I looked at my reflection in the mirror in the Orange Room....and felt that I was turning into a man. I was in college, and my parents had let me drink at home during their parties. Hell, I figured it was time to buy a round in a real bar in the real world.
We must have been 18 when a couple of my friends and I decided to drive to the TIKI club and buy ourselves a few beers. We arrived in the tropical paradise and ordered a round as we settled down to a booth further back in the dining area. When our Budweiser bottles arrived, we began the usual bullshitting and enjoyed our feeling of accomplishment.
After a few minutes, one of my buddies looked up to the actual bar several feet away and said, “ hey Dude, your Dads here”!!! And with that, I looked up and there was my DAD drinking a beer looking at me. He nodded slightly, took a slow sip from his beer and just kept staring. He didn't say a thing or ever come over. Something seemed wrong, but we carried on drinking and figured he must think we're responsible and can handle underage drinking and driving home with a buzz. This must be our right to passage, our first step to manhood. Right????
I got home later than I should have. I remember it was Christmas Time. The tree was up..... and Dad had been waiting for me to come home.
Now remember...Dad had been out for many hours before me.... so he was in one of his MOODS. I walked in the door and began to turn the corner to go to my Orange room when he said,“ not so fast... sit your ass down”.
He was going on and on...then Mom would come out and put her two cents in. At one point she was yelling in one ear and Dad in the other. Funny thing was I was so out of it, all I could do is concentrate on the tree. It was like the Charlie Brown cartoon BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA!!!!!! I was hoping there wasn't going to be that awkward pause and then I’d come out of my trance to hear......”well”? “What do you have to say for yourself?" I would have had to say, “What?” So much for being ready. After the interrogations....in a foreign language....I eventually was free to slide down the hall and get ready for bed in the Orange Room.
It could have been much worse! It was just another episode …. When Days Were Psychedelic.
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