When I got home from co-op, my worst fears greeted me. My mom was lying
on the couch with a half-drunk bottle of vodka. I just stared at her.
"Don't give me that look Eleanor," she said, the words slurred because she was more than a little tipsy.
"Mom, what..." I trailed off, unable to complete a sentence.
"I didn't get the job, okay? I just needed a little pick-me-up. Things'll go back to normal tomorrow."
"Things already have gone back to normal. This," I said, sweeping my hands across the room, "is normal. The past few days have been heaven, and now things have gone back to normal."
"Don't cry Eleanor," she said sharply. "Get upstairs, and get control of yourself."
"The only one who needs to get control is you, mother! You need to get control of your damn drinking," I shouted.
My mother stood up, swaying on her feet, and staggered over to me. She looked me in the eyes, and slapped me. Then she fell over. I helped her back up onto the couch, same as I always did, and went upstairs. The first thing I did was change into my clothes. The second thing I did was reach for my razor.
"Don't give me that look Eleanor," she said, the words slurred because she was more than a little tipsy.
"Mom, what..." I trailed off, unable to complete a sentence.
"I didn't get the job, okay? I just needed a little pick-me-up. Things'll go back to normal tomorrow."
"Things already have gone back to normal. This," I said, sweeping my hands across the room, "is normal. The past few days have been heaven, and now things have gone back to normal."
"Don't cry Eleanor," she said sharply. "Get upstairs, and get control of yourself."
"The only one who needs to get control is you, mother! You need to get control of your damn drinking," I shouted.
My mother stood up, swaying on her feet, and staggered over to me. She looked me in the eyes, and slapped me. Then she fell over. I helped her back up onto the couch, same as I always did, and went upstairs. The first thing I did was change into my clothes. The second thing I did was reach for my razor.
