kJ Walker

A Game Of Pool (part 4)

by kJ Walker

Sunday 31st January 2021 5:35 pm

Anyone else would have taken it as a compliment

When Fat-boy said

“Signs of a misspent youth”

But my dad didn’t see it as such

CRACK

He brought the cue down on Fat-boy’s head

Smashing the cue in half

And splitting Fat-boy’s head clean open

His reaction shocked everyone in the room

Even me

And I was used to his violent mood swings

Usually there were tell-tale signs that the red mist was rising

Not on this occasion

The change from Jekyll to Hyde was instant and devastating

Red-Bracers saw what had happened to his brother

And charged at my dad

Big mistake

My dad still had the broken cue in his hand

He stabbed Red-Bracers right through the chest

Shattering bone and sinew

How he managed to miss vital organs is a miracle

I took a draw on my paper straw

An explosion of orange effervescence raged through my sinuses

My dad was going red now

And his eyes had glazed over

When the red mist took him

Nothing could calm him down

Poor Mutton Chops

Unlike the others he could see what was coming

He tripped over his own oversized shoes

In his reverse perambulations

He fell on his skinny arse

As my dad picked up two pool balls

And banged them together menacingly

God only knows what would have happened next

If the regulars from the other bar hadn’t charged through

And dragged him out

“And you”

“You are with him”

“Out too”

Why couldn’t they understand that I was a casualty too?

I didn’t want to go outside where he was

But I didn’t want stay inside with his victims either

I didn’t forget the two bob

Still on the table

That went straight into my pocket

On the bus

On the way home

Everyone was staring at my dad

He couldn’t stand to be stared at

Especially after he’d just had an episode

He thought that people could see into his very soul

And see the evil within him

He became more agitated as more people stared at him

And I didn’t have the heart to tell him

That he still had a blue nose

🌷(5)

◄ A Game Of Pool (part 3)

Flo's Domain ►

Comments

Brian Hodgkinson

Mon 29th Mar 2021 03:09

kJ Walker

Sun 31st Jan 2021 22:37

Steven thank you for saying that I write great poetry. I actually have two brothers who also write poetry, and far better than I do.
I was in two minds as to whether or not this one could be classed as a poem, but it was a story I wanted to put out.
I also come from a mining village so understand about what you are saying with regards to jobs being scarce and beer plentiful.

Stephen Atkinson

Sun 31st Jan 2021 21:44

Growing up in a small ex mining village where jobs were scarce & beer was plentiful, I've came across a few men like your father, but, to my knowledge, none of their sons grew up to write great Poetry (or to be able to write at all, for that matter!). Most became shadows of their fathers.
So, I take my hat off to you K.J (if I actually wore a hat!). ?

kJ Walker

Sun 31st Jan 2021 21:15

Don't worry Brian.
It's the last day of the month so all this thread will disappear at midnight.
It was a cathartic write for me this, so you'll understand why I then get touchy, when someone calls me out.
Incidentally many of my funnier pieces are based on truth. The great advantage of having an upbringing like mine is that you do meet some great characters

<Deleted User> (18980)

Sun 31st Jan 2021 20:38

Kage, I'm sorry if I have upset you. My first comment about not believing it was, in my usual way, flippant and in no way meant to demean your piece. I assumed the piece to be fictitious, as most of your stuff appears to be.

So once again apologies. I have no wish to fall out with someoone whose work I admire.

kJ Walker

Sun 31st Jan 2021 20:23

Well then Brian.
(Not wanting to sound like one of Monty python's four Yorkshiremen)
I was one of 7 children. My dad was an idle c*** who never worked a day in his life. All his dole plus most of the family allowance was spent on himself. He was an abusive violent father. And even when I was old enough to earn my own money he stole it off me.. I don't need to get into a pissing contest as too who had the least privileged upbringing, but if your parents struggled, but put their kids first then you were lucky

I think that the point I was trying to make was that, just because something isn't within your own comfort zone, it doesn't make it untrue.

<Deleted User> (18980)

Sun 31st Jan 2021 19:32

Ouch Kage.

As we're into backgrounds...I was one of six children brought up on a West London council estate. My dad worked in a factory. So no privileged upbringing there. But my parents knew exactly what their roles entailed to feed, clothe and educate six children...and it didn't involve pool halls or booze.

kJ Walker

Sun 31st Jan 2021 19:09

Thanks Brian
If I'd had a privileged upbringing I'd probably have little understanding of what goes on outside my own bubble too.
Just as a further bit of background into my own father. I left home in 1985 to join the army. Leaving my youngest siblings behind. One evening, in drunken rage he poured petrol on my mum and brother and sister. He was arrested before he lit the petrol, but I have no doubt in my mind of what he would have done if my brother hadn't raised the alarm.

Lisa, sorry to hear that you can relate to this story. When you have an upbringing like this you tend to think that you're the only one in the world going through it. Sadly it's more common than people think.

lisa donohoe

Sun 31st Jan 2021 17:55

Jeckyll and Hyde I can relate to.
Sounds exactly like my own father after a few whiskys . After an episode like this he would come home and take it out on his own. I feel your inner child's pain and torment by the scary embarrassing memories that have had an impact on your life.
This was a very insightful story. Well done ?

<Deleted User> (18980)

Sun 31st Jan 2021 17:48

I don't believe a word of it!

Good story though Kage.

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