It was one of those little incidents in life, just a part of living I suppose, not that uncommon. In todays' world this story would be analyzed and scrutinized. Counselors and experts would be brought in and perhaps even an intervention ! But this little incident took place sometime during the 1960's. During a time when it was more of a man's world. Our perceptions of manly men, doing manly things, was quite different back then. That isn't to say that they were necessarily correct just that they were.
Now this tale is a recounting of actual events as they happened. At least how they happened as I remember them. I came downstairs for breakfast. Dad is sitting at the head of the table sipping his coffee out of the saucer. That is one of his little quirks. He did have a habit of pouring coffee in the saucer and blowing across it to cool it. Then he would sip it. He was just bent over that coffee and looking a little tired. Mom is rustling around with some dishes in the sink, all is quiet. Nothing unusual about that. It is about this time that I notice the back door. The back door is open a little bit, strange because it is a little cold outside, so I decide to close it. Walking over to the door I noticed the door jam is broken and the door itself is a little damaged around the knob and latch ! I holler to Mom, " what happened to the door ! " I remember being met with eyes like daggers and being told to just shut up ! I'm taken aback, Mom doesn't usually talk that way. I go to say something else and those eyes fall on me again. I know now to not say another word ! A short glance from Dad confirmed that assumption. Suddenly I'm not hungry for breakfast at all. I go to say I'm leaving but before I can utter a sound I am told to just sit down. Being a child wise beyond my years, I comply immediately ! The tension in the air is making me nervous. I didn't do anything wrong, did I ? A bowl of cheerios is sat before me and I eat in complete silence. Dad is just sipping his coffee and Mom has washed the same dish ten times. This can't be good.
After finishing my cereal I am allowed to leave the room. Still no more words have been spoken. I go about my business and stay out of sight. No dummy, I know enough to make myself scarce. Later on, I see Dad leaving. I wonder where he could be going, it is Saturday and he doesn't have to work on Saturday. Well, I expect he has something to do. I went inside, as I had been hiding out playing in the boat in the yard. Dad was doing the bottom on that boat and it had a cabin. It was fun to play inside that cabin and be a pirate or whatever. So, I go inside and ask Mom where Dad is going ? She replies with a tart answer, to the lumber yard ! I ask, what for ? By this time I can tell Mom is getting just a bit annoyed with my questioning. Too late though, Mom goes off on a big story about that kitchen door ! I am forced to stand there and listen while she talks about Dad having too much to drink last night and how men are ! How men are so stupid and go slamming doors and stuff. I hear how she tried to prevent him from going out last night, she pointed out that he had already had enough to drink and didn't need to go out for a beer. It was then that he apparently slammed the door. And then I heard how when he came back that door was locked. But it wasn't locked because of Mom, no, it was locked because Dad slammed it shut and it locked ! Mom had gone to bed by this time but could hear him at the door. She said she heard him rattling at the door and being mad that it was locked. Well, it was his own fault that the door was locked, and if he had remembered his keys he could just unlock that door, but no, because he had been drinking he didn't have his keys ! So, you see it is all his fault ! I just nodded agreement. Mom told me that Dad said, I'll be damned if you will lock me out of my own house ! It was following that outburst that the door met its' fate. That is how the door got broken. According to Mom it is all because men are stupid ! And Dad is going to the hardware store to get stuff to fix it with.
Oh, now I know what the deal is. It took me a little while in my juvenile mind to understand. Dad was wrong and Mom had it on him ! God, I hate it when that happens to me. Poor Dad, and with a hangover too. It is a story that was often repeated in my house, although, never when Dad was around. Mom seemed to enjoy the telling of it and I think she still does. I will say this much, I have learned over the years that alcohol can make your powers of deductive reasoning a bit weak. It can also make you jump to conclusions about things. The funniest part of the whole story is this, the front door was unlocked. I never told Dad that bit of information though and as far as I know Mom didn't either.
Now this tale is a recounting of actual events as they happened. At least how they happened as I remember them. I came downstairs for breakfast. Dad is sitting at the head of the table sipping his coffee out of the saucer. That is one of his little quirks. He did have a habit of pouring coffee in the saucer and blowing across it to cool it. Then he would sip it. He was just bent over that coffee and looking a little tired. Mom is rustling around with some dishes in the sink, all is quiet. Nothing unusual about that. It is about this time that I notice the back door. The back door is open a little bit, strange because it is a little cold outside, so I decide to close it. Walking over to the door I noticed the door jam is broken and the door itself is a little damaged around the knob and latch ! I holler to Mom, " what happened to the door ! " I remember being met with eyes like daggers and being told to just shut up ! I'm taken aback, Mom doesn't usually talk that way. I go to say something else and those eyes fall on me again. I know now to not say another word ! A short glance from Dad confirmed that assumption. Suddenly I'm not hungry for breakfast at all. I go to say I'm leaving but before I can utter a sound I am told to just sit down. Being a child wise beyond my years, I comply immediately ! The tension in the air is making me nervous. I didn't do anything wrong, did I ? A bowl of cheerios is sat before me and I eat in complete silence. Dad is just sipping his coffee and Mom has washed the same dish ten times. This can't be good.
After finishing my cereal I am allowed to leave the room. Still no more words have been spoken. I go about my business and stay out of sight. No dummy, I know enough to make myself scarce. Later on, I see Dad leaving. I wonder where he could be going, it is Saturday and he doesn't have to work on Saturday. Well, I expect he has something to do. I went inside, as I had been hiding out playing in the boat in the yard. Dad was doing the bottom on that boat and it had a cabin. It was fun to play inside that cabin and be a pirate or whatever. So, I go inside and ask Mom where Dad is going ? She replies with a tart answer, to the lumber yard ! I ask, what for ? By this time I can tell Mom is getting just a bit annoyed with my questioning. Too late though, Mom goes off on a big story about that kitchen door ! I am forced to stand there and listen while she talks about Dad having too much to drink last night and how men are ! How men are so stupid and go slamming doors and stuff. I hear how she tried to prevent him from going out last night, she pointed out that he had already had enough to drink and didn't need to go out for a beer. It was then that he apparently slammed the door. And then I heard how when he came back that door was locked. But it wasn't locked because of Mom, no, it was locked because Dad slammed it shut and it locked ! Mom had gone to bed by this time but could hear him at the door. She said she heard him rattling at the door and being mad that it was locked. Well, it was his own fault that the door was locked, and if he had remembered his keys he could just unlock that door, but no, because he had been drinking he didn't have his keys ! So, you see it is all his fault ! I just nodded agreement. Mom told me that Dad said, I'll be damned if you will lock me out of my own house ! It was following that outburst that the door met its' fate. That is how the door got broken. According to Mom it is all because men are stupid ! And Dad is going to the hardware store to get stuff to fix it with.
Oh, now I know what the deal is. It took me a little while in my juvenile mind to understand. Dad was wrong and Mom had it on him ! God, I hate it when that happens to me. Poor Dad, and with a hangover too. It is a story that was often repeated in my house, although, never when Dad was around. Mom seemed to enjoy the telling of it and I think she still does. I will say this much, I have learned over the years that alcohol can make your powers of deductive reasoning a bit weak. It can also make you jump to conclusions about things. The funniest part of the whole story is this, the front door was unlocked. I never told Dad that bit of information though and as far as I know Mom didn't either.
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