Truth Aftermath
Chapter 14
Phillip went into his mother's bedroom, and getting on the phone, yelled down to Amanda, "I'm on, Mom!"
He cleared his throat, and said, "H-Hi, Dad."
Joe sighed, and replied, "Understand you've got something to tell me, Phillip?"
Phillip swallowed and commented slowly, "Y-Yeah...Um, I got caught smoking in school today, but like I already told Mom, I'm not gonna do it anymore. She's already grounded me for the next two weeks, and-"
Joe answered grimly, "Alright, just tell me how long you've been doing that?"
Phillip responded, "N-Not long. A few weeks I guess, on and off...I-I'm really sorry, Dad-"
Joe was stunned, and answered, "A few weeks?! So, that bit about the clothes and all was just a lie?"
Phillip gulped commenting quietly, "Y-Yes, Sir. But I swear, I didn't buy the cigarettes! They were from a friend's cousin-"
Joe barked, "I don't care where they came from, Young Man! You aren't touching another one! Do you understand me?!"
Then Joe heard Phillip start to cry, and he swallowed thinking, Damn...
Clearing his throat, he remarked calmly, "It's alright, Son...Just take it easy now, huh? Look, do you understand why your mom and I are so upset with you?"
Phillip, taking a tissue from his mother's nightstand, wiped his eyes and blew his nose, then threw the tissue in the wastebasket nearby, and answered with a gulp, "Y-Yeah. I know cigarettes are bad for you, and so is booze, but-"
Joe asked quickly, "Booze?! Have you been trying that as well?!"
Phillip quickly stated, "N-No, Dad! I swear! Cigarettes were it!"
Joe, taking a deep breath said, "Okay...Look, Son, I know I'm not always there with you and Jamie, but you do know I love you guys, right?"
Phillip sighed, and when he hesitated, Joe remarked softly, "Aw, hell...Alright, let's have the talk we should've had when I was there...Just talk to me, Pal, huh? I already know you told your mom some stuff, but why don't you talk to me now? And I promise, I won't get angry, okay? Talk to me like you should have when I was there."
Phillip answered quietly, "Okay...Well, when you told us what happened to Mom, you kinda had this scared look on your face, but you didn't let on, you know, so then when I saw how scared Jamie was, I just decided to well...Man up, and let you think we were okay...I-I'm really sorry, Dad."
Joe sighed, replying, "No, it's not your fault, Pal! Look, the problems your mom and I had that led to the breakup? We were afraid to really be honest with one another, so, when we finally did talk, we...Well, the truth of the matter is, I just didn't take this family's feelings into consideration when I told her we should all move to Africa when you boys were younger. It was a selfish move, and I'm sorry about that. My point is...I don't want you boys to ever think you can't talk to me, okay? Because I'm always gonna love you, and I'm never gonna stop, alright?"
Phillip gulped answering, "We-We love you too, Dad."
Joe then saw a signal from a man outside the airport from a jeep, and remarked, "Okay, Son. I have my ride here, so I'm gonna hang up now. Give your brother a hug for me, and I'll write to you soon, huh? I love you..."
Phillip sighed commenting, "Okay...I love you too, Dad...Bye."
They hung up, and Phillip called down to Amanda, "I'm off the phone, Mom, but I'll finish my homework."
Amanda called back up to him, "Alright, Sweetheart, thank you."
And Phillip, before finishing his homework, needed time to process what he and his father talked about, so, going to his room and laying down on his bed, began staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought...
-SMK-
When Jamie came back from cleaning up the mess in the backyard, Amanda stated, "Just throw the gloves away, Honey. There's no amount of detergent that will get rid of that smell."
Jamie answered, "I know. I threw them out with tonight's garbage."
Amanda shook her head commenting, "I forgot it was garbage night...Thanks for remembering to put it out, Sweetie...Now, wash your hands, and then come over here so we can talk, alright?"
Jamie nodded responding, "Sure, Mom..."
A few moments later, Jamie joined his mother on the family room couch and said, "What's up?"
