Life Of Two Best Friends CHPT 14

CHAPTER 15

I was just walking away. It felt like I was walking away from a part of me. What just happened. I just left, and now my mom is going to disown me. How could she selfishly divorce…Dad! No wonder Dad looked so strange this morning. He had been grieving from Mom’s stupid decision. I need to get home to him; but I suddenly remember I have no car. Looking down at my phone, dead. Of course, taxi it is. Hopefully Dad will be understanding towards the expensive taxi bill on the card.

‘Could this car ride be any slower?’ “Could you find a faster route?” I asked the driver who seemed to be taking the longest way possible.

“I can, but it will cost extra. I won’t be paying the bill for you kid. You got the green?” The taxi driver yelled over his shoulder not really giving a crap about me.

“Sure whatever. I’ll tip you twenty bucks if you get me there in twenty minutes or less,” I said because we are currently at snail speed; I was hoping the bribe would entice the driver to pick up the pace, at least to car speed.

“Your words, and I’ll hold you to them,” he said as he stepped on it.

Yeah, we got to my house in seventeen minutes; It was the most terrifying seventeen minutes of my life. I gave him twenty-five bucks in tip because he did, surprisingly, got me home in one piece and quickly. He tried to get me to pay more. Maybe, because he saw the house and thought I was one of those well of kids. I told him, ‘I can drop it back to twenty,’ at that he rolled up his window and darted off.

Remembering the purpose of all this, Dad! I pull out my keys and open the door.

Their wedding picture was laying on the ground, the glass shattered all over the ground. Mom’s face was scratched. Walking carefully around it, “Dad!? Where are you?” Continuing throughout the glass maze house, I search for him. All their pictures were all broken and shattered. A few empty bottles of whisky were scattered on the buffet; the same place where dad had been sitting when I left this morning. ‘Did he start drinking when I left.’ Hopefully that last thought was not true. I started up the stairs and there was strong smell of liquor.

“Hmmm, bghmmm, balaaaaa,” a mumbling voice came from my parent’s room.

Of all places why did he end up there? Opening their door, there sat the man I’ve always looked up to. My dad was sitting on the bed, close to the side table. He was hunched over looking at a family portrait. A half drunk bottle of whiskey sat next to the lamp.

“Why’d you ta…ke ev..erything frommmm me,” Dad said sluring his words. “You,” he sobbed, “you…took my on..l..y preciousssss thing. Why did you…havvve to take himmmmm.”

“Dad?” No response. My dad had gone off the deep end. He was pouring his heart out to this picture. I finally knew why he was drinking. My mom must have told him some crap about me choosing to live with her. “Dad?”

“I must…be dr..uuunk. Thisss pictttuure iss talkingg to meeee nooww,” he said as he grasped the picture to his chest. “I lovvveee you sssson…”

He was out before I could get to him. He fell back onto the bed; still grasping the photo. “Oh, Dad. Don’t worry I won’t be leaving you anytime soon. You’re stuck with me. I love you too,” taking his shoes off and swinging his legs up onto the bed. I make sure he is sleeping on his side. ‘I know this from the movies; see teachers, movies can be educational.’ I tried to take the photo away, but I guess Dad is determined to sleep with it as he latches onto the frame tighter. Lastly, I cover him with a blanket, and I leave him to his drunken slumbers. I decide to leave the door cracked; just incase he needs me.

‘Shower?’ I decide to clean the house first. I don’t want Dad to worry about anything when he wakes up tomorrow. Before starting, I check on him and he needed to puke; yes, some of the puke got me, but thankfully most of it went into the toilet. Also thankfully I hadn’t showered before cleaning. Once he emptied his stomach, he fell back asleep soundly. As I cleaned up, I could hear his snoring. It was going to be a long night. Shower time.

I’ll do the homework tomorrow; I’m pooped. One more check on Dad; he was completely out of it. It’s two o’clock… sleep time for me. Hopefully I wake up on time for early practice tomorrow. ‘Goodnight those who are reading; I’ll talk more tomorrow.’

…

My alarm went off at some point, but I must have turned it off. The second one…off. The third…off. The fourth…”FINE!” I yell pulling myself into an upright position, as I turn off the blaring alarm. I have to get up. I have to go. Get up. Get up! ‘Yelling at yourself only works so much’; so I throw my body off the bed and into a standing upright.

Dad?! I ran to his bedroom; he was still out of it. Lucky him. I wish I could still be out of it. I close the door quietly, go back to my room, change, and grab my gear for practice. Heading downstairs, ‘Woops’, I forgot about the empty bottles. Initially thinking of throwing them out, I stopped suddenly. Instead, I line them on the buffet. I also put the half opened one from last night there too.

As I got my breakfast together, my phone went off; it was a text from Jerry saying he had arrived. With my current headache, I didn’t want to think about driving. Before leaving for practice, I wrote a note for Dad and quickly stuck it to a bottle. ‘No more of this. I am not leaving. You are my dad. So get rid of all of this. If you are awake by eleven-thirty come to the pool and pick me up. -George.’

Another bleep from my phone, “Cool it Jerry, sheesh.” I grab my gear and leave. I’m not going to discuss what happened, with anyone, until I talk with Dad.