Saturday
took an early shift at the factory
let out midafternoon
his boys birthday
he pulled up into the drive behind his
daughters boyfriends new Camaro
his old man had change
went inside
remnants of the party
coloured
twisted crepepaper streamers balloons strung hung from the ceiling
they did that when the kids were asleep
Looks good, yeah?
Festive as hell kiddo
You don’t think he’s too old?
His big sister wasnt
Yeah.
Bed
You have to go into work?
I have to
You’ll miss the party.
Youll have it in hand Sis will help
Him too. He’s a good kid.
Hes fuckiner
Jesus, Joe, your daughter.
Every girl is someones daughter I fucked you
Im home
they were in the kitchen at the back of
the house
walked through the ruin of the
livingroom few balloons down torn Happy Birthday wrapping paper
stepping through the doorway into the
kitchen
Im home
the
kitchen smelled amazing
Smells
wonderful
boys
favourite mothers creation cinnamon creamcheese frosted rum-laced applespice
cake
boy Sis boyfriend were sitting at the
kitchen table drinking cherry cream soda from bottles with paper straws
wife was busy before the window looking
into the backyard washing cake bowls utensils a small sheetpan
boys private cake that he shares with
family
he jumped up from the table Dad.
sugarhigh
ran to him buried his face in his gut hugged
him
hugging him tousling his hair
Hey kiddo party a success have fun
muffled Yeah, Dad.
We going to the
arcade now.
Right after I shower
leaning his head backfrowning
Aw, Dad.
Don gimme tha Patience tousled his hair again
A quick shower well go
Everyone have
a good time
They did.
she turned from the sink wiping her hands
with Happy Birthday balloons sprinkled confetti dishtowel he
didnt know they made those clutching
it with one hand that to his spine her other hand at boys shoulder she hugged them
Welcome home,
love. kissed him You
stink.
You
like my stink
The kids.
bugeyed
him
bugeyed her back They don stink
Ill shower somehow a queer thought embraced it H Two Oh
he oxygen they hydrogen separating
their molecule came apart
Out in a flash
I said Id be fast Lets
go to
his beautiful daughter and boyfriend You ride with us
she made a face
he faced her back
walking through the diningroom he
grabbed a couple of Happy Birthday napkins stacked two vegetarian pizza slices kid
loves vegetarian pizza what kid didnt like
pepperoni or sausage his kid
You want me to drive?
Ive got it Ive got it
kids were out the door in the backseat
he opened the door for her goosed her with his free hand as she went by
Joe.
The
kids . .
. . Cant see
shit
goosed
her again
she giggled
What Mom? asked the boy
as she sat Your Daddy’s funny.
All in looked down her blouse
she noticed Tucked in tight.
he shut her door
walking round the front of the car he
took a huge bite of pizza
Wha luck Boy youre
good luck a spot right by the front door
one to relish good fortune he took his
sweet time backed in
You never back in.
Suppose we slained neverhuh
she punched him in the arm
Ow
I’ll give you ow.
Pleease
Later.
the arcade was nuts kids every which way
he gave his a roll of quarters each
Think When theyre gone theyre gone Go
Have fun
they fled
into the room
he went to join her in the parlour raised overlooked
the game floor to witness the happy riot happy havoc
they split an enormous chocolate malted
in a heavy fluted glass hes considered stealing to use as a
unique flower vase two
really long straws to suck through stuck through gobs of whipped creamed topped with
sidebyside red candied cherries
she
nodded towards them
Those are yours.
They’ll have to tide you over till we get home.
We got whipped cream
Reddi-wip Extra Creamy.
You my grrl Thank you
You’re welcome, figure I lost you part
of Saturday, so we would make it worth our while.
When we get home.
Let me roundem up
Funny guy.
You keep sayin
he stoodabruptly
leaned over the malted took both cherries in his mouth at once
What a jamoke.
laughed she had the most
amazing dimples the why he married her the cherries on top the sundae that was her
inside and out
she kissed himdiscreetly licked the
whipped cream from the corners of his mouth his chin
Sticky chin, babe.
Youve no idea Wait till later
the place started feathering out
people heading home for dinner foregoing the diner having dropped a
pretty penny on games the kids exhausted by them the bounce house the playpen
of coloured balls
their kids descended upon them
simultaneously A little more?
You
kids convene a congress
simultaneously What?
Nothing
I got cold pizza an a beer waitin on me
AwwDad, it’s my birthday.
It is boy snapped a roll of quarter in half
Now thas it
laughing the three turned
Shit.
the boyfriend said it
was unlike him to swear in their presence
he looked out the window where the boy
was looking
Why’s he here?
Sis said Dumb luck. Had no idea we were going to be
here.
Somebody must have said.
Nothing we can do. It’s a free world.
I should meet him outside.
Make a scene? No.
This is a public
place.
I shoul . .
. . No.
Let’s play pinball. We’ll ignore him.
You two okay
impatiently boy pulled on her arm
Let’s go, Sis.
Are you okay
We’re okay, Dad.
That kid’s an asshole, can’t seem to take no
for an answer.
as they headed for pinball her boyfriend
started drifting towards the front door
she grabbed the crook of his arm tugged a bit
he resisted
she yanked him
she
was a lot stronger than she looked a
gymnast
his wife stood looked through the big paneglass windows
He’s walking funny.
she began
after the kids
He’s
walking funny.
You
said
Where you going
kid came through the front doorleveling
a shotgun
first shot caught Sis’ boyfriend in the side hand hip
later lost his
hand his leg
boy ran towards Sis
second shot caught her in the belly disemboweled her
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!
was the last thing out of boys mouth
then he didnt have one
his wife closed on the kid almost touched the barrel he shot her in the chest
he wasnt ten steps behind
turningfired on him
blewup the table at his
right scattered buckshot table peppered
him concussion knocking him to a knee
the kid fled out the door left up the parking lot
it was a mall
funneled him up towards the busy cross avenue
emerging he saw the kid toss the shotgun
into a dumpster
he jumped into the car
hurled hard left up the parking lotscarcely
avoided hitting a vehicle backing outveered right had an anglevisual on the kid
he ran into traffic
pulled a handgun out of his sweatshirt
shot at cars bearing down on him
brakes srieked
collisions
he turned the car hard left into the lane
kid
stopped
turned around
opened fire on him
shots shattered his windshield
he went through the kid
fro an aft felt like squishy speed bumps
in between bounced between the undercarriage and tarmac
brakingswerved right
stopped
leapt out of the car
started back
an oblivious car Tboned his
stopped at the grotesque thing
stood above it
it was crying
he kicked it in the head
its neck snapped
0525, Thursday,
5 3. 26
1203, Thursday
