Dukkha Reverb by Loren W. Christensen

Author:Loren W. Christensen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
Published: 2013-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Bobby is sitting cross legged next to the koi pond and I’m perched on the end of the cement bench. When Samuel said he wanted to talk with Harry in private, Mai excused herself to do some work in their office and I took Bobby out into the backyard. For the last couple of hours, we’ve talked about everything from martial arts, to school, to work, to girls.

“So how has this running away thing worked out for you?” I ask.

“It hasn’t worked out so good,” he says softly, looking down at the wiggling fish.

“Lesson learned?”

“To always keep my phone charged?”

“Cute.”

“Just playin’,” he says. “I learned that sometimes my parents really know what they’re talking about.”

“Very good. You sure you’re only sixteen?”

“Almost seventeen.”

“Ah ha, that’s why you’re so wise. Are your parents strict with you?”

“Not much. I mean there are lots of rules, which I understand, and I’m okay with, but there are some that don’t make sense.”

“Think they make sense to your parents?”

“Don’t know, probably. I mean, sometimes they—”

“So the rule makes sense to them, just not to you.”

“Yeah.”

“Would they explain their reasoning if you asked them nicely?”

“Yeah, unless they were mad or something.”

“What if you asked them later when they weren’t so mad?”

He doesn’t answer for a few seconds, then, “I hear what you’re saying.”

“Look at me for a moment, Bobby. Thank you. From what I’ve seen during our time together, you got yourself some outstanding parents. Want to know how I know?”

“Yes.”

“I know because they got themselves one hell of an outstanding kid.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’ve seen a lot of troubled kids on my job. Some were that way because they had turds for parents and some were troubled in spite of having good mothers and fathers. Maybe they were born with a bad gene, I don’t know. I leave that to the shrinks to figure out. But I think… no, I know that I’m a good judge of a man. Looking at you, I see a wonderful young dude—smart, funny, respectful, physically fit—who is quickly maturing into a fantastic man.”

Bobby loses his struggle not to smile.

“I’m not blowing smoke up your ass, Son.”

“I always thought that was a funny visual,” he says.

“I’m telling you what I see based on my experience, and big city cops get more life experience in three months than most people get in their entire lives. With you, I see the makings of a good human being.”

He lowers his head into a slight bow. “Thank you.”

“No charge. But now you’ve got to fix your screw-up with your parents.”

He widens his eyes with a combination of mock and real fear. “I’m so busted.”

“Why, because they’re spending thousands of dollars to fly over here to get your sorry ass?”

He lowers his chin to his chest. “I didn’t think of the money thing. I’m so seriously, royally screwed.”

“No doubt,” I say. “But part of being a man is to first admit you screwed up, take your punishment, and then strive to do better. Pushing your father and inadvertently making your mother afraid of you is huge, but it’s fixable—with time.

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