Habitat For Humility
Chapter One
"Why can't we just stay home like normal people do?"
"This family isn't normal, remember."
"Well it's unfair."
The whining voice drifted through the house. Billie Joe sighed; he knew it would be like this. His wife, Adrienne, had just informed their two sons of the family's trip to New Orleans during the upcoming school holidays.
"Why?" Jakob asked again.
Billie stood up and made his way into the kitchen to offer some moral support. Jakob was in full flow.
"I'll never see my friends or be able to play properly and Joey can't practice his guitar or spend his birthday money. Everyone will have gone out so when we get back loads of stuff will have happened and I won't..."
"The Beckers are coming too and the Whites" Billie interjected, referring to some family friends as well as his band mate and wife "And it's only three days."
Jakob stopped to contemplate these new facts so Adrienne said "Now go and pack. Remember to just take stuff that you don't mind getting covered in paint. Here's a list of things you need."
Joey took it, remarking bitterly "Yeah Dad, and two days traveling."
They stomped off up the stairs as Adrienne collapsed on to a chair with her head in her hands. "They're going to be unbearable"
"No, don't think like that." Billie Joe moved behind her and began to gently massage her shoulders. "We'll win them round."
She laughed.
"What?"
"Oh Billie. Sometimes you are far to optimistic for your own good. 'We'll win them round.' Whatever you say darling, but we should pack as well."
He helped her up, kissed her and they walked slowly up the stairs to their room: Billie's arm around Adrienne's waist.
Hearing footsteps Joey called out, somewhat confused but at the same time mockingly "What are we meant to put this stuff in?"
"A suitcase." Billie Joe stated. "Which is still in the loft."
Adrienne smacked him on the arm. "I thought I told you to get them out."
Raising her voice she continued "Boys just make a neat pile on the bottom of your bed. I'll sort them later."
Billie turned away guiltily and pretended to be sorting through his belongings for old jeans.
"Go and find the suitcases."
"Why me? I don't like the loft. All the muck up there gets in my hair." he whined.
"You're just as bad as they are. Anyway I have considerably more hair than you so you are going up there. There should be our two big cases and a slightly smaller one from that time we managed to break one in New York.”
He mumbled something inaudible under his breath and made his way towards the hatch.
"Don't whine, sunshine." Adrienne mocked then began the search for clothes that fitted her description of being scruffy enough to be taken away with them. She was mentally calculating how many shirts she would need, trying to be minimalistic when Billie Joe interrupted her.
"A-die. I can only find two cases."
"Look harder then."
"Help me."
She helped bring them down then, rolling her eyes, climbed the ladder.
The Armstrong loft was dark and musty. It was filled with all manner of things - from a pram to a twelve-piece drum kit, car parts to an ageing set of football pads but another case was not be found.
"We could take less stuff or use a different bag." Billie suggested. Adrienne agreed quickly as she was being freaked out by the loft and had no other suggestions. He assisted her down the ladder and closed the hatch, as his wife went back to what she had been doing.
Walking through the bedroom door Adrienne caught sight of herself in a full-length mirror. There were dust and spider webs across her hair like a veil. She shrieked causing Billie Joe to rush to her side. He laughed but stopped as she glowered at him. Gently, he teased the sticky mess from her thick hair and apologized before she had a chance to say anything else.
"Sorry."
"This family isn't normal, remember."
"Well it's unfair."
The whining voice drifted through the house. Billie Joe sighed; he knew it would be like this. His wife, Adrienne, had just informed their two sons of the family's trip to New Orleans during the upcoming school holidays.
"Why?" Jakob asked again.
Billie stood up and made his way into the kitchen to offer some moral support. Jakob was in full flow.
"I'll never see my friends or be able to play properly and Joey can't practice his guitar or spend his birthday money. Everyone will have gone out so when we get back loads of stuff will have happened and I won't..."
"The Beckers are coming too and the Whites" Billie interjected, referring to some family friends as well as his band mate and wife "And it's only three days."
Jakob stopped to contemplate these new facts so Adrienne said "Now go and pack. Remember to just take stuff that you don't mind getting covered in paint. Here's a list of things you need."
Joey took it, remarking bitterly "Yeah Dad, and two days traveling."
They stomped off up the stairs as Adrienne collapsed on to a chair with her head in her hands. "They're going to be unbearable"
"No, don't think like that." Billie Joe moved behind her and began to gently massage her shoulders. "We'll win them round."
She laughed.
"What?"
"Oh Billie. Sometimes you are far to optimistic for your own good. 'We'll win them round.' Whatever you say darling, but we should pack as well."
He helped her up, kissed her and they walked slowly up the stairs to their room: Billie's arm around Adrienne's waist.
Hearing footsteps Joey called out, somewhat confused but at the same time mockingly "What are we meant to put this stuff in?"
"A suitcase." Billie Joe stated. "Which is still in the loft."
Adrienne smacked him on the arm. "I thought I told you to get them out."
Raising her voice she continued "Boys just make a neat pile on the bottom of your bed. I'll sort them later."
Billie turned away guiltily and pretended to be sorting through his belongings for old jeans.
"Go and find the suitcases."
"Why me? I don't like the loft. All the muck up there gets in my hair." he whined.
"You're just as bad as they are. Anyway I have considerably more hair than you so you are going up there. There should be our two big cases and a slightly smaller one from that time we managed to break one in New York.”
He mumbled something inaudible under his breath and made his way towards the hatch.
"Don't whine, sunshine." Adrienne mocked then began the search for clothes that fitted her description of being scruffy enough to be taken away with them. She was mentally calculating how many shirts she would need, trying to be minimalistic when Billie Joe interrupted her.
"A-die. I can only find two cases."
"Look harder then."
"Help me."
She helped bring them down then, rolling her eyes, climbed the ladder.
The Armstrong loft was dark and musty. It was filled with all manner of things - from a pram to a twelve-piece drum kit, car parts to an ageing set of football pads but another case was not be found.
"We could take less stuff or use a different bag." Billie suggested. Adrienne agreed quickly as she was being freaked out by the loft and had no other suggestions. He assisted her down the ladder and closed the hatch, as his wife went back to what she had been doing.
Walking through the bedroom door Adrienne caught sight of herself in a full-length mirror. There were dust and spider webs across her hair like a veil. She shrieked causing Billie Joe to rush to her side. He laughed but stopped as she glowered at him. Gently, he teased the sticky mess from her thick hair and apologized before she had a chance to say anything else.
"Sorry."