Wednesday, April 15, 2009

you never know

"Where did your Mom go off too?" Charlotte asked who had got started early on with the dishes. She just couldn't stand to see all those dishes in the sink. She put a little dish soap and bleach in the water and went to work. She was determined to recover the kitchen. Of course, Rosco and Archie stared at the livingroom covered in magazines. Somewhere was a couch and a Lazy-boy recliner. They were taking their time and Emily was looking around as if she might not want to find something. A rat perhaps.

"Does it matter?" Emily shrugged. "She didn't come here to help, you know. She's got other things on her mind."

"I doubt it. She wants to help." Charlotte though, anyway. She couldn't possibly see anything in Parker, could she?

"I don't want her here." Emily sighed.

"Why?"

"Just because, all right, and if Parker can occupy her time, then great. OK." Emily picked up a few dishes to dry then and put them away. Of course, it was a puzzle to know where things went. The cabinets were more or less empty.

"I think there is something you're not telling me." Charlotte scrubbed harder.

"Like what?" Emily sort of laughed.

"I dunno."

"I wonder if they kissed." Emily stated.

"I think I'd know." Charlotte felt sure Parker would not have kept quite about that.

Emily just smiled at the thought.

"You want them together, don't you?" Charlotte looked at her then.

"Why not? I mean, she's had to put up with Dad and his crap. He wasn't perfect, you know. I'm not saying he was the worst, but he was miserable to put up with. I think he was going through some sort of PMS. She swears he was nothing like that when they first met. That she just thought he was a genius or something, and believe me, you'd never know it. He's an asshole."

"Bitter are we?" Charlotte could start in on her own, but she didn't. Her father was the sort you couldn't get through. He'd been a drunk since the first time she noticed him. And her Mom always made a point of her having to spend time with him. At least once a week. And then suddenly, she had to spend all her time with him. All the time.

"I think he left because of me." Emily told Charlotte then about her own father.

"Well, maybe you're just thinking about yourself too much there. You probably had nothing to do with it." Charlotte hadn't meant to be mean about it, but usually, it was never anyone's fault but their own. Charlotte thought so anyway with her own Dad. He was the stubborn kind who was once cool. Now nobody wanted him. He'd have somebody taking care of him from time to time, but then they'd wise up and move on.

"Whatever."

Charlotte just nodded. No need to dwell on it. She went back to scrubbing. This was just the residue of a life that needed cleaning up. Even if it was long gone by now.

8 comments:

miriam said...

hmm, wonder how many of kids out there (both adults and youngsters) who prob think their dads left because of them. i know a few...

ellie said...

I think we always feel thing are our fault..and then there are some..its never there fault.

the oaks said...

Charlotte's more worried than Emily about her Mom.

diane said...

Where have all the real men gone? My father was wonderful and charming til the day he died.

I hope I'll be able to access your page while I'm gone. I don't know what I'll do without my daily "fix". xo

cait said...

Thanks guys for the notes. I do appreciate them.

Unknown said...

Oh...I liked how they talked about this.

raspberry said...

Interesting talk, I got to understand a lot of their insecurities... I'm sorry they have to live with that.
Such good writing.

raspberry said...

What have you been up to, Cait?