The In-Between

009

Ten

Ten things they never tell you about the alcoholics daughter.

One, She love's her mother. And by the time she learns to love herself the world would have ended three times over.

Two, Her friends never believe her. They never believe her until she comes to school with bruises on her hands and as dirty as an old oil rag.

Three, Her daddy is a contractor. He builds houses and demolishes them. Maybe that's why he's so good at breaking everything he's ever made.

Four, The girl and her father always disappear into a new neighborhood. They were never poor but they never made it out of the projects either.

Five, By the she realizes what he is it's too late. The yelling and degrading has gotten worse and her voice has gotten smaller.

Six, Her father has killed. He has gotten away with murder apparently one time maybe more, but he never said anything unless he wasn't sober.

Seven. Her father was killed. He ran into a sign faster than he could comprehend his blood alcohol level was higher than his own weight. But you probably knew this was going to happen because the alcoholic always dies.

Her body is a walking memorabilia of her fathers wrath, She's afraid he will crawl out of her like vines, her eyes hold the visionary of her mothers screams. That's eight.

And she still can't believe she ever wanted to love him so badly but at the same time she hated him that's nine.

And we are still going on this tangent about the ten things you don't know about —————-
the ten things you don't know about the neglected child.

Ten. I've heard all of the sayings that drugs can turn someone into a monster, the people can turn you into a monster but like most women we have only ever learned to protect ourselves.