Like Father
by Joani Reese
Like Father
The scent of sizzling bacon wakes me at two a.m. followed by the sound of a fridge door shutting and a pull top can fizzing open. Years ago, I'd shed the man who woke me like that. Over a decade of late nights and alcohol fueled anger, and still, sometimes some image or smell would click the panic button, and I'd find myself back in that night kitchen, anger making me crazy, pounding my fists against the heart of addiction. Visions of crushed Miller Lite cans and empty Percocet bottles tossed behind heavy blue draperies came flooding back, stuffed behind couch cushions, tossed under the bed. Thoughts of his black blood snoring through the next afternoon. His remorse, his apologies, all the banal wash, rinse, repeat. I slink downstairs barefoot, creeping step by step in search of this new ghostman haunting my kitchen, and there he is, our son, back turned to me, swaying over the burning meat, a can in hand, a six pack of empties lined up on the counter, hundreds more waiting for the boy turning into the man.
Very well-written. I could feel many of the emotions as I read. *
Thanks Jeffrey. Nice to see you.
Very sad and moving text. So well expressed.
"and there he is, our son, back turned to me, swaying over the burning meat, a can in hand, a six pack of empties lined up on the counter, hundreds more waiting for the boy turning into the man."
*
"I slink downstairs barefoot, creeping step by step in search of this new ghostman haunting my kitchen..." - An amazing piece, Joani. Vivid and in the moment. Shadows behind, shadows ahead. Powerful. The imagery, compacted, is unforgettable. ***
Visceral, primal. Profound.
Life in all its glory.*
Thanks for the positive comments. I appreciate them all.
The narrative turn at the end, sealing the legacy of despair gives this special force.
Thanks, David.
Ooph. This is potent and painful and hauntingly beautiful. *
Like this quite a bit. The two tenses give the present its strong emphasis. The then informs the now. The anger of remembrance is being barely kept under control by some quality mental resilience here. But it's fragile. The ghost has returned with the sins of the ghost's father.
"..heart of addiction" is good.