About one hour went by and the two women had not returned yet. Joe was fast asleep in the chair snoring like a thunder storm.
The two woman finally returned with Bertha in a newly made blouse and a long dress down to her ankles.
Grandma said," That she was sorry that she could not give Bertha a better outfit. She had not the fabric for the making of a new dress.
Bertha smiled and said,"That is okay since it is better that being nude.
Grandma threw the shirt of Joe at her grandson and Joe grabbed it while still sound asleep. Joe even put the shirt on and laid back in his chair asleep.
Bertha was picked up the old woman into a huge bear hug.
Joe spoke,"Bertha, becareful with Grandma her back is bad,"
The young woman gently put the old woman down when she gasped,"You faker! You been awake the whole time."
Grandma smiled at the pair and asked,"Would you like some breakfast, Bertha?"
Her belly rumbles to the thought of a home made well since she had not had a good
meal in over a month.
Grandma and Joe laughed at the sound of the woman's rumbling stomach.
Bertha responded,"Joe, you are drooling all over your chest."
Joe looked down at his chest and tried the wipe up all the spit off his chest.
The two woman laughed at his attempt to act all nonchalant.
Joe spoke,"Where did that glass of water fall to? Help me find it."
#
Grandma cooks the trio a mighty breakfast with Bertha helping.
The whole dining room table was covered by food, as all of the open counters of the small kitchen Bertha was amazed at the amount of food that Joe could eat, since he ate more than twenty of the hungriest men that ever saw in your life.
Grandma said,"It surprised me too at first, honey. It goes straight to his muscles."
Joe interjects,"I have got to keep myself from muscle wasting."
Grandma laughs,"Boy, you are over one thousand pounds of granite. You need not worry about becoming skinny."
Bertha spoke, Bullets bounce off his chest, like water off a duck's back.
Grandma spoke,"I did see a hole in your shirts and did not think that it was gun fire! Let me check your wounds!"
Grandma was crying to here that her grandson was hurt again. Joe was a monster of a man, but she still thought of him like the little boy that she had helped raised.
The old woman was crying profusely, when saw the new scars on the portrait that was Joe scared filled torso. His torso was covered in bullet scars that he had collected over the last few years. He had knife scars along with scars from various other weapons.
Grandma saw that he had six new bullet scars from the battle with the two gangsters earlier today.
Joe had suffered only superficial damage from the bullets and only the top layer of skin had been damaged. He had suffered much pain while protecting those near him over the years, since he could not stop the wear and tear that he scars had brought upon him. It did not affect his functional prowess. In that way, Joe was normal as everybody else.
Bertha had not noticed the scars that showed while Joe was in his tank top, because she was still in fight or flight mode herself. She thought of Joe as a gentle giant that was unbelievable strong but never thought of him being able to receive damage.
Grandma begin to pray over Joe as she, Bertha cleaned up his new wounds, wrap up his torso up in dressing. Joe had learned that once Grandma saw that he was hurt even just a little bit that she would automatically treat his battle scars.
The young woman could not help but ask,"How many battles had you been in Joe to develop so many war wounds? I hate to see the other guys if you were the winner of all those battles.
Joe spoke gruffly,"It is nothing, since had not had to see the sight of my own blood. Nobody had pressed me to my limits!"
Bertha laughed,"Quit acting so macho! You are a human too."
Grandma had a serious look on her normally gentle face. The young woman had thought that she had said something wrong.
Grandma spoke,"The boy was not joking, he is that strong. The boy does rarely boast his talents
and this time was no exception."
Bertha's jaw dropped at the comment but she knew had to be true since Joe had been shot times in chest with little damage to the large man.
The three finished the meal and Joe went down to the basement to lift weights. The large man
had carved out of the ground underneath the house, while he was teenager. He would spend countless hours down there over the years lifting makeshift weights.
Back upstairs, the two women were talking.
Grandma spoke,"That boy feels so responsible for everybody. He has a super hero complex."
Bertha spoke,"Why is that Grandma?"
Grandma started to get watery eyed.
Bertha spoke,"It is okay, you do not have to say if you do not want to. Tell me to shut up if you have to."
Grandma the smiled and spoke,"It is alright child. This old woman is just being sentimental over times long since past. Would you help me with all the dishes and I will tell you the story."
#
Bertha smiled in response and they washed all the dishes. The pair each got a huge glass of iced sweet tea and sit down on a huge couch.
The old woman wiped the sweat off her wrinkled brow.
Grandma spoke,"It is a long story but I will try to be brief as much as I can. Joe's parents were
murdered right in front of the two of us."
Bertha gasped out in horror because she had gone through the same thing with her family. She begin to cry with alligator tears and the old woman prayed over the woman.
Peace came over the pair.
#
The story went on to the aftermath of the murder of McDonald and Wendy, Joe's parents.
The four year old boy had grown to the size of a seven foot tall body as he had just killed the gang bangers that murdered his family.
The boy was screaming with tears in his eyes as he flailed his arms uncontrollably. Joe was inconsolable.
Joe was running naked in the streets crying so much that his tears were running down his chest.
Grandma ran into the house and got a blanket to cover up the lad. She ran into the street and tried to ran
to the boy. Yet, it was not that easy to do.
The boy was flailing wildly and he accidentally hit his grandmother. She fell to the ground on the hard street.