Fourth Week of Lent

Waiting

I thought that this would be better somehow. Now that he is finally gone, it has all stopped. The yelling has stopped. The slammed doors have stopped. The accusing stares have stopped. The whispered conversations with his miserable friends have stopped.

My wife no longer tells me that "I need to make him follow our rules while he lives under our roof!"

My other son no longer asks me why I put up with his nonsense.

It has all stopped.

The money was the easy part. I know how to throw money at a problem. If he wanted his share, fine, he could have it. As long as he would just go away. Just leave us alone.

Silence.

I never imagined that silence could be a tangible thing. Draping itself over the furniture. Stirring itself into my meals. Sitting on my chest, making it so hard to breathe.

Silence.

Waiting.

Paul W. Burke