Pool_1

"Cleaning what? It is just a little lawn needing a quick mowing. I'll use my brains. Mom, dad, I have brains" although he heard Aldo from the next room muttering something "... brains up his ass." "You trust too much, mommy," short for mommy's boy, a childhood endearment. He was also occasionally called daddy by his father for the same reason, but not today. "You do. You trust too much. You always have. This just doesn't have the right sound." His mom related things in musical terms, "Something is out of tune. I don't like the dissonance. This is already the hottest summer in years and it is just getting started. You're going to be in that hot hot sun with nobody around to help you if you can't breathe. For Mommy, please, give the money back." "But, ma, I gave my word." He heard Aldo's "Oh brother," from the other room. That was the big one. You could be stupid. You could be stubborn. You could be anything but dishonest. Breaking one's word fell into the never never ever category. Never give your word. But, if you do, you give your life for it. It had been stated that way too many times for it to be dropped now. Marcus' father had repeated so often, "My life IS my word. I gave my word, I gave my life," never explaining it, really. Now he was just tromping around the house yelling, "ASS HOLE. ASS HOLE. GRASS! JESUS H. CHRIST! I GAVE MY WORD TO GOD FOR AN ASS HOLE!" ...whatever that meant.