I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU

Life as I know it is OVER, GONE F-O-R-E-V-E-R, never to return to the way it once was, long before the loss of my innocence, my naivety. And all because of one seemingly innocent little side comment that revealed my DAD for the dirty, rotten liar that he is.

Tonight, upon returning from what HAD BEEN UP TO THAT POINT a fun-filled evening of movies and mockery of the younger sibling, my dad DROPPED A BOMB OF A SECRET, one so heinous and egregious that it could SHREAD THE VERY FIBERS that HAD BEEN holding this family together. Tonight, as we pulled into the garage of my parents home, my father told me the he LIED TO ME ABOUT WHERE HE USED TO HIDE THE DAMN CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!!!

(SPEECHLESS HORROR AND APPALLED SHOCK)

Bastard!

Apparently, DESPITE WHAT HE TOLD ME AS A CHILD, he NEVER hid anything over at Barb and David's house. That was just a clever ruse so my innocent, curious, inquisitive, extraordinary, innocent, blossoming, childlike, innocent mind wouldn't go "exploring" to find what they got me before the big day. It didn't hurt either that the back room in the basement where he admitted to hiding said objects of interest was TERRIFYING! If he hadn't torn it out to expand the basement recently, I would STILL have some sort of dread associated with any endeavor that might make it necessary to enter that place. I used to HURL my body out that room doing the Heeby Jeeby Dance as a form of cleansing ritual. I wouldn't have gone snooping. I'd have sent in my little sister, you know, as a sacrifice.