Message
20 minutes
485 words
2 confessions
"Son of Sheepskin, Marijuana and Thou"
Charlie stood and headed to the kitchen. "Anybody want another beer before we hear Dad's story?"
"My story?"
"Yeah," Don said, "you thought you could distract us by asking Charlie how he knew what a bong was. No such luck, Pop. You're dealing with an experienced interrogator here. So after Chuck brings us each another beer, you are going to spill the beans."
Alan laughed. "All right, Fed." Once he had a fresh beer in hand, Alan recounted the story of the fraternity and the bong and the incredible young lady he met at the bong's initiation party.
Charlie picked up the bong and turned it in his hands, studying it closely. "No wonder you didn't want to get rid of this," he said softly.
After a few moments of companionable silence, Alan said, "Charlie, one thing I don't understand: how did you manage to keep your – uh – experimentation with pot a secret from your mom?"
"You mean she never told you? She said she was going to tell you and you would make sure we never went back to Princeton."
Don blinked in surprise. "Really, Charlie? She must have been really upset."
"She never told me," Alan said.
"It really wasn't a big deal. I just smoked it the one time at Princeton."
Don chuckled. "I caught that qualification, Chuck. But I'm not going to ask you how many times you smoked it elsewhere."
"So," Alan persisted, "how'd you do it?"
"I don't know if I should..."
"Go ahead," Don urged. "Don't worry. I won't let Dad ground you."
"It's my house anyway," Charlie muttered. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right. Remember that sheepskin jacket you bought me that winter?"
"Yeah," Don said, "I figured you would be so cold back east. And then you went and lost it."
"I didn't lose it. I ... I traded it."
"What?" Don sputtered. "You traded it. Oh man, Charlie, you didn't trade it for pot, did you?"
"I did. There was this young woman in my class. She was, well, she was a lot older than me."
"Everybody was older than you," Don said, smirking. "And you and she..."
"No! It wasn't anything like that. I knew she... well,... she would know how to get her hands on marijuana. And she loved the jacket. So..."
Alan regarded his younger son with amusement. "I hope you got your brother's money's worth. And how'd your mother find out?"
Charlie shrugged and took a sip of beer.
"Come on, Charlie! It's true confessions night in the Eppes household," Alan said. "So spill the beans. How'd your mother figure out you were smoking pot."
"Well, now that I know the whole story," Charlie said, "I suppose it all makes sense. She smelled it on me. And, since I didn't have the advantage of the family bong, the smoke was pretty harsh. I couldn't stop coughing."