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I hang my jacket on the coat rack. “I’m here now. You can go.”
She doesn’t take the hint. “Do you want to know what your brother did this time?”
“Not really. Where’s Dad?”
“He broke out of his restraints!”
“You’re restraining Dad now?”
Mom’s nostrils flare. “Michael! He broke out of his restraints, left his room, and—”
“I said I didn’t want to know.”
She folds her arms. “I have to tell someone.”
“Tell Dad.”
“Right, because he’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Anyway, Michael got ahold of a pair of scissors—”
“Stop.” I cringe. “Ireallydon’t want to know what he did. What’s wrong with that facility that he was able to get scissors in the first place?”
“He broke into the nurses’ station. Then he went on a rampage.”
“A rampage?” My mocha threatens to come up.
“Thankfully nobody died.”
“So, he’s improving?”
Mom glowers at me. She also doesn’t deny the truth behind my words. “Someone saw him on a monitor and stopped him in time.”
“In other words, he’s still homicidal?”
She looks away. “That’s what they’d have me believe.”
“Why do you need to go down there?”
“I have to sign some papers. They also want me to talk to him. He does better after seeing family. You should visit him more. It would help.”
“Sure. I’ll take the kids with me to see their sociopathic uncle. It’ll be a grand time. A regular family reunion.”
“Obviously, I’m not suggesting you bring any of the children.” She looks like a deflated balloon.
“Why don’t you head out? I don’t have all day. Where’s Dad?”
“You’re in luck. He’s asleep.”
She finally leaves, which means I’m now alone with my father. Spending time with him used to be one of my favorite ways to pass time. As a little girl, I adored him. He was my hero.
Now he doesn’t remember anything or anyone. I have to admit it’s commendable that Mom wants to keep him home. That’s dedication. But at the same time, he can be a danger to himself. She has to keep all the cabinets locked and watch him every minute.
Like father, like son apparently.
I check the master bedroom, and he’s snoring soundly. If I didn’t know better, I might think things were like they used to be. But it’s been a long time since things were good.
The first time Mom called to tell me he’d wandered off, I was in my second year of college. Then the calls grew more frequent, and soon he was doing a lot more than just getting lost. He began forgetting to show up at work. Missing appointments and important dates. By the time I made it to graduation, he couldn’t remember my name.
That gutted me then. Now it’s normal.
