I awake, the house is quiet. We have all overslept. I go from room to room waking everyone, wishing them a cheery good morning and then head downstairs to summon the queen. 

I smell it before I hit the bottom step. The distinct odor of alcohol and a sweat.  My misguided son has made it home safely.  I sigh with relief and tiptoe back to his “crib” just to get a glimpse of him. I peer around the corner and see that he’s passed out cold, a big bundle under the covers so I tiptoe back down the hall and arouse the queen.  After a few minutes of prodding and cajoling she starts to stir so I leave her room with the intentions of heading back upstairs to hit the shower. I am stopped cold in my tracks.

What kind of bottle is that by the end of the couch and what are those gold things lying beside it? I walk over to get a closer look. It’s a empty bottle of Merlot and two unused condoms. I gasp and quickly look around to make sure no one has come down the stairs and that the queen is still in her room. I grab the bottle, condoms and glass and head back to his crib. No tiptoeing this time. I’m ready for war.  I turn on the light and step all the way into the room and nothing prepares me for the shock I get when I realize that big bundle is from two people, not one. I yank the covers back exposing two clothed people. Him and a girl I can’t put a name or face to because I’m not wearing my glasses and secondly because all I’m seeing now is RED!

I smack his leg, his foot and call his name. He mumbles incoherently and I continue to hit his foot until one eye opens and the cobwebs of alcohol start to clear from his mind. He is frozen with fear and can’t speak. The girl has awakened and is looking at me like a deer in headlights. I ask her name, her age and if her parents know where she is. I am furious. I don’t remember what I say but I walk out the room, pass the queen and upstairs to hit the shower.

I get dressed all the while I’m still fuming but I’m trying hard not to give in to my desire to completely go off because the girls are here and I don’t want to alarm them. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I go back downstairs, back to the room, flip on the light that I think I turned off when stomping out of the room (old habits…) and wake them again – can you believe they went back to sleep!?! I tell the girl to get up, make a phone call to get a ride from my house. I warn her that if I see her in spitting distance of my house again I will call the police to come and get her. I tell my son to get up and disappear for a couple of days because right now I don’t want to see his face much less hear anything he has to say. 

Feeling a little better that part of the situation is resolved I head back upstairs and finish getting ready to go.  The queen can tell there is something wrong. She thinks she knows what is going on but she really has no clue the extent of my fury. I ask her to keep her thoughts and opinions to herself as she is talking under her breath and the girls can hear her.  We lock eyes across the room and I guess she makes the connection because she quickly shuts her mouth and proceeds to get everything together and out the door. 

I’ve dropped everyone off and I’m heading to work. My brain is FRIED. I can’t think of a prayer much less utter a word. I’m driving in a stupefied haze. What in the world has gone wrong. Why can’t this child get it through his head that it is our home, that his sisters and mom live here and that his friends have no business in my house much less drinking and sleeping over without my knowledge! Drinking is not acceptable. Spending the night is out of the question. Doing it behind my back – reckless and cause for eviction in my book!

So what does one do with this child that has no job, no car, no prospects of a steady job and absolutely no common sense?!? God help me please!!!! Just as I think I’m about to lose it, the alarm goes off, I fumble around trying to find it and hit the snooze button. I am awake. Thank goodness it was only a dream or should I say nightmare.