Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Brett thinking about his sister was feeling a little sorry that she had to grow up so fast and take care of him and Dad. Brett's brother Rich committed suicide two years after Mom died, at the age of 14. That put a toll on Irene and she almost had a mental break down but claimed she found “Jesus” at a summer camp that year.
Thinking on this Brett wanted to warn his friends about Irene. Irene had gone away for awhile when she hit 16. Dad thought it would be good for her to live with His sister since they shared a similar faith. Plus the boys would never stop calling. So she left and its been years since Brett and she has seen each other. She had came home a couple of nights ago. And all Irene had talked about was this “Jesus” and her “God” it really made him mad with rage. But so far he had controlled that rage and tolerated it.
Looking at his friends in the mirror and knowing what some believed and since this was really the first time in weeks they had been over to his house they hadn't seen her he decided that it was time to tell him about her.
He let out a big sigh and started to talk, “Guys there is something you should know about my sister.” He waited for there responses.
“Sure bro, whats up?” Robbie looking at his friend puzzled.
Grace just stared in a daze and then rolled her eyes and said. “Ask me if I care.”
Nikki gave Brett the why is she here again look. Then said, “Home from the mental institution?”
Bret looked at her with a smirk on his face. Brett responded to Nikki, “Well, Ya how did you know?!!!” he chuckled.
“You see she came home a week ago and now she has taken charge of the whole house acting like “Miss Queen Paulie Anna.” A sarcastic tone came over his voice.
Brett knew that Robbie was a pagan and he and his sister was not on good terms. So he waited for his response the most.
Finally Robbie blurted out, “aah, (Expletives)”
The last time Robbie and Irene had talked they had an argument that would make a Senate debate look like a Tupperware party. We had just come home from school and went in to get some refreshment when Irene came in.
Irene, having not seen him in years because Robbies parents had moved, asked hoping to witness to him, “are you a Christian?”
Robbie nervously chuckled and taken aback by her boldness answered back.”No, no, no, I am not.”
“Then what are you?” She said persistently with a smile that would make a Televangelists proud. She had always been annoyed at the fact that someone might not be a Christian. Irene felt it her lot to convert everyone she saw. And fresh from “Jesus” camp she felt strong and enthusiastic, and she wasn't going to back down. To her he was fresh bait.
Feeling pushed Robbie answers with assertiveness, “A Pagan, a good Pagan.” Wanting to distance himself and differentiate between he and the Satanists, he added, ”Not a devil worshiping moron.”
“Oh, why?” unmoved by his assertiveness.
“Because I'm my own god.” he said rather proudly.
“Your're your own god?
“Yup”
With a curious look on her face, “Do you ever get sick or screw up at anything?”
“I haven't been sick since I went vegan and yes I do make the occasional error... my god is not perfect.”
“Well, then, you aren't a very good god are you?” jabbing her words at him hoping to catch him slip.
Anger starting to rise from his face he quipped, “Not like your almighty imagination, neither like a character in a book.”
Like a pack wolf smelling fear she responded, “Have you created anything lately, raised anyone from the dead, walked on water, or anything?”
“Neither.”
Irene had a way to push peoples buttons and make them feel cornered. Her words were cutting Robbie like a knife and offered another blow, “Oh... well, that isn't very good... tell me, as a god, what are you able to do... that is godlike?
“Yeah, I make stuff all the time and yes I walked on water today.... oh yeah and an amazing feat..” Now just being harsh and sarcastic. He went over to the kitchen bar and sat on the stool and placed the cola he got out of the refrigerator on the table, he waited in anticipation for her next move.
She hopped herself on the kitchen counter thinking on what to say next. Then a thought came,“From what I can see, you aren't very good at this god thing....So tell me, how are you godlike?”
Robbies commitment to paganism was weak, but was not about to be dismissed by a snobbish Christian. If he were to be honest at that moment he would have said that he was more of a backsliden pagan not really practicing. So he thought to just have fun with this snob.
Toying with her beliefs for fun he replied. “I'm a humble god, satisfied with being average. I need no special abilities. I lead but one... myself. So, as long as I'm at least as good as myself, I'm fine. I'm being the best god I can be.'
She now being disgusted by his arrogance,gasped, “You're humble?” She came off the counter and proceeded to go to the armchair.
She pulled back the lever of the armchair so as to appear relaxed but really what she was doing was positioning herself for attack. Striking her words of attack as the chair unfolds to rest her feet she said, “ If you have no special abilities, then how can you be a god?”
“I'm not saying all must worship me or perish. God's are just better at something than someone else, perhaps I'm a god of wit and being a decent guitar player.'
“Okay, but how can you be a god, if you boast about being humble and don't have any special abilities?”
Taking another sip of his now already half gone cola. He carefully chooses his words, “I'm a laid back god, and only the Christian god knows everything. I've never heard of another god that was so full of himself. No roman gods claimed that.” then puts up his own feet on the other bar stool as if to mock her.
“I don't think you're a god.”
“Oh well, I'm not asking you to believe.” thinking that he had one that round of verbage boxing. But was about to find out he was wrong.
“You said you were one... but can't prove it... You've got nothing.” reaching for her bible and about to quote scripture at him.
“Oh well.” He said trying to move away from the conversation.
“Jesus had a lot more going for Himself than you do.”
Walking over to the counter he picks up a banana and begins to peel it then shrugs his shoulders “Doesn't bother me. Yeah, he had a fictional novel written about him.”
