Another dream about my father
He was mad because I died before my mom and stuck
her with a big funeral bill
In my dreams dad was always upset
Always lecturing
Waking up was like swimming to the surface and gasping
for air
Relief.
Thankful to be awake
Soon after relief, my phone began buzzing
It was Max
She was uncharacteristically hysterical
Something about Gina, her bad boyfriend, black-eye, guy
needs a beating, he lied to my princess and deserves to die
I said I'd be over in an hour
Max was a mess
She was half drunk in her easy chair scribbling nonsense in
a tiny notebook
"Max are you alright?"
"I have to write this down before I forget, you'll need it
She tore the page out of her notebook and handed it to me
I couldn't read it
"Max read this to me"
She looked at the paper, "Martin, fun, al, Newark"
"What's that mean?"
"That's the guy needs a beating"
She was slurring her words, reaching for a bottle, knocking
things on the floor
Suddenly she threw up
"Oh no, look at that."
Gina showed up about thirty minutes after I called her
Max was doubled over in her easy chair, asleep
I had managed to clean up the puke, picked up the things
she'd knocked over and put her little notebook in my coat
Gina put the baby down and looked closely at her mom
"How long has she been like this?"
"I walked in she was like this, she handed me this piece of
paper with something written on it, I can't read it"
Gina looked at it. "Did she tell you what she'd written?"
"Something about a lie, a black eye, and a guy deserved to
die"
"Your quite the poet." She handed the paper back to me.
"Being a jerk doesn't qualify one for the death penalty"
The handwriting on this is so bad that I bet if I took this to
the pharmacy I could get you some painkillers for that
black eye"
She wasn't amused but couldn't help smiling
Laughter followed
We fell back on the sofa
"You know that's funny." I said
"Yeah, it's only...only you would come up with that..."
More laughter.
Then Max woke up. "What's all the racket?"
"Johnny made me laugh, ma."
"Then keep him."
Cut to: Gina's living room Later that night
Gina makes up the sofa so I can sleep over
Stand guard.
Protection from the bad boyfriend
She explained everything over coffee and cigarettes
"It's nice to have someone watch over me"
"Just trying to be of service"
"You were always a good boy, Johnny. Mom always liked
you."
I detected a slightly condescending tone
She smiled sweetly and for a second Gina was the little girl
I remembered from all those years ago
Following me, pushing a baby carriage
But we had grown up and tonight
I was the thug, she was the princess
A thug with bodies buried in various places
A Princess with a black eye.
Max was asleep
About the Creator
David Parham
Writer, Filmmaker, Digital artist.
The ever Changing Complexities of Life, Fear, Mysteries and Capturing that which may not be there Tomorrow.
Complex, Change, Fear, Mystery, Tomorrow & Capture. Six reasons I write.
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