for amber harper
3:36 pm
Tommy practically ran all the way. And he practically ran fast the entire time, too. His blue shirt flapped loudly in the wind and his sneakers slapped louder yet on the sidewalks and the roads that led him home. And Tommy was excited; his smile was huge.
He still wore his shiney face, when he ran through the front doors of his house.
"Momma! Momma! I got 2 A's on my report card, Momma!"
And at first, Tommy did not notice that there was not anyone home to notice him.
But he caught on, after he took his shoes off, when he did not hear Momma answer him; even from her bedroom. He threw his report card; in its brown envelope, onto the mat, in front of the wood door. And then he punched the wall.
His knuckles did not hurt, when Tommy put back on his shoes.
Tommy's blue bike was leaning up against the yellow brick house. The rusty chain was hanging loose again, scraping at the driveway and when he bent to fix it, Tommy noticed the weeds growing out of the pavement.
Ugly fucking things, he thought.
Tommy rode his bike around his block.
He rode around his block again and again.
Eight times.
And Tommy would not cry.
Even though he wanted to.
Tommy rode downtown. He travelled up and down the main street sidewalks three times.
And an old man grumbled, "Get out of my way, dammit!"
But everyone else said, "Hello."
And Tommy smiled and thought about throwing his fist into Momma's face. Or of delivering a flying axe-kick to her head.
It was only 4:30, when Tommy pedaled across his front lawn.
And Tommy was so mad to see the wooden door still open. So much madder to see his report card still there, laying on the mat.
"Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you..." Tommy spoke his nonsence.
And then Tommy's thoughts cleared and he wondered if maybe Aunt Lynn would give him a few dollars for getting these A's on his report card. Maybe she would even give him five bucks.
He could stop for a milkshake at the Sub Shop and play a few video games at the Arcade.
And he would not have to sit at home, waiting for his lying, stupid mother.
He dropped his bike in Aunt Lynn's driveway and when Tommy ran up the few steps to the kitchen, the first thing he saw was his grandmother, sitting at the kitchen table. Burnt toast and jam.
"Want some?" the old lady barked. Tommy watched her old boney fingers grip the butter knife.
"It's not breakfast time, Grandma," he replied.
"Is for me. I just got up. Pretty lucky, aren't I?"
"I got to A's on my report card, Grandma," he spit out.
And she asked, "Do you got this report card that proves you aren't a dumbass?" The sound of the knife going back to the table made him jump. He did not take off his shoes, he crossed the floor and tried to hand her the brown envelope.
But she was putting back in her teeth.
She reached inside the pocket of her housecoat. Put two quarters on the table.
"What would you do with those?" she asked, rubbing her hand across her nose, sniffing.
"I don't know," he said, turning away from her.
"Bullshit you don't."
"Couple arcade games, I guess," he mumbled.
"What game?"
"Rush'n Attack," he looked back towards her.
"Is it fun?"
"Yeah."
"Killing Commi bastards should be fun!" she agreed.
"Momma gave me two dollars a piece for my A's," Tommy lied.
And Aunt Lynn said, from behind him, "Tommy, you are such a liar. Your Momma's been here since one o'clock. You got the note on the coffee table, didn't you?"
3:36 pm
Tommy practically ran all the way. And he practically ran fast the entire time, too. His blue shirt flapped loudly in the wind and his sneakers slapped louder yet on the sidewalks and the roads that led him home. And Tommy was excited; his smile was huge.
He still wore his shiney face, when he ran through the front doors of his house.
"Momma! Momma! I got 2 A's on my report card, Momma!"
And at first, Tommy did not notice that there was not anyone home to notice him.
But he caught on, after he took his shoes off, when he did not hear Momma answer him; even from her bedroom. He threw his report card; in its brown envelope, onto the mat, in front of the wood door. And then he punched the wall.
His knuckles did not hurt, when Tommy put back on his shoes.
Tommy's blue bike was leaning up against the yellow brick house. The rusty chain was hanging loose again, scraping at the driveway and when he bent to fix it, Tommy noticed the weeds growing out of the pavement.
Ugly fucking things, he thought.
Tommy rode his bike around his block.
He rode around his block again and again.
Eight times.
And Tommy would not cry.
Even though he wanted to.
Tommy rode downtown. He travelled up and down the main street sidewalks three times.
And an old man grumbled, "Get out of my way, dammit!"
But everyone else said, "Hello."
And Tommy smiled and thought about throwing his fist into Momma's face. Or of delivering a flying axe-kick to her head.
It was only 4:30, when Tommy pedaled across his front lawn.
And Tommy was so mad to see the wooden door still open. So much madder to see his report card still there, laying on the mat.
"Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you..." Tommy spoke his nonsence.
And then Tommy's thoughts cleared and he wondered if maybe Aunt Lynn would give him a few dollars for getting these A's on his report card. Maybe she would even give him five bucks.
He could stop for a milkshake at the Sub Shop and play a few video games at the Arcade.
And he would not have to sit at home, waiting for his lying, stupid mother.
He dropped his bike in Aunt Lynn's driveway and when Tommy ran up the few steps to the kitchen, the first thing he saw was his grandmother, sitting at the kitchen table. Burnt toast and jam.
"Want some?" the old lady barked. Tommy watched her old boney fingers grip the butter knife.
"It's not breakfast time, Grandma," he replied.
"Is for me. I just got up. Pretty lucky, aren't I?"
"I got to A's on my report card, Grandma," he spit out.
And she asked, "Do you got this report card that proves you aren't a dumbass?" The sound of the knife going back to the table made him jump. He did not take off his shoes, he crossed the floor and tried to hand her the brown envelope.
But she was putting back in her teeth.
She reached inside the pocket of her housecoat. Put two quarters on the table.
"What would you do with those?" she asked, rubbing her hand across her nose, sniffing.
"I don't know," he said, turning away from her.
"Bullshit you don't."
"Couple arcade games, I guess," he mumbled.
"What game?"
"Rush'n Attack," he looked back towards her.
"Is it fun?"
"Yeah."
"Killing Commi bastards should be fun!" she agreed.
"Momma gave me two dollars a piece for my A's," Tommy lied.
And Aunt Lynn said, from behind him, "Tommy, you are such a liar. Your Momma's been here since one o'clock. You got the note on the coffee table, didn't you?"
Comments
her teeth back in
a trinity, a trinity, we want a trinity - to/too/two
Snapping out,
d
You cliff-hanged me!
me three!
Q
Q