Max's bloodshot eye creeped open to discover a small fuzzy animal standing
in front of him. Max closed his
eye and opened it again this time trying to fixate on
what was next to him. What came into focus was his son Zach, sitting on
the coffee table, staring at him. Next to Zach, was a bottle of 12-yr. old
scotch with less than a swallow left in it.
"Must have been some fight for mom to put you on the couch," Zach said confidently.
All Max could do was moan from the pain that erupted in his head.
"And by the looks of things, ..." Zack picked up the bottle, "... it must have been a lu lu."
Still not saying anything, Max struggled to lift his head off the couch. He squinted and, while holding his head, got up very slowly.
"Was it bad?" Zach asked, referring to the situation that put Max in this state. Max, with his eyes still closed, just nodded the cringed as the movement from his head accentuated the pain.
"She'll get over it," Zach said, consoling his dad as if he spoke from experience. "Whenever I do something bad, mom always says, 'I'd rather live with your mistakes than live without you.' The same probably goes for you, too."
Max could only wish that to be true. Opening both eyes, he motioned with his head for his son to come to him. Zach got closer as Max replied, "Give your old man a hug, but softly."
Zach put his arms around Max's neck and squeezed gently. He kissed his son on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "Now get lost."
Zach smiled, getting the message, and took off upstairs to get ready for school. Max held his head, wishing he had his gun close by to put him out of his misery. He picked up the almost empty scotch bottle and shook his head. It all came back to him now, last night, 99, and the bad news that he laid on her. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of coffee brewing in the kitchen. He wanted badly to go in and get a cup, but he figured 99 was in there and if she saw him, she'd probably pour it over his head, ... that along with the coffee pot. Another whiff came to him, this time not so appealing. The smell of bacon frying. This made Max instantly nauseous as he raced to the bathroom near the laundry, and relieved himself of last night's binge. Moments later, he emerged a bit disheveled, but feeling slightly better than before. His head still feeling ten times bigger than normal, as he carefully made his way to the kitchen. With the kids in the house, he figured 99 wouldn't make too big a scene until they left for school, so he was safe. He stood by the kitchen door, debating whether to go in, when suddenly the thundering herd came down the stairs. All three yelled, laughed and poked at each other trying to be the first into the kitchen. The noise expanded in his head as they pushed their way past him.
"I win!" Zach proudly exclaimed. 99 whipped around and sternly chastised him, "Zach Smart, how many times have I told you ...?" 99 stopped when she saw Max standing behind him. "All of you, sit down and eat."
All three kids hurried, and began eating their breakfast. Max said nothing as he slowly reached for a cup and poured the much-needed coffee. He sat down and quietly sipped his coffee as 99 sat across from him, saying nothing. There was a deadly silence around the table, then Zach leaned over and whispered to his sister, "They had a huge fight last night." Maxine motioned an "Oh" from her mouth, and kept right on eating.
The horn from outside indicated that the school bus had just arrived. "Bus is here," 99 said, as she gave her kids their lunches, then kissed each one as they headed out. Zach, the last to leave, looked at his dad, "You gonna be here when we get back?" Max just rolled his eyes and waved him off.
With the kids gone, Max waited for 99 to return to the kitchen. The tension was so thick, Max had no idea what to say to her even if she was talking to him. 99 came back into the kitchen and started to clean up. Max just looked at her. She nervously kept busy washing and stacking dishes. Just him sitting there staring at her, made her uptight, as she slammed and banged the pots around louder. 99 couldn't take it anymore as she slammed a dish down and broke it. She whipped around and confronted Max.
"What do you want me to say?" 99 yelled at him.
"I don't know," Max said quietly, with his head bowed.
"Do you want me to say, 'Oh Max, don't worry. It's all going to be just fine. We can all get together on Sunday's for dinner, our kids, Christy and your other kid. One big happy family'?" 99 asked sarcastically, as she slammed down another dish. She stormed out of the kitchen, and Max followed her out.
"This is a great big mess, and I don't know how to handle it. Do you?" 99 cried in an uproar.
Max looked at her with all seriousness, "I'll pack my things and be out of here as soon as I can. I'll contact a lawyer tomorrow, if you'd like."
"So that's how you want to handle this, huh?" 99 asked, as she threw her hands up. "That's right, Max, take the easy way out. You walk out and leave me with three kids plus, thanks to you, another one on the way."
Max couldn't take anymore of her rage. "For God's sake, what do you want from me? First you hate my guts after I tell you what happened, and now you don't want me to leave? I can't live with you in the same house if you're going to remind me of it for the rest of my life."
"I don't have to remind you of anything. This woman you screwed or, as you put it, she screwed you, is having your child. It should be permanently etched in your brain."