“How do you know it is fiction and not true?” offended at his words.
“Because it's complete (expletives)!!!!” getting rather annoyed and wanting to end the conversation quickly. He said hoping she would storm off and leave him alone.
But not willing to loose this battle she attacks his character by saying, “Isn't that rather egotistical?”
“I'm not asking you to believe anything, and here you are pushing your beliefs on me.”
“I'm not pushing anything. I'm just trying to show you how illogical you are being.”
“I'm not trying to get anyone to believe in anything. I said I was my own god.”
“You're trying to get me to believe you're a god aren't you?”
“You know very well that I was not saying I'm some supreme being. But you use it as an excuse to push Jesus Christ and all his bull on me.”
Robbie had had enough and said to me, “Look Brett lets go to your room the air stinks and I need to be in a better place to play video games.”
We left to play some games that day but for Irene the game had only began and he knew it. The thought of going back made him sick he did not want to go back and deal with her but he was willing to stand by his bro.
“I am ok with it if I don't have to talk to her. Feeling his stomach to see if tonights dinner was still there.
Nikki felt for Brett knowing the relationship between his sister was bad and wanted many times to put out the olive branch but she had her own disdain for Christians. Her thoughts rambled on with a montage of how they tried to get her “saved” by guilt. She didn't have anything against the religion just against their constant hypocrisy.
She turned to Brett and gave him a vote of confidence wanting nothing for the best between his sister and he, “Babe, Maybe she will be different this time around.”
She placed her hand behind his neck to relax him. Nikki really didn't need to try to relax him just the sound of her voice would do that. This was just an extra added touch of love and she expected nothing in return.
Brett smiled as she touched him, but then his thoughts went to the past to when this family feud started. A couple of years after Mom had died Dad had begun his career as a politician.
Irene was stuck baby sitting Brett and she resented it and made it known to him. She would many a times blame him for the “Curses” of the family.
One night, Brett wanted to watch his favorite T.V show but she would not let him.
“Renne,” little Brett moaned.
Rennie was the family's nick name for her growing up. Dad just wanted to show his affection to her and started calling her his little Rennie. And it stuck. Now she has grown to hate it.
She became condecending to the little boy and told him mockingly, “BREEEEETTT!!!!! I said no.”
Brett complained, “But its only a half an hour show it won't hurt me staying up that long.”
But just as Brett said those words the phone rang. It was Dad on the phone. Irene picked up the phone and answered, “Hey there daddy hows it going.” while Brett was tugging her to see if he can talk to him.
“Not much pumkin.” He said with a tired voice and continued abruptly. “Rennie, I might not come home tonight can you handle Brett till the morning?”
Dad had a habit of calling and canceling on coming home but this night was special it was the day she had made cheer leading squad and she just wanted to tell him the good news. But this was not to be and it broke her heart.
She was disappointed and almost begin to cry said, “uh oh sure daddy”
He thought she was tired of taking care of Brett and tried to cheer her up, “Sweetie, I promise I will make it up to you.”
To Irene felt like she was just another constituent and he was the politician breaking his campaign promise. They exchanged few words after that then hung up without Brett talking to his Dad.
She turned to Brett in fierce anger and said, “You know what its your fault Mom died you know!!!!”
Brett just stood their stunned and not knowing how to respond. He got just enough of his senses to say something back, “Why do you believe that?”
Irene bolted back, “Because if she hadn't been playing outside she would still be here.”
These words stunned him further. He couldn't move and was scared and sadden at the same time. 'It's your fault ' ran through his mind like a tape recorder. Then the image of his Mom falling on the ground became forever imprinted in his mind.
She grabbed his hair and pulled him in his bed room and slammed the door shut. Then shouted, “I hate you.”
The memory of crying on the floor, all night long, on that fateful day still plays over and over in his mind. In Brett;'s little mind he made up his mind that if his sisters god was like that he wanted no part of that. So he became an atheist and made a vow that he and only he would control his life.
Brett looked over to Nikki in mock poster to his sister, “Maybe The laawwrd will change her and Heaaaal her!!!.”
He was always good at making great impressions of Televangelists and on this occasion he was right on. All in the car laughed. Nikki laughed the hardest.
“No!!!” he said as he chuckled at his own impression.
“I doubt it.”
“Besides, She has too much religion blinding her.”
Robbie knew his friend better that I dare say then Nikki, but one thing Brett was always quiet about was what he believed in. He was curious and asked, “Whats wrong with religion?”
Brett shrugged his shoulders, “Nothing, accept they are alll based on a lie”
“Oh” he said with a look of shock considering all of his family was religious in some way or another.
“So, are you an Atheist Brett?” Robbie now puzzled that his best friend never told him this.
“Yes, I am bro.” he said sheepishly.
Robbie knew enough not to press him at a time like this but wanted to talk about his experiences with the spirit realm but just sat back in amazement.
There was awkward silence in the air till Grace having a delayed reaction to mocking christians came out of a stupor once more started to mock cry said, “Please, give to this minsitry when are in serious need to have plastic surgery.”
She sniffed, “Send quick, I am running out of my years supply of make up.”
She started to laugh then when eveyone was looking at her as if to say where did that come from she said, 'What? I thought that was funny.”
Brett continued to focus on what he was going say to Irene when he got there. He would not have to wait long, because the house was only a block away.