***
Kevin was the kind of kid growing up that may have well been considered an only child. He had a sister seven years his elder, but they were never very close. A seven year difference was just enough to keep them separated in school. And she was always too old to play G.I. Joes with him. She had a car when we wanted to ride bikes. She wanted to go on dates with boys when he wanted to see the cartoon movies at the theater. It's not that Samantha didn't love him. She did. But when you're a cheerleader and have popular friends in school who always want to hang out, have sleep overs, go to basketball games and go cruising around, your little brother that's seven years younger than you isn't as appealing. So once she graduated high school and moved away to college, he officially became that only child he always felt like he was.
His parents didn't do much to help him feel better about things either. His mom was a stay at home mom. If there were a modern day June Cleaver, she'd be it. She didn't do much but keep a clean house, made delicious meals, provided everyone with clean clothes and primarily kept to herself. She didn't play much with the kids. She spent so much time taking care of the meals, house and laundry that when she finally had some down time, she was selfish with it. She often just sat and read her magazines and caught up on her soaps she recorded during the day on a free tv when one became available in the house. Which was rare. Because between Kevin playing his Nintendo on one tv, the other was being occupied by his father, Richard.
Richard was about the same age as Kevin's mother. Except that age seemed to have treated him a bit more harsh. He was a rugged man with very callused hands. He had a sandpaper face full of wrinkles. Always wearing blue jeans and a pocketed shirt with a pack of cigarettes always tucked in them. He smelled of a combination of cigarette smoke and motor oil. The man spent more time working on cars in his garage than he did working on his relationship with his family. He was a gruff man who wanted things orderly and quiet around him. He expected dinner at a certain time, a hot pot of coffee at a moment's notice, deathly still quietness around him when he slept, and for the most part to be left alone with life's problems and issues that didn't concern him. He often had nothing to do with his family, often acting as if he was burdened, not blessed, by them. Kevin liked the idea of not having to deal with him. He was never much a big fan of his father and sort of liked it that he didn't have to deal or acknowledge him very much.
Kevin often played by himself as a kid. He had a very creative imagination. He had to. He would often conversate with himself and his toys. Sometimes it looked as if he was talking to imaginary friends. His mother didn't think much of the fact that he befriended his toys in such away. She just assumed it was less maintenance from her to keep him occupied. She had enough to worry about with making sure that there were always pots of hot coffee, deathly still silence and meals ready. Kevin's best friend and his only family seemed to be himself. And frankly, he rather liked it that way.
