Dr. A

[Teresa]

At Astroworld she peed on herself while talking with a group of coworkers but never stopped talking or smiling, like nothing happened, so we pretended too.

 

One afternoon she got drunk earlier than usual and took her kids to the pet store at Houston's Galleria where she bought an Akita, Pug and Golden Retriever; the next morning she sobered up and gave them away.

 

Her briefcase was like something your feeble grandmother would carry if she carried a briefcase, covered in a floral tapestry and handled with care, and though I never saw the contents, I assumed they had something to do with the medicinal smell of her breath.

 

The standard greeting when a radiographer came into her office was a cheerful, Whatcha got?, then she'd turn around and smile weakly, her signature red lipstick bleeding onto slightly crooked teeth.

 

The night we saw Jesus Christ Superstar she answered the door half naked, then she asked if I'd drive us to the show because she'd rear-ended someone earlier and fled the scene; during intermission she got up to get a drink then said casually, "If I weren't Catholic I'd commit suicide."

 

She was sober last time I saw her, said she'd married and divorced again, a guy who'd lied about his name, his past, his religious affiliation and income, then he robbed her blind, just like the guy before.

 

 

[LynnMichelle]

timing is everything... wow.

[Angela]

I'm sure I don't understand the repeating comment, but it's okay.  Glad she got sober;  all that stuff is hard to process and redirect into something beneficial.

[Gita]

Kasha!! That's the Yiddish word for buckwheat! lololol.

[Bill Floyd]

I used to take a briefcase to work with mouthwash and beers inside.  I'd hide in the bathroom stalls and slam one (or more) when the shakes got too bad.  Wasn't fooling anyone.  

Here's hoping Dr. A found a way to heal herself.

[Kristine_ES]

this whole thing scares me, Teresa so it's hard to know what to say.  to think of the people out there suffering like this, and that causes people to get caught up in their riptide, too.  damn.

[Jeanette Cheezum]

WHEW! Yep that's what it's like, when you're part of their world. Great summation, "T"

[Teresa]

Thanks guys.  She gave the Golden Retriever to me.  My boyfriend at the time named her Kasha, after an Asian porn star. 

[Sandra Davies]

As a piece of writing it's brilliant ... as a piece of life, definitely not.

[Ron. Lavalette]

It seems like everybody really likes this piece. Very much.  I'm glad I'm not alone.

The random purchase and subsequent ridding one's self of pets says it all, as far as I'm concerned.

[Gita]

This whole piece makes my head spin like that chick in the movie, all the way around, fast, like a spinning top. My neck hurts and so do my breasts and elbows and ankles because of this piece. The whole durn thing  makes me want to go outside and scream, "What the frik and frak is the matter with you people?!" That's what I think about this piece.  Dammit. Nice work, Miss Thang.