Chapter 1. “Lord Good”
It was a simple task.
“You go out- you stay out then you will come back later.”
Simple instructions given to him by his mother. It was nothing too outrageous or “crazy” to differ from.
But to young Ben Shannon and his Troublemaker ways he found out that today was the day to do some exploring. Exploring into the vast and endless cornfields that seemed to be a little connected to his family’s property near the back of the forest of whence his own backyard was hooked to. The forest is what leads to the fields.
His sense of adventure was tingling and eager.
He stood outside for a moment looking around in the vast and endless sun that was shining down its beautiful light.
“BENNY! BENNY!”
His little sister’s voice followed him out of the screen door to his family’s front porch.
He turned around slowly to look upon her as it was a brother’s duty to be the “heart” to listen and to care as well as being the “little shit” she somehow does claim when she wants.
Right now, it seemed as though she needed her big brother with the heart of Gold. As she was limping to him in tears and big arms extended wide.
“Benny! Benny! Please do not go out, I don’t want to go with Mom. I fear the doctors.”
She said in a childlike groan as it was the reference to the huge brace on her left leg she was dragging.
“Judy. Come on now. Stop being silly Doctor Bunny there needs to fix your leg, right?”
“Yeah. But he does these tests that hurt my leg though and his doctor’s offices smell like shit...”
“JUDY MARIE SHANNON!”
Their mothers voice that boomed at the sound of her fowl word muttered shook both Young Shannons up. Ben quickly played big brother as he smirked at his sister’s word usage and wrapped his arms around her with a settle reminder with a low toned reminder to, her young ear.
“Judy You can’t be saying that stuff, you know Momma doesn’t play that fowl mouth stuff.”
“You and Ralph say it all the time. And you don’t get in trouble.”
“True. But we are also away from our folks, right?”
Judy’s tears had strolled down her face uncontrollably. Ben brought her away from him and wiped away her tears with one of his special “hankies.”
Judy used to always make fun of him for it due to him being a slightly “Admirer” of the weird fantasy films of Fairy tales and all the horror that came with it. Like the demons and warlocks and various other goblins and terrors.
She Called Ben “Lord Good” for the simple reasons of him being a Wizard for “good.”
Simple right?
Ben hated it though but, in this moment, he knew his sister needed the good lord for this emotional moment.
“He swipes to the right. Then he swipes to the left. What is left is nothing but the best. Right?”
Judy smiles as he whisked out a special red handkerchief. “red” being her number one favorite color.
She giggled in the positive emotion when a sibling such as Ben did his job.
Ben felt the relivement of succession of his title he was given precisely 10 years ago when Little Judy Shannon was born on July 6th, 1994. As despite his troublesome ways and the need to be that “terror” that he normally already was around the neighborhood-Bens Nurturing side still surfaced.
He does not know why for when he was an only child their mother and father was always slinging him along with for late night “Tavern Stops.” Or popping up over to “their Friends house” for random parties. The smell was terrible as he remembered it always smelled like bad skunk. It was a little nightmare for him-he wished for the nice times. He used to always see the kids and stuff at school, and they will always tell him about what they were able to do with their brothers or sisters. It was like a friend that simply would keep him company when his parents go off and do their thing.
He had grandparents. His Grandma Perri and His Grandpa Paul. His Fathers Parents but, they lived at least three hours away to the north.
He was old enough now to understand that no one who was pushing 70’s would anyhow make the trip for at least three hours. He Secretly prayed for the day he would become a “big brother.”
Judy was his godsend.
The Door swung open behind her and their mother stood their all dressed up and nice. Her perfume engulfed them both with a sent that was one of a kind.
“Judy... Miss come back inside and finish getting ready honey. We must get ready and go see the Doc. He needs to check your leg again to see if you’re healing properly.”
Judy starts whimpering silently with her brother standing by her. Hoping that might change the tide at hand there. Changing the tide in enough time for her mother to allow her to simply “forget the appointment.’
Ben looked at her and decided to be self-sacrificial.
“You know what butthead take this scarf. Hmm allow it to protect you from all those tests and remind you of the weight of the strength of One Lord Good. Hmm?”
Ben smiled and handed over his red Handkerchief to her. As he knew why and because these little appointments his sister had to attend were so important.
His mother smiled at her oldest as he, smiled back to her in a second of privacy.
Both looked back at the youngest seeing how she was reformed into a good positive young lady. “OK Mommie.” As she sniveled and wiped away the tears and snot she lightly unloaded on Ben. She hobbled back inside and disappeared.
Leaving Ben and his mother to have their own private conversation.
