He wasn’t the best
looking, the strongest, or the smartest… But he was good enough.
Every day began with the general
routine. Wake up, shower, wait for the
misses to make breakfast, get the kids up and going… Wash, rinse, repeat;
follow with a smile! Not a thing that he
loved more than these moments. The
family together, in such an early rush of chaos that should drive any sane man
outside himself. Kids screaming, wife
complaining, peace abandoned for stress and turmoil. And he wouldn’t trade a single second of
it. Not for anything. He had it all.
Last minute see you laters and reminders and what needs to
be done later in the evening, as well as kisses were passed around before
everyone parted for their daily commutes. Ava, his six year old daughter,
always hated this. (She was just at the
age where she was old enough to rebel from family moments, but too small to do
anything about it) Mitchell, his eldest
son, didn’t care. He wanted more than
anything to be like his father, and anything that made the old man smile was
all well and good to him. He accepted
his parents love and silently laughed at his little sisters impatience (he’d
just passed that phase a few years ago) before rescuing her from purgatory and
jogging towards the bus stop.
A grazed, passing kiss from his beautiful wife Felicia
always completed the cycle. He almost
tripped trying to follow her step for step with his two left feet. Never had he met a person with a better sense
of timing than her. Always on time,
constantly on the go, rarely taking time for the grand moments that took place
around her. But, tonight was a special
night. Their six year anniversary. He made plans with his brother-in-law to take
the kids for the night. Felicia had
never been a woman to take pleasure before her duties as a woman, but he knew a
few ways to get her to embrace life. I better stretch first this time.
He took a few
last breaths of peace, made sure he had his keys and essential items for the
day and turned set the home alarm. Just
before he could make his way for the front door, he heard Mitchell’s t.v. still
on. Felicia would have a fit if she
happened to come home early and find the television on, unattended, for the
entire day. Every penny counts, she’d say.
(He left their bathroom light on from night to morning once and still can hear voice telling him the amount of energy he pointlessly wasted) No need
for both males in this house to be scarred for life, he thought, I
better go turn that off.
He ventured up
the stairs, into his son’s room, pausing only long enough to wonder what
happened to the good old days of cartoons and simple sitcoms. Closing the door, he made quickly towards the
stairs, savoring the loving radiance of his family’s home, missing his first
step down and crashing uncontrollably down and over the banister, the sound of
his head hitting the hardwood floor echoing for no one to hear.
Startled, he opens his eyes, cursing the alarm clock for waking him yet again. Another day.
Another again. Complacency at its
finest. This less than existence. He sat upward in his bed, the mistake from
last night still snoring soundly, sounds that only compelled him more to be anywhere but
here; anyone but himself. He’d wake…
whatever her name is in a little bit and get her out as soon as possible. He yawned, stretched, tried to orient himself
to the morning, failed, found the used spoon, grabbed a new syringe (gotta be safe!), silently thanked the gym
for exposing so many strong veins, melted his piece, and injected euphoria into
his soul.
After
he composed himself, he walked slowly towards the mirror to check his façade,
making sure each piece was in its place.
Smile: Check (not too happy, with
just a slight smirk, whites not too white but they ain’t yellow).
Bright, shining eyes: Check (thank
God for visine).
Physique: Solid (I might not be
much, but I look good)
He
heard the footsteps and movement of his short time guest, probably trying to
figure out what she did and, well, what
she did. Oh well, there’s only way in and one way out. She can figure out which is which.
He
made his way out from the bathroom to a newly empty apartment, exchanging his sleep
wear for the least dingy shirt and pants set that he could find.
I’ll shower later.
Leaving his apartment, he passed the hot, somewhat worn, single mom, with her two kids and wondered if he possibly had a chance with
the breeder.
Meh.
As he stepped towards the city bus stop, waiting to begin his commute to work, he saw a woman stepping
off the bus and called to her.
She
waved a finger back at him.
Perfect, he
thought. Well, at least, good enough.
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