He
comes in late Saturday night, drunk. She pretends to be asleep
when he comes to bed. Long before he wakes, Sunday morning, she
is up and dressed. She dresses the child and drives away into the
early fog. She drives 80 mph. over the blacktop country roads for
several hours. When he wakes the sun is shining and the house is
quiet. He has a hangover and thinks perhaps he has been
robbed. He feels his pants pocket for his wallet. He stands
at the window and looks out at the empty driveway. When she
returns he is sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
"Where have you been?" he says. She says, "I had to take the baby
to Sunday school, I can't depend on you to do it." He returns to
the window and looks at the car. It's getting worn out he thinks,
needs brakes and tires. He wishes he could afford a new one.
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