In Between Days: Raising Jordan (boyxman)✅

Basket Case

Jamie

Jordan sat at the porch table, his Sony headphones on, bobbing to a song only he could hear. We had just finished eating and I expected him to get up any minute. Every once and awhile our eyes would meet and he would quickly look back at his phone with a slight blush to his cheeks. He really was cute.

As I anticipated, there he went and my eyes followed him as he walked back into the house. Tim just shook his head, not because I had a hard time taking my eyes off his little brother, but because he was always shaking his head at his behavior.

"Can I ask you something about Jordan?" I asked Tim.

"Sure. Why not?" he said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll be able to answer."

"Why doesn't he go to a regular college?" I asked.

"He goes to a regular college," he said. "It's just online because he doesn't play well with others."

"I don't know. I know he has a temper and he's a little odd, but I think he's kind of fun, too."

"Fun?" he said in disbelief. "You don't know him very well. Odd? Yeah, that's an understatement. You have no idea. Anyway...Speaking of Jordan...um...well...I've been meaning to ask you something." Uh-oh, I thought. What? "I just need you to do me a favor." Rolling my eyes, I only imagined what this favor could be. "Come on. I'm letting you stay in my house rent-free all summer."

"What is it?" I said.

"Take Jordan to see his mother," he said all in one breath as if my immediate reaction would be "no."

"Isn't she your mother, too?"

"Yeah, but I hate going and driving all that way. It's Jordan that insists on going. She doesn't even know we're there. Come on, please? It's a long ass drive. Stop at the beach or something on the way back. Jordan loves the beach and I hate it."

"Yeah, I noticed he loves water." Going to the beach with Jordan sounded fun. "I don't know..." I said, feeling the need to pretend I was indifferent to his little brother.

"Will you do it? You like him, right?" What did he mean by "like?"

"He's a fucking space cadet," I said, but the truth of the matter was that I really did like him, more than I could ever let on. I had a thing for so-called space cadets. "Fine," I said. "I'll take him."

***

Jordan seemed more excited about going to the beach than visiting his mother.

"Okay, Jamie, what have you done to my brother?" Tim asked as Jordan ran around the house, searching for beach things. "He's never excited about anything." Maybe he didn't know him like he thought he did. And he definitely looked very nice in his red and black swim trunks.

"You have to put a shirt on," Tim said as Jordan stood at the door with a bag that consisted of towels, a blanket, and sunscreen.

"Awww," Jordan whined like a little boy.

"You can't visit Mom like that. Now go put a shirt on...and shoes." Jordan stormed off to do what he was told.

"Was he the type of baby who used to run around naked?" I asked.

"No," Tim said. "I think he's just lazy."

Jordan stared out the window of my Jeep as I sped down the highway. It was a perfect beach day so I hoped his visit wouldn't be too long. Tim said the visits usually lasted an hour, an hour where Jordan just sang and played music to her the whole time. During the ride, I thought I'd introduce Jordan to music beyond 1990.