Family Business

Drifting in and Out

The cheap polyester pillow case burned Prudence's already flush face even more. Sweet drenched her face, her sweaty nasal hairs irritated her, how she wanted to scratch it but she couldn't. She felt like she was on fire Her chest stung with every slow breath. She could feel herself drift. She tries to busy her mind as the taught of losing conscience terrifies her. She busies her mind, she tries to memorise every right and left turn but quickly that proves fruitless.

A kick on her behind quickly shakes her from her current drift. She lets off a slow painful moan "You've quite a lard ass don't you" shouts Gretchen as she kicks her again "Of course lard ass is what Uncle Joe, rest his soul used call you".

Prudence can visualise her uncle Joe a tall thin man, with narrow face bald with bushy white eyebrows. His stern facial expression and curt tone made him someone her family tried to avoid. He was her mothers sibling. They never got on. He didn't like her father. He used call him a wuss, that he wasn't a real man with his fancy collar and tie, doing a woman's job. Her father ignored him, he used to say the pen is mightier than the sword.

Her thoughts interrupted by Gretchen "Of course Uncle Joe, he wanted to kidnap you for ransom".

The thoughts of being kidnapped by her late uncle Joe, gave Prudence the shivers, how could he to his sister's daughter.

She feels Prudence rest her feet on her like she is a foot stool. "About 14 years ago, he approached Pops and said, why are we living like this when all we have to do is kidnap Lard Ass and squeeze that ladyboy wuss of beautiful US dollars".

Prudence tries to move the kitchen tissue with her tongue, but if was proving useless. Any further back in her throat and she feared she would get sick. She closes her eyes but stops herself just in time. She anxiously waited for another kick from Gretchen, she was helpless against her treating her like a foot rest, then Gretchen began to talk again.

"Of course Pops would say no, no way Joe, not family, but Joe would constantly tell him we could live like kings just kidnap Lard ass, then after Nans 80th party, Pops agreed".

Prudence mind races back to her Nans 80th. Her family's business put up the venue as well as all the food and beverages, no one had to put their hands in their pockets. Prudence was leaving with her mother and father. Rosamund left earlier with her boyfriend now husband. On the way out of the venue they are accosted by a drunk Joe. She vividly remembers the look of discontent he gave her. Her father was immaculately dressed in a two piece black suit, white shirt and black tie with pink polka dots. Her mother also well attired in a red dress and white jacket.

Joe stood on front of her father pulls out his tie, momentarily examines it and throws it over her fathers shoulder "What a pointless piece of clothing".

"Go away Joe, Your drunk" roars her mother. Her father opened his suit jacket and carefully places his tie back into position "A businessman without a tie is like a referee without a whistle" replies her father as she stares Joe down.

Joe pulled the tie out again and scrunches it up into a ball "fuck you and your precious little tie"

"We're leaving" barked her mother as she pushed her father away and marched away with him. That was the last time any of them saw Uncle Joe.


"I remember it will uncle Joe dropped over to Pops after the party, he was angry and once again said to Pops, it's time to put that bitch and that fucking wuss in their place and snatch their precious little lard ass" Gretchen stopped momentarily to allow Prudence digest the story " Of course I wanted part of it but Joe won't let me, said it was no job for a pretty girl like me. About 2 hours arguing with Pops he relented."

Prudence eyes begin to water, her life was worthless to these people, they didn't care about her, never have, never will.

"Of course you got lucky Prudence, Uncle Joe got sick a short while later, Pops said it was a bad Oman and scrapped it, and here I am carrying out Uncle Joe's work for him. No doubt he is proud.