My Dear Cousin - I Drove

13^th May 2021

My Dear Cousin,

In my last letter I had called the police over my (Pony Girl) and her boyfriend heckling me about getting my old man’s ‘gift’ car fixed. The old man paid for two tires on his car. He wouldn’t pay for the other two, and he wouldn’t give me the college money he promised.

I stopped talking to my (Pony Girl) at that point. I was angry, and I was frustrated. I was also working at a new post where I was getting a lot of overtime and not seeing much of the house let alone the family. This came to something of a head on the fourth of July.

I came home from work to find the family and my (Pony Girl)’s boyfriend on the lawn. I was driving that gift car that I had fought with them over. I jumped out of it and into my old car and drove.  I drove through the freeway watching the smoke and fireworks in the sky. I drove thinking of how my life had been a hard mess and it wasn’t getting any better.

It was about this time my (Pony Girl) decided that she wanted the old man to buy her out or rather she convinced him to buy her out. After years of fighting with me and keeping me from my education that selfish woman had scored a major victory.

I suggested that instead they buy me out, and let me go my own way since everyone felt that I was the problem. This is when one of the cousins, the old man’s sister’s child, told me I should just leave and never expect to get my part of the house. She was the daughter of the executor of my mother’s estate and the real estate agent to handle the sale.

Again, the house was what was left of my mother’s estate now having drug on for sixteen years. I hadn’t gotten money for college like my two siblings and now I was supposed to just leave and get nothing.

When I asked why I would do such a thing the answer was “he gave you that car.” I returned the car after that and the old man was pissed.

Best,

 

Richard Leland Neal