I woke up with a phone call.
I staggered out of bed,crashing into a wall. I pulled against the wall to get to the phone. I picked the phone up and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Is this Noah Green?"
"Yes."
"I would like to congratulate you. Your novel Battle Studies has been published."
"Thank you," I said,"Have a good New Years eve."
I hung up and yelled in triumph.
My book isn't really about Battle Studies. It's just a metaphor for love. you have to strategize to get love right. It's funny that I wrote it because I have no experience at all. It's fictional which makes it alright. I called everyone to tell them the good news. My siblings congratulated me and were going to buy it when it came into stores. I didn't call my mother or Haley. They needed a more personal approach.
I knocked on ma's door.
The door opens revealing my mother.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
So friendly.
"My book was published." I proclaimed.
"Great." She sighed, closing the door.
That wasn't the response I wanted to hear.
I put my foot in the door.
"I saw you on Friday with that guy." I said.
"A girl has to live," she said,"I'm tired Noah, good bye."
I kept my foot in the door.
I know out of all her children, She won't invite me into her house,only on Christmas because my siblings want to see me and I want to see their kids. If it were Freddy she would already be making coffee and asking how life went. But she shuns me from the house like a curse.
"You treat everyone so well! Freddy,Molly,Jessica,Bob,but you treat me with complete disrespect. Like I'm a piece of shit! Why? Why mom!? I'm the one who lives here with you in case you need anything. I do it don't I?" I pleaded.
"You do Noah. But the fact that you still live here ruins it. You're a cab driver and Freddy's a physical therapist!" Yelled Gwen.
"What makes him so different from me! What is it? Why do you treat him well but not me!"
My mother paused. A pause that murdered the night, that made me sweat,waiting for the answer.
"Because you remind me of him." she replied.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"You haven't accomplished anything!" She yelled.
"Yes I have! I told you! I'm a writer!" I roared.
I saw her eyes get misty.
"But I see you as nothing." she replied.
I turned on my heel to hide my tears.
I accepted it. The night was dark and menacing,the snow falling,piling up on the ground. I walked off the porch,aware my mother was still at the door watching.
"Were you dating that guy when dad was alive?" I asked.
Silence.
But I knew the answer.
"Did Dad know?"
My mother's tears overflew and she closed the door.
I could hear her bawling, sobbing, crying through the night. The darkness was so black, I thought the sun would never show.