Amanda responded, "Well, it's about what happened with Phillip today...Honey, he and some friends of his were caught smoking at school-"
Jamie was surprised and uttered, "Whoa!"
Amanda, shaking her head to him answering as she cupped his chin and looked deep into her son's eyes, "Yes...Now, it made him absolutely sick and he promised to never do it again, but I had to ground him for two weeks, and I want your own promise to me, James Joseph, that you will never try it, understand?"
Jamie swallowed, replying softly, "Y-Yes, Mom...But why did he do it? Trying to be cool, right?"
Amanda sighed, commenting with a nod, "I think that was part of it, yes, but the other reason I'm talking to you about this is because I understand you and Phillip were very upset when you found out about my accident, weren't you?"
Jamie shrugged saying, "Sure. I'm glad Dad was here, though..."
Amanda swallowed, answering quietly, "Yes, I'm glad he was too...Now, can you tell me about your nightmares? Phillip told me you were pretty scared for a while, huh?"
Jamie sighed, commenting, "Yeah, but-"
Amanda sensed he was hiding something when he grew quiet, and queried gently, "Sweetheart, just tell me what happened. You can tell me anything, huh?"
Jamie responded softly, "Well, Dad tried to make me feel better, and I stayed in your room with him the first night, but then after that, Phillip told me I shouldn't act like a baby, that if I was still scared, he'd help me instead, and that we shouldn't bother Dad, because he already had enough on his mind."
Amanda sighed, and pulling Jamie to her embrace, held him, replying sadly, "Oh, Sweetheart! I'm so sorry you boys had to go through that! But I promise you, I'm gonna be alright, you hear me?"
Jamie sniffed, and crying, nodded in her arms, "I-I was really scared I'd never see you again, Mom!"
Amanda, reaching for a tissue, pulled back, and giving it to him, said gulping, "I-I know, Honey. Grandma was beside herself as well...Here, blow your nose..."
After Jamie did, and then wiped his eyes, Amanda kissed his cheek, and sighed, asking, "Okay...So, are you feeling better?"
When Jamie answered slowly, "Y-Yeah. Unless there's more bad stuff?"
Amanda commented, "No, Honey. It's about this morning, and the talk I had with you and your brother about Mr. Stetson?"
Jamie answered, "What about it?"
Amanda remarked, "Well, I thought it might be nice if I invited him over for dinner tonight. It would be a way for you and your brother to start getting to know him, okay? And I've already talked to Phillip about it, so he knows. Would it be okay if I did that?"
Jamie quipped with a shrug, "Sure, I've got no plans."
Amanda shook her head and tweaking her son's nose stated giggling, "Alright, Smarty Pants! Go on and wash up for dinner! Your grandmother should be home shortly from the Fergusons-assuming their talk went well, and I'll call Mr. Stetson right now-Oh, but don't bother Phillip, okay? He's finishing up his homework, but you can watch television in my room for a while, huh?"
Jamie kissed her cheek and getting up from the couch, commented, "Okay, Mom..."
As Jamie went up the stairs, Amanda went to the phone, and dialing Lee's extension at IFF, thought, Here we go...
A few moments later, Lee answered, "Stetson."
Amanda responded, "King, here...All systems are go, if you still wanna come for dinner?"
Lee sighed replying, "An actual evening with my wife and her family? Sure. What can I bring?"
Amanda cleared her throat commenting, "Uh-Uh! Our family, even though the boys don't know that yet...And just bring your charming self. That's all I need, Sweetheart."
Lee responded, "C'mon! What does your mom like to drink? Uh, Giliano, I believe?"
Amanda sighed stating slyly, "Oh, all right, if you insist! Yes, she likes that, oh, and the boys would love the latest video games-one of everything would suffice!"
Lee scoffed derisively, "C'mon! What am I, made of money?"
When he heard Amanda laugh, he realized he'd been had, and commented with a groan, "Okay, Okay! No going overboard to impress! I get it! See you soon, Honey..."
They hung up, and Amanda, smiling, remarked, "That man is so easy to tease!"
TBC
