Cross Words

Some plumbing or other seems to always be clogged, and that's the biggest thing I'll recall later, but right now...

Right now, it's the bathtub. Only, it's not filled with water like normal. Nothing's backing up, and nothing's swirling around my ankles as expected. It's just stuffed with various pieces of firewood and newspapers. Bone dry.

And something else about the newspaper, I think somebody was trying to read it to me earlier, but he couldn't read it, and I tried on my own, but that wasn't working out either. Shame. I'd really like to settle down and do the crossword.

I'm not dressed yet, but somebody's banging on the door. I think it's one of the siblings. Or maybe the landlord. (Do I have a landlord?) And that reminds me of the line in that old Metallica song that came out when I was fifteen.

"Power wolves beset your door / hear them stalking" 

Am I 15 again? Is that why the siblings are here? Am I late for work? Am I late for school? Are the siblings late for school? Did I do my homework? Did they eat breakfast? Are they even dressed yet? Do I have money for gas? 

SHIIIIT!!!!!

Later, my mother would make a big damn deal of babysitting my kids. She'd tell her friends about the sacrifice she was making for me, for my kids, so I could get to work every day and hold down a job and get the rent paid, because, let's face it, I couldn't do it without her help.

She was right, but let's talk about when I was fifteen.