Paper Lanterns
'Find a new wife then'
You went to go visit your mom. She was staying with Uncle Mike. He thought it was best to make sure she doesn't wind up back in rehab. Billie Joe had gone with you, which was all in all, a bad idea.
You both were ushered into the house by Lorenzo.
"Mom?" You called out. A figure came out into the foyer. "Mom!" You ran up to your mom and hugged her.
"Maria, it's good to see you." Your mom hugged you back. She glanced at Billie Joe. "And you, come here."
Billie looked confused and then realized your mom was talking to him, so he gave her a hug as well.
"So I hear you two are living together, alone, now?" She questions smiling. Billie Joe looks at the ground while you look around the room. "It's okay, I'm cool with it. Come on, let's sit in the living room."
So you walk into the living room and Billie Joe's eyes widen. The living room is humongous. It has numerous expensive one-of-a-kind items in it. Billie looks at you. You just shrug and pull him over to the couch since your mom was already sitting down in Uncle Mike's armchair. No one was allowed to sit in there except him, or your mom. Hell, you can't even sit in there.
"So, how's school?" Your mom asks.
"It's alright." You answer.
"We got married." Billie Joe proudly states. You glare at him and your mother laughs.
"I see you're in sociology then." She says. "I remember taking that class. Somehow, I remember it anyway. The guy I was to 'marry' if you will, was some hippie kid. Scared me shitless. He wanted our 'kids' to be called Honeysuckle Sunflower and some other hippie name."
Billie looked at you. "See, even your mom had more fake kids than us."
"Oh, what are you naming the 'kid'?" Your mom questioned.
"Isabella Maria." You told her.
"That's a lovely name." Your mom took a sip of the coffee that was sitting on the table beside the armchair.
Billie huffed. "I want more kids."
"Then find another wife." You snapped.
"Maybe I will." He retorted. You shot him a death glare. "Kidding ...kidding."
"You better be." You threatened.
Your mom looked at you. "Maria, be nice to the boy."
"But mom.." You whined not being able to do that for, well, forever.
"No 'but mom' me. Be nice to Billie Joe." Your mom scolded you.
You shook your head in disbelief. "What happened to my 'cool' mother and who's this authoritive one who looks just like her?"
"I'm going to ignore that." She said. Your mom turned to Billie Joe. "So, what are your intentions with my daughter, exactly? Remember I have the mind-reading gift as well." Billie gulped.
"MOTHER!" You exclaimed.
"What? I'm trying to be like a mother." She stated matter-of-factly.
You shook your head. "Then don't."
The three of you became silent. Uncle Mike came out and brought you tea and water for Billie Joe since he knew what Billie Joe wanted but wasn't about to give him any of his Johnny Walker Black.
This was when Billie Joe decided to break the silence. "So, Lorena, what do you think about grandchildren?"
You almost spit out your tea in shock as to what he said. Did he just say that, to my mother?! What is wrong with him? Is he on drugs or something. Oh so help me God if he is.. You stopped thinking, realizing that your mother was staring at you, probably reading your mind at the same time. I mean, what a nice boy. Stupid, but nice. Doesn't do drugs at all...Oh God, help me.
Your mother cleared her throat. "Well, I'd um, prefer my daughter to at least be out of high school first. Have a job, maybe even go to college first. There is marriage too. That's important in having a family, you know."
You stood up. "Okay, well..it was nice seeing you mom. We'll talk, okay?" You grabbed Billie and rushed out of the house.
"Why'd we leave so quickly like that?" He asked once in the car. You slapped him upside his head. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Why the hell'd you ask my mom that question?" Your eyes narrowed. "Now she knows we've had sex before. And that's something I'd rather her not know."
"Sorry, Maria." He said sullenly starting up the fairlane and pulling out of the driveway.
You sighed. "Just watch what you say and think around my mom and Uncle Mike. Remember the whole, 'I can read your mind and then use it against you at a later time' thing? It's not that much fun. So just watch it."
"Alrighty." Billie replied keeping his sight on the road ahead of him.
