Coffee Talk
The next morning I was woken up by a semi grouchy Howie who decided after noon rolled around that the only way he was going to get me up was if he just outright jumped on my back.
I tried to ignore him at first while memories of my childhood flooded back to me. He always had the job of waking me up because no one else wanted to deal with my morning mood swings. Even Melissa who had the patience of a saint God bless her. Howie was in charge of waking me up for school and when I was younger that was a big job. This was usually the end result, him jumping on me threatening to tickle my neck if I didn’t open my eyes.
So now as he was jumping on me I tried my hardest to keep my eyes closed and not laugh but I couldn’t help it and within minutes I was a ball of laughter.
“Get up!!” He playfully said. I finally sat myself up. “Well hallelujah it’s about time!”
“What time is it?”
“It’s already noon” He said getting up and tying his sneakers. “you’re not going yet are you?” I actually sounded panicked which made him smile.
“No, but if you didn’t wake up I was going to leave, how did you sleep through all that noise anyway?”
By now I had my feet hanging off the bed and was rubbing at my eyes, something that I knew really bugged him. Howie had a thing about people putting their fingers in their eyes; what a weirdo.
“What are you talking about?”
“Tell me you didn’t hear all the noise last night? God they were at it all night long”
I shrugged, “I didn’t hear anything, I must be immune to it by now”
“I’ll say. I swear I think at one point they threw something out the window. It sounded like a pig or something” I laughed at him, “D, maybe you are just getting old”
I jumped off the bed and ducked his arm that was playfully swinging for my head, and headed towards the bathroom.
“You hungry?” He asked as I shut the door.
“A little”
“I’m starving” that surprised me, if it’s one thing that Howie didn’t do much of at all, it was eat. In fact he was so tiny I sometimes was sure he had anorexia or something. We Carter’s for the most part really liked our food.
As I was walking out of the bathroom I was temporarily shaken by the image of Kenny standing there shaking my brother’s hand while wearing a stupid clown nose. The look on Howie’s face was priceless, just like I’m sure mine was the first day.
“Hey Sunny boy! Just introducing myself to your brother”
“Howie this is Kenny…Kenny this is Howie” They both looked at each other like they were from outer space.
“We were about to go get some breakfast you wanna come?” I asked my roommate as I threw another hooded sweatshirt over my head.
“Well don’t shower on my account or anything” Howie kidded sitting back down on the bed.
“Nah that’s okay, I just pigged out with my mom, actually I ate she yelled it was a lovely”
“Is your mother still here?” He answered my question by pointing to his nose.
“Ah” I said, Howie seemed to be amused by us. He had a huge grin on his face.
“So I hope you don’t think I’m being rude or anything but the two of you look nothing a like”
Howie nodded, “I know we get that a lot”
“It’s kind of like one end…”He pointed at me “you have that dude from Home Improvement…the older guy”
“the dad?” I asked him.
“Yeah Nick, the dad” He said rolling his eyes at my brother. Laughing over my expense. “No the oldest brother, you look just like him dude. It’s kind of scary!”
“Okay…well what I think is scary is that you watch that show” I was quick to come back with which once again made my brother laugh. To me it looked like he was watching a sitcom unfold or something.
“Tell anyone and I’ll tell them you sleep with a teddy bear”
“Whatever go on…”
“Okay and you…” he said pointing to Howie, “Look like Prince”
We both busted out laughing about that.
“Anyway I’m sorry your parents didn’t get to come, I was really looking forward to meeting them” That brought a sideways glance from Howie as he answered for me, “Well, maybe next time”
We said our goodbyes and made our way out to Starbucks for breakfast. “I like your roommate, I think he’s going to be good for you”
“How so?” I asked blowing on my coffee.
“I just do”
I turned my head just as she walked by the window. The girl who was crying in class; Amy. She walked by very quickly with her head bowed down as if she was on her way to a good old fashioned beheading.
“Hello? Earth to Nick…come in Nick”
“Huh?” Howie laughed at me, “Nice to see you still have a talent for blocking me out”
“Sorry, just someone I know walked by”
I’m not sure what it was about her, but I found myself drawn to Amy. Maybe it’s that thing that lonely people have, like a little beacon that goes off that only other lonely people can see. Not that I was entirely lonely, I mean I was constantly surrounded by people but yet sometimes that was when I felt most alone.
“Was this one dressed normally or was he wearing a penguin suit or something?”
