By Wednesday Reed, STAR Writer

Rose chides Dennis about his behaviour. Shot directed by Rosie Murray. - Winston Sill

Rose visits Dennis at the hospital but it is not a time of forgiveness

Dennis rolled over and saw his mother sitting in the chair beside his bed. He was surprised that she had come and glad. Then the guilt set in. She looked exhausted and her cheeks showed the path that tears had taken at some time earlier in the evening. He didn't like being the cause of her pain, but these days he didn't seem to be able to do anything else. He sighed deeply and tried to make himself a little more comfortable. The drugs had started to wear off and the wound in his shoulder had begun to throb. Rose's eyes opened, and for the first time in more years than he could remember, she caught him with his guard down.

"Dennis, what happen?"

Maybe it was the sleep, or maybe it was the exhaustion written all over her, but her tone, for once, did not seem to be accusing him of letting her down. The simplicity of the question forced him to answer though he would have rather simply fallen back asleep.

"I-" he began, but nothing else could come out. He had rehearsed the lie he would tell but the words refused to come out. He tried again.

"I-"

"Talk to me Dennis. Tell me what happened."

Always yelling

He looked away from her, unable to handle the anguish that came across in her voice and shone in the tears that had begun welling up in her eyes. He longed to have back the woman who was always yelling at him. He knew how to handle her. "How you get mixed up with gunmen Dennis? And don't tell me any foolishness about an attempted robbery." Dennis remained silent and facing away from her.

"You know you and your father seem to be running a competition for which of you gets to topple me over into my grave," Rose continued. "I tell you already, you might not look like that man, but you are becoming the dead stamp of him in personality."

"That's why you mus' be careful what kina man you take up wid. You neva know what you pickney dem turn out to be like," he said, hoping he could hurt her as much as she hurt him. The click of her heels against the tile told him that she had left and he wished that it was satisfaction that he felt burning deep within.

Next: Rose thinks about Mark and why he isn't home.

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