The Broken Benefactor

~8~ (UPDATED 02/08/2020)

(VALERIE)

Keys rattling in the lock announced her presence just as she turned the doorknob of her childhood home.

          Once a place full of laughter as well as the yummy aromas of some of the best downhome southern cooking to be found, the structure she entered had become something else.

          Long gone was her mom's gospel music softly framing the ambiance of the house. It was such a joy at one time to feel the warmth of real love as it soothed anyone blessed enough to be welcomed in as a guest.

          Valerie found herself praying for that love to return to them because lately, all she felt was darkness.

          The instant she crossed the threshold it was confirmed, as usual, they were at it again. For the past three months, her brother and sister-in-law argued nonstop from the moment their feet hit the floor in the morning until they finally decided to go to sleep late at night.

          She understood why the two were always at each other. Davison hadn't found a job and his wife Amanda was worried they would end up on the streets. Considering her brother no longer worked and his wife was forced to take on a day job, the logical thing for him to do would be to get some rest to prepare for a full day of job search.

          It became increasingly difficult to deal with the couple. She couldn't get understand where their endless source of energy came from with all the exhausting bickering that went on between them.

          Valerie hesitated briefly before making her way to her room. She had no desire to talk to either of them. Always the third wheel, she knew her brother would expect her to side with him even if he was wrong. In reality, she sided with ninety-five percent of what his wife tried to point out.

          She decided to slide off her shoes and quietly tiptoe to her room to avoid being drawn into another one of their disagreements. It looked like she was in for another sleepless night, yet, she had no intention of joining either of them during their nonstop war of words.

          Valerie began to believe that Davison was picking fights with his wife to cover up the fact that he wasn't trying to do anything.

          Without enough proof, she was in no position to press the issue. Because she knew her brother was still hurting from losing his best friend and mentor. Valerie decided to leave alone.

          She acknowledged that most people wouldn't be able to understand what was going on with her brother. Because he was extremely close to their father, she decided to give him time to process everything.

          Davison no longer had his fishing buddy and confidant. The father-son talks he shared with his dad once helped him make the right decisions in life, but that was all gone.

          Ever since their father took his last breath, Davison seemed like a ship without a sail. The young man was truly lost.

          She tried to convince him to see a therapist, but he always gave her the same excuse.

          "Girl, you know black people don't go to shrinks." He would throw the words at her as if she were crazy for making such a suggestion.

          Her brother refused to listen to reason. His family was convinced he desperately needed to speak to someone, but that suggestion was shot đown every time. Davison insisted all that silly talk about therapists was for crazy folks and warned them not to bring the topic up again.

          Valerie accepted the fact that he was still in mourning. Honestly, her brother didn't even get a chance to properly grieve the passing of their father before their mother went to bed a few weeks later, and just like that, she was gone.