Forsaken World:Coming of Age by Thomas A Watson Read Free Book Online Page A

basket. “I can help.”
    “Oh, thank you,” Lance sighed with relief. “Where are the lines to tell you what size load you have in? What do they consider heavy soil, and do I want it to be delicate with the clothes? I’m sure I want hot, but how hot is it? Will it hurt my clothes?”
    Jennifer just stared at him with an open mouth then remembered to snap it shut. “How about you just watch me,” she said and started going through Lance’s basket.
    Watching her make different piles, Lance shook his head and felt like hiding when she started pulling out his and Ian’s underwear. “It doesn’t like mixing colors? It’s that damn hot?” he cried out, realizing what she was doing.
    Slowly, Jennifer looked up. “Um, it’s not that hot, but colors will stain other clothes. Wait till I’m done, and I’ll explain.”
    Lance nodded and watched her start to shake out their pants and shirts then lay them in the washer neatly. Holding his tongue as the questions started flooding his mind, Lance leaned over with her as Jennifer filled two of the boxes under the small lid with detergent. Then standing on her tip toes, she pulled down a bottle with “Fabric Softener” written on the front.
    Lance didn’t have a problem with that; he had a problem with the big teddy bear on the front. “Ah,” he started, and Jennifer held up her hand as she measured some out in the cap and poured it in the last box under the little lid.
    She closed the door, locking the latch. “That is a max full load,” she said, pointing at the glass door.
    “No it’s not; it’s barely halfway full,” Lance said. “It’s not at max full until you use your foot to push the stuff in so you can close the door. That’s full. I know I didn’t have enough clothes for a full load; that’s why I was looking for the lines for medium and small.”
    Shocked, Jennifer stepped back, seeing Lance was dead serious. “Lance, you will bring me your clothes so I can wash them. You will not break this washing machine. I will not do this by hand,” she said, turning to the machine.
    “Hey, I—”
    She raised her hand. “Tell your twin the same thing,” she said, flipping switches. “I see his clothes in here as well.”
    “Ian’s used a washer before,” Lance said proudly.
    “Is that where you learned ‘full?’”
    “Yep,” Lance smiled proudly.
    “Neither one of you are allowed to touch the washer or dryer,” Jennifer said, putting herself between him and the machines. “I’m not kidding. I’ll bitch every minute of every day if you do.”
    Tilting his head as he saw the washer start to fill with water, he said, “See, you could’ve put the rest of the clothes in.”
    Backing up to try to block Lance’s vision of the machines, Jennifer shook her head, ready to fight to defend them. “You two can’t even look at them! Do I make myself clear?”
    When Lance opened his mouth to talk, Jennifer lifted her chin, daring him. Seeing a look in her eye he didn’t like, Lance wisely left.
    When he got back to the bedroom, Ian was putting shorts on. “Hey, thanks for doing mine,” he said, kicking his empty laundry basket.
    “Jennifer kicked me away from the washer and dryer and said if either of us touches them, she will bitch every minute of every day,” Lance said, sitting on his bed.
    “You let her see my underwear?” Ian cried out in shock. “Dude, I had skid marks on some.”
    Looking up at Ian, Lance shook his head slowly. “Brother, she was ready to fight to get me away from those machines. I think she really likes them.”
    “Lance, she can see our underwear!”
    “Let’s just wear them in the shower from now on and wash them when we shower,” Lance offered. “I really think she will spin if we touch those machines.”
    “I’ve washed before. I should’ve done it,” Ian huffed.
    Jumping off his bed, Lance got in Ian’s face. “She flipped out when I told her what max full was. If you would’ve done it, she would be