He shows up once or twice a month at my family’s
house, to see my brothers, Robbie and Danny. No
big deal, he just drops by, has a cup of coffee, a
chat about nothing. But more often than not, he’s
drunk, which only causes trouble and upsets
everyone with his presence. But Robbie and
Danny were still little when he left and still hope
and believe that he is something better than he is.
They decided to give him a chance, a trust that he
has never deserved and every single time they end
up being disappointed.
This time, the situation has degenerated. My
dad can’t stand the sight of Carl and when Danny
called him ‘Dad’ in front of him, he lost control
and threw himself at his wife’s new man.
Danny loves Carl as if he really were his father
and ran across to defend him. He came out of it
with a bloody nose and a busted lip.
I found him on the couch at home as my mother
was trying to patch him up, and he’s still angry
because of the fight. Carl is sitting in the corner
feeling guilty as always for just being there. As if
it were really his fault.
How is it possible to abandon a family like that?
To deny them everything when it mattered and
then to show up when you feel like it and just
create problems? How can you get married, have
children and then destroy it all? Kill all of their
dreams, make them feel worthless, leave them with
their ass on the ground with no security or money?
