The Mistake Was Made
Connotation Press 2018
January 16, 2018
The Mistake Was Made
My father had one big hand and one regular hand. His right arm was massive with muscle and his left spindly and weak. His right leg was ribboned with tendons and muscles and his left was only his left.
He beat me often but always with the weak arm, small hand and kicked me with his regular leg. However, he threatened me with his muscular side often and told me I didn’t want to chance pissing him off that much.
After the accident at the mill, he could no longer pull green chain and took the demotion to office work. He disliked me even more when I dropped out of high school and took his place in the mill. They put me on 20 foot 4x4s my first six months and then moved me to 2x10s. When I switched to the 2x10s I switched sides and unlike my father I had no weak or soft side but was ripped equally.
I was a good worker and they all told me I was better than my old man. He heard them tell me and said he could still kick my ass. I told him that thinking like that wasn’t a good idea and it was time for him to quit hitting the bar after work and yelling at mom.
He said, or what and I gave him a sample of or what. Later, I caught him sneaking around outside my room with an axe and made him pack his cardboard suitcase and leave. Don’t make the mistake of pissing me off and coming back here, I told him.
We saw each other at the mill but we never spoke again until the one time he showed up at the house drunk and made mom go in the bedroom with him. Big mistake.