Another Book

from The Gold Eagle Hotel and Other Stories …

The Point

I believe my older brother used to suck his thumb as a kid. Or it was me who bit my fingernails. Anyway, it concerned one of us.

It was early in my parents’ marriage and my dad would coat the thumb, or fingernails, with a store-bought solution that would burn your mouth up.

My mom didn’t like the idea, and was mad at him for doing it, so one evening she coated her nipples with the solution, and later that evening my dad got a taste of his own medicine.

I understand he got the point, and stopped coating our thumb, or fingernails, with the solution.