Trickery & Envy Read Free

unadorned, but I’ll be back on my feet. You can bet on that and to answer your question. You know why the hell I’m here.”
    “One, I’d appreciate if you extend to me the same respect I give you and cease with your profanity. Two, I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?”
    “You went to college. What, did you forget how to add and subtract. Let me help you,” he said and started explaining with his hands. “One man and two ladies equal two children. One man got business and a lot of damn money equals when you die, things get dissected. You got your portion now I want mine,” he answered with the same broaden eyes.
    “ You need to leave,” and Vivian started walking over to her front door.
    “ I need to leave. Why does everybody have to give me a hard time? So I messed up, but its daddy’s fault.” Vernon’s anger had him moving to the edge of the sofa to stress his point. “Daddy knows he could have paid that loan off and everything would have been straight. I fault him for the time I spent in prison. What kind of father rats on his son?”
    “Vernon you forged daddy’s signature and your mothers! It could have been worse had she pressed charges against you, too.”
    “I know all that! I paid my debt and he still cut me out of the Will. I’m his son,” he said with a couple pounds to his chest, “his only son. He gave me his name and he didn’t leave me shit!”
    “That is not my fault, Vernon!”
    Vernon eyes grew wide. “I didn’t say it was your fault!”
    Vivian then took a deep breath. She didn’t want to get into a shouting match with Vernon knowing it would only make him madder to probably doing something violent.
    “ I’m asking you nicely to leave, Vernon.”
    “So it’s like that ,” and he began to rise from the sofa but lost his balance and fell back down on it. “Damn, I lost my balance. But that’s alright, that’s alright,” he said standing up. “Just remember he owes me and he left everything to you and yours.” He then placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side some. “Whatever happened to caring and loving for your family, despite them being messed up? I made a mistake that he took to his grave. I come to you for vindication and this is the love I get.” Vernon sealed his lips tight and pointed his finger at his sister. “If I was you, I’d keep my door and windows closed and locked,” he warned her.
    “If you’re trying to intimidate me Vernon, it’s not working ,” and Vivian slid her hands into the pockets of her baby blue sweat top with her nostrils flared at him and his threat. She had also slid her finger into the trigger of the 32 automatic she had placed inside when she went into her bedroom. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Vernon but she knew she would have to defend herself if he became physically aggressive.
    Vivian remembered how Vernon acted after learning he had been cut from the Will. He returned a couple days later to the house he and his mother lived in and broke out most of the windows. He pelted the house with landscaping rocks from the front yard until he heard police sirens, and then took off running.
    Still , through his madness, Vernon was her half brother and she did care about him despite that they grew up in different houses. Their relationship became strained when Vernon began acting out against their father.
    “I’m not trying to intimidate you. Girl, I’m crying out. If you c an’t hear me then I guess trying to intimidate you would depend.”
    “Depends on what Vernon? If it’s money I don’t have any. I used what daddy left me to open my salon.” Vivian didn’t care if he believed her or not, she wanted him out of her house. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Vernon, especially if he felt she is liable for taking care of him. Vernon was a grown man. Not some ignored kid daddy left behind.
    Vernon crossed his arms under his armpits. “So, you don’t care that some unsuspecting