I wrote this as a writing excerise. The story deals with questions we all deal with when we reach that certain point in life. I'm not sure what I am going to do with it. It does seem like the beginning of a novel I want to read. When I know what happen next, I'll work on it. In the meantime, Happy Father's Day and enjoy.




John sat on the back porch steps sipping his morning coffee. A man can think in the early quiet. The occasional squirrel or bird played in the yard for his amusement, but for the most part the man was alone.

Ah the smell of magnolias, fresh cut grass, and exhaust from a car ready to leave for work. John closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Suburbia. How the hell did I get here, he wondered.

Better here than in there, he mused. The kitchen was in the middle of its usual morning chaos. Linda and the boys were getting ready for school and work. The sound of a muffled wail made its way through the back door and into John’s peace. Yes, definitely better here than in the line of fire.

At least I can get myself fed and ready, John muttered. He tried to assuage the guilt he felt about leaving his wife with the morning uproar. Not that it took much to get him ready. A shower, shave, a clean pair of jeans, shirt and socks were all he needed for his contractors job. His construction boots lay by the door, a last minute detail.

“Daaaadddeeeeee!”

“Oh well, I guess it’s better to have them yelling for me than at me,” he said to a squirrel who looked up when the noise began. With a sigh, John swallowed the last of his cold coffee and returned to the house.


As he entered the kitchen, John saw the chaos that he had heard from the porch. The 8 year old twins were sitting at the table. Tim, teary-eyed had been the one who called for his dad. Jake, the elder and bossier twin was clearly angry and rolling his eyes at his mom.

“What’s going on in here? I can hear you in the next county!”

The force of angry voices rocked him back on his heels. Yeah, work looks pretty good today.

“Quiet you guys! Linda, what’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter? Nothing, except I asked your sons to sit and eat like civilized human beings instead flinging food everywhere. Jake hasn’t finished his homework, Timmy is missing his shoes, I’m not ready and you, as usual, are AWOL. Just a typical morning in the Tanner household.”

Mentally, he sighed. I'm not having this same fight this morning. John looked at his wife. She was beautiful even without her make-up, but Linda had different ideas about what was considered 'ready for work'. He began to bark out orders.

“Linda, finish getting ready. Jake, sit and eat breakfast. You will take the incomplete or F or whatever they give these days. I expect a note from your teacher. Tim, do not let him copy or you will be in trouble. Now let’s find your shoes.”

Linda hurried to the bathroom, relieved to let John have the boys for a few minutes. Let him have the boys for a few minutes, mused Linda. As if the boys were mine alone and John was some kind of visitor or assistant instead of their father. She looked at herself in the mirror and began applying her makeup. She saw tiny creases around her eyes and an occasional gray hair. Fingering the lines, she protested, “But I’m only 38.”

The annoying buzz of her cell phone startled Linda. She sighed and flipped opened the phone. It could only be one person.

“Yes Patty. We’re running a little late. Temper tantrums are terrible thing to waste. Sorry, I know it’s too early for jokes. I’m leaving in 5. Bye.”

Jake and Timmy would pull this stuff on my car pool day.

Twenty minutes later Linda was driving the twins and their friends to school. Husband, kids, car pool. Suburbia. How the hell did I get here, Linda wondered as she drank the last of the cold coffee from her travel mug.


Lani