Suzie’s House 192: Computers and Guitars

“Mom, I need a computer.” Ben said as he walked into the kitchen, like it was no big deal.

If Gene had said something like that to his old man, he’d have gotten popped one. Really, what a stupid thing to say.

Ben barely even noticed Gene, who still sat here at the table, pretending to drink a mug of cocoa, like he wanted something hot to drink in the middle of summer. Except Summer Vacation was going to end in a few more days.

“A what?” Mrs. H was all busy squeezing mash potatoes through one of those cake decorating things to make weird puddles on cookie sheets. She didn’t even look up.

“A laptop. I need a laptop.” He plopped into a seat at the kitchen table and finally nodded at Gene.

“Why?”

“Um… well,” he bit his lip and looked into the air over her head. “Um, so I can do my homework.”

He was lying. Any homework he needed to do on a computer, he was supposed to do on the ones in the computer lab. So he wanted a computer for something else. Maybe looking at stuff online that the lab computers wouldn’t let you because of the parental controls? Nah. Probably never even crossed Ben’s mind.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t need a computer for that,” Suzie said indulgently, like she might actually do it. Was she really taking this seriously?

“But it would be a lot easier to do like my reports and stuff if I had a computer.”

“Unless you started playing games.” She finished with the potato puddles, sprinkled grated cheese on top and shoved them in the oven.

“I wouldn’t do that!”

She gave him a librarian look – the kind that works best over the top of a pair of glasses – like in old movies. Ben sputtered. Gene looked down so no one would catch him grinning.

“What do you really want it for?” She came over and sat at the table too, kind of making the table seem homey.

Gene shifted uncomfortably, not quite ready to make a break for it, but not real comfortable with how much they were starting to look like a Hallmark card. Gene didn’t do Hallmark.

Ben clinched his lips together and wiggled his head like it might explode, so Gene stayed. Then he looked off to the side in that lost little child way that always made Gene want to slap him one. Then he straightened his shoulders and put his chin up.

“I want to write. It takes too long with pencil and paper and I can’t fix it right, and Mrs. Audrey said it has to be printed out double space with one inch margins anyway, so it has to get typed up eventually anyway.” He ran out of steam, and just sat there looking hopeful at his mother.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you,” she said.

“I’ve been writing in my notebooks all summer long. I can’t get anywhere with it now until I get a computer.” He still had the chin-up thing going, like he expected to get hit. What a laugh.

“Oh, Honey, we don’t have a whole lot of money right now.”

“They don’t cost that much, do they? I mean, seems like everyone has them now. “

“Even the cheapest will cost two or three hundred.”

“That’s not so much. I’ll do chores for it.”

“Chores, huh?” Her eyes narrowed and Gene could tell she was really considering it.

“Hey,” Gene interjected, “if he’s getting a computer, can I get a bass guitar? They say music is educational, right? I’d even loan it to Ben if he wanted to try it. There’s one at a second hand store I know about for $100. That’s cheaper than a computer.”

He thought she would ignore him, which was ok because he was only joking, though he really would like one.

“Will you do chores too?”

“Um… yeah?” Could she be serious? Would she really get him one? If all he had to do to get one was help out a little, he was all for it.

“Let me think about it,” Mrs. H said.

She was serious. She really might do this. Gene couldn’t believe it. He turned toward Ben, who had this big grin and surprised eyes. The two of them did a high five.

“In the meanwhile Ben, you can borrow my desk top computer. Gene, I think I might have an old acoustic guitar you could borrow. I know it’s not a bass, but it’s better than nothing.”

“All right!” Gene and Ben said at the same time.

He was actually going to get something besides clothing, food, and school stuff, and he didn’t even have to steal it.

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