background.

son of a preacher, leon grew up in a relatively religious household for the first 10 years of his life. pastor adam they'd call his father. pastor adam with his stirring preachings and poetic advice. pastor adam, a benevolent samaritan who was blessed with a beautiful wife and healthy son.

now, imagine the rude awakening leon's mother, sera, faced when she caught him on his knees, face buried between the soft, supple thighs of the head choir girl, on the very same stage he famously preaches that committing adultery is the worst sin a man could engage in. safe to say, there was no church service that sunday. 

words spreads fast in this small town, something leon resented. nothing's worse than finding out the real reason his father and mother didn't work out from his classmates. 

boy one: they were taking a roll in the hay.

leon: i don't understand. 

boy two: bumpin' uglies.

leon: what?

boy three: boinking.

leon: huh-?

boy two: SEX LEON. FUCKING. you're as thick as they come!

leon: oh.

anyway, it naturally gets worse for him. his father had the bright idea of starting fresh. fresh as in moving to the infamous nudist colony near town. oh, the nervous breakdown his mother experienced. how could she have possibly been married to this man for fifteen years, fifteen long years, and not known him at all? this man was not the one she agreed to marry. 

once again, gossip spread like a wildfire. leon's lothario father and crisis of a mother became the hot topic of the town and while leon was handling the unwelcomed attention fairly well, everyone has their limits. their hushed whispers never failed to reach leon's ears, hard, and at times pitiful, stares made skin prickle in discomfort. fuck them, he thought. 

fuck all of you, he finally exclaimed. who are they to judge him for the unfortunate circumstances that surround him. to the town's surprise, he gained a voice, one that demanded to be heard. one that commanded the room he was in.

"that boy is trouble."

"he continues on like this and he'll end up just like his father or even worse, like the mess of his mother."

whatever. he has more pressing matters to attend to.

at the age of 22, just a few days shy past his birthday, leon's mother passes away. alcohol poisoning they tell him. he can't say he's surprised. she sought nightly comfort in glasses full of wine and chainsmoking cigarettes on her porch.

as awful as it sounds, leon was comforted with the thought of her suffering ending. that tragic sunday his mother uncovered the truth of her husband's crusades destroyed the person she had once been. leon had longed for just a glimpse of the momma he grew up with. the one who would let him rest his head on her lap while she ran her fingers through his hair. the one who would hum to herself, gliding on her tiptoes as the melody guided her steps. the one who would smile, laugh, cry, comfort, hold, get angry, crack jokes, tend to her garden, loved wholeheartedly. but leon knew better than to expect anything more than the empty shell of a woman she'd become.

word of his mother's demise spread over town. it seemed like he couldn't catch a break. figuring that enough was enough, leon did the most impulsive thing he's done in his life: pack his bags and move to chicago, illinois.

it was meant to be a temporary break, he still had a home back in his hometown after all, but the longer he stayed, the harder the idea of moving back became.