Cry Monster
He liked to think of himself as the most caring father in the world. Carina certainly thought she had the best father in the world. Mum and dad both tucked her in, but as a rule, after the story when mum said she needed to go do some ironing, she would grab hold of his hand and insist he stayed with her until she fell asleep. The best father in the world had no answer to this entreaty. As she closed her eyes, she let go of his hand, and he felt that he had her permission to leave. Perhaps to go clean his collection of guns, a passion of his. As he tiptoes away he could hear her snore gently, and he winked to himself in the mirror.
Seated in his little workshop, he had thought of cleaning the Glock 34. He was about to start pulling the cartridge out when he heard her scream with fear. Daddy, daddy, the monsters are back. Without thinking he rushed into her bedroom. Amid her sobs she blurted out that there were two of them, and they had jumped out the window when she had screamed. Dad rushed to the window and began shooting. The whole neighbourhood pushed their heads out of the windows. By now he was in the courtyard.
‘Come out there, or I shoot,’ he threatened a dustbin, ‘I know you’re hiding there. Come out coward, come and face me, or are you only able to scare children?’ Of course nobody came out, but by now a handful of good neighbours had joined him.
Back in the house, he took Carina in his arms and reassured her that he had dealt with the monsters.
‘But daddy, there weren’t really any monsters, you said so yourself, It was only a bad dream.’
