She lay stretched on the couch, two pillows to prop up her feet, for three days. She never changed her clothes. Just wore her blue jeans and a pink t-shirt. Her bare feet and a pale face. She never seemed to move; except her mouth. "If you are hungry, make sandwiches for you and your sister."
Tommy would ask her if she were sick and she would say things were fine. Everything is alright.
But at night Tommy could not sleep because he heard her crying.
"Goddamn you, Chet, Goddamn you..."
The sunlight bursting through the leaves prevented Tommy from looking up. It was just as well, looking up only reminded him that he could not climb a tree. Instead, sitting on his shadowed hillside perch,straight in his line of vision, Tommy saw some of the other recess children who were with joined hands, holding up those who ran away from the blacktop with their arms.
Tommy ran home from school.
He did not walk with Mirko.
He figured Sissy would likely be starving by now, just like yesterday.
Momma was not in the kitchen. Tommy came in the back door, so he could sneak an apple,to eat first by himself, but soon he discovered Momma was not in the living room, on the couch either, poking his head around the corner, before opening the fridge.
Tommy found Momma in the bathroom.
And there was blood.
And she was naked. Naked and screaming, "Tommy, get out. Get out, Tommy. Get out." Red hand trying to do just that.
He got out, before it touched him.
And then Tommy called his father.
Tommy waited in the corner of the kitchen. And he did not want to hang up the phone.
He heard his father come in the front, but Tommy watched him take Momma out the back door.
Still naked and red.
And sobbing, "I lost it. I lost it. I lost it."
Before his father stepped through the doorway, he looked over his shoulder at Tommy. He said, "You mind your sister and I will be back soon."
But no one came back for two days.
Tommy would ask her if she were sick and she would say things were fine. Everything is alright.
But at night Tommy could not sleep because he heard her crying.
"Goddamn you, Chet, Goddamn you..."
The sunlight bursting through the leaves prevented Tommy from looking up. It was just as well, looking up only reminded him that he could not climb a tree. Instead, sitting on his shadowed hillside perch,straight in his line of vision, Tommy saw some of the other recess children who were with joined hands, holding up those who ran away from the blacktop with their arms.
Tommy ran home from school.
He did not walk with Mirko.
He figured Sissy would likely be starving by now, just like yesterday.
Momma was not in the kitchen. Tommy came in the back door, so he could sneak an apple,to eat first by himself, but soon he discovered Momma was not in the living room, on the couch either, poking his head around the corner, before opening the fridge.
Tommy found Momma in the bathroom.
And there was blood.
And she was naked. Naked and screaming, "Tommy, get out. Get out, Tommy. Get out." Red hand trying to do just that.
He got out, before it touched him.
And then Tommy called his father.
Tommy waited in the corner of the kitchen. And he did not want to hang up the phone.
He heard his father come in the front, but Tommy watched him take Momma out the back door.
Still naked and red.
And sobbing, "I lost it. I lost it. I lost it."
Before his father stepped through the doorway, he looked over his shoulder at Tommy. He said, "You mind your sister and I will be back soon."
But no one came back for two days.
Comments
That's for the blog only.
Q