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“Oh, shoot. Did he freak out?”
“Sort of. You know him, his business is his life. I think what really ticked him off was Brent. He fucked up. He booked the job, even charged the client a hefty price tag, but didn’t bother to book a driver.”
Brent’s his business partner and also our housemate. Weirdly enough, I haven’t seen him since my welcome home party, and Gus says that’s the new norm.
“Did Brent explain what happened?”
I scoff, get out of the car, and lock it. “He’s never at the house. Gus can’t get ahold of him.”
“Hmmm.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. While you were gone, August mentioned how Brent had changed. More of a flake than usual. I just wonder what’s going on with him.”
“Gus can’t complain. I told him it was a bad idea to go into business with Brent.”
“I thought he was your friend.”
“He is, I guess. I met him through Gus, and while we all live together, he’s always taking advantage of people or whatever the situation is, you know.”
“I feel bad for August.”
“Yeah, me too.” I saunter toward the hypnotic sounds of the waves lapping against the shore.
“It was nice of you to help, but are you sure you want to spend a few days behind the wheel? Don’t you have better things to do with your time?”
I can’t help but bristle even if I doubt she meant anything by her question. “My time.” I release a humorless laugh. “Claire, I’m jobless and bored out of my skull. You know, it’s strange. I wanted to come back home; it was time, but…”
“But what?” Her voice is soft and gentle as if she knows what I might say next is something I’m not ready to admit.
If there’s anyone in my family I can say this to, it’s her.
“Do you think it’s possible to go mad from boredom?” I slip off my sandals and dip a foot in the warm sand.
“What do you mean?”
“I took this gig because I’m losing it with nothing to do. When I was in Africa, my days were long and grueling…go, go, go, but also rewarding. I knew I wouldn’t have a job to come home to, but I figured I’d find something. And I know it’s only been three weeks, and these things take time, but I hate it.”
“Being home or not having anything to do?”
“I want to be home. I think. Did you know Paige asked me if I wanted to do another stint?”
Paige is the founder of Project Miranda and my sister Pippa’s best friend.
“Really? Do you want to go back?”
“I’m not sure. I missed all of you and the creature comforts, but if I don’t find something to give me purpose...” I laugh nervously and drop onto the beach. “I’m not so sure there’s a reason for me to stick around.”
Since graduating from university, I have fought the age-old conventions of getting a job, finding a partner, buying a home, and all that other bullshit. That isn’t for me, or more, I didn’t want to wake up one day miserable and questioning how I got there.
“We’d miss you. We all did while you were gone, and I get it.” The rattle of keys and the closing of a car door on Claire’s end of the line echoes the handful of calls we’ve had over the past year, many miles and time zones apart.
“Tom, you’ve spent months doing something worthwhile, and now, it isn’t so easy to slip back into your old life…your old ways.”
“Yeah.” I can’t bring myself to say it out loud but have to. “Before now, I didn’t want to take on any real responsibility. I didn’t give a shit about anything, and look where it’s gotten me.”
My siblings, Finn, Pippa, and Claire, are highly competitive whereas I’ve been too laid-back. Things came too easily to me. Straight As, a solid all-star athlete, top of my class in university.
