(5)-Breakfast With Mom.

Downstairs, Kyle entered into the kitchen where his mother was over by the stove, getting the last of the breakfast, as the rest of it was set on the dining-table, which was also in the kitchen. On the table were plates of waffles...hashbrowns, a bowl of gritts and two glasses of orange juice. She wore a pink robe, white socks and pink slippers.

"Mornin', Mom." Kyle greeted.

"Good morning, my little traveling ma-" Phyllis stopped herself when she turned to face Kyle.

"What? What is it?" Kyle asked, confused.

"How many times have i told you not to wear your pants half off?" Phyllis asked.

"Oh, come on, Mom, it's just a style. Besides, all the guys are wearing their pants like this." Kyle explained.

"No sons of mine, pull 'em up now." Phyllis said.

"But-"

"Now." Phyllis said, cutting Kyle off.

"Yes, Mom." Kyle said in an annoyed tone before pulling his pants up to his hips. He had wanted to protest, but knew it wouldn't be a good idea, as he didn't want to risk his Mom getting upset and changing her mind about letting him go on the trip. He was surprised she'd even agreed to it at all, to be honest. It had taken him five whole weeks just to convince her to let him go.

"There. That's more like it." Phyllis said. "Now sit down. Breakfast is ready...and i made all of your favorites."

Kyle went over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs.

Phyllis got the last three plates of breakfast, which had scrambled eggs, bacon and ham, went over to the table and placed them down on it before sitting down herself.

...

Later, as Kyle and his mother ate, the young man could feel the tension as he sat across from her. All was quiet while they were eating. Understandable why. Today was the day he would leave for his journey.

Usually, he and his mother would converse while they ate together. But today was different. She had seemed very hesitant, but acknowledged that Kyle was an independent young man. Still, though, there were so many reservations. Kyle could see it in his mother's face.

"Alright. What's buggin' you so much?" Kyle finally spoke up after silence had pestered him enough.

"(Sighs)." Phyllis sighed, swirling her spoon in her bowl of gritts. "Well, it's always hard when a parent's kid leaves home, you know that."

"I've told you, Mom, there's no point in staying in this town. I wanna see the world. I've got all my money saved up, i wanna see knew faces, see new things, experience new things. Classic case of wonder. I'll come back to you, i promise." Kyle said.

"But..." Phyllis began. "(Sighs) I hate to sound like a broken record...but you know it can be unsafe out there...on the road. You don't even have anyone to go with you, you're gonna be out there all by yourself. And to top it off, you're going to be traveling on foot. You know how many things could happen?"

"Mom, we've been over this already." Kyle said defensively. "I've got it all covered. I've got a lot of money saved up. I've got my cellphone. Good connection, by the way. I have money for gas, food. I promise i'll be okay."

"Are you sure you won't change your mind? It's not too late you know." Phyllis said.

"Come on, Mom. Prairie Grove is...you know...boring. I've gotta do this, alright? There's no point in living if i'm living a dull life. Gotta take a chance on in life once in a while." Kyle said. He may have gotten his Mom to agree on letting him go on this journey, but that didn't mean she hadn't tried to talk him out of it a few times.

Prairie Grove was a small western community that was stuck in the old west and was an 1800s/21st century fused town where people rode horses, rode in wagons and carriages that were pulled by horses, drove vehicles, as well as rode in a 19th century passenger train whenever they were leaving town, as no airport existed here. It was also a place that was well known for having farms and ranches. It's population was that of 400, it had dances, graduations, proms, weddings and funerals. Every holiday and summer, a fair swept through, the carnies taking over the center of the town with their rides, games and sometimes circuses. But that didn't mean life was always a bowl of cherries in this town. There were disputes, crime, sickness, affairs, and every three or four years or so, someone got hurt hunting or in a vehicle accident and had to be rushed to 'PRAIRIE GROVE HOSPITAL'. This tiny town was behind on a lot. The whole area didn't have cellphone coverage like the rest of the world did. People with cellphones here couldn't go over the minutes they had. There had been talk about how the cell-tower was going to be fixed to run the whole time, but it never happened. No surprise. With the town's measly population, the constructors weren't in a big hurry. The technology and fashion trends of Prairie Grove was that of the 2000s and had not adapted since 2009. None of the 2010s' or 2020s' technology or clothes or shoes had ever been installed. Prairie Grove was originally supposed to be called Pairy Grove. From what Kyle had learned in Miss Beatle's class during his last year of elementary school at the age of 9, some time in the early 1800s--1804, to be percise--after the town was built, someone messed up the sign and put Prairie Gove instead of Pairy Grove. Though it had been a mistake on that unknown person's part, the town's folk addressed their community by the name it had been given, accident or not. After all, the first part of the name suited the town perfectly well. It was a prairie town with a prairie area where all of it's people lived, like the majority of the people of Walnut Grove on the 70s/80s TV-show, 'LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE'.

Kyle's mother said that made things peaceful here. He thought that made it dull, especially compared to all the new technology stuff he saw on TV. The hardest part was knowing there was a whole vast world out there, far from him. Some high school graduates left after summer vacation in 2023 and went off to college in either New York or California to pursue big dreams, and he was always a little jealous, but he shook their hands and wished them well and meant it.

Phyllis paused, thinking of what Kyle had said. "It's just...i know you want to your brother."

"I told you, if i find him, that's just a bonus. That's not why i'm doing this." Kyle reminded. Though he knew that wasn't true. If anything, finding his brother was the goal and everything else he was discussing was the bonus. But he had to convince his mother. If she knew his real motive behind this journey, she would surely change her mind and not let him go. He may have been 18 and out of high school, but he was still under her roof at the moment and still had to play by her rules.

"It's just...we haven't seen or heard from Michael since his college graduation in Oregon in 2022. It's not healthy to be this obsessive, to go on a journey just to try and find him. How is that even going to work? Are you just going to travel from town to town and city to city and state to state until you find him?" Phyllis said.

"I told you that's not the reason. I miss him a lot though. And if i find him along the way, then that would be nice. But it's just...a bonus. Like i said." Kyle stated, hoping his acting skills were convincing enough. He had been a film director since the age of 9 when his Dad left and had been in all of his movie projects along with Charlotte. Like his songs and music videos with his band, Kyle published his films on YouTube for the whole world to see. They were all horror films, of course. Kid friendly horror films, to be exact. 'GOOSEBUMPS/ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK' vibe horror films. He hoped those years of acting had really paid off for the sake of this moment.

"(Sighs)." Phyllis sighed, rubbing her right arm in a stressed out manner. "Okay, Kyle, i believe you. But don't do anything stupid or dangerous to try and find your brother."

"You have my word, Mom. I promise." Kyle said seriously, showing the scincere look in his eyes.

"Alright, honey." Phyllis said.

Kyle smiled at his mother. She seemed to believe him, and he was fine with that.

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