The Day Unfolds

Back at our house, Mom was serving dinner. Terri and our cousin, Gina, helped set the table.  Mom called everyone to the table to eat dinner. Mom began, "Before we eat, everyone will give thanks. I'll begin, Lord; I thank you for my blessed family and for my health."  I went next. I thanked God for everything.  Terri thanked God for taking Dad after he had gotten saved.  For some reason, I just got mad at Terri. Why was she thanking God for something like that? I opened my eyes and looked at Terri, then I yelled, "You dummy!" as I ran from the dining room. Mom was about to go after me, but Terri stopped her and told her to go ahead and eat.  Everyone else around the table gave thanks.

I sat up in my room and just stared at the wall. I was mad. Just straight up mad.  I wanted to scream, but I didn't make a sound. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. The more I wanted to cry and scream, the madder I got. All of a sudden, I heard Dad's voice, "Son, you disrupted dinner.  Was that right?"  After that, I burst into tears and sob on the pillow for a long time.

Everyone ate and talked for what seemed like hours.  Finally, they all left.  I went downstairs.  I apologized for acting like a total and complete fool. Terri had something smart to say as usual. Mom had this strange look in her eyes.  I had only since that look once before. I had seen it the day that she told us that she had been laid off from her job after 15 years of service.

Mom said that she needed to talk to us.  Terri made some excuse about having to watch something on television.  I said that I had to go make a phone call. Mom stopped us both.  She raised her voice and told us to sit down. Terri and I looked at Mom. She never raised her voice.  Even when she was yelling at us.  The only way you knew she was yelling at you was that her nostrils flared. Terri was like that too. She didn't yell even when she yelled.  Now, Dad and I, we were different, when we yelled, the whole neighborhood knew we were yelling.

Terri and I sat down.  Mom began a long speech, "Now that your father has died, we all will have to assume greater responsibilities.  That means that I will have to get a job. Terri you will have to cook dinner sometimes." Lord knows, Terri can't cook.  She tries, but she can't cook.  I objected. That started a fight between Terri and I. Mom cut her eyes at me and Terri.  Then she continued, "Kevin while you are trying to be funny, you will have to assume some of your father's responsibilities such as looking out for your sister, watching over the house. Terri, you will have to help Kevin." This started another fight between Terri and me.  I should have just kept my mouth shut, but Terri was clowning, so I clowned back.  The fight ended when Terri threatened to hit me.

Mom interrupted us, "That's what I am talking about. You two were never at each others throat before your father died. We can't let something like this break up our family unity.  We have to work together and help each other."  Terri had tears in her eyes as she spoke, "Mom, you want to know why we were at each other's throats, because Dad was always at our throats. I never said this before, but how could you live with someone who was like Dad.  I mean, he use to fuse, argue, and curse. Sometimes at night, I would be so scared that I could have screamed. Sometimes, I just wanted him to leave."

I never knew Terri felt like that. She was telling the truth about Dad. He did fuse, argue, and curse before he got saved. He didn't drink, smoke, or hit us, but he did like to yell a lot. He would yell at Mom and she would just calm him down. He was a great person. He always supported us in everything that we did.  He would yell at us when we messed up, but he would always support us.  He was very generous too.  He gave us almost everything we wanted. He just had one flaw, he liked to yell.  After he got saved, he calmed down.  He didn't yell as much. When Dad got saved, it was a good thing. It was strange hearing Terri talk about Dad like this.  Mom was very calm when she said, "Terri, I felt that way sometimes too, but God worked it out in the end." Mom looked at me.  All I could do was apologize for acting like such an idiot.  That was the thing to do because Mom smiled and Terri hugged me. That girl was the mushiest person that I knew.

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