The Accident
Copyright© 2016 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 24
“Remember ... a gentleman never tells. Be good to your sister. She’s going to visit you regularly. Only decent men ... you hear me?” Those words are going to haunt me ... I just know it.
“College huh?” I asked, “What dorm?”
“Ross ... same as you,” she said.
“What floor?”
“Third ... you’re on five,” she said.
“Where’s your things?”
“Daddy has them,” she said.
“Where is daddy?”
“Third car back,” she said. “You don’t pay attention to your mirrors, do you?”
Oh god, the shame ... escorted to university ... like a prisoner from the jail to Jackson.
“Left.”
“What?”
“Left on Clark. Daddy showed me a shortcut.”
“Grace ... one of daddy’s shortcuts?” I said. “You know he gets lost at the drop of a hat.”
“David James Austin! Shame on you,” she said, “My daddy doesn’t get lost.”
“Yeah ... he explores,” I said.
It’s true ... he has gotten us into the strangest places looking for “that fishing hole.” Or the old car he remembers from his youth. He even has a bumper sticker... I’m Not Lost ... I’m Exploring
“Left on Clark, David. Be nice to your sister.” She looked the Mom look ... you know. Over the glasses but down the nose ... yeah ... that one.
To insure domestic tranquility ... I turned left on Clark Road. Grace folded her hands in her lap and looked smug.
“Right on Chandler.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah ... I did it.
“Chandler turns into Abbott Road,” she said.
It did ... more smugness.
“Straight across Grand,” she directed.
Well ... what do you know ... The Union ... Registration.
But we didn’t stop...”Left on Circle. Three buildings ... stop. Ross. Go find us a cart, David.”
There was a line for the carts ... it was patrolled. It really didn’t take long ... it was very orderly. I was not the only guy with parents. Suddenly I wasn’t so ashamed.
I got back with a cart. All my things were sitting by the curb. My Dodge was parked in the lot ... Grace and Daddy were unloading the station wagon ... Grace’s junk.
I will admit she pitched right in ... and her jeans did hug her butt like a second skin. I will also admit that I took offense when some of the males also noticed that tight bottom.
Third East ... girls ... girls ... girls ... and more girls ... one hundred and thirty brand new Freshman Girls ... and not a single one of them looked as good as Grace.