test

Monday, April 18, 2011

Cracked Eggs - Magpie Prompt Week 62

Below visual prompt from Tess @ Magpie Tales - To read other contributions this week's click HERE


Courtesy of Tess @ Magpie Tales

Cracked Eggs

‘Your father’s back,’ I hear my mother say.  But I already know this, his anger seeping through the cracks in the door long before he turns the key.  The cups on the dresser rattle as the door slams shut coffin-like. The air in the house is sparing, threatening.  I sit and wait, hoping I might drift into the faded flowery wallpaper.  His eyes speak first, firing. No dinner yet, no plate filled, no place set.  He is not pleased, he never is.  I watch him untie his boots, big strong hands with nails of ingrained dirt and lines that mirror a rugged, ragged face.  I hear the splash and sizzle from the kitchen as the knife cracks the shells, and then the smell of fried eggs.  
We both wait while he eats; him first, always first. Through the corner of my eye, I watch him, his knife upright as the food from the willow patterned plate gets shoved into his mouth.  Then the blind raging anger that has hovered since the moment he turned the key releases itself, spitting out the food he roars.  ‘Bloody woman, can you do nothing right?’ And the plate with fried eggs goes flying through the air.  She says nothing, she never does.  The door slams shut once more and he is gone, leaving us as castoffs in his broken wake.  I sit in silence, in case he might come back, bruised that way only children know.

29 comments:

  1. oh dear - you've conjured the horror perfectly

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful and poignant... you have vividly described a sad situation for any family.

    ~laurie

    ReplyDelete
  3. Trembling just reading this...guess that means you nailed it. Vb

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vividly capturing the details, poignantly addresses the silence... You have nailed it as well as the ruggedness of his hands, as poignantly as the slam of the door.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Overwhelming ... children, so fragile .. never forgetting the pain.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Excellent capture of those moments that assail so many children...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not a happy meal. I like the way the child shrinks to try to become invisible but notices every detail.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A Powerful piece, vivid and so well written.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Very strong writing - excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The words that come to me are powerful and vivid, as others have said. Very well written, and the closing line is really good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Such pain must be excruciating to write about. You made me feel it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. So deep, so true..these wounds never heal..very well written!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I could feel and see the drama being played out here. Very nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks everyone for all your supportive comments.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I felt the pain too and feel sad. Excellent write. Thanks for sharing.

    Anna :o]

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a powerful story - and sadly too common. Would it be a good or a bad thing if he never came back?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, very powerful and captured with such emotion.
    Excellent writing, well done.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anger seeping through the cracks. Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Riveting description! I felt down to my bones every person's feelings. It was wise that he left--that type wouldn't stop the abuse there. Extremely well-written vignette.

    ReplyDelete
  20. An old story, oft told, but this one was powerfully narrated...the visual references..the sounds..the silences... Made my blood boil...
    Padmavani

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks all for the positive comments.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Terrible memories are held in to many minds, reflecting the hiding of childhood from the house of anger....bkm

    ReplyDelete
  23. Striking, good piece. Mood suffusive, "emotionally hard to breathe" work.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh wow! This is really sad, but really written so well! Nice write! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  25. truly disturbing stuff, you have the knack of awakening memories locked up in my own mind.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks Girl in My Own World. Sorry riggerscam. I guess some hard hitting writing can unfold layers many of us have forgotten.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...