Saturday, November 18, 2017

Shorties: Number 47


Dennis stormed to his room.  She’d done it again.  A minor infraction was twisted into something akin to murder.  Repeatedly badgered with accusations, Dennis tried to calmly explain his point.  No matter, his mother continued her assault.  Why didn’t he do the dishes sooner?  Why wasn’t he more attentive to his chores?  A mixture of exasperation and embarrassment filled him.  He knew his responsibilities.  Still, he was lazy for a few hours and now was paying the price. 

Anger simmered beneath the surface.  It was an omnipresent fixture and Trudy knew no other way.  In her mind she simply expressed what she felt.  There was no bottling up her feelings only for them to erupt after years of pain.  That was madness.  When something made her angry, she believed it should be let out.  However, it was like an oxidizer being dumped into her soul and flames instantly burned through causing lava, ash and darkness to spew out.  All those nearby were wrapped up in the suffocating atmosphere as it drained life from them.  As quickly as the firestorm built and exploded, it was over and she was content once again. 

Meanwhile, those caught in the barrage numbly stumbled about feeling their way forward.  They knew TNT was in vast supply and danger always lurked.  Consequently, her family knew how to maintain their behavior and language to assuage Trudy’s demons.  She was blinded to the fact each detonation widened the chasm between Trudy and her children.  Dennis, her oldest, longed for college.  Once he walked out the door, he didn’t want to return. 

Being a mother, Trudy was in tune to the growing distance from her children but never fathomed the reason.  Dennis once even asked his mother to not be so angry.  This promptly burned another flashpoint.  From that point forward, Dennis knew not to waste time reasoning with his mother.  Her anger rose too easily.  He would simply bide his time until his release. 

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