Daddy put
one quarter
into one
looking away from me. I
stared back and searched
for his mind and what it
was working out. Then I
went inside.
I
drew
daddy’s
bath
machine
ashtray. My blanket was
and made
love to my
mother
that night a
millionaire.
while he beat the dog. He
daddy. I walked eight miles
to a mall and slept in a bioswell until daylight. When
I woke, I entered the mall
and bought a poodle puppy.
I walked the puppy eight
was yelling at Luscious for getting
miles back to daddy’s, bundled and
in his way. I heard a kick and the
whimpering in my coat.
poor mutt scream into it. Knowing
“Dad! Bath time.”
Luscious, he is always returning,
I heard him mumble, mumbling.
begging for forgiveness and sure
He was getting nearer and knocking
enough I heard another kick and
into walls when he fell and the dog
another terrible scream.
squealed again. My daddy screamed
I bought Luscious for daddy after
Luscious’ name like Luscious was
mom left him a few years ago. She
the one who made daddy’s heart
died in a hospital post her departure,
run away from him. I heard daddy
of leukemia. She hadn’t told daddy
retreating from bath time and I
or I she’d been ill. Daddy and I sat
sighed as I stood my heft upright.
in his house watching television
“Dad! Come on, dad!” I lumbered
and getting drunk for two weeks.
down the hallway until it opened
We didn’t say a word. I woke up
into the expansive living area. The
one night and couldn’t remember
massive, U-shaped brown leather
anything about myself. My pillow
couch, glistening marble floors,
was
transparent glass tables, this house
a
moist
67 | NOVUS | ISSUE ONE
and
overflowing