Page 33 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Five

yourself - now get off the floor and just let me do this. Get out
of here. Get out of the kitchen – NOW!”
Daddy is starting to cry and his voice is rattled. “I said I was
s-s-s-s-sorry. I’m really sorry, ha-ha-Honey. I’ll clean it up. I’ll
c-c-c-clean it all up. Ya, ya, ya You were r-r-r-right. Yup you
w-w-w-were r-r-r-right. I’m sorrrrry.”
His words have no impact. “Ivan, leave the mess alone and
get the HELL out of the kitchen and I’m not telling you again!
Maybe next time you’ll listen to me!” She turns her back as she
mops up the shattered glass. I stand there silently, wishing they
would stop yelling. Why can’t they just kiss and make up?
Daddy tries to stand then slumps against the kitchen
wall, defeated. “Well – maybe there just won’t be a next time -
maaaaybe not. I can’t do anything rrr … right. I can’t do anything
right, can I? I’ll just get it over. Rr … right now … and you
won’t have to worry about any next time.” He is muttering but
I can hear him. And understand him. Am I the only one hearing
his whispered threat? Is this for real? Oh Mommy, please don’t be so
mad.
I know Daddy has made many threats like this before, but
this one is happening right in front of me. And I’m scared. I
have heard him behind their closed bedroom door. I have heard
their arguments when they think I’m asleep. But this time there
is no wall between us. This time I can hear everything.
I look over at Daddy, who is now weeping uncontrollably.
Once again he is sitting on the floor in a very sad, pickled mess.
I want to go over and comfort him, but something tells me I
should just stay put. I feel frozen in fear.
Mommy is not responding at all. She has heard these
threats before. She is on her hands and knees, very methodically
picking up the broken glass. She doesn’t even look up at Daddy,
sobbing on the floor.

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