Before the Old Man Comes Home

Grab that piece, from the floor

Fix it up, like before

Take the knee

Wait

Lift it higher

He'll forget that it broke

There we go

Is that smoke?

Oh my gosh

It smells like fire

Ah!

Here, take the heel of the shoe

We're out of luck without glue

So, try again

Nothing fits

This might work

Call it quits

What's the point?

Just do the best we can

Before the old man comes home

There oughta be something we can do to make mom feel better

Like what?

Well, for one thing, you could start eating your food without all that little piggy stuff

She'll come back, see your plate

Won't believe that you ate

Try to swallow just one carrot

I don't know if I can

Open up, be a man

It's too much

Then fine, we'll share it

Hey, if you just take a bite, they won't remember their fight

Alright

Or sit down really quick

I think I'm getting sick

This could work

We need a better plan

Before the old man comes home

If he sees that the lamp is on

If she sees that the food is gone

Maybe then, that's when

Everything will be okay again

The old man returned later with five bottles of extra strength glue

He worked furiously, but futility, for at least an hour

At last he gave into the inevitability that the precious leg was lost

Not long afterward, mother returned

Randy and I were in total fear of what might happen next

Look, I just

If I was

What I meant

It's because

How on earth it got this way? (got this way?)

When I said

I was so

And I tried

Yeah, I know

Listen, Frank, what I mean to say

I'm sorry

The white flag had been waved

The war was over

Peace had once again returned to the land

With as much dignity as he could muster

The old man took what was left of his Major Award out into the backyard

And buried it next to the garage

I could never be sure, but I thought I could hear