3TC – Errant Behavior

Today’s prompt: nightmare, oatmeal, gin

He complained again, “I hate this gruel” and I sympathized but what could I do? The doctor said feeding my father his favorite bacon and eggs breakfast, tasty and appealing, would be errant behavior on my part. I had to take the doctor’s advice: orange juice and oatmeal. Watching my dad’s health was my job. We had been together for the past five years after my mother’s passing. His health was my main concern.

“Eating this blah food everyday. . .its a nightmare! You might as well kill me now. I’m old, I miss your mother, and her cooking. If I could do it myself, I’d have something with taste to it!”

I heard this complaint every day; but he was my dad, and I was a dutiful daughter. He was not healthy and at his age, I felt it was time to change things up a bit. The next morning, I sat the all too familiar fare in front of him again. He looked up at me as if to say, please, I can’t do this, but drank the juice. After the first sip, drank slowly on this morning, almost savoring it. Then he took a spoonful of gruel. He smiled. I hadn’t seen a smile on his face in weeks, and he dipped the spoon again.

Surprising what a little gin can do to liven up a meal.

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