“Glenny boy! I’m so glad you made it home for Thanksgiving!” gushed Glen’s mom, rushing over for a big hug. “I’m afraid the group’s a bit smaller than usual, but I still made all the fixin’s!”
Glen smiled into his mother’s embrace. “I’ve been missin’ your cookin’ ever since I got drafted, ma. I could eat a whole turkey.”
“Well, that’s good, because I made extra just for you, my big boy! Who’s my little tubby-wubby? Who is? Who is? You are!” his mom responded, grabbing hold of his flabby stomach with both hands and flopping it around. ” Let’s get inside, the turkey’s just about ready!”
Glen smiled as his mother pulled the steaming turkey out of the oven. It smelled exactly as he remembered from his childhood. When the turkey was on the table, his mom put her hands on her hips. “Now where did that no-good father of yours get off to?”
As his mother toddled off to locate her husband, Glen was transfixed by the succulent bird in front of him. Knowing that his mom wasn’t as fast a walker as she used to be, he figured he had plenty of time. He sneakily grabbed a bit of skin off the turkey and put it into his mouth, giggling like a child. As soon as the delicious grease and crispy skin hit his tongue, all hell broke loose.
Eyes wide, he grabbed the turkey with both hands and ripped off two large hunks of meat. Frenziedly cramming the meat into his mouth, he went back for more as soon as his hands were empty. Ripping apart the skeletal workings of the deceased bird, he quickly had a large pile of boneless turkey in front of him, which he consumed as fast as possible.
“Glen! What have you done to my turkey!” came his mother’s voice from the door. Turning slowly towards the source of the voice, Glen was greeted by his very stern-looking mother. “That was for all of us to share! Did you even taste it, you naughty little fatty?”
Knowing that he had done something bad, tears began to well up in Glen’s eyes. “But…but…”
His dad stepped into the doorway, shaking his head sadly. “Same old Glen. I told you Bernadette, some people just never change.” The disappointment of his father was the last straw; Glen now cried in earnest. But the worst was yet to come. His dad continued, “It’s a good thing we invited Kevin over as well. He’ll be a much better son than Glen could ever be.”
Glen watched in horror as Kevin Garnett appeared behind his parents, putting his arms around both of them. “That’s right Glen. You can just go home now. You little crybaby.”
Head down, tears splashing the linoleum floor, Glen Davis shuffled ashamedly to the door and left his parent’s house for what would be the last time.