Things happen on Highway 95. It’s a lonely road where losing things isn’t hard. Charlie’s been down Highway 95 a time or two. Charlie hates conflict. When he feels it coming on his face squirms like a toddler with a dirty diaper. So he can be cajoled into helping beyondContinue Reading
For the three sisters, Ophie, Inger, and Neesha, Charlie is irredeemable. He will never be forgiven. That Charlie is likely a baby Daddy to Neesha makes no never mind. She blames Charlie for everything wrong in her life. Charlie is innately racist to his dark core. Yes, the three womenContinue Reading
It’s a trope, “special price just for you.” It means you are about to pay too much for junk. Neesha’s brother had a line on a Nissan Frontier. He was going to buy it and drive it to the farm. All good, right? Nah. Maybe other writers can get paidContinue Reading
There is a gathering storm in the farmhouse. The contratemps between Ophie and Neesha blew through like a summer monsoon. Neesha started online classes in agriculture with Virginia Tech. She left Blackwood for Richmond before applying to VCU. Another “fire! erm . . . too late to make ready andContinue Reading
Well . . . just take resources from those who have plenty and give them to those who don’t have enough. Problem solved. I can make that so in a novel or story. In life? Not so much. Neesha is suffering from a resource dumpster fire. The farm is tooContinue Reading
Boundaries are not something well respected in a toxic family. One of the coping styles is placating. Children of addicts will sometimes try to appease the addict by apologize or do whatever is demanded. Boundaries are not a thing for children who choose to cope by appeasement. Charlie’s kin drink.Continue Reading
It’s today—2024-Oct-19. Charlie will be arraigned today. It’s 4am. Charlie can’t sleep. Yesterday his lawyer visited with him to prepare for court. It didn’t go well. Charlie was offered a plea deal to NRS 199.210—misdemeanor evidence tampering. He turned it down. Why risk a felony conviction, five years of stateContinue Reading
The fashy world of black block and a polite arrest record of protests is folly for a family trying to stay afloat in the coal hills of Wise County, VA. Neesha has deep hillbilly girl roots. She’s from the same southwestern corner of Virginia that Charlie’s kin are from. Charlie,Continue Reading
When it’s time to embrace the suck and power through most of us do. Charlie isn’t most of us. So he gives us content to enjoy.Continue Reading
That Come to Papa moment. Yes, I know, it’s “Come to Jesus” but some of my readers flop into convulsions on the mention of Him. Papa is a nephew of Ojiisan. His English name is William (Bill). Bill is inside on card counting charges. Ojiisan is upset so Bill getsContinue Reading