Liliana

I got it from her.

So she was always reading.

But the thing about my mom is you can't talk to her when she's reading.

She can't hear you.

Like she can't.

So even if she is in the room, a lot of times you still can't reach her.

She still doesn't understand.

Like she can't see what's going on because she's lost in her stupid book.

He also started doing this thing where both of my parents are really heavy smokers.

I've never seen my parents without a cigarette in their hand.

And he would sit in his big chair, like legs spread, and I would be standing right here.

And he would give me these long lectures about anything, but usually it was stuff like

You can't tell anybody what we do at home.

You can't tell anybody anything about what happens at home, okay?

And I kind of perceived it to be more of like a privacy and safety thing.

So, and also I'm five.

Like, I don't understand what he's trying to say.

But he's sitting there and lecturing me on whatever, long, boring lectures.

And the whole time he's puffing his smoke right in my face.

And if I coughed, he would hit me.