Dear Richo from Bryce Pemberton on Vimeo.
When I was 16, a couple of my friends killed a guy and buried the body in the bush. They waited for him to leave his house, grabbed him, tied him up, and threw them in the boot of the car. He was begging them near the dried up creek, crying for his life. It was serious, they were going to do it.
At least that’s what the rumour was.
At the time I had no idea what to believe. I knew they had broken into cars to knick CDs and jewellery, sometimes stolen those cars for joyrides, huffing glue and smoking pot whenever they could get their hands on it. I know at least one of them is in jail now. But I also knew they exaggerated a lot about the stuff they got up to. They were bored and could find nothing better to do.
One time I got mugged behind a mall car park. A group of about 6 people a bit older than me were drinking during the day and while I was on the way to the bus stop, they had a go at me. Punched me so hard I hit the floor, bleeding from the face and knees I ran away and didn’t tell anybody. For months I had panic attacks whenever I left the house.
About a year later, one of my friends introduced me to the guy that did it. I froze up completely. They started joking about it and he apologised, saying he was in a much better headspace now. Everyone was supporting him for being in a better place.
I’ve noticed more and more how much your upbringing and your location can affect you. Sometimes people can get stuck in a toxic environment and feel like there is no way out.
Our home is our identity, and while we’re responsible for our actions, there is a darkness that can come from it that is difficult to shake away.
And so:
A bonehead moves on.
–
Written and Directed by Bryce Pemberton
Sound Design by Ryan Pemberton
Special thanks to:
Claudia Chinyere Akole
Lester Chan
Nancy Li
Ryan Pemberton
◊♦◊
Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
◊♦◊
Talk to you soon.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls on a regular basis, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
