Bipolar Brother (Gingerbread pt 2) (573 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.7 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by QuinnTheEskimo (View user info) at 2007-08-10 19:52:16 EDT
I had just dropped the paper plate that once held the lopsided gingerbread house into the trash when Sarah walked downstairs holding the phone.
"Quinn, I just got a call from my mom. She said Dad and Eric got into a bad fight, and Dad kicked him out."
"Eric, your brother?"
Sarah nodded. "She wanted to know if he could stay here until they cool off towards each other."
I sighed. Eric was diagnosed bipolar schizophrenic with border line multiple personality disorder. He had a job, but wasn't allowed to have his own place because he tried to kill himself often and was practically on a permanent suicide watch. It wasn't going to be fun, baby-sitting a fully grown man, but family is family.
"Absolutley." I said, after a few moments of silence. "I'll buy and air mattress to put in the office."
When I went to the store and bought the mattress, I ran into Ralph.
"Hey, Quinn, great party the other night." He said. I couldn't tell if he was serious or not.
I nodded, "Thanks, Ralph." I paused, wondering whether or not to continue the conversation, but Ralph decided for me.
"How have ya been?" He asked me, cocking his head to one side.
"Alright," I answered, and purely out of habit asked "You?"
"Aw, same shit different day, you know?"
I nodded again. I started to walk away, but Ralph spoke again. "What're you shopping for?"
I furrowed my brow. "Air mattress. Sarah's brother is going to be staying with us for a little while."
He smiled, "Hey, that's great. I love it when family visits."
I gave a weak smile. "I'm on a schedule today, Ralph, gotta hit the road."
He tilted his head, and said, "Hey, have a good one and don't call the cops on me again, you shit eating son of a bitch."
His tone hadn't changed, nor his demeanor, so at first I was confused. Had he just said that to me? I looked at him, confused for a moment, before mumbling "Yeah," and walking away. I felt his heavy hand on my shoulder, and I turned to face him.
"Did you hear me?" Ralph asked with a definate edge to his tone.
I nodded. My stomach bunched up. I began to think he was going to hit me. I had't been in a fight since the eleventh grade. I felt my armpits start to sweat, and I took a step back, cowering.
"Good." Ralph said, and he left.
For a moment I just stood there, thinking about Ralph. Did he really know it was me? I got so worked up over whether or not Ralph was going to beat me up that I began recalling the old apartment with fondess, remembering how people mostly left me alone there.
I was pulling into the driveway at the same time as Sarah and Eric. I could see the sheepish look on Eric's face, and for the first time realized that he knew what a burden he could be. I felt bad for thinking ill of him.
Marlene knocked on the door almost within five minutes of us coming inside.
"I saw you had a guest," She slurred. "And thought I'd come over to meet him!"
Sarah could barely hold in her laughter. I still hadn't told her about Ralph, or the gingerbread house, and so she still thought it was funny when Marlene came over feeling nieghborly and drunk. She and Eric spoke briefly with Sarah while I went to inflate the air mattress. When Marlene left a few minutes later, Eric said to me "Your neighbor sure is friendly."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, curious about what they had talked about.
"Yeah. She was coming onto me pretty strongly. I think might give her a call."
I nodded. "Be careful, man, she's married and her husband is a huge dick."
Eric raised his eyebrows. "Husband?"
I laughed. "Sarah and I were surprised, too."
Eric shook his head, smiling. "Every fuckin' time man. Hey, is it cool if I smoke some weed in your garage?" He asked, pulling out a glass pipe.
"Yeah," I said happily. "As long as you share."
User Reviews
Submitted by sideshow (user info) at 2007-08-13 20:09:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked it, thought it was awesome, but was a tad confused about some stuff as I didn't read the first one.
After reading the first one and re-reading this, I love it even more! Excellent work.
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2007-08-13 11:56:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2007-08-13 08:42:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by YELLOW-MAN (user info) at 2007-08-13 01:43:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck YES! I just might win it.
Time left: 18 mins 51 secs
History: 4 bids
Current bid: US $91.00
Your maximum bid: US $98.00
Submitted by STIXS (user info) at 2007-08-12 11:47:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Marlene sounds like my neighbor
Submitted by DCWoody (user info) at 2007-08-12 11:36:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by lungfish (user info) at 2007-08-11 01:36:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hate the first line, but the rest kept my interest.
Submitted by Newty (user info) at 2007-08-12 10:01:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Liked it
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2007-08-12 09:39:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by sir_cowman (user info) at 2007-08-11 18:42:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2007-08-11 17:10:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-08-10 20:08:04 PDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i used to love both of you.......sir cowman had 2s forever....haiku? you're his roommate? i like you too now. so sleepy...........
sort it out mates.
========
Sort it out? Sort what out?
What the Joseph Smith are you talking about woman?
If you thought we were fighting, you can tell if we're actually fighting by how many of my eyes he's gouged out, and how many stab wounds I've inflicted upon him.
This review was based on a true story.
__________________________________________
I remember that night!
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-08-11 18:35:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
mmmmmmmmmm
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2007-08-11 17:10:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-08-10 20:08:04 PDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i used to love both of you.......sir cowman had 2s forever....haiku? you're his roommate? i like you too now. so sleepy...........
sort it out mates.
========
Sort it out? Sort what out?
What the Joseph Smith are you talking about woman?
If you thought we were fighting, you can tell if we're actually fighting by how many of my eyes he's gouged out, and how many stab wounds I've inflicted upon him.
This review was based on a true story.
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-08-11 13:39:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
.
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-08-11 13:39:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Wildman (user info) at 2007-08-11 02:01:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Falling back into a bad habit like a research monkey, below .
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2007-08-11 01:53:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
liked it
Submitted by lungfish (user info) at 2007-08-11 01:36:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Hate the first line, but the rest kept my interest.
Submitted by sir_cowman (user info) at 2007-08-10 23:46:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I just posted this thing like, two hours ago. chill, part 3 will come.
Submitted by steph (user info) at 2007-08-10 23:29:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff. Where's part 3?
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-08-10 23:09:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
come on, guys............
zzzzzzzzzz
:)
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2007-08-10 23:08:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i used to love both of you.......sir cowman had 2s forever....haiku? you're his roommate? i like you too now. so sleepy...........
sort it out mates. and rate my brilliant poem too.
Submitted by sir_cowman (user info) at 2007-08-10 22:18:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
You know what else sucks? no one is rating this
lame
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2007-08-10 20:34:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is just so you know I'm not bs'ing you
"I'll buy and air mattress to put in the office."
and = an
"definate" = definite
"I had't been in a fight" = hadn't
"I think might give her a call." = I think I might
So basically nothing remarkably obvious and/or frustrating, just little typos that frankly a lot of good stories seem to have. The only reason why I point them out to you is because I know you're mildly trying to work on that.
Submitted by sir_cowman (user info) at 2007-08-10 20:28:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
really? Typos? I re-read the thing like, four fucking times. F U C K
Submitted by haikumikoo (user info) at 2007-08-10 20:24:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked the dialog, some annoying typos as usual, but nothing comical this time.
Damn.
Submitted by sir_cowman (user info) at 2007-08-10 19:59:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
There is more coming. At least two more parts.