Underestimated Too(28)

Drew took his position by the window, getting lost in his story. I wasn’t even sure he was aware that Deidra and I were even there this time. He was so engrossed in the details. I even pulled my feet underneath me, absorbed in his life like a good book. That’s what it felt like, like I was reading a really intense book while Drew described the death of my father.

Drew relayed his story calmly as always, “Randal sat beside me, looking to my mother. She stood over his coffin, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t understand it. How could she not be throwing a party, exultant over his death? I was. That bastard deserved the suffering that he had endured over the past few months.

‘I’m fine,’ I stated, looking over to Mr. Callaway. I remember him rubbing my shoulder with his hand. I wanted to shove it away. What was I supposed to say? Your son was a fucking bastard; he deserved everything he went through. It wasn’t necessary. Michael was dead. That was the important thing. He would never lay a finger on my mother or me again. I would never feel like a piece of shit because I couldn’t protect her again. I’d happily spend the fucker’s money for the rest of my life, taking care of both the women that I loved. Smiling over to my beautiful Skyler, she smiled back.”

My beautiful Skyler? Fuck your beautiful Skyler, I thought, fuming.

“I wanted to go to her, stand by her, and accept support from her rather than Mr. Callaway. I couldn’t. Mr. Callaway wouldn’t hear of it. Mr. Callaway couldn’t stand her mother and would insist that I didn’t spend one penny of his or Michael’s money on her. I would. I didn’t care about either of their fucked up orders. I loved her and would spend the rest of my life taking care of her. Or so I thought.” Drew smiled, turning to look at me.

I smiled a warm smile back, urging him to continue.

He did. He turned back to face the dirty alley and continued, “It was killing me to see my mother so hurt, so distraught and acting like a crazy person. Smiling over to Mr. Callaway, I got up and made my way to my mother, dropping to the ground on her knees as the coffin was being lowered, and Michael Callaway was being laid to rest, soon to rot in the ground where he belonged.”

I got a cold chill thinking about Drew’s mom, throwing herself to the ground as she said goodbye to the man who she probably shouldn’t have loved. I wondered about her. She and I had a lot in common.

“Michael’s cancer doctor and friend gave my mother a couple Valium once we were in the backseat of the limo. By the time we made it back to the mansion she was comatose, staring blankly into space. A nurse was ordered by Mr. Callaway to stay with her through the night. I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to go back to the city, to my own apartment where I’d left Skyler, open up a bottle of something one hundred proof in alcohol and get very intoxicated. I, however, didn’t leave her. I stayed, knowing she needed me. I hated the mansion that would be left to me when my mother died at a ripe old age. There were just too many memories that I wanted to forget. I’d probably never live there again. Hell, I wanted to burn the place to the ground,” Drew said, resentment lacing his tone.

Drew hated the mansion? Why hadn’t I seen this? We needed to move from there. Maybe that would help him forget Michael and things that had gone on there that I was sure I didn’t even know the half of.

“I asked the nurse to leave us once she had my mother in her fancy satin night clothes snuggled in bed. The nurse smiled, nodded, and left me alone with my mother. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I placed my mother’s frail hand in mine. ‘You know how much I love you, right?’

My mother smiled up at me.

‘Yes, mom. It’ll be okay. We’ll be fine,’ I reassured her.

‘Andrew, listen to Mr. Callaway, learn from him.’

I frowned, wondering if she’d been given too much Valium.

‘I mean it, Andrew. This will all be yours. Mr. Callaway will leave it all to you. I’m sure of it. Learn from him, learn to run this company even better than Michael did.’

‘Mom, Michael has been teaching me to run this company since I was ten. I’m not worried about that, and this will all be yours before it’s mine. I’m okay with that. You’re going to get through this and find a man that loves and respects you.’

She was right quick to stand up for him, she always was. I’d never understand it. ‘Michael did love me,’ she protested with a stern voice.

I weakly smiled down at her, feeling pity. ‘You get some rest,’ I coaxed, not wanting to get into how Michael loved her. It was pointless, and I would never understand it. I opened the door to Michael’s office and stood there, staring at the dark mahogany desk as memories flooded my mind. I stood there thinking about being ten. It was my first summer living there. I had burst into the office, excited to tell Michael about the stupid infomercial I’d been watching. He could buy diamond rings for a cheap price and sell them in his stores for more. I know now how dumb that was, but at ten, I thought it would be a great arrangement. I froze when I saw the belt in his hand and my mother lying naked over his desk.”