Chapter 14: Grief makes for strange road trips

I begged off the shopping trip and went to swim for a few hours. When I got to the pool, I read through the reports the P.I. firm had provided to Helen. My mother had been dead for a year. She had overdosed somewhere in Boston. Her body hadn’t been claimed, so the state had cremated her remains. After they were left unclaimed for two more weeks her ashes were spread.

Connie had run away from our mother about a month after they’d been tossed out by the family. This was entirely their fault; James, Helen, and Daisy. Helen had more than enough of her family money and the medical supply business. They could’ve taken my sister in; instead, she is missing. They could have made my mother go to rehab, but instead she was dead with her ashes spread in a potter’s field. My mother was rotting in an unmarked grave ... James had manipulated Daisy and Helen; but they bore a share of the responsibility for this.

I read through the report on Uncle James too. He’d been embezzling from my father’s business since the day after he died. I still needed answers, but I could make him go away, maybe even put him in a cushy minimum-security prison without having to use the tape of him violating Daisy. That would have to wait. I needed answers first.

I swam for a few hours. My thoughts were consumed with Minnie and Connie as a cut through the water. The pleasant burn in my muscles bookmarked the moment. The reveal that Minnie was my mother made so much sense to me, because I’d always been closer to her than the others. Connie being my sister followed from the same rule.

I’d been raised believing Daisy was my mom, but I always looked forward to seeing Minnie. She showed up at every event I even tried; my brief trip into drama when I was 9 had her sitting in the front row. When I was 8 and decided that I was going to be a professional soccer player she came to every match even though I only got off the bench for two of them. She was the cool aunt that always encouraged me in everything.

Connie had been my cousin, but unlike Marky Mark she’d always made time for me. She’d introduced me to music sitting in her room as she played songs off her phone. I even had a pleasant memory of helping her match socks cause she had to get the laundry done before I could drag her to the carnival they’d set up by the church on Peach Street.

When I finally hit wall, I popped out of the water and dried off. As I went through my routine I made a decision. After I got back into my car I texted Marky Mark.

Silver: I know where they spread our mother’s ashes.

Marky Mark: Fuck you.

Silver: I’m going to see where they spread Minnie’s ashes. Regardless of how much of a piece of shit you are; she was your mother too. If you want to come along, I’ll pick you up.

Marky Mark: WTF U talkin bout? She wasn’t ur mother

Silver: Yeah, she was. Like it or not you’re my brother. I was taken from Minnie after James found out about her affair with our father.

Marky Mark: What?

My phone rang and I answered. Marky mark immediately screamed, “What the fuck are you trying to pull this shit for!?”

“I’m going to say this as calmly as I can. James isn’t your father. Minnie was fucking my/our dad since before she went on a date with James. James found out about it and threw me and Connie out. Connie went to our grandparents. I went to Daisy and Dad. He doesn’t know you weren’t his kid.”

“You’re bullshitting me.”

“Look, we can pick up a DNA test later if you want ... but the bottom lines is I’m going to the spot where they spread Minnie’s ashes. I’m offering to let you come along. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll give you the address cause you deserve to know where our mother was laid to rest.”

I heard a crack in his voice that made my desire to punch him through the phone drop by about 10 percent, “My mom is really dead?”

“I’m sorry, Mark.”

“I’m at the house.”

“I’ll be there in twenty.”

I started the engine on my aging SUV and took off towards James’ house. I still wasn’t certain about this idea, but worst case scenario I could leave Marky Mark in a dumpster in Boston.

I pulled up in front of the house and saw Marky Mark standing out front. I rolled down the window, “Get in.”

He sneered and kicked back, “I ain’t getting into the shitpile, faggot.”

I focused on my breathing for a moment and the spoke with a forced calm, “Shitstain, I’m offering you this chance out of respect for our mother. I still hate you and think the world would be a better place with you attached to a cinder block at the bottom of the lake, but you’re either going to get in this car, be civil, and we’ll go visit our mother’s grave or I’m going to get out of the car. If I get out of the car I’m going to beat the shit out of you, put you in this car, and leave you at our mother’s grave. It’s your choice. Truce or consequences.”