Post by Roger Wright on Feb 14, 2021 22:02:15 GMT -5
“Sounds good.” Voo gave him a little smile. She knew that when he went on the walks, he was thinking. That’s what he needed right now, especially with his head not clouded with 100 proof. “Maybe we will have some cupcakes done when you get back?”
Roger softly shut the door and stepped outside, the cool air slapping him in the face. For a long moment he stood there, let the sting of the cool breeze bite into his skin as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally his eyes opened and a smile graced his face. Roger tucked his brown hat down on his head and strode off down the pathway and past the lake. He passed the houses, the building he called the apartments and then found himself walking along the road.
Not long after hitting the road, Roger found himself approaching the local hardware store, he strode in with a smile and gave Dave behind the counter a wave. “Ya got any rubber wall patch?” Roger asked.
“Aisle 4, what ya patching?” Dave asked.
“Hole from a doorknob, gonna need a hinge stop and 2x2 metal plate that is powder coated with primer.” Roger replied.
“Aisles 5 and 7.” Dave pointed with his right hand as answered.
“Thank ya.” Roger said with a tip of his hat.
Having gathered everything he needed, including a putty knife, some paint, screws, and electric screwdriver, Roger made his way to the counter. Dave rang it all up, bagged it and Roger paid for all of it, then with a tip of his hat made his way out of the hardware store into the cool air. Again outside he stopped and took in a deep breath, the smells, the chill, all of it reminded him of home, and yet he was well far away from his home in Texas. Yet it all felt right, well mostly, there were too many houses for him at the compound, too many people in one place, but Marie was there and that was what mattered to him.
Roger opened his eyes and began the walk back to Voo’s house, the bag of stuff swinging in his right hand with each step, the swish of the plastic becoming almost rhythmic. Over a week he had gone with no alcohol, after the first three or four days things had really begun to change for him. His mind seemed sharp, his energy was up, and honestly for the first time in a long time he caught himself smiling at things and feeling happy. Even now a smile spread across his face as he walked, the bag swinging with each step.
Lost in his thoughts the walk took Roger what only felt like a minute as he was met by Marie rushing out of the back door screaming at him. “DADDY!!!! The cupcakes are done, we made them, Aunt Voo even let me ice a few of them, they are amazing. You have to try them daddy. Will you?” Roger scooped her up in his free hand and placed her on his hip.
“You know I will Peanut.” Roger said with a smile and kiss to her forehead. “But first we have to fix the hole in the wall, what do you say you and me, we team up and knock this thing out quick?”
“You got it!” Marie said with a smile as she slipped down and took off for the garage area. “Come on Daddy!” She screamed, bounding through the snow.
Inside the Garage Roger handed Marie the bag, grabbed a paint brush, drill, hammer, and a metal punch. “Let’s do this peanut!” He said raising the drill up and firing it off a few times. Marie giggled and they both walked off for the back door, the scene fading out.
We fade back in on Roger and Marie who are standing back admiring their handiwork. The only thing left is to paint the wall, and the metal plate so they blend in. Roger sets the paint bucket on the plastic covered counter and uses the nail pull end of the hammer to pry it open, the lid flips up into the air and lands wet side against his grey shirt, he pulls it off revealing a white and running paint stain on his shirt.
“Uh oh, you ruined your shirt daddy.” Marie said as she pointed and laughed at him. Roger smiled and laughed himself.
“Guess we have a new rag to use.” He pulled the shirt off and bunched it up.
From around the corner Voo peeked in and watched as Roger and Marie worked, Roger was showing Marie how to paint the padded stopper that he had affixed to the wall where the knob had punched a hole. Marie smiled and brimmed with excitement as her dad let her paint the object. Roger rubbed the top of her head and the two seemed as happy as could be, but Voo kept finding her eyes fixating on Roger, on the beads of sweat running down his shirtless body. She shook all thoughts from her head and disappeared back around the corner.
“Done daddy.” Marie exclaimed as she stepped back, hands on her hips.
“Looks great Peanut, why don’t you go get cleaned up, daddy will clean up this mess we made and we can get ready for cupcakes.” Roger kissed her forehead and watched as Marie bounded off through the house.
“You didn’t have to go all out.” Voo said as she stepped into the area vacated by Marie.
“This was nothing, worth it considering it means I got to spend some time with Marie, and besides you won’t have to worry about the kids putting a whole in your wall anymore.” Roger slapped the rubbed knob stopper on the wall then pointed to the hinge stopper and painted metal plate in the door trim. “It’s the least I can do for everything you have done for me, and Marie.”
Voo heard everything he said, but her eyes kept walking up and down Roger, finally they snapped up to his as he was finishing what he said. Roger had noticed the wandering eyes, but just brushed it off to a mother with three kids living alone, probably stressed and he couldn’t help that Marie and himself were just adding to it. “Thank you, now you should go get cleaned up.” Voo finally responded.