Red rose of death
In my fist I clutch
Thorns shred my fingertips
And drips toxic blood
You both were ushered into the house by Lorenzo.
"Mom?" You called out. A figure came out into the foyer. "Mom!" You ran up to your mom and hugged her.
"Maria, it's good to see you." Your mom hugged you back. She glanced at Billie Joe. "And you, come here."
Billie looked confused and then realized your mom was talking to him, so he gave her a hug as well.
"So I hear you two are living together, alone, now?" She questions smiling. Billie Joe looks at the ground while you look around the room. "It's okay, I'm cool with it. Come on, let's sit in the living room."
So you walk into the living room and Billie Joe's eyes widen. The living room is humongous. It has numerous expensive one-of-a-kind items in it. Billie looks at you. You just shrug and pull him over to the couch since your mom was already sitting down in Uncle Mike's armchair. No one was allowed to sit in there except him, or your mom. Hell, you can't even sit in there.
"So, how's school?" Your mom asks.
"It's alright." You answer.
"We got married." Billie Joe proudly states. You glare at him and your mother laughs.
"I see you're in sociology then." She says. "I remember taking that class. Somehow, I remember it anyway. The guy I was to 'marry' if you will, was some hippie kid. Scared me shitless. He wanted our 'kids' to be called Honeysuckle Sunflower and some other hippie name."
Billie looked at you. "See, even your mom had more fake kids than us."
"Oh, what are you naming the 'kid'?" Your mom questioned.
"Isabella Maria." You told her.
"That's a lovely name." Your mom took a sip of the coffee that was sitting on the table beside the armchair.
Billie huffed. "I want more kids."
"Then find another wife." You snapped.
"Maybe I will." He retorted. You shot him a death glare. "Kidding ...kidding."
"You better be." You threatened.
Your mom looked at you. "Maria, be nice to the boy."
"But mom.." You whined not being able to do that for, well, forever.
"No 'but mom' me. Be nice to Billie Joe." Your mom scolded you.
You shook your head in disbelief. "What happened to my 'cool' mother and who's this authoritive one who looks just like her?"
"I'm going to ignore that." She said. Your mom turned to Billie Joe. "So, what are your intentions with my daughter, exactly? Remember I have the mind-reading gift as well." Billie gulped.
"MOTHER!" You exclaimed.
"What? I'm trying to be like a mother." She stated matter-of-factly.
You shook your head. "Then don't."
The three of you became silent. Uncle Mike came out and brought you tea and water for Billie Joe since he knew what Billie Joe wanted but wasn't about to give him any of his Johnny Walker Black.
This was when Billie Joe decided to break the silence. "So, Lorena, what do you think about grandchildren?"
You almost spit out your tea in shock as to what he said. Did he just say that, to my mother?! What is wrong with him? Is he on drugs or something. Oh so help me God if he is.. You stopped thinking, realizing that your mother was staring at you, probably reading your mind at the same time. I mean, what a nice boy. Stupid, but nice. Doesn't do drugs at all...Oh God, help me.
Your mother cleared her throat. "Well, I'd um, prefer my daughter to at least be out of high school first. Have a job, maybe even go to college first. There is marriage too. That's important in having a family, you know."
You stood up. "Okay, well..it was nice seeing you mom. We'll talk, okay?" You grabbed Billie and rushed out of the house.
"Why'd we leave so quickly like that?" He asked once in the car. You slapped him upside his head. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Why the hell'd you ask my mom that question?" Your eyes narrowed. "Now she knows we've had sex before. And that's something I'd rather her not know."
"Sorry, Maria." He said sullenly starting up the fairlane and pulling out of the driveway.
You sighed. "Just watch what you say and think around my mom and Uncle Mike. Remember the whole, 'I can read your mind and then use it against you at a later time' thing? It's not that much fun. So just watch it."
"Alrighty." Billie replied keeping his sight on the road ahead of him.
Red rose of death
In my fist I clutch
Thorns shred my fingertips
And drips toxic blood
♠ ♠ ♠
Enjoy.