The Silvery Shine of the dentistry tools coursed fear through the veins of One Gerald Clawhouser as he peeked into his patient's mouth. Gerald was a squeamish man. Squeamish indeed. He never aspired to be a mouth doctor In Fact he never wished to be a doctor at all. But he was a man of great loyalty, especially towards his mother. And at the age of ten, he made a promise to her that he couldn't break. Now he must act on that promise by proceeding with his first dental cleaning. Whilst his professor monitored his every dissection, sweat ran down his forehead and into his eyes. Dripping slowly as he made his first injection of Lidocaine. Carefully removing the tooth. His hands shook restlessly without end. ( I can't do this ) he thought, grappling the scapple harder and harder before finally relinquishing the tool to the floor.
"Why must you be so foolish?" Claud replied stoically with his arms crossed. Legs limp as noodles Gerald ran towards the bathroom to pat his face down with water. Although he wanted his senile mother to be pleased with him he also wanted happiness not the feeling of nauseousness. He began to pace around the bathroom wondering what he should do. With his job already on the line after his atrocious cleaning, he made the executive decision to quit. After an excruciating quarrel with Professor Claud,
"Gerald I understand that you are upset with what went on today but do you truly want to quit?"
"Yes sir"
"What in the world are you going to do?"
" I'm not sure but.."
Claud begins to chuckle
" you must be joking Jerry, are you outside of your mind? "
He places his hand against his hip out of confidence
"I'm sure, I just came back to return my lab coat"
Claud begins a stern face
" How are you going to feed your family, son?"
" I haven't got much of a family except for my mother who is being taken care of by a nursing home, here is your lab coat."
He hands the coat in assuringly while Claud receives it reluctantly
" So long Jerry good luck being a hobo!"
Claud yells spitefully whilst Gerald leaves still unsure of himself.
Upon arriving home he plops down on his father's old couch reaching for the newspaper "DEAD MAN FOUND LIFELESS IN BATHTUB" written in large black letters across the top of the paper. Intrigued him as he focuses in on that story. What in the devil is going on now. There was no trace of fingerprints but a mysterious trail of black ink that seemed to lead the police officers towards a note. Percy arrives home grudgingly while throwing his coat to the ground. "That, Tabitha really has my blood boiling" Gerald lays his paper delicately on his knee "Tabitha…. Again?" he sighs while walking briefly towards the sink "you know about the new promotion" "yeah?" he begins to wash his hands "well, she tried to charm her way to the top"
"How so?"
"She walks seductively towards me while pursing her lips in such a way that made me uncomfortable"
"What did she say?"
"She walks her fingers up my arm and suggests that I drop out of the running for the manager position"
"What did you say"
Percy turns off the water and dries his hands
"I told her don't touch me and walked towards my desk to pack up my papers for the night"
Gerald: "Are you going to tell Bertha about the situation last night?"
Gerald glances deeply while Percy tries to avoid the conversation
Percy: "We…, I don't know how to tell her"
That woman is as sweet as pie. Indeed.
Gerald: "You're going to have to tell her some time"
Percy: " I realize that."
Gerald: " Speaking of, you need to go back to you're own house, do you realize how often you visit?"
Percy: "Shut up"
He chuckles and sits comfortably next to Gerald on a separate couch,
Percy: "what's the newspaper gabbling about?"
Gerald: "Some man was found dead in a bathtub"
Percy: "Another lamented man?"
Gerald: "They say it's suicide"
Percy: "You don't say"
Percy snatches the paper from Gerald's knee while placing his lenses a top of his nose.
Percy: "what a world we are living in?"
Gerald: "Percy..can I run something by you?"
Percy proceeds to gaze down at the paper
Percy: "Sure"
Gerald: "Let's pack up and leave"
"Leave?" Percy asks bewildered
Gerald: "I've been thinking about it for a little while actually"
Percy: "Where in the world would we go?"
Gerald: "somewhere completely desolate"
Percy: "why desolate?"
Gerald: "My dream is to have a huge barn home with a couple of dozen acres of land, the simple life"
Percy: "there is nothing simple about that, how are we supposed to come up with the money?"
Gerald: "If you come with me you and Beneatha can chip in I just need my mom's inheritance"
Percy: "Aunt Jance left money for you?"
Gerald: "I believe so, I am her only child"
Percy: "well you know you have to wait for her to…..you know first"
Gerald: "Die, yeah I know but I got to thinking maybe we don't have to wait"
Percy: "what do you mean?"
Gerald: "I'll go down to the stone ranch nursing home and just ask for it early."
Percy: "Wait, are you sure this whole moving thing is a good idea?"
Gerald: "no, but we have to try!"
Percy: "Do you want me to go with you to the stone ranch?"
Gerald: "no, you go and let Beneatha know that you love her and you want to marry her."
Percy: "today?"
Gerald leaves the house and slams the door behind him
Percy: "TODAY!" Percy yells still bewildered.
Upon arriving at Stone ranch Ms. Pam a nurse scuffles towards Gerald to ask him a few questions: "who are you here to see today?" "My mother Jance Clawhouser" "right this way"
She begins to lead Gerald down a series of hallways before finally arriving at his mother's room ( 117 ) "you have twenty minutes sir" she leaves still as high-strung as before.
" hey ma'" Gerald says whilst walking leisurely towards her "hi," she says displeased at the sight of him. "What do you want?" "I just want to converse with you." "well it's about time you come and visit me, how long has it been? A year!" Gerald sits delicately on her bed without hurting her medical cords or leg. " I'm sorry you know how work is" "You should never be too busy to visit family," she says deeply saddened. "Well I'm here now aint I, I need to ask you a question" "why should, I answer?" "because it's super important" she sighs "what then son?" Gerald begins his tape recorder for evidence "May I have my inheritance early" she laughs almost choking on her teeth "I knew you were going to be a selfish little boy on the account of your father, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not giving my hard-earned money to you edge whys I'm giving it to Bobby" Gerald sits stunned at her words "Who is Bobby?" "Bobby is …." "alright times up, Mr. Clawhouser please leave. She grabs his arm and pulls him towards the door "wait! Who is Bobby!" she speaks softly yet firmly towards him "your better half." still stunned Gerald bangs harshly on the door wanting more answers. By this point, security has been called and Gerald was firmly kicked out of the building. I have a brother. His mind was still out of place with what he had heard he bolted home to tell someone anyone who would listen to this absurd situation. With his mind jumbled he needed a drink or a cigarette or something. On the way home, he found a quaint little bar Pierce was the name of it with a sign that said 5:00 happy hour he gazed at his watch at 5:04 pm. Let's drink. Shot after shot his mind numbed and softened to the idea of having a brother. He begins to yell loudly at all of the people in the bar "I…..have…..aa...missing….broother, isn't that crazy" he walked fruitlessly around the bar before getting kicked out of his second-place today. He laid there on the streets of Lockhart still in distress. I have a brother? No amount of numbing solution could hide the fact.