Chapter 7 - The Workbench Incident Was Not the First Time Richard Locked a Door
Richard’s detached workshop sat behind:
the garage.
He restored:
old furniture,
lawn equipment,
small engines.
Eli once loved it.
Then Grandpa created:
“workshop time.”
If Eli complained about:
school,
attitude,
chores,
Richard sent him there to:
“reset.”
At first the door stayed open.
Then one winter afternoon Eli said:
“Grandpa locks it.”
I looked at him.
“Locks what?”
“The workshop.”
“With you inside?”
“Sometimes.”
I called Richard immediately.
“What is he talking about?”
Richard answered:
“Five minutes.”
“Why lock the door?”
“So he stops walking away while I’m talking to him.”
My stomach tightened.
“Don’t do that.”
“It’s heated.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“Oh, Christ.”
“Dad.”
“Fine.”
He promised.
I believed:
the behavior stopped.
Why?
Because he said:
fine.
May you like
That was clue three.
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