“Yes Ma’am.” Roger said as he bagged up all the tools and trash, then headed to the garage to put everything back before heading for the shower. Voo just watched as he walked off, the scene fading out as she tried to shake the thoughts she was having from her mind.
Roger softly shut the door and stepped outside, the cool air slapping him in the face. For a long moment he stood there, let the sting of the cool breeze bite into his skin as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Finally his eyes opened and a smile graced his face. Roger tucked his brown hat down on his head and strode off down the pathway and past the lake. He passed the houses, the building he called the apartments and then found himself walking along the road.
Not long after hitting the road, Roger found himself approaching the local hardware store, he strode in with a smile and gave Dave behind the counter a wave. “Ya got any rubber wall patch?” Roger asked.
“Aisle 4, what ya patching?” Dave asked.
“Hole from a doorknob, gonna need a hinge stop and 2x2 metal plate that is powder coated with primer.” Roger replied.
“Aisles 5 and 7.” Dave pointed with his right hand as answered.
“Thank ya.” Roger said with a tip of his hat.
Having gathered everything he needed, including a putty knife, some paint, screws, and electric screwdriver, Roger made his way to the counter. Dave rang it all up, bagged it and Roger paid for all of it, then with a tip of his hat made his way out of the hardware store into the cool air. Again outside he stopped and took in a deep breath, the smells, the chill, all of it reminded him of home, and yet he was well far away from his home in Texas. Yet it all felt right, well mostly, there were too many houses for him at the compound, too many people in one place, but Marie was there and that was what mattered to him.
Roger opened his eyes and began the walk back to Voo’s house, the bag of stuff swinging in his right hand with each step, the swish of the plastic becoming almost rhythmic. Over a week he had gone with no alcohol, after the first three or four days things had really begun to change for him. His mind seemed sharp, his energy was up, and honestly for the first time in a long time he caught himself smiling at things and feeling happy. Even now a smile spread across his face as he walked, the bag swinging with each step.
Lost in his thoughts the walk took Roger what only felt like a minute as he was met by Marie rushing out of the back door screaming at him. “DADDY!!!! The cupcakes are done, we made them, Aunt Voo even let me ice a few of them, they are amazing. You have to try them daddy. Will you?” Roger scooped her up in his free hand and placed her on his hip.
“You know I will Peanut.” Roger said with a smile and kiss to her forehead. “But first we have to fix the hole in the wall, what do you say you and me, we team up and knock this thing out quick?”
“You got it!” Marie said with a smile as she slipped down and took off for the garage area. “Come on Daddy!” She screamed, bounding through the snow.
Inside the Garage Roger handed Marie the bag, grabbed a paint brush, drill, hammer, and a metal punch. “Let’s do this peanut!” He said raising the drill up and firing it off a few times. Marie giggled and they both walked off for the back door, the scene fading out.
We fade back in on Roger and Marie who are standing back admiring their handiwork. The only thing left is to paint the wall, and the metal plate so they blend in. Roger sets the paint bucket on the plastic covered counter and uses the nail pull end of the hammer to pry it open, the lid flips up into the air and lands wet side against his grey shirt, he pulls it off revealing a white and running paint stain on his shirt.
“Uh oh, you ruined your shirt daddy.” Marie said as she pointed and laughed at him. Roger smiled and laughed himself.
“Guess we have a new rag to use.” He pulled the shirt off and bunched it up.
From around the corner Voo peeked in and watched as Roger and Marie worked, Roger was showing Marie how to paint the padded stopper that he had affixed to the wall where the knob had punched a hole. Marie smiled and brimmed with excitement as her dad let her paint the object. Roger rubbed the top of her head and the two seemed as happy as could be, but Voo kept finding her eyes fixating on Roger, on the beads of sweat running down his shirtless body. She shook all thoughts from her head and disappeared back around the corner.
“Done daddy.” Marie exclaimed as she stepped back, hands on her hips.
“Looks great Peanut, why don’t you go get cleaned up, daddy will clean up this mess we made and we can get ready for cupcakes.” Roger kissed her forehead and watched as Marie bounded off through the house.
“You didn’t have to go all out.” Voo said as she stepped into the area vacated by Marie.
“This was nothing, worth it considering it means I got to spend some time with Marie, and besides you won’t have to worry about the kids putting a whole in your wall anymore.” Roger slapped the rubbed knob stopper on the wall then pointed to the hinge stopper and painted metal plate in the door trim. “It’s the least I can do for everything you have done for me, and Marie.”
Voo heard everything he said, but her eyes kept walking up and down Roger, finally they snapped up to his as he was finishing what he said. Roger had noticed the wandering eyes, but just brushed it off to a mother with three kids living alone, probably stressed and he couldn’t help that Marie and himself were just adding to it. “Thank you, now you should go get cleaned up.” Voo finally responded.
“Yes Ma’am.” Roger said as he bagged up all the tools and trash, then headed to the garage to put everything back before heading for the shower. Voo just watched as he walked off, the scene fading out as she tried to shake the thoughts she was having from her mind.