![]() Incense and Peppermints
-- EXCERPT: September 1969 The corners of my bedroom had dulled to a muddy gray by the time my brother leaned on, or rather wobbled against, my door. His glassy eyes floated in their sockets. Stoned, again. “Whatcha doing, Sis?” Stevie, my older brother slurred. My gaze slipped over his pasty chest, sprinkled with wiry hair, and past his jockeys to his stick-like legs. Did he realize he was only wearing saggy underwear? Normally, I’d say gross and mock him, but only because he normally treated me like a speck of toe scum. “Nothing much.” I slipped my diary into my sock drawer, away from prying eyes. Our parents weren’t home, and our little sister was asleep in her crib on the other side of my room. “You need to grow up,” he said. “Here, it’s party time.” Pinched between his thumb and finger, he revealed an ordinary aspirin as if he’d procured the magic solution. “Uh… I don’t have a headache.” “Hey, turd. It’s not an aspirin. Stop the nerd act and get with the program. Grow up.” Our sibling behavior toppled into the belittling and ridiculing stage. Though I figured it was his way of helping me. Yet, staring at the pill, I was interested, but a hootenanny of cymbals clashed inside my head and my sensible side screamed. You’ll puke! I hate puking. Wasn’t it only last week Stevie was tripping and heaving guts like a water hose? Shaking my head, I declined his kind and strange offer and tried using simple logic to get rid of him. “Not tonight. Mom and Dad will be home any minute. Go to bed. It’s late.” “They’ll be so-o plastered. I can’t stand them like that.” Dejected, his shoulders slouched, and his body seemed to deflate. Until he tossed the pill, saying, “Catch.” ![]()
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2 Comments
Laura
3/10/2017 06:04:49 am
Sounds like a wonderful read! :)
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Sara Zielinski
3/10/2017 12:16:50 pm
Thanks for telling me about this book.
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