Chapter 19
422 Words
9 years earlier
My mom, Clair and I are sitting at the kitchen table drawing. I'm drawing a cat dancing with an ice cream cone in her hand. Clair is drawing a flower. And mom is drawing a sunset. Obviously mine is more creative, I always win best drawing.
"3...2...1...STOP! HANDS UP!" My mom yells out when time is up. We all show our pictures to Nymus for him to decide whose is better. I grab Nymus's back pretending hes talking and say "Maria's picture wins!" Both Clair and my mom grunts and says "aw man! Again??" I giggle.
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP WITH ALL THE DAMN YELLING" Dad yells from the bedroom. My mom looks at us, putting her finger to her mouth indicating for us to be quiet.
"We're just having a drawing contest, hun!" My mom replies sweetly. He comes out of the room with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. "Did I ask?" The calmness in the way he says that is alarming. My mom tries to speak but he cuts her off. "Did...I...ask?" I can tell he's about to snap. My mom doesn't respond that time, instead she just looks directly at him.
He snaps. Hitting the table with his fist and yelling "Don't ignore me God dammit!" Causing all of us to jump. I can see my moms eyes get glossy as she responds with "im sorry...we'll keep the noise down" my dad always ruins these happy little moments with his drinking and temper.
He looks down at the ground, his legs are shoulder width apart. He then begins to whisper "you didn't answer my question." My mom says "huh" and almost immediately after she says that he snaps. "YOU DIDNT ANSWER MY QUESTION!" He throws the glass bottle at the side of the fridge and walks toward my mom when Clair stands up and blocks him from her.
"Get out of my f*****g way."
She doesn't move.
He punches her jaw causing her to fall backwards and hit her head on the kitchen counter. My mom and I immediately start crying as we run to Clair.
...theres blood...shes not responding...my mom is yelling...she gets up and runs to the phone...
"MY SISTER ISNT BREATHING! PLEASE SEND SOMEONE!"
I see my dad start to panic, and he runs out the back door.
When my mom hangs up the phone she runs back over to Clair, laying her flat on the floor. She begins CPR.
"Mommy is Clair gone..?"
....
She doesn't respond to my question.
- Writer
