My Cardboard Balcony

The Headache by Belinda Roddie Richie had a headache so bad that it split his nerves straight down from his nose to his chin couldn't feel much of anything with smell or taste when he ate ice cream it just dribbled down his face

His letter in shorthand apologized for not having enough money to pay off the monthly $60 increments of gas; for not always coming home on time, given the traffic; for not having the family room vacuumed exactly during the same day as requested. He was sorry for the temper tantrums, the overspending, and the occasional emotional meltdowns that molded his poor brain like soft silver.