Broken Glass

 

It was the year 1950. A coal black night sky covered Sunny Village. In one of the wooden cottages, Kevin, a little 6 year old boy, was sitting in the corner. He had his knees brought up to his chest and he was rocking back and fourth, sobbing silently.

Suddenly, stomping could be heard outside the small home. Then there were hundreds of loud and impatient knocks on the door. Kevin gasped, quickly stood up, and ran to his room. While the boy was running, Mary, Kevin's mother, glared at him and walked to the door. When she opened it she smiled "Mark dear!" she said happily to the drunk man behind it. His eyes were red and his breath stank with alcohol, his blond hair looked messy and unwashed, and his clothes were dirty, full of mud and beer spills.

Mark pushed Mary out of his way and stomped loudly inside. "Boy, come in here!" he exclaimed angrily. Kevin peeked out of the small crack in his door and opened it. As he trudged his feet to the man, tears were running down his cheeks. Mark growled and slapped the shivering boy "you ain't nothing like a man, you're just a child, a little wimp" his voice was rough and slow. Then he kicked Kevin to the hard ground and walked to a wooden chair. He slumped down and put his head on the back of it. In a few seconds, he fell into a deep and loud sleep. Marry just shrugged her shoulders and walked into the kitchen without even looking at her hurt son.

The next morning was foggy and muggy. Mark was still sleeping in his old wooden chair. He

was snoring loudly. The noise filled the room and made it impossible for Kevin to sleep.

Mark's eyes slowly opened. He looked to his left. There was a small table with a gallon bucket on it. He looked inside it then glared "empty" he mumbled "I need my beer!" he yelled out loud.

That was Kevin's cue. He quickly ran to his angered father. Mark threw the bucket at Kevin's head "go ask that old woman for some money" he grumbled. Kevin slowly nodded his head and walked to Mary's bedroom. It looked way nicer than Kevin's. She had a two person bed, covered by a soft looking blanket, unlike Kevin's which was ripped and cold. Next to her bed was a desk lamp, it had a red cap and a blue base. The only thing lighting Kevin's room a was a the small broken window in his room. Her floor had a dark ocean blue carpet that fit her whole room, while Kevin had an empty, freezing concrete floor.

Mary was sleeping in her bed, her long and soft black hair fixed on her shoulders. She was wearing a long cotton night dress. She looked so peaceful. That ended when Kevin spoke, "Mother?

d-dad needs some m-money for his beer" he whispered frightfully

Mary's eyes opened in a glare. "How dare you wake me from my beauty sleep?!" she yelled. Then she slapped him across the face and got up from her bed. She was searching a drawer on the other side of the room and got out twenty cents "don't you dare use the money for something else" she warned. Kevin nodded his head and watched Mary go back to bed.

 

Kevin ran out of the house, the bucket in one hand and the cents in the other. He had to stare hard through the fog.

When he finally reached his destination, he looked up. At the top of the old building was the word 'Shop' in big red letters. It wasn't a really good name but Kevin had other things to do than think of a new one.

He walked through the glass door and and to the counter. Then he reached out his hands and put the bucket and the cents on it. "My father needs a refill" he mumbled to the man behind it. The man gad a chocolate brown apron and a dirty blond hair. He was leaning on the marble counter. He gave Kevin a dirty look. Then he took the coins and the bucket. He stuffed the coins in his pocket and put the bucket beneath a barrel. It poured a gallon of beer in the bucket and the man handed it to Kevin. "Make sure this gets to your father" he said suspiciously. Kevin shyly nodded his head and walked outside.