Challenge The Proud

Pent-up

"Keep your friends close and your enemas closer." Challenge No.4

GERALD DIDN'T LIKE his grandson much. That boy had too much gel in his hair, put on too much cologne and didn't get himself into enough trouble to be called a man. But at least he came to visit him in that shit-hole of a nursing home so there was that.

The old man mused on this while he was stuck in his wheel-chair, on the patio, facing the garden, with his grandson sitting beside him in a fold-chair, rummaging his man-purse thing that, to Gerald's wonder, kids were wearing these days.

"I got your favorite," said his grandson as he took out a chocolate bar.

"Idiot, hide it!" demanded the old man in a hushed tone and with a shaky hand covered the treat, trying to keep it out of the nurse's sight.

"Right, right. Sorry," said the grandson and slowly sneaked the chocolate inside Gerald's robe pocket.

Oh, here was Ralf - that scumbag, dip-shit motherfucker.

"Good morning, Gerald. I see you got a visitor. Hello," Ralf introduced himself to Kenny, the grandson.

"How you doin'?" Gerald wrapped his green robe tighter around his skinny frame as if trying to make himself look presentable, even though Ralf was also wearing a robe, as did all of the other residents of that fine nursing home.

"I wanted to get you to join me in a game, but I see you're busy and all," Ralf concluded and with a gesture of his hand, he said his farewell, walking past them, slowly but pridefully, barely using his fancy walking cane.

That fucking sleek cane, his cocksucker, dick-head son got him - or whatever the heck Ralf had said about the damn stick.

"That a friend grandpa?" asked Kenny as he watched Ralf join a pair of elderlies engaged in a game of Scrabble.

"A friend yeah, fucking hell, he's not."

"Oh. That's what I thought."

"He's always askin' me to play chess with 'im, like he's some fancy fucker-" Gerald paused and looked at his grandson annoyed as he continued "-and what do ya mean: that's what you thought? You bein' a wiseass with me?"

Kenny sighed and averted his gaze from the old man, offering a mumbled "no," as reply.

"You rollin' your eyes at me? You little shit."

"Jesus, grandpa. Yeah, I'm rollin' my eyes at you. People are bein' nice to you - I am being nice to you and all you do is... is..."

"Yeah? All I do is what?" Gerald scowled at the hesitating young man.

"You're being an asshole! You're an asshole!" Kenny concluded standing up, and spewing his insults with an obvious doze of satisfaction as he leaned toward the old man and said it again, almost in a whisper, "asshole."

"It's your damn fault. Comin' here with a woman's handbag over your shoulder, smellin' like one too, and what the fuck are those plastic things on your feet?" he growled pointing at Kenny's crocs. "With holes in them!" He found astonished and confounded.

"You asshole!"

"Yeah? Well, if I'm an asshole, you're a fuckin' enema making me spew shit at you!" Gerald yelled at Kenny without restraint, causing everyone around them to freeze for a moment, and to stare, before they suddenly found something to do that was extremely interesting nearby, and that required them to look away.

Kenny gawked at Gerald for a few seconds and then bit his lips, turned away, and covered his mouth.

What was that damn kid doin'? Cryin'? Over somethin' like that?

But as Kenny turned back to face him, Gerald could see that his grandson was laughing.

"Well, fuck you grandpa! I'm coming over next week again. So if you have any more pent up shit, we'll deal with it then," Kenny said stifling his chuckles and pulling his bag over his shoulder before he leaned to kiss Gerald's forehead despite the old man's protests and shaky shooing gestures.

"Keep your friends close and your enemas closer, that's what I always say," the old man muttered and he heard his grandson's laughter again.

Gerald watched as Kenny walked away and waved a goodbye before turning the corner, heading toward the parking lot. The old man was now looking forward to next week - as it turned out, Gerald liked his grandson pretty much.