The Finding Tree

Chapter 2 - The Event

Shuffling her toes under the leaves, she listened as they crunched and scattered in her wake. She skirted the edge of the lawn under the cover of the canopy and underbrush.

Janey was just inside the tree line and completely hidden from the house. She stood and stared at the white structure that she loved, a hollow look on her face. In her mind, she ran through what she might have done differently. Was there anything that could have changed the day?

After leaving dad on the dock, and carrying the bucket of fish to the kitchen, she dropped the poles and cooler full of empty cans on the back porch.

She peeked into the living room and saw her mom on the sofa, a new style cordless phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Her feet were tucked under her, styled hair brushed her shoulders as she laughed throatily and tapped the cigarette in the heavy amber glass dish on the side table.

Janey smiled. Mama loved her friends. She loved to see her happy and laughing. Mama had a great laugh and it was infectious. Anytime she laughed it was hard not to join in.

Janey loved this room, too. The living space was full of windows, two walls of them faced the lake and the sloping grassy lawn that led to the wooden stairs to the dock.

The furniture was some that mama had gotten delivered last year. It was wicker, but a newer style, and had soft cushions covered with pictures of palm leaves and big flowers. Janey loved looking at it and studying the patterns and colors.

The back door slammed and the drunk's heavy steps came down the hallway and stopped. She heard a lid unscrew and clatter to the table, and liquid pour. She knew he had opened the bottle of whiskey and filled a tumbler. Janey's stomach was in knots. She knew it wasn't long til' the drunk made a move.

She tiptoed to her room and closed the door. Holding her breath she leaned against the smooth wood not wanting to hear what was going to happen but unable to leave it alone.

Within half an hour she heard the drunk stumble into a chair. She heard swearing, and the chair fly across the room and crash into a wall. Marcie hung up with her friend and she heard her mother's steps cross to the kitchen. The voices were muffled but the intent was clear.

"Thomas, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shut up Marcie, can't you just leave me alone? You and those friends of yours...you think you're all so much better than me. Is that why you're always on the phone? Talking about me?"

"Don't give yourself that much credit," Marcie sneered. "You know Kate and the gals love you. Except when you're a prick. Like you usually are after an afternoon of hitting the bottle."

Janey could just see the condescending look, Marcie gave Tom in her mind's eye.

Tom roared. "You're such a self-righteous bitch Marcie, you know that? I never should have married you, you've been nothing but a noose around my neck since we met. Janey would have been better off never being born."

"How dare you go there... She's our daughter Tom. You love her, you know you do, but I swear...if you keep doing this we're leaving. I can't handle your benders and Janey doesn't deserve that. God knows I'm not a stellar parent, but you're an utter failure Tom. Sometimes I wish you'd just finish the job Vietnam started." The venom in Marcie's voice was hard for Janey to hear.

A hard thump muffled a scream, that almost made her drop to her knees, behind the door.

Marcie sobbed and she heard the drunk rage and swear. "I'm the one that's a failure? What about you Marc'? What about the times you've chosen a charity concert over a school concert? What about the nights I've had to be both parents because you were out with your friends...what about the time you forgot her in the auto mechanic's waiting room? Who's the failure, Marcie? Who's the fucking failure?"