Creature.
Is the Only.
Soon before my papaw passed way, my mom started to make enough money weekly to afford rent. We moved into the house next door to my mamaw, papaw, and uncle. It wasn't much. The windows let in the cold winter air. We had to use space heaters. But it was always the thought that counted when I was younger. When we lived in the 'red house', my mom worked at the local factory, Chrystal Thermal Products. I remember waking up at four a.m. every morning and walking to my mamaws house. After my papaw died, the smile I used to get in the morning from her, started to gently fade away.
I remember the day of my eighth birthday, it was the first birthday I had went through without my papaw, and I was lost. None the less, I was excited for my present, and the birthday dinner. My mom cooked some food on the grill on our front porch. I vividly remember seeing this blue car pass slowly by our house. I, being eight years old, didn't think much about it. My mom looked worried. She evenutally lost her worried glance towards me. I grabbed my basketball and walked out of the gate and onto the sidewalk and started dribbling the ball, when the blue car showed up again, but this time it stopped paralell to my mom's car.
"Happy birthday baby girl." Those words echoed in my head, over and over, and I just stared in astonishment at my father, who was now walking towards me. Four years, not a phone call. Not a visit. Not a birthday card. Not even a child support payment. I don't remember if I was happy to see him or not. I don't even remember what I said to him. All I remember is my mom telling him to leave, to call not show up. My brother grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me into the house. I remember crying. I don't remember if I was crying because I was scared, or if I was sad my mom was yelling at him. I don't remember what they said to eachother, but I remember watching out of the window as my father drove off down the street. I watch the car til it turned at the stop sign, and it was out of sight.
This wasn't the first time my dad has tried something stupid with me. This isn't the first time he has bailed out on me, and it surely won't be the last.
When I was four years old, on a summer day, my dad showed up to visit me for a little while, I remember standing on the back porch and talking to him. He kept telling me that I was going to live with him now, that I didn't need my mom. He always told me that she didn't want me, she just wanted me so he couldn't see me. That this was her way of keeping him miserable for everything he had done to her. My brother was walking out of the back door as my dad was pulling me down the ramp with him. I cried, kicked, screamed, and yelled for my mom. Eventually I was swooped out of my dad's grip by my mom. He left around the corner of the house, and I didn't see him for almost 6 more months.
On Christmas Eve of the same year, I was sitting in the living on my papaws lap,
I remember the day of my eighth birthday, it was the first birthday I had went through without my papaw, and I was lost. None the less, I was excited for my present, and the birthday dinner. My mom cooked some food on the grill on our front porch. I vividly remember seeing this blue car pass slowly by our house. I, being eight years old, didn't think much about it. My mom looked worried. She evenutally lost her worried glance towards me. I grabbed my basketball and walked out of the gate and onto the sidewalk and started dribbling the ball, when the blue car showed up again, but this time it stopped paralell to my mom's car.
"Happy birthday baby girl." Those words echoed in my head, over and over, and I just stared in astonishment at my father, who was now walking towards me. Four years, not a phone call. Not a visit. Not a birthday card. Not even a child support payment. I don't remember if I was happy to see him or not. I don't even remember what I said to him. All I remember is my mom telling him to leave, to call not show up. My brother grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me into the house. I remember crying. I don't remember if I was crying because I was scared, or if I was sad my mom was yelling at him. I don't remember what they said to eachother, but I remember watching out of the window as my father drove off down the street. I watch the car til it turned at the stop sign, and it was out of sight.
This wasn't the first time my dad has tried something stupid with me. This isn't the first time he has bailed out on me, and it surely won't be the last.
When I was four years old, on a summer day, my dad showed up to visit me for a little while, I remember standing on the back porch and talking to him. He kept telling me that I was going to live with him now, that I didn't need my mom. He always told me that she didn't want me, she just wanted me so he couldn't see me. That this was her way of keeping him miserable for everything he had done to her. My brother was walking out of the back door as my dad was pulling me down the ramp with him. I cried, kicked, screamed, and yelled for my mom. Eventually I was swooped out of my dad's grip by my mom. He left around the corner of the house, and I didn't see him for almost 6 more months.
On Christmas Eve of the same year, I was sitting in the living on my papaws lap,