Dear Ben
002
Dear Mr. Bryan,
It has been three days without Ben, and you don't seem to care.
"He's 17 for godssake, he's probably with some friends."
That's what I heard you say to Ellen when she was talking on the phone with me last night. She was saying how she was worried, and how, even though he wanders off quite a bit, this is the longest he's stayed gone.
At your wedding he played the most beautiful song, you liked it, everyone liked it. Yet after grabbing a few chutes of champagne he hurried to your boat to be alone. I wonder (don't you?) why he likes to be alone so much. I assume, actually Ellen assumes, that it's because of Lynn dying. She was their mom and all. But it's been years. Ellen says it's not really something you ever get over, you just learn to supress it better. I wouldn't know, I've never had anyone in my family die.
But I just wonder why you don't care. A new wife, a few new kids and it's all OK? It just seems to me that Ben is nicer than this facade that he puts on. Everyday I hear kids saying how he's mean and moody. I don't think he really is.
Next fall when he goes to Boston and I pack up for San Francisco I really don't know what I'm going to do. I hope I find a boy there to take my mind off of him. Not that I'll ever see Ben again though. Ellen said that he doesn't plan on coming home for holidays or weekends or anything. He doesn't plan on coming back ever. Ellen said that he wants to travel, that he never wants to settle down, that he wants to have kids, and that they'll never in a million years have to go through what he went through.
I guess I don't really now, though.
Love,
Olivia
P.S. Despite all that you've done wrong, I want to thank you for raising one of the greatest kids I've ever met.
It has been three days without Ben, and you don't seem to care.
"He's 17 for godssake, he's probably with some friends."
That's what I heard you say to Ellen when she was talking on the phone with me last night. She was saying how she was worried, and how, even though he wanders off quite a bit, this is the longest he's stayed gone.
At your wedding he played the most beautiful song, you liked it, everyone liked it. Yet after grabbing a few chutes of champagne he hurried to your boat to be alone. I wonder (don't you?) why he likes to be alone so much. I assume, actually Ellen assumes, that it's because of Lynn dying. She was their mom and all. But it's been years. Ellen says it's not really something you ever get over, you just learn to supress it better. I wouldn't know, I've never had anyone in my family die.
But I just wonder why you don't care. A new wife, a few new kids and it's all OK? It just seems to me that Ben is nicer than this facade that he puts on. Everyday I hear kids saying how he's mean and moody. I don't think he really is.
Next fall when he goes to Boston and I pack up for San Francisco I really don't know what I'm going to do. I hope I find a boy there to take my mind off of him. Not that I'll ever see Ben again though. Ellen said that he doesn't plan on coming home for holidays or weekends or anything. He doesn't plan on coming back ever. Ellen said that he wants to travel, that he never wants to settle down, that he wants to have kids, and that they'll never in a million years have to go through what he went through.
I guess I don't really now, though.
Love,
Olivia
P.S. Despite all that you've done wrong, I want to thank you for raising one of the greatest kids I've ever met.