Chapter 10

The Apple Fell From The Tree...

I have traveled all over the United States from Tennessee, to Texas, to Nevada, to California, to Colorado, to Louisiana, to Virginia, to my home state North Carolina.  I have spent at least 2 weeks in each state.  After I joined the U.S. Air Force, I also went overseas to South Korea and Japan.  Well, while I was out and about, I didn't keep in touch with my family as much as I could've.  We all get lost in the rat race and our daily lives.  I took this time to repair and build a better relationship with my mom. I called her on the phone.  "Hello Ma? How are you feeling today?" I asked.  "Oh, I am doing fine.  How are you feeling today?" she asked.  "I am doing alright, but I still didn't get any sleep.  The doctor said that I have tuberculosis and pneumonia.  Ma, when you come up here, they are gonna have you wear a mask and gown to cover your clothes," I told her.  "Well, they can cure it right?" she asked.  "Yeah, I have at least 6 months of medication and they are gonna have a physical therapist come help me with walking," I explained.  I continued to tell her everything that the doctors told me.  I told her about all my discomforts and how I was progressing.  I know my mom is getting older and a day will come when I have to bury her.  All of my life I had been independent and kept personal stuff, like girlfriends and such to myself, so I decided to spill it.  "Okay Ma, I know that I have always been running around outside and we never talked about a lot of things so I am gonna tell you whatever you would like to know about.  What have you always wondered about?" I asked.  "Umm Ricky I don't know," she replied.  "Anything Ma.  I know there's something you've always wanted to know...like me and girls.  I never really brought my girlfriends around so I am sure you are curious.  Well, when I was little I was really shy.  If I knew a girl liked me, then I couldn't face her.  I didn't know what to say.  I thought that there was something magical that I needed to know outside off the everyday conversation.  There were girls that liked me, but I was too shy.  I remember, in the third grade, there was this new girl that liked me and she wrote a note and had her friend give it to me.  I read it and found out that she liked me.  She was a good looking girl, but I just ignored her because I didn't know what to do.  Of course she thought I didn't like her and I felt bad.  Then, after high school, I got a job at McDonald's and all that changed.  I worked around a lot of women.  One woman told me that a lot of girls liked me.  She said that they were afraid to approach me because they were intimidated.  They thought I wanted a more educated and sophisticated woman by the way I carried myself.  I took that knowledge and ran with it.  It was interesting to see how others viewed me.  She was right," I laughed.  "Go ahead, continue," my mom said.  "Work was fun after that.  I started flirting my butt off and I was able to talk to any woman.  All I had to do was continue being myself and women liked me.  So I have had no problems with the ladies.  When I think about it there has always been attractive women that wanted to talk to me.  Working there built up my confidence and stroked my ego.  Although it didn't make me egotistical.  I know that I have been blessed," I said.  "Ricky I didn't think you had a problem in that department.  When you were gone, I figured you were always running around with some girl," she said.  We talked for hours that day.  I told her some of my girl stories, about me and alcohol, about my divorce, and I even asked her some questions.  I was thankful for the opportunity to bond with my mom and realize the importance of keeping in touch.  Even though, it took this awful event to make me see.