Dare you ride?

It ended in tears. It always did.

I tiptoed as I waded through the dark corners of the room. It's been a few hours after midnight and I can still hear voices in the house. Probably from the television, judging from the glint of light I can see across the living room. It was in that room where I used to lay on the rug, looping my hands around Johan's tiny curls. He'd giggle that'll make the rest of us smootch his cheeks. It was in that room when dad slapped me after bringing home a guy after our junior high spring dance. He said I was too young to date some guy who doesn't have a stable annual income. Like that would happen then anyway. It was also in that room where "that woman" ended everything two years ago.

"You can't just..." I heard dad. "Leave... you bitch!"

A bottle of Bud rolled on the floor. I scurried and halted at the archway, looking over if he was awake.

"Blondes are just the greatest thing." he stammered as he positioned himself in his couch. Blondes. He went in a whorehouse again, stabbing himself off his last Euro bill. I took a deep breath and went closer as silently as I could. Dad's very irritable. Especially when he's drunk.

A snore. He was asleep. I paced and saw his suit unbuttoned with lipstick smudges on his mouth. He smelled foul. No wonder why he was fired. Perfect, I thought. Just perfect.

I picked up the bottle of Bud and slid it above the counter. I went back and covered him with a comforter and turned the television off. Darkness embraced the vicinity. I scratched my head and walked, stumbling on the table. The ashtray crashed. Dad groaned. I heard the couch squeak as he shifted his position. I bended over and picked up the remnants with the help of the moonlight.

Just like that crystal ashtray, our family crashed into bits.

"Bugger!" I yelped, lifting my finger into the light. There was a scratch lined with blood.
"Sidney!" Dad shouted. I looked back but he was asleep. Sleeptalking.

I sat aside the broken glasses when I heard him softly say; "It's always her Sidney... Your mother."

I cried.