Photo by Stewart MacLean on Unsplash
by Robert Vaughan
My mother would lay out my clothes for church: my pink pants, paisley shirt and a white floral ascot which had my favorite elephant clasp. My older brother, Timmy, wore the usual jeans, white shirt and bold navy tie and Mom wanted us to appear as a couple, like them, so I’d even asked for the same bi-level haircut Timmy had. What Mom didn’t know was that Grandpa Milton was slamming a Miller or two in the kitchen before we left for church. She also never caught Dad doing the same thing, only in the garage. And Mom also never found out that Timmy was practicing (his word) by sticking things inside me like Jack-in-the boxes, Toy trains, Golf balls. You name it.
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Robert Vaughan is the author of six books. His work has been widely anthologized. He is also a published playwright, and the Editor-in-Chief of Bending Genres, LLC. He leads workshops and retreats in places like Mabel Dodge, Synergia Ranch, The Clearing, Cedar Valley and Devonfield Inn.
