Cataract on Minds Eye

Cataract on Mind's Eye
The old man's youngest granddaughter was playing on a swing in a park. After an hour or so she became tired and wanted to rest. The old man had packed a lunch for her. It consisted of what he thought might be her favorite foods, an apple, three rice cakes and cola. The old man was right, his granddaughter was thrilled. She sat on the park bench with him and tore into her lunch. As she was eating, she asked her grandfather what he remembered about the west. The old man agreed to talk, but warned her, there was much he could not see. I'll tell you what I remember and nothing more, just don't ask me too many questions, or to explain. The old man's granddaughter agreed with eagerness, so he began.
I remember eating dog shit that I thought was a pancake or getting sunburned with family and sister on Alda Lake, or going to Reno Nevada, And steeling parent's suitcases, both stuffed with beer, Both parents madder than hell, full of fear, or stealing our old station wagon, and going on a joy ride, returning and my old man beating hell outta me with leather belt, cow-hide, stealing another car, taking it Tacoma, getting busted, jail and rotten potato, Old man came to get me, a real long ride home, Stealing my old man's wedding ring, giving it way, returning it three weeks later, with nothing to say, or stealing blank cheques and giving them drug addicts, having police show up on thanksgiving day, or going to southern California disenyland,old man demanding I get a haircut, Sunday afternoon, all barber shops closed, I won.
Stop it granddad, I don't want to hear any more. You were not a nice boy. Yes, you are right the old man said. What would you think if I told you about happier things.Ok, but promise said his granddaughter?
The old man continued, theater in Seattle, season tickets, seeing most all of Shakespeare's plays, driving all day to Ashland Oregon, driving from Seattle to Yakima every Friday afternoon, over mountain pass, feeling my stress and anger lessen, the father away I got from city, leaning how to fish, drinking so much, id forget where I left my car, coming back the next day, teaching myself how to ice skate in osoyoos,picking apples, packing apples at Oroville packing shed, being locked in an outhouse,pissing all over skipper when he let me out, getting my first counseling job, with huge hangover, or watching love hockey games in Canada, seeing the dead play in Portland, buying a 47 ford pickup with a flathead v-8 for 75 dollars, living on a farm in Oregon, after telling my old man to fuck himself, Doing internship,practicum,seattle,harborview,checking parking meters in china town, Getting outta graduate school, fighting with the department of corrections,widby island private practice solitude, paranoid police raids, bank of America, downtown Seattle hauling furniture2:00am,boss,gary really hyper guy, Got local blond bimbo prosecutor fired, decided to leave America, gave all of my personal belongings away, packed three bags, taxi to sea-tac,never looked back....
Granddad, Granddad, the old man's granddaughter asked, would you take to the west some day? To this, the old man replied, no my dear, my home is now in the east, I'm now easterntized,if you feel a strong need to go,im quite sure someone can help you with your plan, For you see, the east is now my motherland,Im just an old man, with broken spirit, many memories in tow, the images grow dimmer by the day, like a big cataract on my mind's eye, which will never go away.
Erik Hopp
Xiantao China
2016