Sarah McCullough
Bandaids Fix Everything
Mommy seems sad today. She didn’t make my favorite waffles this morning. She just helped me get a bowl of Froot Loops and she forgot to pack my lunch box for school. She didn’t even blow me a kiss when I got on the bus. I was wishing all day that she would be happy again when I came back, but she was still sad. I gave her a hug and a kiss when she got me off the bus, but she was still sad. She didn’t ask how my day at school went, like she always does. I even helped her make dinner today, but she is still sad now. I am hoping that when Daddy gets back he can help Mommy feel happy again, because I don’t know how, but I know Daddy knows how.
Me and Mommy are just watching TV now. It’s six o’clock, so that means SpongeBob is about to come on. I like SpongeBob the best. I want to cuddle with Mommy, but she is not doing a very good job today. She is staring at her feet.
I hear the door open, so I run to Daddy and tell him hi. He is more happy than Mommy. He picks me up and gives me a big hug and asks me what I did today in school. I tell him, and then I whisper that Mommy is not in a good mood. I ask him if he can cheer her up because I can’t, and I just want to cuddle with her when we watch SpongeBob. He says he will try his hardest. I love Daddy.
I go back to sit on the couch again with Mommy. I love her too, that’s why I want Daddy to help her. I hop up onto the couch with her and I see that she is crying now. I wish she would not cry; she is starting to make me sad now. I ask Mommy what is wrong, but she says that she is okay. I know she is lying to me. She told me before that lying is bad, so I say, “Lying is bad, Mommy.” That makes her cry even harder. I tell her I’m sorry for making her cry and give her a big kiss on the cheek.
Daddy comes into the living room to help. He tells Mommy to stop crying in front of me. Mommy says that she wouldn’t be crying if Daddy didn’t cheat on her. They sound like they are going to fight. That shouldn’t happen. I wanted Daddy to make it better for Mommy. Why would he cheat, cheating is bad. They tell me that if I’m going to cheat when we play Candyland that we are not going to play Candyland anymore.
I don’t like it when Mommy and Daddy yell at each other. Sometimes I can hear them all the way from another room. I really don’t like it when they yell at each other in the same room as me, because it’s scary. Daddy uses the bad words. They are making me want to cry now. They are so loud. Daddy is just making it worse. Mommy can’t stop crying now. If Daddy can’t help Mommy feel happy again, no one can help. I am crying now, because no one can help Mommy feel better.
Mommy tells Daddy to stop fighting because he is making me cry now. Daddy tells Mommy that I wouldn’t be crying if she didn’t start. Mommy tells Daddy about his cheating again. Why did he have to cheat? He told me winning is not that important. He said that nobody likes to play with a cheater. How come he didn’t follow his rule?
Daddy is very angry that I am crying too. He grabs me and tells me to shut up. It hurts my feelings when he says shut up. I tell him that I’m sorry that I’m crying, I just can’t help it. He says that I better stop soon or he is going to be mad. But I thought he was already mad! He walks out into the kitchen, so I crawl into Mommy’s lap and ask her why is he being mean today. She says that he has done a terrible thing, and he is scared that he can’t live here anymore. Why would Daddy leave? They never kicked me out when I cheated at Candyland. Maybe Daddy cheated on a test, that’s the worst kind of cheating.
Daddy comes back into the living room and he is holding something. I think it is a gun. I learned about them from the policemen at school. I didn’t know Daddy was a policeman. I thought he worked in an office with a computer. Mommy tells Daddy to put the gun down. I am right, it’s a gun. Daddy points the gun at me and Mommy now. That’s not nice, the police are supposed to point guns at the bad guys. Me and Mommy are good guys. Mommy is begging for Daddy to put the gun down. I want him to do that too. Daddy says that he loves Caroline. Who is that? Mommy is still begging and then Daddy makes a loud bang with the policeman gun. Mommy is bleeding now. I have to go get her a bandaid.