Chapter 5 – All choked up
Mid-day is the hottest of the summer months, this is the time Henry’s father usually appears home from work. He pulls up the driveway to a quaint home in a suburban area of California. His white Eco van marked ‘Mills heating and Cooling’ brakes into the driveway, a noticeable squeal from the distinctive tell-tale disintegrated carbon pads capriciously sounds the dramaturgic warning to have them replaced, in most instances, but this is Henry’s father’ s van and if an expense can be mitigated, then Alex will do just that. He parks the van in the chipped and partially concrete metal-stained driveway. Alex, a well-built man of 5’10” with fair skin, large muscles exposed from a white tank top shirt and low-rise jeans grabs a case of light lager from the side door of the van, then walks staggeringly into the house, one step over the other covering most of the front yard.
The home is an old wooden stained white planked bungalow with a front and rear yard, nestled in a poor community on the outskirts of the city. Mona, Henry’s mother is preparing dinner. Henry’s father walks in.
“Hey, that smells good, what do you have us eating, now?”
Mona, an indigenous woman with long silky hair braided,
replies,” Oh, it’s just a stir fry from the leftovers.”
He pops open a can from the case,” Well better than nothing.”
Mona sighs,” You know If you want something then you can pitch in around here, instead of drinking every night.”
Henry is watching a television show in the adjacent living room as his parent’s quarrel.
“Woah, I can’t even imagine how bad this is going to be, Henry you test this first would ya?”
Henry looks over to his Dad and then back to the television.
“Ok fine, I’ll be the first to die.”
Mona brings the prepared dinner over to the table, swats her husband on the arm, and sits down.
“Ok-Ok I am sure it’s fine.”
“Henry come, dinner is ready.”
“Ok, Mom.”
Henry’s Father takes a few bites of the meal Mona had placed moments before in front of him, he chews obnoxiously a few times then begins to choke, he reaches for the can of fermented hops and tries to wash it down struggling to breathe; his lager froths backfiring from his lodged portion, continues into his nostrils, as he squirms, holding his neck, falls lifeless onto the cold metal kitchen dining room table, a slurry bubbly death sigh is released as his body aggregates into a quiet stillness.
Henry is on a bus staring at the floor while he remembers the moment his father died.
The bus loping along the old pavement, continues its path to the school and the second day of rehearsals.
To be continued…
Written by Colin R. Mah
Ham 