When we got to Rex's parents' house, the three boys immediately rushed upstairs to put their backpacks in Jared's room. Rex's mother met us in the entryway and took my jacket. "Hello, Lynn," she said, "It's nice to see you again." Then she yelled up the staircase, "You boys come back down here. What is the meaning of rushing off like that without even saying hello? So anxious to get to your video games that you can't even be polite to an old lady?"
The boys came back downstairs. "Sorry Mom," said Jared. "These are some guys I know from school, Sam and Joe." Read the rest of the story ->
11 comments:
The setup of the dinner scene reminded me quite strongly of a family in the church I used to attend (reformed presbyterian). I'm sure it's partly that I'm projecting my own experiences onto the story, but it's still pretty amusing to me.
I'm starting to believe that all the christian sects are isomorphic. Or homeomorphic... or at least homotopy-equivalent...
Wow. Are there really LDS women like Rex's mom or is she supposed to be a caricature? (I'm hoping it's the latter. . .)
Hey Ivan M.!!!
That's a great way of looking at it! The terminology and the superficial trappings differ, but the underlying situation is isomorphic. ;^)
Hey E. L. Fay!!!
This is essentially based on real life, but I may have exaggerated a little for comic effect. ;^)
I liked this section, especially the end. The way you portray Lynn's feelings for Rex are very genuine. Good job. I'm worried about Joe, if his aunt and uncle find out about the beer though...
Thanks UFPC!!!
And don't worry -- that issue will be more-or-less resolved in the next chapter. :D
It seems as though Rex is playing the role of the apostate, if that makes sense. His example can be seen as "proof" that atheists are immoral hedonists, willing to say that anything is ok as long as they do not get caught (it is immoral --> it is illegal --> mom destroyed the evidence).. and in playing that role, some of his stances might be exaggerated to emphasize the differences. whether this is rex's unconscious action as a character or a deliberate plot device is not exactly clear, but I thought it was a neat thing for sure. I see in myself a similar tendency, particularly in family settings to exaggerate differences to highlight them. no clue why.
Hey Carnife!!!
That's an interesting interpretation. I hadn't really thought if it in quite those terms (anything goes as long as you don't get caught), but in kind of a related way:
When you're taught to draw a hard and fast line in a specific place (eg. no alcohol whatsoever), then doubts come by and erase that line, it's not always clear where the new line should be drawn, if anywhere. And the road to figuring it out can be a bumpy one...
I rubbed his back some more and ran my hand down his arm. He was a beautiful creature, so strong and manly, yet reduced to a child by his parents' disapproval.
I feel bad about how sexy I find that statement. To be fair, the reason I find it sexy is because I can see the love in it (and recognise how I love a man I love in it), but it still feels a bit inappropriate. Eek.
Hey Lynet!!!
It's okay to find it erotic. It's clearly an intimate situation.
Excellent chapter. I loved the tension and inevitable explosion. Sadly, many family squabbles do turn ugly around the dinner table.
Thanks Chaplain!!!
Yep, sad but true...
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