Bobby was best described as a 'late bloomer'. In his teen years in a great contradiction to his father Bobby was short and chubby with little athletic background. Bobby loved to sing, dance and make people laugh which most of the time confused his up-tight father. In truth Bobby was more like his grandfather than his own father.

Bobby was good at firing a rifle while Hank was not.

Hank was good with his hands and could build anything, Bobby only used his hands to bring food to his mouth. The two were very different.

As Bobby got older and more into his teen years he began to change somewhat. He grew taller, nearly as tall as his father and his weight evened out somewhat. Hank's high hopes were that now with his new more mature body he and Bobby would appreciate the same things but that was not the case. Nothing changed. Bobby stayed as he ever was the class clown, the laugh riot.

When he was 16 he learned to drive and later got his learner's permit. Which was fine until Bobby got into a car accident nearly destroying Hank's truck. Nobody was seriously hurt but the insurance was a big deal of money. Hank was furious. But it didn't end there for Bobby.

Throughout all of High School Bobby had the same grades of C's and D's with a B every now and then.

When he was 17 Bobby was nearly suspended from school over a sexual harassment cause, all due to Bobby's attempt at comedy. And of course this put strain and he and his father's relationship.

Now he was 18 and a High School Graduate but he still done nothing with himself. He just sat on the couch all day watching TV and going out all night to hang out with his friends. His friends who were better off than him.

Connie never got into Harvard or Yale she was instead going to a community college to become a teacher. Joseph was working as a janitor at the middle school and part-time exterminator with his Dad while he waited to hear from the Police Academy.

Hank could only watch as his couch potato son sat back and did nothing with himself. When Hank was that age he already had a steady job and bright future ahead of him, Bobby had nothing.

Hank would vent to the guys in the alley, he'd vent at work, he'd vent to Peggy. And whenever he'd bring it up to Bobby the boy would just shrug his shoulders and keep his head down. And this was a never ending cycle.

Now Hank and Bobby stood at a crossroads of life standing right across from each other. Everything had all come down to this moment.

Bobby had for the first time in years took initiative in his life and made a choice. Not one his father made for him or someone suggested to him, Bobby made it all himself. And for the first time in years Hank was proud of his boy for that.

Peggy was of course hysterical and wanted to talk to Bobby about it but Hank just stood back with his arms folded and a smile on his face.

The car ride had been long and quiet between the father and son, it seemed it would never end. And now they stood across from each other and Hank could do nothing more than remember the past.

Bobby was never a star athlete or popular the way his father was. He wasn't good with his hands or shared in the interests of propane. But Hank knew now more than ever that Bobby was his own man and had to make his own choices. But no matter how strange he acted or how different they were damn it Bobby was his son.

"Well son." Said Hank. Bobby cocked his head and looked at his father." Good luck." He reached out his hand. Bobby smiled and grasped his father's hand.

"Thanks' Dad." He said as they shook. Then Bobby turned and walked onto the bus. Looking back he saw his mother and father waiting on the sidewalk waving him goodbye. Bobby waved them goodbye as the bus drove off and as it got farther away he ran to the back of the bus to still wave through the back window. And on the back of the bus it read 'To: Fort Benning, Georgia'