6 p.m.
Tommy sat in the bathtub, staring off with his legs outstretched and sometimes, his toes too. Pretending he was in a race car no longer appealed to his four year old mind.
The summer evening's sun pulsed through the small uncurtained window; warming his naked body. He let the water out over an hour a go, but bathrooms always left his skin feeling damp and itchy if he was in one too long. His toenails were still dirty.
He looked up to see Momma standing in the doorway in her short, light yellow summer nightgown. Her blonde hair was askew and matted. Her skin had tinges of bluing; the look of too much time spent indoors. A cigarette was in her hand and the smoke curled around her face. It did not mask the glossed-over look of her eyes.
"Good morning, Momma."
Her hand came up to shush him and she reached with her other to the medicine cabinet.
"Not now, Tommy."
He watched as Momma fumbled with the bottle of Tylenol, then spread her hand wide to empty too many pills into her palm. She dipped her head under the sink's tap to take a long drink.
She turned, sliding down the bathroom cabinets. She sat with her knees up, spread too far apart, and smoked lazily. She flicked her ashes on the the tiled floor; the colour of stained yellow teeth.
"Momma, I am hungry."
She looked up at him and her eyes opened with sudden awareness.
She whispered, "Tommy, where is Sissy?"
Tommy sat in the bathtub, staring off with his legs outstretched and sometimes, his toes too. Pretending he was in a race car no longer appealed to his four year old mind.
The summer evening's sun pulsed through the small uncurtained window; warming his naked body. He let the water out over an hour a go, but bathrooms always left his skin feeling damp and itchy if he was in one too long. His toenails were still dirty.
He looked up to see Momma standing in the doorway in her short, light yellow summer nightgown. Her blonde hair was askew and matted. Her skin had tinges of bluing; the look of too much time spent indoors. A cigarette was in her hand and the smoke curled around her face. It did not mask the glossed-over look of her eyes.
"Good morning, Momma."
Her hand came up to shush him and she reached with her other to the medicine cabinet.
"Not now, Tommy."
He watched as Momma fumbled with the bottle of Tylenol, then spread her hand wide to empty too many pills into her palm. She dipped her head under the sink's tap to take a long drink.
She turned, sliding down the bathroom cabinets. She sat with her knees up, spread too far apart, and smoked lazily. She flicked her ashes on the the tiled floor; the colour of stained yellow teeth.
"Momma, I am hungry."
She looked up at him and her eyes opened with sudden awareness.
She whispered, "Tommy, where is Sissy?"
Comments
Q