Have Hope
By:Gen1900
My brother’s body heat next to me kept myself from being exposed from the cold outside of the blankets. It wasn’t only the cold temperature that made me shiver but the loud voices that shook the walls of the house.
My parents were arguing, again. Nothing new there, yet the way my Mother sobbed her words pricked the edge of my spine.
I couldn’t believe how my brother slept so peacefully with nothing bothering his sweet, innocent dreams.
“WE CAN’T AFFORD THIS! WHY IN THE HELL DID YOU BUY IT?!” yelled my Father with his speech slurring a little bit. He never talked normal for alcohol remained in his system…always. He’d hit the bars every night after supper and come home around one in the morning. That still didn’t give Mom enough time to prepare for the monster she would have to deal with.
“I had too, Johnny. Ethan can’t wear the same holey shoes for the rest of his life. He needed a new pair,” replied Mom, quietly.
“HE CAN GO BAREFOOT FOR ALL I CARE!” exclaimed Dad hitting the ceiling in the process.
“HECK, ” he continued, “YOU AND HEATHER DON’T NEED TO WEAR SHOES TOO! IT’LL COST LESS!”
Mom answered, “What about during the wintertime? How are we suppose to walk outside without shoes?”
Silence.
I hugged my brother close when I heard the dreaded noise. It was the sound of a fist hitting someone in the face. Poor Mom, if I could protect her I would. But I would only enhance the pain she was already receiving.
“STOP! STOP!” moaned Mom as she dragged herself closer to our bedroom door.
“NO! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME!” her husband shouted back.
As the sound continued, I looked up at the ceiling.
“Dear Lord, save us.”
Two days later, Mom, Ethan, and I left Dad to deal with himself. We crept out quietly while he was sleeping one morning after his drinking episode. Things got better after that. The Lord did save us.
Short Stories
Comments are closed.
2 Likes
909 Views
Share:
Thank goodness for this happy ending. Nobody deserves such treatment from anyone, even if it’s a family member. Whether drunk or having a rough day; there is no excuse. I believe that prayer can be powerful and it was very powerful in this short story. Good job!
Thank you very much! 🙂