99 sat down with her hands in her face. She looked down and held her stomach, "Max, I thought about this last night and, given everything that's going on, I've decided ..." 99 struggled with what she wanted to say. "I think it would be best ...," 99 paused then looked straight at Max, "I want to abort this baby."
To be continued..
"Must have been some fight for mom to put you on the couch," Zach said confidently.
All Max could do was moan from the pain that erupted in his head.
"And by the looks of things, ..." Zack picked up the bottle, "... it must have been a lu lu."
Still not saying anything, Max struggled to lift his head off the couch. He squinted and, while holding his head, got up very slowly.
"Was it bad?" Zach asked, referring to the situation that put Max in this state. Max, with his eyes still closed, just nodded the cringed as the movement from his head accentuated the pain.
"She'll get over it," Zach said, consoling his dad as if he spoke from experience. "Whenever I do something bad, mom always says, 'I'd rather live with your mistakes than live without you.' The same probably goes for you, too."
Max could only wish that to be true. Opening both eyes, he motioned with his head for his son to come to him. Zach got closer as Max replied, "Give your old man a hug, but softly."
Zach put his arms around Max's neck and squeezed gently. He kissed his son on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "Now get lost."
Zach smiled, getting the message, and took off upstairs to get ready for school. Max held his head, wishing he had his gun close by to put him out of his misery. He picked up the almost empty scotch bottle and shook his head. It all came back to him now, last night, 99, and the bad news that he laid on her. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of coffee brewing in the kitchen. He wanted badly to go in and get a cup, but he figured 99 was in there and if she saw him, she'd probably pour it over his head, ... that along with the coffee pot. Another whiff came to him, this time not so appealing. The smell of bacon frying. This made Max instantly nauseous as he raced to the bathroom near the laundry, and relieved himself of last night's binge. Moments later, he emerged a bit disheveled, but feeling slightly better than before. His head still feeling ten times bigger than normal, as he carefully made his way to the kitchen. With the kids in the house, he figured 99 wouldn't make too big a scene until they left for school, so he was safe. He stood by the kitchen door, debating whether to go in, when suddenly the thundering herd came down the stairs. All three yelled, laughed and poked at each other trying to be the first into the kitchen. The noise expanded in his head as they pushed their way past him.
"I win!" Zach proudly exclaimed. 99 whipped around and sternly chastised him, "Zach Smart, how many times have I told you ...?" 99 stopped when she saw Max standing behind him. "All of you, sit down and eat."
All three kids hurried, and began eating their breakfast. Max said nothing as he slowly reached for a cup and poured the much-needed coffee. He sat down and quietly sipped his coffee as 99 sat across from him, saying nothing. There was a deadly silence around the table, then Zach leaned over and whispered to his sister, "They had a huge fight last night." Maxine motioned an "Oh" from her mouth, and kept right on eating.
The horn from outside indicated that the school bus had just arrived. "Bus is here," 99 said, as she gave her kids their lunches, then kissed each one as they headed out. Zach, the last to leave, looked at his dad, "You gonna be here when we get back?" Max just rolled his eyes and waved him off.
With the kids gone, Max waited for 99 to return to the kitchen. The tension was so thick, Max had no idea what to say to her even if she was talking to him. 99 came back into the kitchen and started to clean up. Max just looked at her. She nervously kept busy washing and stacking dishes. Just him sitting there staring at her, made her uptight, as she slammed and banged the pots around louder. 99 couldn't take it anymore as she slammed a dish down and broke it. She whipped around and confronted Max.
"What do you want me to say?" 99 yelled at him.
"I don't know," Max said quietly, with his head bowed.
"Do you want me to say, 'Oh Max, don't worry. It's all going to be just fine. We can all get together on Sunday's for dinner, our kids, Christy and your other kid. One big happy family'?" 99 asked sarcastically, as she slammed down another dish. She stormed out of the kitchen, and Max followed her out.
"This is a great big mess, and I don't know how to handle it. Do you?" 99 cried in an uproar.
Max looked at her with all seriousness, "I'll pack my things and be out of here as soon as I can. I'll contact a lawyer tomorrow, if you'd like."
"So that's how you want to handle this, huh?" 99 asked, as she threw her hands up. "That's right, Max, take the easy way out. You walk out and leave me with three kids plus, thanks to you, another one on the way."
Max couldn't take anymore of her rage. "For God's sake, what do you want from me? First you hate my guts after I tell you what happened, and now you don't want me to leave? I can't live with you in the same house if you're going to remind me of it for the rest of my life."
"I don't have to remind you of anything. This woman you screwed or, as you put it, she screwed you, is having your child. It should be permanently etched in your brain."
99 sat down with her hands in her face. She looked down and held her stomach, "Max, I thought about this last night and, given everything that's going on, I've decided ..." 99 struggled with what she wanted to say. "I think it would be best ...," 99 paused then looked straight at Max, "I want to abort this baby."
To be continued..