Free Seth by Sandy Kline Page B

things Kim. Once you’re a brother you
suddenly have a host of brothers who would line up to die for you if needed. If
these men were getting that from their families they wouldn’t be flocking to us
for it.”
    I open my mouth to say something but I am speechless. I
rack my brain trying to disprove what he’s saying but I can’t. As he continues
to talk it forces me to think of my own family’s shortcomings. My father spent
eight years in prison so he was gone from the time I was eight and didn’t come
back until I was sixteen. My brother was three years younger than me and our
father’s absence affected him the most I think. When our mother ran off with a
cop I think my brother had no choice but to go with mom because he was so young
when dad went away he felt like he really didn’t know him anymore when he got
back. Dad had changed too. Before prison he was this lighthearted carefree
spirit but prison changed all that. The man who came back to us was quick
tempered, always on edge, and just couldn’t really be there for us anymore. The
father I knew until he died fairly young was so steeped in anger and resentment
that there was little room for anything else. It didn’t help that his wife, my
mother, left him for a cop and in his eyes stole my brother from him. They used
to be very close and when Caleb left to go with my mom I don’t think he ever
got over that. I can feel my own coals of anger being stirred with memories of
the past and I really need to chase down my brother and…and I don’t know what.
We need to talk. Maybe he doesn’t even know that his father loved him. Knowing
my mother, I’m sure she probably filled his head with all kinds of lies about
my father. Those lies of course were backed up by his new perfect police
step-dad Aaron. Part of me thinks I let my brother go too easily. Maybe I
should have joined with my dad and tried to convince Caleb to stay with me and
dad, but I could also tell that he was afraid of dad too. Bottom line is, my
dad got screwed by the Watsonville police department and the new DA who wanted
to make an example out of him. She took a hard line against those who assaulted
police officers; such a hard line that even though my dad didn’t even come
close to hurting the officer and really didn’t even try, she still threw the
book at him so to speak.
    I decide to share all this with Seth. I really don’t know
why I do, but I just open my mouth and it comes spilling out. I really need to
think twice before I start drinking. It always ends up with me sticking my
proverbial foot in my mouth.
    “So I guess it’s safe to say you hate the cops then…”
Seth surmises.
    “Well here’s the weird thing. I actually have been dating
one for like five months and it’s gotten sorta serious.”
    Talk about putting my foot in my mouth! That last bit of
information I probably should have kept to myself. His face suddenly darkens
and I can see anger flash in his eyes for just an instant then it passes and is
replaced by his normal poker face.
    “I don’t get it.” He finally says. “Your dad got hard
time for bogus reasons, the cops and the DA fucked him and your mother
ran off with one and you still date one? Are you like a saint? Or just dumb?”
    I try not to take offense. “We’ll see who the dumb one is
when you’re sitting in prison for drug dealing.”
    “We don’t deal drugs. We just offer a safe reliable
transportation service; nothing more.”
    “Safe and reliable? How the hell do you manage that?”
    He frowns for a second and I think I have crossed the
line again, then he smiles and replies.
    “Yeah…I think that’s more of a second date topic, don’t
you think?”
    “Second date?”
    “As in this is our first date so logic dictates that the
next time will be our second date.”
    “Who the hell said this was even a date?” I ask, putting
a little fire in my voice.
    I can’t be dating a cop and dating an outlaw drug dealer
and gun runner. That’d