“It’s actually a she” He raised his eyebrows at me, “Aww Nicky don’t start with the girls already, you need to concentrate on your studies”
“Relax Howie, she’s just a friend”
I didn’t even know her but to me I felt like she was going to become a good friend. I called it the tingly butt sensation. Whenever I met someone who I felt connected to even remotely I would get a tingly sensation in my rear. With her the first moment I talked to her, I felt that.
“How’s Kelly anyway? You haven’t mentioned her at all this weekend”
I took another bite of my chocolate croissant while stalling for an answer; glad that I had warned all the guys I hung out with not to mention Kelly and her sexual preference to Howie.
“Um…she’s good. We don’t really talk that much”
“And you’re okay with that?” I nodded, “You have powdered sugar all over your face Nick. God you are a mess! I can’t take you anywhere” I laughed and wiped away the sugar noticing it was also all over my black hoodie.
“What about you and Ronnie? How’s that going?”
“Good…actually I wanted to tell you something” That made me look up, “Yeah?”
“I think I am selling the house Nick”
“What?” I didn’t mean to sound mad but he caught me off guard. “Well it’s not like I need that whole big house and now that you are gone…anyway it’s not definite just thinking about it”
“Did SHE put you up to it?” Now let me just say here that I didn’t hate Ronnie, I mean I did go through a little period after she cheated on my brother and sent his whole world into a tail spin that if I ever saw her again I had planned to spit on her, but now she seems to have genuinely come back although I didn’t completely trust her but maybe that was just because I was so overly protective of my D; Someone had to be.
“No one put me up to anything Nick. I thought you would think it was a good idea”
He seemed hurt that I wasn’t more enthusiastic about it.
“Does Kevin know?”
“No…you are the first person I decided to tell”
“Thanks, don’t you think dad will freak out?”
“He might but you know what? He freaks out about everything so what’s one more thing. That house hasn’t been his in years. It’s been ours…actually yours and Mel’s” He said her name softly like to say it louder would have woken her from death.
“Have you asked Melissa?” I took another sip of coffee as I watched my brother struggle with that question, “Nick if you think it’s a bad idea…”
“No, I don’t. I think you need to do what feels right to you”
“There are too many memories kiddo. I sit in that house and in every corner all I see is sadness” I couldn’t look him in the eyes, they were so sad. I had seen that face staring back at me too many times from my sister.
“Howie you should sell the house” I nodded confidently even though it hurt like hell to say it. Howie was right, the house on High spelt nothing but sadness, horrible memories haunting every inch of that place but yet, it was home.
He looked at me and smiled, “Are you sure Nicky?”
“Yes, maybe it’s time”
“I won’t do it yet, but I’m going to at least look into it”
The rest of breakfast was spent in a reflective silence, at least on my part. I think Howie was quiet because he sensed that deep down his decision was painful for me. Why I couldn’t even figure out myself. The other weird thing was I found myself worrying about my father and how he might take it.
We walked around campus for a little bit because the day was brisk but still pleasant. I enjoyed showing Howie around, he seemed to really like it.
“Are you happy here Boo?”
“Howie for the love of God, please no Boo here!” He laughed, “Okay fine…Sunny boy” I whapped him in the head.
“Yeah D, so far I’m pretty happy here”
“I’m glad Nicky” He smiled at me and that was the end of the conversation.
By the end of the day I was feeling sad that he was leaving me. Nothing is better then figuring out that not only was he my brother but he was also one of my best friends and I just felt better having him so close.
Kenny and I walked Howie to the car all the while my roommate was giving my brother advice on how to avoid traffic. Most of this advice involved throwing appliances out of the car. Even still, Howie really seemed to like Kenny.
“Do you have to leave already?” I asked sitting myself in the front seat with him, longing to go back to that house that I had hated, at least I thought I had.
“You know you could have gone to a closer school” He winked at me, “It’s never too late to transfer”
“After you sell the place you should move up here” I kidded with him, although I was only partially kidding. “Where are you planning to go anyway?” My stomach dropped and I felt iggy, the way I did when I got too stressed out. When I gave him the okay to sell maybe I also gave him the okay to leave.
“One step at a time kiddo. One step at a time”
It wasn’t exactly the answer I was looking for but since it wasn’t ‘I’m moving to Hong Kong’, I decided it was an okay response for now.
On the way back up to my dorm room Kenny informed me that I was a lucky little shit for having such a mega cool brother. All I could think to do was agree. Then he asked me if he could dance like Prince.
