Amanda, Fabian and Max
I went down the beach house with mum. It was promising to be a great weekend, you know, weather wise.
I took my car. She took hers.
Young Max came down with his mum, Fabian. Why does it always seem to be the weekends that I go down? I thought mum and I could both read and ignore each other. I could go outside for a joint and mum could pretend not to notice.
When I questioned it, mum said, “It was always Fabian who asked. Max doesn't have any men in his life and she thinks you’re are good for him.”
“I’m good for him.”
“You have a dick.”
“Amanda!”
“Oh you know Fabian’s mothering skills, base at best.”
“I swear, she wants Max to have an education.” The both times we have been down together, she has suggested to sleeping arrangements.
"Max can sleep with you, can't he Josh?" asked Fabian as quick as she got there.
Mum likes to have another child psychologist down to natter to in the evening and Fabian is the coolest one of her friends. She's very non-parental supervision.
"That means I let Max take care of the smaller picture without help from me, just his own skills to see him through. I join in when it is big picture stuff."
I'd been out on the front deck smoking a bed time joint. It was midnight. Fabian came out onto the deck with me.
"Give me a puff and don't tell your mum."
"Sure," I said.
"I hope you don't think Max and I cramp your weekends?"
"No, not at all."
"He really loves you Josh."
I smiled.
"He looks up to you."
"He's a good kid."
"He needs some guidance."
"Don't we all."
"He needs a man in his life, you know, to show him men stuff."
"That's the trouble with having no father, I guess." Did that just come out of my mouth. Conversations by numbers, you have to watch them, as sometimes you slither down a snake before you even realise you’ve done it.
"Can you be that man, Josh?"
"Huh?"
"Be there for him. You know."
I shrugged. This was getting alarming.
“He needs... um." She smiled. "He needs... er." She smiled again. "I... I guess you know what he needs? Man's stuff." She lent in and kissed me. "I'd be ever so grateful. Good night." She got up with a dramatic swish and was gone.
I headed in to bed, the fresh air woke me up and the pot mellowed me down again.
Max came to bed and lay very still next to me.
"Night Josh," his small voice said.
“Good night.”
With that I turned to him and said, “Sweet dreams.”
This is the place where the creepy uncle… this is where Uncle Jeff slept next to me.
Ah, Uncle Jeff, what a scamp.
It was a fantasy, it never happened. I'd smoked the whole joint before I headed to bed. I swear, I lay staring at the ceiling for the longest time. When I looked over, Max had pulled the doona over himself and was asleep.
I shook my head.
I rolled on to my side and closed my eyes. I was glad I had replaced my doona in the city, so good thing the doona here was a king sized doona.
I took my car. She took hers.
Young Max came down with his mum, Fabian. Why does it always seem to be the weekends that I go down? I thought mum and I could both read and ignore each other. I could go outside for a joint and mum could pretend not to notice.
When I questioned it, mum said, “It was always Fabian who asked. Max doesn't have any men in his life and she thinks you’re are good for him.”
“I’m good for him.”
“You have a dick.”
“Amanda!”
“Oh you know Fabian’s mothering skills, base at best.”
“I swear, she wants Max to have an education.” The both times we have been down together, she has suggested to sleeping arrangements.
"Max can sleep with you, can't he Josh?" asked Fabian as quick as she got there.
Mum likes to have another child psychologist down to natter to in the evening and Fabian is the coolest one of her friends. She's very non-parental supervision.
"That means I let Max take care of the smaller picture without help from me, just his own skills to see him through. I join in when it is big picture stuff."
I'd been out on the front deck smoking a bed time joint. It was midnight. Fabian came out onto the deck with me.
"Give me a puff and don't tell your mum."
"Sure," I said.
"I hope you don't think Max and I cramp your weekends?"
"No, not at all."
"He really loves you Josh."
I smiled.
"He looks up to you."
"He's a good kid."
"He needs some guidance."
"Don't we all."
"He needs a man in his life, you know, to show him men stuff."
"That's the trouble with having no father, I guess." Did that just come out of my mouth. Conversations by numbers, you have to watch them, as sometimes you slither down a snake before you even realise you’ve done it.
"Can you be that man, Josh?"
"Huh?"
"Be there for him. You know."
I shrugged. This was getting alarming.
“He needs... um." She smiled. "He needs... er." She smiled again. "I... I guess you know what he needs? Man's stuff." She lent in and kissed me. "I'd be ever so grateful. Good night." She got up with a dramatic swish and was gone.
I headed in to bed, the fresh air woke me up and the pot mellowed me down again.
Max came to bed and lay very still next to me.
"Night Josh," his small voice said.
“Good night.”
With that I turned to him and said, “Sweet dreams.”
This is the place where the creepy uncle… this is where Uncle Jeff slept next to me.
Ah, Uncle Jeff, what a scamp.
It was a fantasy, it never happened. I'd smoked the whole joint before I headed to bed. I swear, I lay staring at the ceiling for the longest time. When I looked over, Max had pulled the doona over himself and was asleep.
I shook my head.
I rolled on to my side and closed my eyes. I was glad I had replaced my doona in the city, so good thing the doona here was a king sized doona.
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